Hi,

This is my first post!

I am getting banded on dec 17th - I have done a ton of research and am absolutely certain of this decision. I have also made the decision to not share the fact that i'm getting banded with EVERYONE. There are certain friends who would not only object, but hold it over me and make me feel inferior or like there is something "wrong" with me cos i need a band (i know, why are they my friends right? not the point though)

The extremely slow eating, tiny bites, possible "stuck" or burp/slime episodes..... i know these things happen if u aren't careful which i plan on being, but i also know it can easily happen if you're not thinking for a split second and swallow too much etc.

Does anyone have any advice on ways around drawing attention to the 'weird' eating habits i will have to adopt?

My circle of people know i am always on some kind of diet/food restriction thing.... so i was thinking of just playing this up and being like "yeah i just wanna eat waaaaay less and try to lose weight that way" OR always choose Soups or easy to swallow foods from the menu.

This won't be a common thing, it will be like, once every couple weeks or so for dinners.

Again, i really don't need people telling me to not be afraid to tell everyone, or that my friends are a**holes.... i just want to know tips on how to hide it from certain people.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to this whole journey!

I'm 6 weeks post op. my hubby and three kids know. One of my Bffs know. I told no one else. I am at a weekly work luncheon, I entertain often, and we do go out to dinner. No one has ever been the wiser.

My mom asked me if I was on medifast. I said " I can't afford $300 a month, that's crazy"

This is about me not anyone else. Don't feel any guilt or hesitation. Make your choice and don't look back!

Pre-op 275.9lbs -surgery 10/5 265.0lbs -11/11/12 241.8lbs

Dreamers- I know EXACTLY how you're feeling.. Im going thru the beginning stages of the band for the second time! And struggling just the same.. People don't get and won't.. Trust me on that! I have spectacular friends!! And try, as they might, won't even understand the plunge I took w getting the band.. It IS struggle, but it's the struggle I , personally chose for my own livelihood.. My own health.. My own well being.. And I get it is hard to explain to people what you are doing by getting "banded" it's by far the "easy way out" and my ONLY advice for you is embrace it.. Because Its you are taking a plunge and really making your life.. And your health better. No one can take that from you.. So my second go around i feel like the only advice i wish someone would have told me when i first was banded was to not feel "quilty - for taking the easy way out.. yadda yadda.." Just own it, I feel like its really important to do that! Not sure if this applies to your life, but I at least hope you can keep that in the back of your mind.

Hi' date='

This is my first post!

I am getting banded on dec 17th - I have done a ton of research and am absolutely certain of this decision. I have also made the decision to not share the fact that i'm getting banded with EVERYONE. There are certain friends who would not only object, but hold it over me and make me feel inferior or like there is something "wrong" with me cos i need a band (i know, why are they my friends right? not the point though)

The extremely slow eating, tiny bites, possible "stuck" or burp/slime episodes..... i know these things happen if u aren't careful which i plan on being, but i also know it can easily happen if you're not thinking for a split second and swallow too much etc.

Does anyone have any advice on ways around drawing attention to the 'weird' eating habits i will have to adopt?

My circle of people know i am always on some kind of diet/food restriction thing.... so i was thinking of just playing this up and being like "yeah i just wanna eat waaaaay less and try to lose weight that way" OR always choose Soups or easy to swallow foods from the menu.

This won't be a common thing, it will be like, once every couple weeks or so for dinners.

Again, i really don't need people telling me to not be afraid to tell everyone, or that my friends are a**holes.... i just want to know tips on how to hide it from certain people.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to this whole journey![/quote']

Hello, listen it is entirely up to you who do you tell. There is as well a lot of jealous people that would like to bring you down because you will be loosing weight.

My advice to you would be that you say you are again on a diet and the reason you have to eat slow and chew really properly is because you read and bear in mind this is true : the food takes about 20 minutes to reach your stomach, that's why when you eat really quick you are able to stuff yourself and only realise you really full and feel sick afterwards. Well you have to chew it properly because lately you having a bit of digestion problems and your doctor pointed out that you don't chew enough. Easy

Hope everything goes amazing

I was not gonna tell my Bf because a few months ago she made a comment that she would never have surgery to lose weight and trust me, she is a big girl, but I decided to share with her this week because I had pretty much told everyone and love there support. I was surprised to hear her say that she had thought about it before herself and ask who I was going through. Sometimes people say crazy things and then when they step back and look at themselves they see how wrong they were sometimes!!!

Only negetive was a gastric bypass person I know who says everyone that she knows that has the band has gained there weight back, and I had to tell her the same is possible with any weight loss surgery if you don't change your life style and more so with them because there is nothing restricting them and the stomach can strech back out and they can eventually eat larger quantities of food versus a band

I told some folks ...and the ones I knew would not be supporative I didn't tell until I was post op and losing. Since I was known to be a sweet eater and also a people pleaser the hardest thing for me was to say no to people who made it just for me. Did anyone else eat just to be nice?

I understand that some people we have to be around work,, socially are "sorta friends" but you just don't trust them to have your back so really tell them whatever you want. You seem to already know how/what they are so we won't tell you about that.

After you lose your weight just don't become like them . And if you see someone struggling with their weight be the kind of friend to them you want to us to be to you.

You are about to begin a new journey there will be days when you will wonder why you did this , sometimes because it is hard and sometimes because not being hungry makes passing up foods so easy.

This forum is full of great folks who have been there done that and got the T shirt , and then they will help you ... hold your hand, when you need it and smack your around a little if you need that.

Best Wishes it will be interesting to hear how your thoughts about yourself and what you value changes as your body changes...