I thought it might be a good idea to have a thread where we could discuss the different challenges/issues we face as being single and banded.

I'll start with introducing myself. My name is Chris, I am 32 and live in a suburb of Boston. About a year ago I got out of a 5 year relationship and have just casually dated (online dating) since then. I have decided to take a break from dating for a bit, so I can focus on myself and adjust to living life as a bandster. (I was just banded on 10/2). One of my biggest concerns when I start dating again is if/when to tell that I am banded. It's not that I don't want to tell people, it's just that my idea of great dinner conversation does not include discussing my weight. Overall I would say that I have a great life. I have a good job, a very supportive family, and lots of friends. I am happy to be taking control over my weight and issues with food, and am excited at the prospect of my future as a not-so-fat woman.

I look forward to meeting more single bandsters and hope this thread takes off!

Chris :cocktail:

Aww how sweet. I am very easy to please. Just a simple cute name like that makes me happy.

It does make me feel really good when he says that. It's so wonderful being in a new relationship! I hope all of us are always this happy!

I get sexy, beautiful, cutie and snickers, neither of us is really sure where the snickers came from but it's endearing anyway, loving finally feeling special.

I am so truely happy for all of you Chrispy, Denise, Missy and Tarrn....You all give me hope that there will be that one person truely right for me someday. And it won't be the guy that I am in love with and the feelings are not mutual! At least I can only hope and pray that it will happen. I too am really wanting to have more children and I feel like my clock is ticking away slowly, I have an almost 14 year old daughter and have been seperated from her father for 6 years and Divorced officially for almost 6 months (I know it was a long lengthy process but I am glad it is done!)

April I spent many years in love with people who never would give it back. It's so not worth it, as you know. I can honestly say that for whatever reason, I have never had a relationship like this before. I am treated with so much respect, kindness, and love. And I had to be almost 34 to find it! Ugh! But it is wonderful, and you will find it too! It took a lot of time and effort to really put myself out there, and then courage to refuse to settle for less than all I wanted, but it was fun at times and it really was worth it. You deserve it all apple, and you will get it!

Curtis calls me his cracker, and I call him my pastrami. lol. So silly, I know. Pastrami came from me calling him my prince charming one day, and he said 'what? I'm your pastrami?' and it just stuck. lol

It's better to not be in love at all than to be in love with someone who isn't right for us. Chrispy you are in inspiration the way you handled all the relationships before Curtis. I remember you being with guys who weren't giving you what you needed. So many women would have just stuck the relationship out, rather than facing being alone.

April, I never believed I would find anyone, even though everyone told me that I would. You will too, when the time is right.

Thank you so much to the both of you! I am really starting to believe that it will happen for me when the time is right.

Oh and by the way I have wonderful news this week... I went in to my surgeon's office on Tuesday last week to have a fill and when the doctor put the .2 cc's in it was so tight I wasn't even able to get the water down that they gave me to drink. So the doctor decided to take the .2 back out. Well it looks like he might have left a drop in there of the .2 he originally put in because I feel like I am finally at my "Sweet Spot"!!!

I have lost 7lbs this week alone!!! The most I have lost since surgery was 7 lbs in one month (not includeing the 2 weeks right out of surgery where I lost 16lbs of course)

I am finally feeling like it is happening for me again. I need to stop weighing myself all the time because I have been getting on the scale 2 times a day for the last week, but it just keeps going down!

If I can just remain on track I know I will be at my goal in no time at all. I know it will slow down a bit but at least I am back on track once again and that is all that matters.

And let me just say once again, thank you so very much. You all have been such an inspiration to me and I now know I AM worthy of finding the right man to be in mine and my daughter's life!:biggrin2:

I just want to say that men suck, dating sucks and the whole shebang sucks!! Men! You can't live with them and you can't shoot them! /end pityparty

April, that is great news! Having the right restriction makes all the difference in the world.

Fanny, I used to feel that way too, when guys would ask me for a picture and then stop writing to me when I sent it. Now, I can say I haven't been this happy in years and years!

Fanny, I too said that same statement so many times I would be a billionaire if I had the numbers, I was always the one wondering how come all my friends met these great guys and all I had to show for it was some loser mooching off me? Jump ahead a few years and now I'm the one with the great guy, to have to go through all those losers again to have what I have now? I wouldn't want to but I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Apple, I too want to have kids "someday" being that your my age, I'd say you have at least 5 more years (that's what I've given myself as the cutoff number) only because advanced maternal age significantly increases risk etc.. and I work in NICU so my world is much different that that of the bouncing cherubic babies from the gap ads, but 5 years is a long time to work with so I'm glad that your going to hold out for the right person instead of a "you'll do" moment and then all of a sudden you are stuck connected to this person that you don't really like for the rest of your life.

Apple I saw your pics on the before/after thread and you look GREAT! You've done a great job your first year out, and your second year will be just as great!

Ya so, a lot has happened this past week and a half. My boyfriend has been so sick for almost 2 weeks now. They've ran several blood tests and have found nothing. He was hospitalized last Friday for dehydration and I was there with him for that. They ran blood tests for his liver this morning to see if anything is wrong with it. Just please everyone keep him in your prayers so that he gets better.

Oh missy, how scarey! sending prayers!

Thank you so much Denise. It's scarey because he's so young. He's 26, doesn't drink hardly ever but he does smoke cigarettes.

missy i hope that everything works out ok for your boyfriend, sickness can be very scary esp when the doc's have yet to figure out what is wrong.