Okay y'all the holidays are coming up and I want to know how y'all deal with them. All the veteran bandits how do you get through? I assume it's like any other day because you can't forget about the band (which I LOVE).

Southy I think you may be right on about that! This year as the holidays come up the hubby and I are planning to cook and make some band friendly fare for our table as well as the traditional items for the rest of the bunch and us to enjoy.

We will probably be doing most of the cooking and cleaning and keeping so busy we won't be picking or stuffing ourselves just enjoying time together and time with family and friends.

This might be a good time to start getting some band friendly recipe ideas together!! Thanks for the post, ya got me thinking!

Okay y'all the holidays are coming up and I want to know how y'all deal with them. All the veteran bandits how do you get through? I assume it's like any other day because you can't forget about the band (which I LOVE).

Bear with me...as I tend to get longwinded. But this is how I deal with "them", now 4 years postop.

I just got done visiting the company nurse...yearly physical routine stuff, and there was a new nurse today, whom I'd never seen before.

She, LIKE ME, has "issues" with her weight if you will. And as shes writing stuff down...she goes, " I can't help but ask, how have you lost so much weight? I see you're down like over 130 lbs or so over the last several years".

And I thought.....do I go into this as though she really wants to know...or is she just being polite? She seemed interested... (this exact topic came up on here a couple days ago..with varied responses) I told her my "story"....exercise, eating less....and lapband surgery. She proceeds to look astonished.... "I've NEVER known ANYBODY that worked for." She knew this person or that person over the years that "it" didn't work for. Almost as though she didn't believe me.....at first.

I told her, FOR ME, it wasn't always easy...learning to live with my band. Me adjusting as much as the band.

So on to your question...

I've mentioned several times, if someone watched me eat now, they would probably not even know I had surgery....because I eat normally. But I think my definition of normal is different now. Thats why "IT" works. Don't stress the holidays...parties...funerals....vacations....etc. Those are normal, everyday things. Just like living with your band. Enjoy!

Southy I think you may be right on about that! This year as the holidays come up the hubby and I are planning to cook and make some band friendly fare for our table as well as the traditional items for the rest of the bunch and us to enjoy. We will probably be doing most of the cooking and cleaning and keeping so busy we won't be picking or stuffing ourselves just enjoying time together and time with family and friends. This might be a good time to start getting some band friendly recipe ideas together!! Thanks for the post' date=' ya got me thinking![/quote']

I believe I'll be cleaning too lol to keep me occupied but I'm going to try to look at it like a normal day and do like I've always done. I went to a BBQ the other day and they were trying to shove food on my plate lol. People that don't have the band forget that you can't eat like that so that's the only annoying part at get togethers. Everyone goes back for seconds and thirds and I'm just sitting there. ( it's really nice to not go back for more!) the only one that doesn't push food in my face is my fiance and my mom. Everyone else is use to eating lots and expects everyone else to especially a big person. Lol

Southy I think you may be right on about that! This year as the holidays come up the hubby and I are planning to cook and make some band friendly fare for our table as well as the traditional items for the rest of the bunch and us to enjoy. We will probably be doing most of the cooking and cleaning and keeping so busy we won't be picking or stuffing ourselves just enjoying time together and time with family and friends. This might be a good time to start getting some band friendly recipe ideas together!! Thanks for the post' date=' ya got me thinking![/quote']

Lisa I like that nickname too lol!

Holidays are like every other meal. Do you best. Have a small taste if you can't live without the item. I am Jewish and 2 months after my band last year I had the Jewish New Year. I ate what I could. Thanksgiving, the same. I do remember Thanksgiving, eating too fast and had to get up and walk a little. I found with turkey I did have to use gravy. My dietitian approves of gravies and sauces to help when eating. I had a very small taste of stuffing. As for pies, I hate pies, so that was never a problem. I had fruit for dessert.

And if all else fails, on Friday, November 29th, it is a new day, and start over. As for Thanksgiving, it is the first night of Hanukkah and my grandson's 1 st birthday the 29th.

Bear with me...as I tend to get longwinded. But this is how I deal with "them"' date=' now 4 years postop. I just got done visiting the company nurse...yearly physical routine stuff, and there was a new nurse today, whom I'd never seen before. She, LIKE ME, has "issues" with her weight if you will. And as shes writing stuff down...she goes, " I can't help but ask, how have you lost so much weight? I see you're down like over 130 lbs or so over the last several years". And I thought.....do I go into this as though she really wants to know...or is she just being polite? She seemed interested... (this exact topic came up on here a couple days ago..with varied responses) I told her my "story"....exercise, eating less....and lapband surgery. She proceeds to look astonished.... "I've NEVER known ANYBODY that worked for." She knew this person or that person over the years that "it" didn't work for. Almost as though she didn't believe me.....at first. I told her, FOR ME, it wasn't always easy...learning to live with my band. Me adjusting as much as the band. So on to your question... I've mentioned several times, if someone watched me eat now, they would probably not even know I had surgery....because I eat normally. But I think my definition of normal is different now. Thats why "IT" works. Don't stress the holidays...parties...funerals....vacations....etc. Those are normal, everyday things. Just like living with your band. Enjoy![/quote']

Yes I've come to the conclusion that my or our "normal" is totally different than everyone else's normal because the only normal most people know is big big big....I'm very excited for my normal to be smaller lol :-) I'm just going to remember that all our hard work is not meant to be messed up by one day :-)

I dont think anyone would know I have the band from watching me eat either. I intended to get the band and never get a fill and so far I have succeeded. My band keeps me from binging but I control the quality and for the most part the quantity. Some people who do know I have the band wonder how I eat what I eat because they think that it keeps you from eating anything...not the case. LOL ... So for the holidays I plan to make healthy versions of the favorites and plan for my weekly guilt-free day to be on the holiday You can do ALOT with 1000 extra calories!! Also, I will plan to have early meals...like around 3p instead of 6 or 7pm. The earlier I eat those extra calories the better!