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Banded for 3 Yrs, just filmed reality TV show about eating disorders



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Hello everyone, it has been a really long time since I posted but I must say that I was doing quite well until I walked away from the support of this site.

I am writing this because I met many wonderful people through this site and wanted to let my friends here know that I will be on a reality T.V. documentary called, "What's Eating You" on E!, November 3rd. It is about extreme eating disorders and I was one of the people they picked for the show. I have been baned since December of 2007 and had lost 150 pounds (with 100 still to go) but then gained back almost 50. Since starting therapy on the show, I have lost about 25 pounds of the 50 that I gained back.

Unfortunately, I got the band but never worked on why I was overeating in the first place. I have a 14CC band with 12CC's of Fluid in and can't really eat a lot, yet I have learned to eat around the band with slider foods. I never really ate because I was hungry but because I get some sort of emotional release or "high" when I eat. The band has really helped me to control the portion size but unfortunately, I did not use it the right way.

I do believe that without the band, I would have probably been over 500 pounds by now. The band has helped me to be in control, even when I didn't want to be BUT there is a problem when a person GAINS 25 pounds and can only eat 1/4 cup of food at a time.

I was one of the "cash pay" patients that did not receive proper aftercare and I think that has contributed greatly to my demise. I controlled my own fills and did not receive any follow up care about nutrition, etc.

I hope that the episode will help others who are banded not to make the same negative choices that I have made. I am determined to battle my binge disorder and I will overcome it but I just need to deal with the reasons I am binging.

I've fought a similar battle. My band and port broke, and I dove right back into the same behavior as pre-surgery.

I have a long road ahead, and luckilly repair surgery is next week.

I'm starting from ground zero. I know we will overcome this addiction.. I have to.

Thanks for sharing your story :)

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you my darling are an inspiration to all of us! thank you for sharing your story as i believe there are many many lapbanders stuggling right along with you. keep your head up and continue your amazing progree :)

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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