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Listen You are not my friend, we don't hang out, laugh, share, encourage each other, support each other. You are not my buddy- I don't call you when i need advice, input, a smack in the head. And yet, I can't hate you-- I adore you I cannot survive without you You make my life miserable, yet complete me You can give me all I need to survive and all I need to destroy myself But I don't want to just survive, I want to thrive, live, yell at the top of my lungs... There's more than just you out there in the world. So, let's start a new relationship based on those facts... Truly we cannot live without one another. But I wish to take from you what I truly need and disregard the rest. I want to add words like savor, moderation, slow, nurture, and sustenance to our relationships So that I can add words like, delve, extreme, full-out, satisfy, create, embrace, and exuberant to the rest of my life. So, LIsten... Things are changing around here. You be what you are: fuel and sustenance and a nurturing source And I'll be what I am wild, free, sexy, alive, joyful, ready, unstoppable, complete, whole, enlivened, grateful, FULL, loving, amazing, incredible.... Let's watch our boundaries, shall we, you and I? I'm pretty clear on mine.

Hi Stacey, I'm the same as you - I prefer healthy, whole foods, but I had an insatiable appetite pre-band. I'd have Breakfast and then have another breakfast. I'd eat a "normal person's" lunch, and then have more. I'd make dinner and serve up a huge portion for myself, and an hour later I'd be back there picking at the leftovers! I'm just over 6 weeks post-band and down 9.2kg, which is 20.24 pounds. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Anyone who thinks this is the easy way out is a moron.... or at best uneducated... Either way I would dismiss them from my radar.... and if its a close family member I would thank them for their opinion and never discuss it with them again....no matter how much they probe. But that's just me. You just cannot fix stupid.

My father asked me recently since I am pretty much doing this the old fashioned way of diet and exercise if I felt I needed the surgery. I do feel I needed it. It was my wake up call. It got so bad for me and my weight that I needed to have surgery. That to me woke my ass up. The surgery was totally needed for me....but really to get my head right. I love food. Still love food. But I am loving healthier foods now. I gave up bread, potatoes and rice. I work out 4 times a week. I want this to be a life change for me. Not a diet. I need to be able to say that If the band was removed that I could still do this. Do I feel restriction? Yes. I have had a few stuck episodes if I eat to fast. I don't eat nearly what I used to eat in the past and it helps me stay satisfied for hours which is really what I needed it for. So yes I do feel some restriction. I know I could be losing faster if I got fills but I am not in a race to lose the weight. I want to do it steady. I have averaged 10 lbs a month. To me that is fine. 5 lbs a month is fine. I just love that the scale keeps moving downward no matter how slowly. I am gaining a lot of muscle from working out so I am sure that is why I plateau a bit. I am not worried. I see the inches falling off and I feel great. So I will have the band in me for the rest of my life. I have plenty of time for fills....but I needed to get my head right first... at least that is the way I see it.

We All worry about this kinda stuff......... you are normal. There is a really good thread on the pre-lap board that really addresses many of your questions (it might be burried a little bit, but look for it, it has about 2000 reads last time I checked. and it is written by a successful bandee to people with just your questions.) LET ME KNOW IF YOU CANNOT FIND IT - it is a wonderful post. As for everything else, take it one day at a time, one question at a time. I called the doctors office to talk to them CONSTANTLY about my fears - they had one particular person who dealt with calls like this and gave advice. And later, after surgery, she was the one who told me that either everything was normal (many times) or that I needed to talk to the PA about this situation (only once, and he took me off a med that was too strong for my stomach). Before surgery: I FINALLY settled down and relaxed when I was patiently told that it was a 45 minute out-patient surgery. i had somehow built the surgery up in my mind to something bigger than it was. After surgery: I have had my bumps: an overfill and intolerance to a med (raging diarreah - ew); And I still could have a problem - but seriously I am off my Blood Pressure meds (122/80 today) and no cholesteral meds anymore ......and I am not even half way an my weight loss journey. It has been wonderful--for me. I now longer agonize on how and what I am going to eat: the answer is anything I want that I can tolerate in a small portion. BUT: you must decide what is right for you: ask your questions and demand answers: I was truly pissed when I was told i would have to give up diet coke and wanted (DEMANDED) to know WHY- which I found out- and now I don't even want it. Also, I was pissed when I found out that you have to go back on liquids for a few days after a fill.......at my first fill. (I thought someone shoulda told me earlier ) Good luck, Terri

I dont think it does. I'm thrilled with what I've achieved on that score, but I'm a dieter and always will be. I refuse to log, count etc because it makes it worse but I cant give up always trying to lose a bit of weight. I lost 8kg when I was having chemo, I was underweight and loved it. I've regained 5. I shoudl be happy, its healthy regain that I needed. But I cant stop myself from trying to lose it. I dont think you ever really get over being fat. I've done my best and my life is much better and I'm much less afraid of food than I was. I exercise becuase I love it and I love the way that it makes me feel and not to lose weight. I maintain a normal weight, even if I"m not a supermodel (I'm a perfectionist, nothing is ever good enough for me). I've learned to accept that as a big achievement and be proud of it. but will I ever be an effortlessly thin, totally normal person with a healthy relationship with food? I suspect not.

Today, out of habit, I thought to myself...."self, I better get a 1/2 salad because that Lean Cuisine I have in there just isn't going to fill me up." Yes, this is how I still think and I'm learning this isn't the case anymore and I'm so thrilled. It's been a long 6 months! Anyhow, I went out for lunch and forgot to pick up a salad and came back, heated up my Lean Cuisine and guess what....I'm full! I'm actually full on a little Lean Cuisine dinner. NOW, if I could just learn to listen to the band I'll be better and not "think" that I need more food. I'm working on this still but doing so much better and my portions have been cut down dramatically, I'm now paying attention to how long I stay full. That's the next step but I think 5.5 cc's is good for me. I'm starting to finally like my band and understand it. :woot:

Personally I would find another hospital.

Ms. Lady, You must be at worse entertained. Threads I don't care for I don't read. (like the vomit thread). If you are offended there is a sign at the door disclosing the content of THIS thread.