I did not get fat (obese) because I would occasionally enjoy a slice of pie or chocolate cake....I got fat because I would finish off the entire cake myself......

Leftovers in the fridge did not have a chance when I was around....

The same holds true for everything I ate...it was not WHAT I ate, per say, it was HOW much I ate....

I still get Chinese take out, once a week....the portion they give is large enough for 4 people! I used to eat the entire thing myself!

Pizza!...no exaggeration, I would eat an entire large pie at one sitting.....

When I try to add up what I used to eat within any 24 hour period...it boggles my mind! How can ANYBODY possibly eat that much? And that was my problem...I ATE TOO MUCH!...EXTREMELY ABNORMAL to the point only surgery could correct it!

Thinking about my favorite buffet restaurant....the # of trips - courses I would eat for one dinner.....5-6 plate fulls (trips) starting with the salad bar to appetizers, en tree's then Desserts....how can anyone????

Sure, wise food choices lead to good health....but still......

And that is what the band has done for me....not a diet, not calorie counting, but because of the restriction and being in the Green Zone, I now HAVE to eat like a NORMAL person is supposed to eat....portion sizes are now automatic and natural, and my hunger - craving for non stop eating has been completely taken away.....nothing complicated about it....eventually I stopped thinking about it altogether....

So I simply eat like a normal person, exercise and stay active as a normal person should, and eventually my body adjusted and returned to normal size and weight....as it should....like it is supposed to be....

It's really quite simple....all I need to do is make wise food choices...more for health than anything (who doesn't want to be healthy). I still can enjoy the little pleasures, just not the gluttonous way I used to....

That's all there is too it...in a nutshell.....no reason to try to over think it....

BTW, I belong to a few custom car forums, and noticed today the majority of posts where from people seeking advice about their cars, where to get parts and "how to" do things...so it is no surprise the majority here is the same thing...people seeking advice or stating problems....

Well said!!

I do agree with the spirit of you post, though the use of the term "normal person" does seem to be a wide generalization which for our forum population may be difficult to conceptualize.

I'd like to believe that given the number of medical complications I have had since my band was placed (not caused by the band, though some were related to weight loss issues), and the length of time I have had to curtail my level of exercise and physical activity for post op recoveries, I have been reasonably successful with my weight loss. My journey is not yet completed, and my story is still being written.

I realize that most "normal people", even ones who are a healthy weight do eat much more than I do. I realize that my band friendly portions are quite a bit less, but that is an adjustment I willingly made to lose the weight which was robbing me of my health.

We are all individuals, and what one person finds is helpful to them is not necessarily the same formula which will work for another. Therefore, broad generalizations of the definition of "normal" may be misleading to some of the forum members.

Congratulations on your success with your journey.

Great posts! I too was an over eater and then I would feel guilty about it..glad my band has given me a new start in life. I can only eat around 900 calories a day and I now love exercising. I would imagine I was getting around 4000 calories before surgery. I love my band!

I do agree with the spirit of you post, though the use of the term "normal person" does seem to be a wide generalization which for our forum population may be difficult to conceptualize.

I'd like to believe that given the number of medical complications I have had since my band was placed (not caused by the band, though some were related to weight loss issues), and the length of time I have had to curtail my level of exercise and physical activity for post op recoveries, I have been reasonably successful with my weight loss. My journey is not yet completed, and my story is still being written.

I realize that most "normal people", even ones who are a healthy weight do eat much more than I do. I realize that my band friendly portions are quite a bit less, but that is an adjustment I willingly made to lose the weight which was robbing me of my health.

We are all individuals, and what one person finds is helpful to them is not necessarily the same formula which will work for another. Therefore, broad generalizations of the definition of "normal" may be misleading to some of the forum members.

Congratulations on your success with your journey.

I can certainly under stand your sensitivity....but all through my Medical Records, and progress notes I use at work, the term "Within Normal Range" or "Limits" is used time and time again...all my lab work, my BMI, and my weight...it is an accepted term and contrasted to "Abnormal" or "Outside Normal Limits or Range"

So I am programmed to use these terms ever since school.....

So it really isn't used Broadly.....

I can certainly under stand your sensitivity....but all through my Medical Records, and progress notes I use at work, the term "Within Normal Range" or "Limits" is used time and time again...all my lab work, my BMI, and my weight...it is an accepted term and contrasted to "Abnormal" or "Outside Normal Limits or Range"

So I am programmed to use these terms ever since school.....

So it really isn't used Broadly.....

Are you a Medical Technologist? I am..so I know exactly what you mean.

I can certainly under stand your sensitivity....but all through my Medical Records, and progress notes I use at work, the term "Within Normal Range" or "Limits" is used time and time again...all my lab work, my BMI, and my weight...it is an accepted term and contrasted to "Abnormal" or "Outside Normal Limits or Range"

So I am programmed to use these terms ever since school.....

So it really isn't used Broadly.....

You mentioned it yourself...values "within normal range"...and it varies by individual.

Not trying to be overly analytic...just acutely aware that some people can and do accept the written word at face value, and then may be prone to wondering "what is the matter with me" if they don't assess themselves to be that normal individual.

We see such posts from time to time...I just wrote about another perspective originating from my schooling.

B-52.... didn't you say you were going to leave this forum for a year? What ever happened with that? Maybe you needed it more than you thought?

B-52.... didn't you say you were going to leave this forum for a year? What ever happened with that? Maybe you needed it more than you thought?

You're probably correct...it is frustrating....really don't have much in common with 80% of the members here,.....that is why everyone moves on.....

But I did get many PM's asking me to stick around, people want to hear different perspectives form those who are Happy and Successful with life AFTER the band....

The majority of talk here is from people who are struggling, frustrated, always talking of failure and complications.....and this is all supported by others who are in the same boat, who don't realize themselves there is a flipside to all this......

No one can or should ever tell someone else what they should or should not do....nor tell anyone else they are right or wrong....what people do with their lives is their business....

All anyone can do is speak about themselves, their personal experiences, and be an example...an exhibit...for others to see and guage for themselves what this surgery can and has done for other people......

There is a lot of people doing that all the time, but only setting up negative examples for all to see.....and people believe that is the only alternative.....

I tell my story, show how this WLS has changed my life....and yet people won't accept it...but it does not make it any less true.....

It really is quite funny how people can get upset at others success???? (I'm not going to touch that one)

There are many roads one can follow.to get to the same destination......if it is not the road you like, you cannot deny the other roads still exist...yet people would love to.....(there's a term for that but people would not get it)

B52- I love your posts and frankness... really I need positive feedback.. I am fairly new at the banded life.. I don't want to read about people puking, people who are eating pizza's and wondering why they are not losing, people who continually attack anyone who tells it like it is.. I am a optimist and went into this adventure hoping that I will get to the point of not worrying about counting calories, fat grams, etc. and just eat smaller portions and be healthy. so whatever anyone else thinks about what the heck "normal" means , I don't care, please continue posting.. You are to be commended for your success....

B52 - I can totally related to your initial posting. It sounds like you were describing me to Tee. Portion control says it all for me. I still have those things that I enjoy from time to time because deprivation does not work period. Deprivation is just another form of dieting in my opinion. I tried that path for a time and sure I lost a lot of weight but that is not a long term or realistic approach. Thanks to the band I have learned portion control and I no longer suffer from head hunger. I still see so many banders who suffer from head hunger and I do not understand it. What I don't understand is, is it the band that took away my head hunger or am I mentally in a better place now?? It really confuses me. I totally wished that all who deal with head hunger could walk in my shoes for a day. It is so liberating that food and the desire food no longer has a grip on me.

I don't journal food intake 100% of the time either. Being realistic journaling food for the rest of my life is just not going to happen. Maybe if I was taught to do it in grade school it would be a different story. If you think I am breaking a band rule for not doing it then whatever....but to me documenting food intake daily downright pain. I do it time to time so my Nut can keep tabs and make suggestions but she knows I only journal a week or so just for visits with her so she can have an idea what I am doing. Making lifestyle changes is a very individual based concept and people need to find the balance that works for them. No journey is ever the same and in my opinion there is no final end to this journey until I take my last breath.

One of the other things I have found difficult is that some people in my life still do not understand my lifestyle change. I do not give one once of **** about food anymore. I will come to your cookout but you don't need to make wings, steak and burgers to impress me. Give me a cup of food and I am good to go. My Father actually said to my mother with me in the room that I am starving myself because I eat so little. I try so hard to educate people around me but most do not take that much interest. I eat like a bird and a few believe it is a cause for concern because it is so unlike the old me.

B52 - I can totally related to your initial posting. It sounds like you were describing me to Tee. Portion control says it all for me. I still have those things that I enjoy from time to time because deprivation does not work period. Deprivation is just another form of dieting in my opinion. I tried that path for a time and sure I lost a lot of weight but that is not a long term or realistic approach. Thanks to the band I have learned portion control and I no longer suffer from head hunger. I still see so many banders who suffer from head hunger and I do not understand it. What I don't understand is, is it the band that took away my head hunger or am I mentally in a better place now?? It really confuses me. I totally wished that all who deal with head hunger could walk in my shoes for a day. It is so liberating that food and the desire food no longer has a grip on me.

I don't journal food intake 100% of the time either. Being realistic journaling food for the rest of my life is just not going to happen. Maybe if I was taught to do it in grade school it would be a different story. If you think I am breaking a band rule for not doing it then whatever....but to me documenting food intake daily downright pain. I do it time to time so my Nut can keep tabs and make suggestions but she knows I only journal a week or so just for visits with her so she can have an idea what I am doing. Making lifestyle changes is a very individual based concept and people need to find the balance that works for them. No journey is ever the same and in my opinion there is no final end to this journey until I take my last breath.

One of the other things I have found difficult is that some people in my life still do not understand my lifestyle change. I do not give one once of **** about food anymore. I will come to your cookout but you don't need to make wings, steak and burgers to impress me. Give me a cup of food and I am good to go. My Father actually said to my mother with me in the room that I am starving myself because I eat so little. I try so hard to educate people around me but most do not take that much interest. I eat like a bird and a few believe it is a cause for concern because it is so unlike the old me.

I have only been banded since 2/28, but I am no longer interested in food neither. I made Red velvet balls for a church function and I didn't even want one. That is amazing to me. Before I had a major sweet tooth, but now sweets do not appeal to me in the least. Neither does bread. I love the way the band has helped me get past it. I know that I have a long way to go, yet I am really not too worried about it. I know as long as I watch my portions and exercise 5-7 days a week, then I can do this. I can't wait to be able to post about my weight loss success too. Thanks for being inspirations!

I tell my story, show how this WLS has changed my life....and yet people won't accept it...but it does not make it any less true.....

It really is quite funny how people can get upset at others success???? (I'm not going to touch that one)

There are many roads one can follow.to get to the same destination......if it is not the road you like, you cannot deny the other roads still exist...yet people would love to.....(there's a term for that but people would not get it)

B-52, I don't always relate to everything in your posts, but I always appreciate them. Same as with CG, and several others, I pick what makes sense to me, and walk away from the rest. It is what makes this forum valuable to me.

Personally, I am not normal when it comes to food, I was/am broken for whatever reason I was not able to control the amount that I ate over a long period of time, which is why I needed WLS. When my wife wants to lose weight, she eats less. She can eat a single cookie, or a sliver of cake. That is how a normal person interacts with food, these are things that over a lifetime I tried to do, but failed.

Now the band helps me imitate how a normal person eats, but too often that my brokenness leaks out in other areas and I need a reminder that I am not really normal. Perhaps, one day.

I love this thread!

You're probably correct...it is frustrating....really don't have much in common with 80% of the members here' date='.....that is why everyone moves on.....

But I did get many PM's asking me to stick around, people want to hear different perspectives form those who are Happy and Successful with life AFTER the band....

The majority of talk here is from people who are struggling, frustrated, always talking of failure and complications.....and this is all supported by others who are in the same boat, who don't realize themselves there is a flipside to all this......

No one can or should ever tell someone else what they should or should not do....nor tell anyone else they are right or wrong....what people do with their lives is their business....

All anyone can do is speak about themselves, their personal experiences, and be an example...an exhibit...for others to see and guage for themselves what this surgery can and has done for other people......

There is a lot of people doing that all the time, but only setting up negative examples for all to see.....and people believe that is the only alternative.....

I tell my story, show how this WLS has changed my life....and yet people won't accept it...but it does not make it any less true.....

It really is quite funny how people can get upset at others success???? (I'm not going to touch that one)

There are many roads one can follow.to get to the same destination......if it is not the road you like, you cannot deny the other roads still exist...yet people would love to.....(there's a term for that but people would not get it)[/quote']

I like having you around. I enjoy what you write and have to offer.

I too value your posts. I aspire to get to the point where I don't track my intake. Hopefully for me that will be part of my maintenance phase.