amismb

O.K., I am new to this so please forgive the novice questions. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been banded for a year or more as well as from anyone who knows of people that were not successful with banding. I just want to fully understand both sides so I can make sure I make the right decision and am successful. I am trying to get my head around the lifestyle change. I truly want this and I truly believe I am committed, but isn't that what I said about every diet I have done over the past 30 years!!!! Is it truly a "revelation" that after surgery you just don't want to eat and don't want the bad foods? How do you deal with not being able to eat things that perhaps you really enjoyed before? I have been told no carbonated beverages period. That would mean never tasting beer again ever?? No rice, no bread, no Pasta??? I have always had beverages with meals...sometimes that is a glass of wine, but often it is 3-4 glasses of Water. How hard is it really to not drink 30 minutes before a meal, during a meal and 30 minutes after a meal?? And finally, on the emotional side of things, I am wrestling with the mind game that everyone will think I am such a "weak" person (myself included) that I resorted to surgery. Am I a bad person for not having the discipline to lose the weight and keep it off rather than losing 20-30 lbs and gaining back 30-40 as I have been doing more more years than I can count. If anyone wrestled with these same things I would appreciate hearing about how you dealt with it. Thanks!!!