I am sooooooooooooo glad the hog feed that the Fourth of July is, is over!!!!! I has a blast up until the time to eat then it all hits me!!!! Then everyone acts like it is their last supper and start shoving food in their mouths until they have a look of pain on their faces!!!! Going back in the line two, three sometimes four times!!!!!!!! GOD, it gets old watching this!!!!! My family and extended family went to the resevoir and pulled kids around on the tubes all day!!! I didn't drink enough and just wanted to drink my dinner, but knew I had better eat something, so I had a small amount and didn't even eat that!!! Makes me sick to watch the amount of food people mindlessly shove in their mouths and the QUALITY of that food.

On July 4th, I had been banded for only one day, so all I was in the mood to do was sleep, wake up, drink something, and go back to sleep.

hijack----- Hey Laurend, how are you feeling? I am glad to see you are back posting at LBT. Remember, walk and sip, walk and sip, LOL.

We go to a steak house here quite often (Texas Roadhouse) and they offer a side kick of ribs or a side kick skewer of grilled shrimp for like $5.99 when added onto a meal. So DH orders his meal, adds me the sidekick of one or the other, and I order a dinner salad, and we are both happy!!!! Ribs, have never been an issue for me.

I am glad the 4th is over, and I also had a HUGE luau party, and a hige cake filled reception for my parents 50th Anniversary---there was food everywhere, lucky for me I was so freakin' exhausted, food was not even appealling!!!

Now that it is all behind me, I am back on exercise track----yeeehaw!!!

Welcome to bandland Laurend---glad you did well!

Kat

Well, the next hog feed is what??? Labor Day???? I just don't see how people can keep stuffing themselves so damn much!!!!!

laurend!!!! You're back. I was gone too for a while and I wondered why I didn't find any posts by you when I came back. YEA - you're banded!!! Welcome to bandland. I hope you're doing well. By now you should be past the shoulder pain part. How are you doing otherwise?

Laurend! You're back and you've crossed over to the other side!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:Congratulations, eh, sez Green. :kiss2:

At the next hawg fest you can PB on all your least fave relatives. :heh::heh::heh: And then tell us all about it. :ranger:

Let's just hope she's over the "don't make me laugh, it hurts when I laugh, part"

I feel you all...I was asked about what about me having a barbeque...I said--I think we had enough barbecues while I was young to cure me of wanting one. My birthday--BBQ, Mothers Day--BBQ, got a Job promotion-BBQ, Got Divorced--BBQ...

Now that I am a single Parent with 2 kids of my own. I ask my boys each holiday--what can we do special. I have had many suggestions with my 11 and 9 year olds. But BBQ hardly comes up. I think the holiday should be festive--but not a day to eat 3500 to 5,000 calories. I remember I was there once. I now have a hard time getting 1000 to 1200 calories in a day.

I am not a bad acting person--but I looked at my younger brother some time ago--he has gone to over 400 pounds at 5'8". I mean--when he comes in the house--the floor moves or creaks...When anyone says---Have you thought of losing weight--you could say it's WW3. I stayed away from my Families Barbeque this year.

Jealousy comes in many different faces...I was told--I thought I was special. I ate very little at the family reunion--I don't drink alcohol or smoke...It was looking odd to them that I didn't have what they had--since every member of my family--to include my Mom--had a cigarette, a glass of vodka or Barcardi and even Gin with a big plate of food...Here I was with water and a small piece of fish and some rice...So I decided not to go on that trip to New York for the celebration. I called to say--I am going to pass on this year's BBQ

You know what Lee? You ARE VERY SPECIAL! Many, many people are not strong enough to overcome that kind of background of family eating. I know how it feels to be the smallest at one of those food fests. I used to be the little one and the one everyone thought that "she's too good" to enjoy the ribs, the steak, the burgers, the hot dogs, the potato salad, the baked Beans, the fluffy rolls, the mayonaise, the chips, several cakes, the many kinds of Cookies, the homemade ice cream. Did I mention salad? No... not unless it was surrounded by Jello or marshmallows, or heavy creamy dressing, but once in a while we had watermelon - but in massive quantities.

I grew up thinking that I was the lucky one. I had been able to maintain my childhood weight at around 105 to 115 lbs. Even after I had my first child (I only gained 18 lbs. duing that pregnancy) Then I had my second child and gained 50 lbs. I finally got off all the weight and hovered around 110. Then I turned 40. And I found myself eating more and more at the family barbeques, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, etc. I was no longer uncomfortable eating and drinking at sophisticated social events either. I'd hit the canape tray with a vengence. And anticipated what was offered for dessert.

The next time I realized what had happened, I weighed 150 lbs. Depression set in after I tried every diet in the book. I joined spas, bought exercise tapes and did them a couple of times before I lost interest or the will to move around. I took pills, I took shots, and I got fatter... I took more pills, more shots and although I'd lose weight from time to time, down to about 130, I'd regain the weight and I would gain even more before I'd settle in and be able to buy new clothes to fit the new set point weight. Then I'd get depressed and go on another diet binge, even doing the extreme Optifast diet for 6 weeks. But only to regain that lost weight and more... on and on until I was at an extremely uncomfortable, unhealthy and depressing 220 lbs. - and I'm 5'1.5" in height with a very small bone structure.

Now I had become the mother who hosted the barbeques! I made the fabulous Desserts. I did the planning, shopping and preparing all the delicious foods for the rest of the family. I had become the ring leader, just like my mother before me. I over ate. I binge drank alcohol at parties and lost the day after to horrible hangovers and depression from knowing I'd probably made an ass of myself at the party. I knew I had become embarrassing for my children to present as their parent. I was more depressed than ever.

Enter (trumpets) the BAND. The first 4 months were fantastic. I felt better than I had felt for many years. I wasn't hungry!!!! I didn't crave junk food!!!! I was so incredibly happy that I didn't go on the constant hunt for something yummy to eat. I was thrilled to have lost 40 lbs. so quickly.

Then something happened. I started getting fills every 3 weeks. I couldn't seem to find the right "sweet spot" that I had enjoyed for the first 4 months. I've found myself slipping back into my old mindset of wondering what great tasting thing can I cook for dinner and when can we have a barbeque!!!

I'd like to think that it's psychological and that I can get over it and get on with making myself healthy and fit. However I can't help but wonder if there is some physiological or genetic part of me that I need to break the code to. I know exercise helps with that, but I am just pretty sure that it is even more complicated than that. I'm not hopeless. I am still determined to get over this "hump" and break free of the family ties that tend to bind me. One of the things I didn't realize would be difficult is that the family is so used to me bringing all the "good" stuff home for dinner, I hate to let them down.

But let's face it, our parents didn't do us any favors. And I'm not doing my family or me any favors either! I have to respect myself enough to give up that vicious cycle and think of my health first. I am sure that my family will respect me much more in the long run.

Probably the smartest thing we can ever do is to steer clear of those family food fests!! You seem to have broken the code and you have my total and complete respect!

Hi there Bjean...I know the feeling. I have been down that road to making the weight loss book writers the millions of dollars too. Nothing worked. I hope that I don't have a bad habit of slipping back into the old habits. I am almost at 4 months (3-1/2 months now). I have found that I like the fish--to give me a good feeling--I have put some barbecue sauce on the fish. Still it's within the guidelines to my diet. I am not over eating--but I have somedays--I love the little kisses(the chocolate candy). But I know they say--every 14 peices is about 200 calories. I have not passed that at no time eating them. Maybe 8 peices serve my passion for chocolate. I have eaten McDonalds and the ladies who work there--marvel over how I can order fish--with no bun and a cheese burgery--no bun.I can get bread down. It will clog my throat soo bad--I feel like i am choking.

Yes--I have the family who put me on that "Black Sheep" list.I have now 7 immediate members who can call me--My Mom and 4 brothers, 2 sisters. Only one Brother will call at some point and time. A few of the others--I can't even offer excuses. Except the last time I was there--I heard he craziest sayings..."Oh Man--you made it to the Family reunion"--"I was just thinking about you--I was going to call you too"..What a bunch of crap if I ever it all before. But so is life..Oh--in the bunch there is one thin brother who's never been fat--it's my little brother. He seems to remain at the 165 to 170 all the time. He goes to the reunions because he lives in the NYC area. If I make a trip of 1300 miles--I think it should be good and pleasant.I think with me living in the mid-south. I have found friend here are more pleasant. They may look at me strangely--but they've known me for less than 2 years. So it's cool to see me go through a few physical changes--like my weight loss....