Just need to vent. I am 4 days out from surgery and have wanted to do this for a long time. I am glad my husband and I finally decided to go through with it(his is next week). However, I know a few people who have had this done and been told they took the easy way out or why didn't you try harder. BS This is not easy. I have been lucky to eat 200 calories the passed few days. I have lost 10 pounds in 5 days(not complaining, but that is crazy if u think about it). I eat nothing but liquids so i poop liquids, gross but true and really horrible. I am literally starving. I know its early to be so hungry, but I am, thats just the truth, what can I do. I have a cold on top of it which comes with a nasal drip that normally would cause diarhea, yeah, now just causing severe gurgling, pretty embarasssing. Easy, kiss my butt. Also, I have the people who are not dieting and not having lapband telling me what I can eat is not that bad. REALLY!!! You eat it for a week. Better yet do it for a day and see how you like it! I am truly happy with my decision and just needed to get this out somewhere where I knew people would understand. I fear that if I said it to non-bandsters they would tell me I was being whiny or I should have just done weight watchers, and I would end up in jail for assualt. LOL JK Anyway thanks for listening. Good luck to all. Sorry for the rant.:smile2:

I have had the same reaction from my best friend all she kept saying after I started losing some weight when I was banded ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WATCH YOUR CALORIES, well if it was that easy I would be thin and so would she!!!!! Now all she can say is how jealous she is that I only have 24lbs more to go!!!! Look I am in the gym 4 or 5 days a week for over and hr each day and I try and eat what I am supposed to, I am in pain if I eat a little too much or too fast, too big of a bit or I vomit!!!!! I have to put out a ton of money for new clothes(WHICH I AM NOT COMPLAINING) We have to go every couple of weeks and have a huge needle stuck in our port and in my case no numbing meds he just does it.. So easy way out I don't think so at all we just want to be healthy and be able to live!!!!!!! :smile2:

Eh, it doesn't matter what people say. Easy way out, hard way out---it's the way out.

Some people find a different way. That's fine.

We are using this way. In many regards, you'll find that it is easier. In others, it's not.

No one who has not experienced it will understand or appreciate your rationale; no sense in arguing the point or becoming aggravated.

My FIL told me you just need to push back from the table. Yeah Right. The way I see it we've all worked really hard to get to this point. There's nothing easy about it and there's definitely nothing easy about food struggles. Just ignore them.

People who haven't experienced the struggle with their weight will never understand your struggle or your frustrations. All I would suggest is hurry up and learn who you can talk to about things and who you can't. I'm not going to be bothered by people who have a negative approach to my situations plain and simple. I was tired of the weight tired of not being able to buy the things I really wanted and just plain tired. Anyone who cannot understand that then f'em plain and simple. Dont let this get you down stay strong and positive.

I completely understand, I have opted not to tell anyone. well like everything in a little town and a nosy family people have and will find out. I guess I am feeling the exact way you are in the sense that people don't understand. this has been one of the most challenging things I've ever done. I did this for me and to hopefully extend my life for my kids. My dad and his parents died way before they should have due to being morbidly obese. I am using what is available to me to get control of my eating. If dieting would have work then I would have done it. My Dr required me to lose 15% of my weight before he would operate. So I am prepared to eat properly once I am allowed

Banded-sept 28th

beginning weight-303

current weight- 272

This is the place to come to vent. The first couple weeks are the hardest and yes during that time I never really realized how many food commercials there was on TV everyday, ALL THE TIME! I know it's easier said than done, but it does get better, just make sure you tell yourself that you will be able to eventually eat all the good stuff out there but now in moderation of course, but you will be able to eat slithers of them in the future and that will be enough. This strick eating is only temporary and when you see results like you have, it makes it so much easier to stick to it. I have lost 78 lbs so far and no one can say it's been easy, but I don't regret one minute of it! Good luck!

Thanks for all the positive feedback. Its very difficult and I am glad to have somewhere to go for support.:smile2:

that is exactly why I didnt tell anyone except my husband, mom and dad. I knew lots of people would give me crap and i didnt need to hear it. I would suggest stop telling people who cares what they think. to me the band is just like loosing weight on your own, it just prohibts you from gaining it back.

people who don't know what we're going through make it sound so easy....and it is not....we have been struggling with this weight problem all our lives and i don't know why when it comes to a solution, why are they not supportive...yes we made mistakes in the past, and now we're trying to fix them....so i think the least our friends can do is be happy for us.

When we were discussing how much I've lost (banded on 09/08), my husband said something like "See I told you, all you had to do was watch what you eat and exercise". I didn't say anything then, but I need to let him know that I didn't take the "easy way out". The band is helping me do what I couldn't do myself. It forces me to not eat more than I should and I am doing really good at watching what I am eating, because seriously, what is the point of having the band if I am just going to eat fatty foods and Desserts all the time. I mean occasionally it's okay to have a dessert, but you all know what I mean.

I have hardly told anyone. Only one friend, my sister, my dad, husband (obviously), my boss and the nurse at work. I don't want people thinking that I took the easy way. I've always been so self conscious about what people thought of me, so I'm not telling.

I've said it before but I will say it again. The person that owns the body gets to make the maintenance decisions! The person that pays the bills makes the decisions. Someone who is not being asked to pay for the surgery or provide after care does not get a vote! I don't drink, don't want to drink. If I told someone who likes to have a drink "I've decided that no one in my presence will ever drink again" that person would probably tell me where I could shove it. It's their body not mine.