WDW Luver

I have Aetna and am turning in my paperwork and having my official weigh in this next week. Do you get some sort of an approval from Aetna BEFORE you do the 3 mo program, and then the surgery approval after? I ask because I have posted around here that I was about 5 pounds shy of 40 BMI when I went to the first weigh in. The dr office told me to (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) come back in a week or so and see if anything changed. I have been eating everything I can get my hands on and should be at the 40BMI next week. But the info I have from Aetna seems to say that for them to approve me I needed to be at 40 BMI or 35 or over WITH comorbidities for 2 years prior. I have been over 35 BMI but no comorbidities (they apparently don't consider confined to a wheelchair due to severe feet problems to be a comorbidity :tt1: ) SO, I don't want to go through the expense and hassle of the 3 mo program just have Aetna say, oh sorry, you don't qualify so we won't pay. Sorry, long rambling for a simple question--I am just so frustrated and not being able to get answers. Really I just need the answer to the bolded part!

Thanks, but the problem isn't my dr it is the insurance. If all that stands between them paying vx me paying is 5 pounds then I will just make the sacrifice and keep eating like a pig for a few more days! I think I am actually just about there. But once they get an official weight I am going to get these extra 5 off ASAP! I can't button my pants and my undies are getting really tight. . .

Hang in there! Just as you say in your title this is for the rest of your life. Take it a few hours at at time. It will get better.:scared2:

I bought a Wii Fit this last weekend. I figured that even if I can't exercise now I can show that I am willing to make an effort and have a plan in place for when I am able to exercise. WHO INVENTED THIS MALICIOUS TORTURE DEVICE? I plunked down nearly 100 dollars of my DH's hard earned money on this atrocity. That cute childlike little voice is so encouraging and makes it seem so easy. It told me it was just going to do a simple Body Test on me. I picked my cute little Mii and followed the directions. All the sudden my adorable little character starts to blow up like a balloon! I thought she would explode! I think I saw bits of chocolate flying into her mouth. No one told me they were actually going make her look like me . Like I can't look in the mirror and see that I am fat--now I have a fattie mii to workout with. Then it reminded me of the fact that I am beyond overweight. After my balance tests it told me that I probably trip over my own feet when walking. So as of right now this vicious device has told me I am an obese klutz. And I PAID for it to tell me that! I have a mother and children--I can get that information for free whenever I want. And it has told me that it expects me to come and visit it every day. Why? Cause it hasn't told me I dress frumpy, wear too much makeup and could use a new hairstyle? Then I found out that it is going to be stalking me if I don't show up for training? I can just imagine my phone ringing and that childlike voice "Mom (my wii's name), why hasn't your obese klutzy butt been up here to play with me? I am going to raise your Wii Age to 60 if you don't come see me. I have all of your Carnival Game tickets and you can't have them back until you run 10 miles. I am taking over your Sims house and redecorating it with Country Chintz. I WON'T BE IGNORED!" I knew I should have been scared from the moment I started to open it and the first warning on the box was "CAUTION: Everyone in the room will be able to see just how old, fat and klutzy you are when you use this" (I paraphrased a little. . ) Some skinny game developer is laughing his butt off all the way to the bank. I would love to get my fat klutzy hands around his scrawny little neck. . . But who would have thought that trying to gain 5 pounds would be so hard???? (stop throwing things at me!!!) I have been eating nonstop. And eating crap. I am afraid to do anything else on the Wii Fit cause I don't want to screw up my chances when I weigh in. Yeah, it groans when I step on it and says "that's obese!, in that so cute little voice, but apparently that little girl doesn't work for the insurance company. I was going to reweigh this week but I realized I can't get my insurance paperwork together until next week and I figured that I would give myself a better chance of hitting the magic number if I waited a week. When I weigh myself with clothes and a full bladder at the end of the day I am just barely making the 40 BMI. At the beginning of the day I am still around 228--not enough to qualify. But just enough for my evil little Mii to take up most of the screen. I swear when I was watching my skinny children play I could hear my Mii crunching away on a bag of potato chips. Or maybe that was me.. . :scared2:

I am impulsive! I have done all the research I can. I have made my decision. I want the Lap Band. And I want it NOW! I have only been to the Informational Seminar. I have to turn in the rest of my paperwork next week then wait for the surgeon's approval, and then the insurance approval. Even if they do approve I have to do the 3 month behavior mod program. (I do plan to try get a visit with a dietician next week to get it rolling) I have read that so many have had to wait a year or even several years to have this done. :thumbdown: I don't wanna wait! I wanna start that liquid diet now! I am ready for this--as ready as I will ever be! Best case scenairo it would be late summer or in the fall before I can have this done. Worst case, who knows. How do you wait???

Can't wait to hear how your weigh in goes! I am giving myself another week to add a few more pounds (lord, I have never in my life said anything like that!). I have 3 rolls of quarters--total weight about 1.5 pounds-- to stuff in my bra. I can't get all my paperwork together to turn in until next week at the earliest so I figure I will just reweigh when I have everything ready to be submitted. Pizza is on it's way for dinner! And I really don't even like pizza.

I have been freaking out about the fact that it appears that my insurance may require that I have meet the BMI qualifications for 2 years. I have not been at 40BMI before this. I was at 35 -39 but without comorbidities, but it dawned on me this morning--the insurance has only asked for 5 years worth of weight records. Nothing has been said about asking for the full records to show if I had those comorbidities or not. Hopefully they will look at the weights and not ask! So after we went to bed last night I filled DH in on what exactly the podiatrist had to say. Then I told him "You know that I have made my mind up on this, right?" He just chuckled and said, "I have known for awhile now." Funny, that is what my good friends that I have been sharing this journey also said! They could tell I knew from the beginning, despite the fact that I kept saying "But I haven't made a decision yet." I do have a ton of concerns and fears. There are always fears about how something like this will go. Of course anytime you undergo a major medical procedure/anesthesia you are at risk of the worst. But I am also probably at that same risk getting in my car and driving on some of the roads around here! I keep reading about port pain--especially if significant amounts of weight are lost. I don't like pain. The idea of it being up near the skin and palpable kind of skeeves me out. What if I end up not able to eat anything? What if it doesn't work and I never get restriction? What if it slips? What if I decide that I hate it? What if I just decide that I am sick of eating healthy and go back to my old habits? What if I do this and it doesn't help my feet at all and I am still in constant pain and stuck in the wheelchair? How will I live without soda? I tend to have scaring issues. I don't heal very fast. My scars tend to be large, hard and take a very long time to heal. How is this going to affect my stomach when they stitch it? What about the port? What if the scarring really messes me up?

I have been freaking out about the fact that it appears that my insurance may require that I have meet the BMI qualifications for 2 years. I have not been at 40BMI before this. I was at 35 -39 but without comorbidities, but it dawned on me this morning--the insurance has only asked for 5 years worth of weight records. Nothing has been said about asking for the full records to show if I had those comorbidities or not. Hopefully they will look at the weights and not ask! So after we went to bed last night I filled DH in on what exactly the podiatrist had to say. Then I told him "You know that I have made my mind up on this, right?" He just chuckled and said, "I have known for awhile now." Funny, that is what my good friends that I have been sharing this journey also said! They could tell I knew from the beginning, despite the fact that I kept saying "But I haven't made a decision yet." I do have a ton of concerns and fears. There are always fears about how something like this will go. Of course anytime you undergo a major medical procedure/anesthesia you are at risk of the worst. But I am also probably at that same risk getting in my car and driving on some of the roads around here! I keep reading about port pain--especially if significant amounts of weight are lost. I don't like pain. The idea of it being up near the skin and palpable kind of skeeves me out. What if I end up not able to eat anything? What if it doesn't work and I never get restriction? What if it slips? What if I decide that I hate it? What if I just decide that I am sick of eating healthy and go back to my old habits? What if I do this and it doesn't help my feet at all and I am still in constant pain and stuck in the wheelchair? How will I live without soda? I tend to have scaring issues. I don't heal very fast. My scars tend to be large, hard and take a very long time to heal. How is this going to affect my stomach when they stitch it? What about the port? What if the scarring really messes me up?

Well my last personal hurdle in making this decision was just cleared. I met with my podiatrist and asked him flat out if this would help my feet. He said that it absoutely would and he supports this 100% percent! :w00t: That is what I needed to know to put me at 100% on this decision, and also to make my husband feel more comfortable. He also gave me a shot of cortisone and anesthetic to help me along for a few weeks. I HATE shots, but he did a good job and I didn't feel it. So now it is really all up to the insurance. I called the WLS center today and tried to get clarification on if Aetna will deny me if I haven't been at 40 BMI for 2 years. They didn't know. I am going to call the insurance company again tomorrow and see if I can get anyone to answer my question. One simple question and I can't get a very easy yes or no. I guess maybe that is good that I can't just get a flat out no. I can't get my records copied from my PCP until next week. I have been eating everything in site in order to put on the 5 pounds I need before I reweigh. Never thought I would be so happy to have Easter candy in the house! I feel bloated and gross though. I want to weigh in , make the 40 BMI and then get the extra 5 off!

Well my last personal hurdle in making this decision was just cleared. I met with my podiatrist and asked him flat out if this would help my feet. He said that it absoutely would and he supports this 100% percent! :rolleyes2: That is what I needed to know to put me at 100% on this decision, and also to make my husband feel more comfortable. He also gave me a shot of cortisone and anesthetic to help me along for a few weeks. I HATE shots, but he did a good job and I didn't feel it. So now it is really all up to the insurance. I called the WLS center today and tried to get clarification on if Aetna will deny me if I haven't been at 40 BMI for 2 years. They didn't know. I am going to call the insurance company again tomorrow and see if I can get anyone to answer my question. One simple question and I can't get a very easy yes or no. I guess maybe that is good that I can't just get a flat out no. I can't get my records copied from my PCP until next week. I have been eating everything in site in order to put on the 5 pounds I need before I reweigh. Never thought I would be so happy to have Easter candy in the house! I feel bloated and gross though. I want to weigh in , make the 40 BMI and then get the extra 5 off!

Absolutely! DH has said that worst case we can use a home equity loan to pay for it, but I hate for us to spend that if we can avoid it. Hardest damn 5 pounds I have ever gained! The irony is that I really don't gain that fast and don't "binge" eat. I have been eating all I can and just feel blech. I feel so bloated and piggy. I was going to reweigh tomorrow but so far it looks like I will fall short so I will probably wait until next week when I have my medical records from my drs office for the insurance.

I have been reading all over these forums. One thing that I keep reading is people concerned about the "fill" of their band and getting restriction. I have read many posts that the band must not be working because they can "eat all they want", or "eat anything with no problems" and so they aren't losing the weight. So the band isn't helping and they need to have it fixed. This seems to me to go against the idea that the band is a tool. Sure, we want to have a comfortable restriction that facilitates the loss and makes us less hungry so things are easier. But no matter what the band is doing it is still up to us to eat healthy and sensible. Just because we CAN eat all we want, or anything, doesn't mean we should. I guess I am just getting the idea that some are relying too much on the band to do all the work instead of as a tool to help the process. Am I misunderstanding? I need to understand where my mind needs to be with this. I would appreciate any insite.

I am driving myself nuts trying to figure out if I am going to qualify. I called my insurance company (Aetna) and was told yes, my policy does cover banding, but the only other thing she would tell me is to read the Clinical Policy on the website--she wouldn't answer any questions:glare:. My drs office says "turn in all your paperwork and we will let you know". Well getting it all together is a pain just to have one simple question lead to a no. And I have to gain 5 pounds to meet a 40 BMI which I am working on! I will be pissed if I gained 5 more pounds and then am turned down. Here is the confusion: The Aetna Clinical Policy says: (bolding mine) And I have found and read the entire 94 page PDF from the NIH "The Practical Guide Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults" which is the clinical guidelines for doctors. No where in there is there a stipulation that the qualifying condition has to have been present for 2 years prior to surgery. Just that the BMI needs to be 40 or greater. So all I want to know is do I have to have met the 40 BMI criteria for the last 2 years or not? Is this a State Code that supercedes the insurance requirement? All of this is so confusing. Anyone understand this?

I have just started this journey. Been to the informational seminar and am positive :rolleyes2: this is what I want to do, but with fears. I have been reading a lot here and trying to get my mind ready for this type of life change. I would love to get banded this summer or early fall if I can get all my ducks in a row. But there are so many negative things that is does make it scary for newbies and make me wonder if this is really worth it or the right choice for me. Your post was so refreshing to read. I know there will be pain, good days and bad ones, but a positive attitude will help so much. I read another blog where she was saying how much she LOVED her liquid diet because she knew it was necessary to make her healthy and give her the changes she needed. I think that is great. I hope I can not complain about the different needed steps but celebrate them as steps on the way to the new me, inside and out!

Thanks for this wonderful positive post! It sounds like you have a great attitude and determination to make this work. You have made me feel better as I am looking at this decision.

What a great entry! I really appreciated your description of how the band is working to help you out. It sounds like you are losing at a great rate--slow and steady wins the race!:rolleyes2: Focus on your birthday goal just to be out of the 200's-- I know that would be a huge goal for me!

I have been reading all over these forums. One thing that I keep reading is people concerned about the "fill" of their band and getting restriction. I have read many posts that the band must not be working because they can "eat all they want", or "eat anything with no problems" and so they aren't losing the weight. So the band isn't helping and they need to have it fixed. This seems to me to go against the idea that the band is a tool. Sure, we want to have a comfortable restriction that facilitates the loss and makes us less hungry so things are easier. But no matter what the band is doing it is still up to us to eat healthy and sensible. Just because we CAN eat all we want, or anything, doesn't mean we should. I guess I am just getting the idea that some are relying too much on the band to do all the work instead of as a tool to help the process. Am I misunderstanding? I need to understand where my mind needs to be with this. I would appreciate any insite.

Oh man! I am afraid that is what is going to happen to me next week. I am really fluctuating, but am eating non stop to put on 5 pounds in a few days before I reweigh. I actually weighed a roll of quarters to see how much a few of those in my pocket (bra?) would help. Just a little less than 1 lb. My cell is only 3 oz. Go for some keys and rolled coins in your pockets!

Not feeling very prophetic today. I was going to talk about the pros and cons and all that has been going on in my head. But I have a headache so I have pushed it all to the back for today. I weighed nekkid again this morning and am showing 2 pounds more than yesterday. I feel rather :cursing: today. This idea of trying to GAIN weight for the first time in my life is just so foreign and I really feel kind of miserable. I was all prepared to start a weight loss journey and show that I could really work on my eating habits. Instead I am going the other way! I did find out that my tennis shoes weigh more than my hiking boots. But a roll of quarters weighs less than one pound. That Weight Watchers digital scale is coming in really handy right now! I am also concerned that my insurance may require me to have been at 40 BMI for 2 years in order to qualify. No one can really tell me for sure. Boy would it suck to gain the 5 pounds and still not qualify. So we went out to my favorite Mexican place for dinner. I had my usual Enchiladas, hopefully for the last time! (DARN! I should have taken a picture of them!) But I took a long time to look over the menu and see what I might order if I am banded. They have several chicken dishes that looked very promising. And I realized that even the shredded chicken filling of the enchiladas would probably be good. I figure that chicken fajita meat would probably also be good--theirs is very tender. I am so full now that I may have a preband PB!:cursing: Somehow I don't think that is anything I need to practice.:rolleyes2:

Not feeling very prophetic today. I was going to talk about the pros and cons and all that has been going on in my head. But I have a headache so I have pushed it all to the back for today. I weighed nekkid again this morning and am showing 2 pounds more than yesterday. I feel rather today. This idea of trying to GAIN weight for the first time in my life is just so foreign and I really feel kind of miserable. I was all prepared to start a weight loss journey and show that I could really work on my eating habits. Instead I am going the other way! I did find out that my tennis shoes weigh more than my hiking boots. But a roll of quarters weighs less than one pound. That Weight Watchers digital scale is coming in really handy right now! I am also concerned that my insurance may require me to have been at 40 BMI for 2 years in order to qualify. No one can really tell me for sure. Boy would it suck to gain the 5 pounds and still not qualify. So we went out to my favorite Mexican place for dinner. I had my usual Enchiladas, hopefully for the last time! (DARN! I should have taken a picture of them!) But I took a long time to look over the menu and see what I might order if I am banded. They have several chicken dishes that looked very promising. And I realized that even the shredded chicken filling of the enchiladas would probably be good. I figure that chicken fajita meat would probably also be good--theirs is very tender. I am so full now that I may have a preband PB! Somehow I don't think that is anything I need to practice.:w00t:

I am right on the edge right now. BMI is 39.2 or something like that. I am hoping I can reweigh next week and get it to 40! But now I am reading stuff on Aetna and am wondering if the 40 has to have existed for 2 years? I have been overweight for more than 2 years, but not over 40 BMI. I don't have any of the other comorbidities that go with the lower BMI to qualify.

I have 2 daughters. I have tried very hard to raise them without the food issues that I have and instill healthy eating habits and positive body image in them. So far things are good, they are both normal eaters and at a very average weight. My oldest is 13 so body image is certainly becoming a big deal, but she has a body I would kill for! I don't think I want them to know about this surgery. I want to keep this between myself, husband and some very close friends for now. My girls love to talk and don't often remember what they have been asked not to repeat! And they would worry quite a bit about me. They know that I have been on "diets" and dread it when I do! I am thinking that I will just tell them I am having some tests done in the hospital--like when I have had colonoscopies. I have digestive issues and a sensitive stomach that has been getting worse so they would most likely believe me. And since I have been on other crazy diet plans I don't think they would question the liquid diet too much! I don't like to lie to my kids, but also am also worried about how this will affect their overall food/weight outlook. What have you told your kids, and how has your surgery affected them?

I am having the exact same fears. I am so afraid that this will just be another weight loss attempt like all the others in the past. But with much more drastic ramifications than just writing a check to WW or Jenny Craig or buying a self help book. But here is how I am looking at it. If I DON'T do that, what will the results be of my future weight loss efforts? How much will I weigh next year at this time? I know the answers for myself. You have to figure out where you might be 6 months, 1 year, 2 years down the road with this procedure and without.

I weighed myself this morning. Buck naked, as soon as I got up and peed. 226.5. Then I reweighed after my shower. Fully clothed with shoes and I had drank a glass of water. 231.5 Half a pound from 40 BMI. See how ridiculous this arbitrary number is? I can add five pound just by getting dressed and having a glass of water. So I am hopeful for reweighing next week. I went through my files and found a few of my old Weight Watchers records from 8 and 9 years ago. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I got here. I have read other's stories, blogs, forum intros etc... The only thing that is consistent is that we are all overweight now, but the path we took to get here is different for everyone. Some have been overweight since childhood. Some gain after a major life changing event. For some a health issue comes first and the weight follows and then the health issues snowball. For me it has been a control issue combined with my impulsivity. I want what I want and I want it now! My meals were strictly controlled growing up and I was never given the opportunity to make my own choices and learn to eat correctly. I was a skinny kid. I was an average teen. I was normal weight when I entered college. But dorm food is never the healthiest, or at least it wasn't 25 years ago. And I still had no control. Meal times were set. Portion sizes were set. There was some choice but not complete freedom. Then I got an apartment and the control was completely mine. And with control comes responsibility. But I had never learned that. I had no idea how to make healthy choices. Heck, I had no idea how to cook! I really don't remember cooking in that apartment (except for one ill fated roast chicken attempt that landed me in the ER with severe burns. . ). But I did remember that is when the weight started to rise. And my first forays into the world of Weight Loss began. First it was Weight Watcher. I clearly remember my very first weigh in at WW--135 pounds! Dang! I would be thrilled if I could weigh that now! But I wanted to lose 20 pounds to be at my starting college weight. I think I lost about 10 before I moved on. NutriSystem was next. That food was nasty! The years went on, and so did the pounds. Like so many of us each time I lost a little it would come back and bring friends. But why? The band is just a tool. I think knowing why is going to be the key to making the changes to keep the weight off. I have read for years about different bad eating habits. Some can sit and eat an entire box of cookies, or whole bag of chips. Some eat high fat, fried, greasy foods. Some people eat without realizing it-sitting in front of the TV or at work with a snack and don't even know they are putting it in their mouth. Some people even get up during the night and eat. I am not any of those. I don't make great food choices a lot of the time. Cream sauces and cheese makes everything better! Soda is delicious. Fast food is so satisfying and quick and easy. But I do try to limit this. I don't keep chips and sweets and other junk in the house. I try to balance the unhealthy meals I make with some healthy ones. I don't like very many veggies, but I have been expanding my options. I don't carry much cash so I can't afford fast food (that worked great until they started to take credit cards!:thumbup: ) But my portions are big. And I love me some simple carbs! The whiter the better! I know all the things I am supposed to know about portion sizes. Four memberships in Weight Watchers, a year at Jenny Craig, and countless books and other programs have taught me all about portion control. Meat the size of a deck of cards, portion plate so that the veggies take up the most room. Switch to whole grains (cause they are so nasty I would rather starve!). But eating those recommended portions just leave me unsatisfied and running back to the fridge in an hour because I am starving! I have read that a lot of overweight people don't understand the concept of being hungry, not hungry and full. They either physically lack the ability to feel those 3 things, or just don't know how to interpret these signals. I don't have that problem. I feel all 3. And if I am not hungry then I don't eat. I will even often forget to eat lunch many times because I am busy and don't realize that I need to eat until I am shaky, dizzy, and nearly passing out. Recovering after that is very difficult-- I still don't know the right balance of protein/carbs/sugar to correct that situation as fast as possible. So why do I think the band will help me? Because my biggest issue is portion control and making healthy choices. I understand that the choices I make aren't really limited by the band, and I may be able to eat junk with the band without impunity. But need the most help with the portion control. I want to be able to eat just a "normal" amount and not be starving when I leave the table, or an hour or so later. I want to stop outeating a pro football player! I do want to be able to still enjoy the occasional treat. I am only 39. The idea of a solution that would prevent me from ever really enjoying a few bites of ice cream, cake or other favorites for the rest of my life seems miserable. What is that saying? Something like " If you give up smoking, drinking and junk food you may not live longer, but it will sure feel like it!" I want to have my cake and eat it too. But I want to only eat a few bites and be completely satisfied. For this procedure to work for me I need to understand why I eat the whole piece of cake now. Why I can't stop with a just a few bites? And I need to gain the self control to make the changes needed. I started this journey through my life with no control over what I ate. Then I had total control and the weight came on--I was out of control. Now I need to get responsible control. I have the power to make this work. I may not even be half way through this journey of life and I have lots of time to make the second half even greater than the first! My journey of a thousand more miles begins with this one step.

I weighed myself this morning. Buck naked, as soon as I got up and peed. 226.5. Then I reweighed after my shower. Fully clothed with shoes and I had drank a glass of water. 231.5 Half a pound from 40 BMI. See how ridiculous this arbitrary number is? I can add five pound just by getting dressed and having a glass of water. So I am hopeful for reweighing next week. I went through my files and found a few of my old Weight Watchers records from 8 and 9 years ago. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I got here. I have read other's stories, blogs, forum intros etc... The only thing that is consistent is that we are all overweight now, but the path we took to get here is different for everyone. Some have been overweight since childhood. Some gain after a major life changing event. For some a health issue comes first and the weight follows and then the health issues snowball. For me it has been a control issue combined with my impulsivity. I want what I want and I want it now! My meals were strictly controlled growing up and I was never given the opportunity to make my own choices and learn to eat correctly. I was a skinny kid. I was an average teen. I was normal weight when I entered college. But dorm food is never the healthiest, or at least it wasn't 25 years ago. And I still had no control. Meal times were set. Portion sizes were set. There was some choice but not complete freedom. Then I got an apartment and the control was completely mine. And with control comes responsibility. But I had never learned that. I had no idea how to make healthy choices. Heck, I had no idea how to cook! I really don't remember cooking in that apartment (except for one ill fated roast chicken attempt that landed me in the ER with severe burns. . ). But I did remember that is when the weight started to rise. And my first forays into the world of Weight Loss began. First it was Weight Watcher. I clearly remember my very first weigh in at WW--135 pounds! Dang! I would be thrilled if I could weigh that now! But I wanted to lose 20 pounds to be at my starting college weight. I think I lost about 10 before I moved on. NutriSystem was next. That food was nasty! The years went on, and so did the pounds. Like so many of us each time I lost a little it would come back and bring friends. But why? The band is just a tool. I think knowing why is going to be the key to making the changes to keep the weight off. I have read for years about different bad eating habits. Some can sit and eat an entire box of cookies, or whole bag of chips. Some eat high fat, fried, greasy foods. Some people eat without realizing it-sitting in front of the TV or at work with a snack and don't even know they are putting it in their mouth. Some people even get up during the night and eat. I am not any of those. I don't make great food choices a lot of the time. Cream sauces and cheese makes everything better! Soda is delicious. Fast food is so satisfying and quick and easy. But I do try to limit this. I don't keep chips and sweets and other junk in the house. I try to balance the unhealthy meals I make with some healthy ones. I don't like very many veggies, but I have been expanding my options. I don't carry much cash so I can't afford fast food (that worked great until they started to take credit cards!:rolleyes2: ) But my portions are big. And I love me some simple carbs! The whiter the better! I know all the things I am supposed to know about portion sizes. Four memberships in Weight Watchers, a year at Jenny Craig, and countless books and other programs have taught me all about portion control. Meat the size of a deck of cards, portion plate so that the veggies take up the most room. Switch to whole grains (cause they are so nasty I would rather starve!). But eating those recommended portions just leave me unsatisfied and running back to the fridge in an hour because I am starving! I have read that a lot of overweight people don't understand the concept of being hungry, not hungry and full. They either physically lack the ability to feel those 3 things, or just don't know how to interpret these signals. I don't have that problem. I feel all 3. And if I am not hungry then I don't eat. I will even often forget to eat lunch many times because I am busy and don't realize that I need to eat until I am shaky, dizzy, and nearly passing out. Recovering after that is very difficult-- I still don't know the right balance of protein/carbs/sugar to correct that situation as fast as possible. So why do I think the band will help me? Because my biggest issue is portion control and making healthy choices. I understand that the choices I make aren't really limited by the band, and I may be able to eat junk with the band without impunity. But need the most help with the portion control. I want to be able to eat just a "normal" amount and not be starving when I leave the table, or an hour or so later. I want to stop outeating a pro football player! I do want to be able to still enjoy the occasional treat. I am only 39. The idea of a solution that would prevent me from ever really enjoying a few bites of ice cream, cake or other favorites for the rest of my life seems miserable. What is that saying? Something like " If you give up smoking, drinking and junk food you may not live longer, but it will sure feel like it!" I want to have my cake and eat it too. But I want to only eat a few bites and be completely satisfied. For this procedure to work for me I need to understand why I eat the whole piece of cake now. Why I can't stop with a just a few bites? And I need to gain the self control to make the changes needed. I started this journey through my life with no control over what I ate. Then I had total control and the weight came on--I was out of control. Now I need to get responsible control. I have the power to make this work. I may not even be half way through this journey of life and I have lots of time to make the second half even greater than the first! My journey of a thousand more miles begins with this one step.