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Lately I have been doing some deep thinking about how my life is going to change after I get banded. And while yes, I want to get banded and become healthier for my family, for my children, for my future grandchildren...I want to become healthy for myself. For years...so many years I have put myself of the back burner. I think a lot mothers tend to do that. My children come first...my family comes first...everyone's needs come first. And I am not saying it as if I am some sort of awesome selfless person or anything, it's just the way I think. Everything changed when I found out 6 years ago that my oldest son was autistic. Everything. I used his diagnosis as a crutch for years. With the help of therapy I can say that I today I am ok w/ his autism. When we were going thru the process of getting my son's autism diagnosis I was also pregnant with my youngest son....hmmm...any wonder I gained 75 #s with that one. After we got the diagnosis of autism I immediately began to try to "fix" him. I sacrificed everything for it...my sanity, my health, my finances. Everything. I devoted HOURS upon HOURS researching. I spent the initial couple of years after his diagnosis consumed in another world. At the end of the day I was mentally and physically exhausted. I was too tired to plan a meal for myself, too tired to plan my lunch for the next day, too tired to exercise. Yet, here I was, counting every morsel of food that entered my child's mouth...making sure it had no food coloring, no gluten, all organic...meanwhile I would shove complete crap in my mouth. These past few months, perhaps even a year I have realized that I have to take control of myself. I have to be selfish. I have to let go. I can't control autism, but I can control what I do and how I react to this. I do think (as does my therapist) that I used autism as a crutch and ate as the easy way out. My world was spinning out of control and I had to take control...and I did just that but in an unhealthy way for myself. I couldn't control my child sitting in the floor screaming in a raging fit...but I could control the twinkie entering my mouth....so much comfort in that (at the time). Just as if someone that is anorexic is in need of control I am/was the same way only I would binge and eat unhealthy junk just because I could. It seems that as time passes my eyes and mind become clearer. I am so happy to be selfish. My life is depending on it. Thanks for letting me share. J

i've just found this forum. I was banded in Dec 2010. I lost weight on the pre and post surgery diet but gained it back once I began eating solid food. struggled with the liquid diet. i've had several fills. I have 5ml in a 10ml band. I haven't lost any weight consistently. I have been yo-yoing between the same 6lbs all ear. I work out 3-5 days a week. usually with the c25k program and dvds. here for support and encouragement. want to read others stories and see what has worked for them.

That's like asking if I feel like a fraud because I color my hair, or wear makeup. HELL NO I don't feel like a fraud. I worked for every pound I've lost, and I want people to notice and compliment me, and tell me how good I look. It keeps me going!

That's awesome, Brenda! I have some NSV's too lately. I went shopping last Thursday and found I had dropped another size. Now I'm a 22/24 in tops and a solid 24 in pants - from a 30/32! I'm still just amazed My younger sister brought over 8 bags of clothes she doesn't wear anymore either because she lost weight (she's an 18/20 now) or stuff she just didn't like anymore. I kept 6 out of 8 bags, and can fit into most of it except a few things that I still need to drop about 10 or 15 lbs for. The look on her face when she saw me zip up a pair of jeans was simply priceless. And my husband now calls me "skinny" which isn't true, I'm not skinny, but I freaking love it I'll be going to a massive family reunion on September 10th back east, these people haven't seen me for 2 years, plus my Dad and other sister haven't seen me since the surgery, so I'm looking forward to getting some compliments, My weight loss is definitely noticeable these days!

NSV today, I went to penny's in search of a few items today. When I asked where to find what I needed the sales lady took me to the regular woman's department. Good bye plus size clothes! It took a few minutes for it to sink in, I do not look plus size any more!(I had not even told her what size I was looking for) In my mind and under my clothes I still do, but that is another issue all together. 20 more pounds to go and I will be in onederland

HI all, I've read so much about how the divorce rate goes up after having weight loss surgery, esp within the first 3 years. And with divorce statistics as high as what they are already it makes me wonder. I didn't want to attempt a survey but I am aching to ask those who have been banded for a while if you have experienced this - divorce after being banded & what do you think the reasons were that caused the divorce. OR did the surgery help your relationship with your SO? I've been banded for 6 months now (wow, time flies!) & in some ways I feel closer to my DH then ever but it hasn't always been so. And those reasons haven't gone away but are lurking in the background still to this day. In no way do I want to divorce & for years I've worked on keeping the issues we have from completely interfering in our lives. Sometimes it seems like so much work. There was a point about 5 years ago (I've been married for 13 years now) where I lost 50 pounds on WW and was feeling great. I LIKED the attention I was receiving from others & beamed at compliments. I didn't want to recognize the issues I had with my DH, some of them I believe were (are) compatibility issues. I rekindled a misguided affair of the heart with someone I knew in childhood. It was all over the phone & through letters & lasted a short time but it caused my DH much pain. Needless to say I'm very weary about how I feel about my now shrinking self. It doesn't interest me much when a man tells me that I look good. In fact I shrink from that attention 'cause I look at it in light of my previous experience. I would like to hear from those of you with first hand experience with issues of the heart resulting from WLS/lap band. Did the surgery cause problems or actually help your relationship? Thanks for sharing your stories.

I can't believe there's a dr/surgery center putting patients back to regular food in 5 days. The purpose of being on liquids is to give the body time to heal and the mind time to get accustomed to the life style changes. It appears that the purpose IS being negated since your main issue here is that you can't eat fast enough. The band is designed to help you eat slower which will make you full sooner thus causing you to lose weight. Enjoy your pureed cheeseburger.