Had my second pre-surgery appointment on Friday and was so nervous because I was pretty certain that I had not lost ANY weight in the 4 weeks since the last time i had been there. I know the doc was looking for weight loss and all i could think about was how busy i had been and how i could have done so much better. The nurse calls me back and as we walk to the scale i start emptying my pockets and even take my sunglasses off of my head...because they weight so much you know! On to the scale i step and i can't even look down. The nurse smiles at me and at first i cannot tell if it is a sympathy smile or an encouraging smile....after years of being fat i tend to automatically see the sympathy/pity smile. I finally get the courage to look down and i've lost 7.5 pounds! HOLY CRAP! How? When? Where was I when that happened? SHOCK!! So into the room i go to talk to the doc and i have my fingers crossed that he doesn't tell me "see you in 4 weeks" again. Now the REAL shocker of the day. Doc has been VERY pro band since I first met him back in March. Today he tells me that he is just not seeing the weight loss results that he had hoped to see over the past year with banding. My heart just sank. In my mind i am wondering, what does that mean? does that mean you want me to have the more invasive surgery......just tell me, don't beat around the bush, tell me. So i ask, doc, do you think it would be more beneficial in the long term if i have the more invasive surgery or do you think that i can get to where i need/want to be with the band. his answer "you make that decision and let me know in two weeks so we can schedule the surgery". WHAT!!! I mean...WHAT?? So i come home and get back on this site and start REALLY looking at what people who have been banded have lost. And doc is right, there are a lot of people who are a year out and only down 40 pounds, but there are a lot of people who are one year out and down 80+ pounds. I think in the end it has to do with what you eat and the mentality that you maintain after surgery. if you eat the right things and do not test the waters to see what "bad" foods you can go back to, you will loose. I still think the band is the way I should go but now all the confidence that I had last week is just gone, completely gone. If anyone has any suggestions i would love to hear from you!