One of the things that I was looking forward to after I get my band was not having to obsess over what is or is not going into my mouth. However, I just got my pre-op package and it is ridiculous. They have me putting something into my mouth every 1 - 1 and 1/2 hours. I work full time and am sometimes tied up in situation where I can not eat or drink (ie) arguing in court!

I want to have time to live and no longer obsess about my diet!

Maybe the huge time requirement is only for the first little while - what are your opinions on this.

I think you have to look at the rules and decide which ones you HAVE to follow for health reasons, vs. which ones are suggestions to maximize your results.

For example, you HAVE to go through the liquids -> mushies ->solids progression. You can't just jump right back into solids. And you have to limit the amount that you eat in one sitting so you don't stuff yourself. But things like eating every 90 minutes, drinking 64 oz of Water, etc are, in my opinion "suggestions" or goals rather than rules, and as such, you should adapt them to fit your life. If you eat once every three hours instead of every 90 minutes, the world won't come to an end. If you drink 48 oz of water instead of 64, that's better than nothing.

Once you are banded, it will become really clear which guidelines you have to follow right away and which ones you'll have to work toward. It looks like a lot on paper, but I think you'll find that overall, you're spending a lot less time thinking about food than you do now.

Thanks sleepyjean. I appreciate your insight.

I think I probably spend just as much time thinking about my weight and food as I ever did, its just more positive thoughts. But I do wish I could go a day without thinking about either. It will never happen though.

I went through this same thing when I first started. It did feel like an obsession and it made me a little depressed. But, the silver lining is...you'll get yourself into a groove and it becomes easier to get in those mid-meals. Hang in there!