With all of the information sharing we do on this forum, nothing you read or research will help YOU understand how YOUR band works. I'm 6 months out and I realize I am JUST NOW understanding how MY band functions in MY body.

To help any newbies that might be interested, I've learned:

1. I can't eat when I'm cold. I don't care if I take sliver sized bites...it's not going down if I'm not warm all over.

2. I can look at something and know if I can eat it. Even leftovers from the day before could be disasterous.

3. If you have to slime, slime.

4. I have to sip when I eat. It's not making a difference in my weightloss and it's easier to get food down.

5. Even though you're not hungry - EAT something. I went almost 4 days on less than 2,000 calories, it will catch up with you.

6. If I'm hurting, I'm not getting enough Protein.

7. Try not to worry excessively about your sliming/stuck episodes, just pay more attention to how you're eating and get control. You're not going to prevent all of them...it's a fact of life, it's going to happen.

Non-Band lessons:

8. Fat people need more sleep/rest, I can't stay in bed for more than 6-7 hours now. I could EASILLY sleep 12 hours before and this crazy energy of mine...off the chart. (O_O) who needs sleep?

9. You look good, accept the compliments...they are genuine.

10. The mirror is lying to you...you're much smaller than your reflection.

11. You have to be really careless not to succeed (bad devices, bad surgeons notwithstanding).

12. Your biggest critics are the ones who are most envious and threatened by the new you.

13. You are an inspiration...to somebody! Even if they never tell you so,

14. Life is better now.

15. I find myself setting new goals on things I've never thought of doing before.

Great post! Thanks for all the lessons learned. I am still learning and your post is very helpful!

Beautiful post - especially the non-band lessons. Thanks for taking the time to write them down & remind us...

^{Thanks for posting this I can identify with some of what you are saying, Especially number 4. I thought maybe I was the only one, but it is ALWAYS water nothing else.}

I am totally with you! Especially 4 and 9!!

Wow in just six months out? It took me over a year to figure some of what you said and then some. Now that I'm three years post op, I know my band as if I created it myself. LOL It is a weird yet AWESOME feeling living a banded lifestyle. Great post.

The most important point you make is that it is about YOU and YOUR Band.....I do not expect others to be like me, and others should not expect me to be like them.....

The list you made, there are items that do not pertain to me and my experience, and if I was to make a list, there would be items that make no sense to you....

Does not make one right and the other wrong....

Also you list things that YOU Experience...NOT what others have told you, or read, or whatever....When people say this and that, I much rather hear how it affects THEM...what happens when THEY do or do not do something....not what they THINK will happen.....

The best word of advice I ever received from my DR. was to learn to "Listen To Your Band"

I had no idea what he meant at first...and now, EVERYTHING I do is from listening to my band...not a set of rules, or what others experience....

Helllo great post, but was is sliming. Im a newbie dec 10 banded.

The most important point you make is that it is about YOU and YOUR Band.....I do not expect others to be like me, and others should not expect me to be like them.....

The list you made, there are items that do not pertain to me and my experience, and if I was to make a list, there would be items that make no sense to you....

Does not make one right and the other wrong....

Also you list things that YOU Experience...NOT what others have told you, or read, or whatever....When people say this and that, I much rather hear how it affects THEM...what happens when THEY do or do not do something....not what they THINK will happen.....

The best word of advice I ever received from my DR. was to learn to "Listen To Your Band"

I had no idea what he meant at first...and now, EVERYTHING I do is from listening to my band...not a set of rules, or what others experience....

Edited January 8, 201412 yr by PrettyThick1

Sliming is when your esophogus creates tons of saliva to help move food down. When you're stuck, even juicing it up with the extra saliva doesn't get it to go down...so the extra saliva comes back up - thick and slimy.

Helllo great post, but was is sliming. Im a newbie dec 10 banded.

Oh ok. Thank you for your response:-)

Holly, you'll know it once it happens!!!

Im with you girl. At almost 7 months out I feel like something just hit me and opened my eyes to start listening to my band and being able to do things like push my plate away. The hardest thing was detoxing myself from the sugar junk that i was eating.

I must ask what is a. "sliming episode"? I've experience something that comes up if I drink or eat too fast. It's is GROSS!