as some of you know, I have 5 more months on my doctor supervision before I can have surgery..which does depress me and upsets me and really makes me feel...I am being punished somehow bc of how I look...but I know and realize (via reality) setting in about it. But for anyone reading this who has also had to wait, please give me (and whomever else has to wait also) ideas, any thoughts on how I can hang in there bc sometimes, it seems like forever...and a day

congrats on your adventure....one way I got through the 6 months was logging all my food....and reading everything the Drs gave me about nutrition and excercizing...not all in that order.....good luck !

Does your doctor offer support group meetings or nutrician counseling? If so get a head start on things by attending and preparing yourself. If you don't already drink enough water daily use the time to work yourself up to that goal before surgery. I am still pre-op and have been working on these things for months hopefully it will make things a little easier after surgery. Logging your food is also great. I have trouble sticking to this but from everything I've heard food logs/diaries are one of the best tools for long-term weight loss. Hope this helps!

I used to like going to a meeting here and there for lap banders. It was both for pre-op and post-op people. So there is a lot of sharing going on and I found it really helpful. I have to admit when I first went I felt like an alien. Didn't know how I would get to the point where I was actually going to be on the post-op side. My process took about 10 months and a lot of the time it felt like forever and a day. I just kept focused on getting myself to a place where I could accept all the changes that where coming. I was frustrated at first but then I found out that it helped me to wait. I got a chance to get both mentally and physically ready. Baby steps it's a process. Good luck hang in there!

I agree, this time is a great chance to prepare for the changes you'll be encountering. I've got seven months doctor supervised diet left (out of nine ) and sometimes it feels like forever, but I've really started looking at it as a time to practice my eating habits, get my body moving, and get my head straightened out (well, as much as it can be, lol) before I have to do this for real. I'm working on finding high-Protein foods I like, testing out Protein shakes I can stand, and taking small bites that I chew like crazy.

I know that sometimes it can be seen as a punishment, but I really don't think it is. I think it's designed to pre-screen people in a way, because if you are willing to go through all this waiting, you probably have the resolve it takes to be successful with the band. They want to make sure you don't just run out and get it done without taking the time to seriously consider what it will mean to live with the band. And even though it seems like forever now, you'll look back in a few years and realize how short a time it actually was.

Just hang in there, you can do it!

I had to wait 7 months from time of consult to surgery as I had a blood clot in the brain that had to desolve. Does your doctor require mindful eating sessions with a psychologist? If not find one that specializes in food addiction. This is the time to learn new food habits and understand why you either overeat or make bad food choices.

Also start exercising. I highly recommend swimming it is easy on the joints. The more you loose the easier it will be for the doctor to do the surgery.