I'm lucky enough to have not 1, but 3 friends who've had lap band surgery, so I think I'm covered in terms of having a mentor to lean on for support, but would like a buddy with a long-term history of emotional eating problems who's also starting this journey at 350+.

I've spent some time in therapy and learned alot about the cause of my weight issue and poor eating habits (you'll see a quick synopsis in my profile), but recognizing the root problem doesn't make it go away. I know I still have a lot of work to do to change my behaviors and develop new, healthier coping mechanisms, so I'm looking for a buddy who has similar long-term challenges to face.

If, like me, your weight has been a problem since childhood and you're approaching lap band surgery as a means of helping you learn those new behaviors, then you may be just the buddy I'm looking for.

Male or female makes no difference to me, nor does marital status or children. The only qualities I'm looking for are detailed above: I'm hoping to find someone who has as least as much weight to lose as I do (about 180-200 lbs) and who understands what I mean by having to make long-term behavioral modifications in order to achieve long-term success with achieving a healthy weight.

So, take a look at the "About Me" tab on my profile and if you see a story there that resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Who knows, maybe there'll be a few of us and we can all band together (pun intended) as our own little online group support?

Thanks for listening

I know exactly what you mean about emotional eating and working on behavioral modifications. I have been dealing with weight since my teens and I have been trying to figure out why my brain (what I know I need to do) and my behaviors don't work together. I know what it takes to lose weight but there is some sort of disconnect. It has to be emotions, my relationship with food, etc. I am scheduled for surgery March 10, I'm not 350+ (I started at 275...need to lose about 125 lbs) but I do have issues and would like to connect with others. I am so worried that I won't be successful in the long term. I don't like telling people I'm getting banded...I just don't want them to think of me as a failure if it doesn't work.