removing the band after 8 yrs plus and only 35lbs kept off. still a fat guy at 52 and im sick of it. this has beena brutal year personally but now im able to focus more on myself and less on a bad marriage. hopefully bypass in 8 weeks or so. afraid of being super hungry with a bigger stomach to fill. holidays coming and ill be mostly alone too ugh. advice suggestions and thoughts needed. thank you...

Good luck on your surgery. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.
2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery.
3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery.