Flipper

I have lurked on this site for about a year and a half. Had my band in Feb of 07. I have learned a lot and this is my very first post here. I have lost 112lbs with about 20 more to go. When I am not loosing I know why. Not enough moving of the body and not watching my food intake as close. Now I might say to myself I don't know what is up with the scale, then I come on here and ready about someone having a plateau after only 3 weeks of being banded. I read about someone having their band for 7 months and not understanding why they have only lost 20lbs. I read "I think I have eat something I shouldn't have" and they had their band 5 days ago. YIKES...............................I think to myself, get real. In my opinion "it is what it is". It isn't what you want it to be, it isn't what it might be, it isn't what it use to be and it isn't what it was. By the way I was very abused growing up. I have a sister and 2 brothers. All of them use the past as an excuse to their lives. I made a promise to myself when I was very, very young that I wanted to live a different life. Now it has taken me a lot of years to figure it out. I was almost 300lbs for the past 30 years. I am 47 years old and think I "might" have finally figured some of it out. To me this is the most thought provoking thread I have read. Of course since I have lurked for so long I feel like I know most of you. Reading this tread has made me give so much thought to all of the comments. Now since I have never posted I might get someone mad over this but here it goes..................Unless YOU are ready to put in the effort and redirect certain things in your life, nothing will work. I say this from personal experience. I have blamed everyone but me for a long time. I stopped that and decided to fix the problem and try to live the rest of my life not waking up at 3am everynight crying because I didn't like my life or myself. It wasn't my life it was me. I am still "shocked" at how much "work" this band journey has been. I thought I would get the band, eat 1/2 cup, get my band really tight and get really skinny and all of it really, really FAST. NOPE.................So much work, but worth it. So I agree mostly that you only get out of the band what you are willing to put into it and if I don't do what I am suppose too, the only person I am cheating is myself. Wow, that actually sounds like what happens in real life too. Flipper