jllybean1982,
I completely agree. I think I even thought I was kind of taking the easy way out when I decided to get banded. Boy was I wrong. People who choose to pass such judgement have NO CLUE what it's like to have to give up several favorite foods, not to mention HAVING to stop eating something absolutely delicious after only a few bites. It's a tough road, and definitely not easy! I have a few friends who are thin but would like to lose a few pounds. They love to tell me how much they wish they had a band to help them lose a little weight because I make it look easy. I am always happy to tell them that living with the band is HARD!!!
Chin up. Remember you did this for you, not that jerk doctor or anyone else who judges you for it. What I always remind myself of is that if I could do it simply with diet and exercise, I wouldn't have gotten as heavy as I was. I NEEDED this tool.