After hours spent reading & learning. Learning & reading, I sometimes start to freak myself out a bit with all the possiblities that can & do go wrong with the band. I would love if it were possible to have a thread that tells of the easy days. The no problem days. The life is so much better with the band days. The can't believe how easy it is to drink & eat days (healthy that is). The happy times even at parties & restaurants days. No worry days. ect ........

Christina,

I think all the days are better after the band. Surgery was not my favorite part, but I wouldn't trade this life for my former life, ever. You change a lifestyle of eating but the benefits are weight loss and being healthy!

Good luck to you on your journey.

Christina, you've asked a great question. Support groups are notorious for attracting stories of problems and hurdles, for obvious reasons. The people having a good, easy, smooth time of it see little reason to come to a support group.

But I'll be happy to tell you that MOST of the time being banded means only one thing. I EAT LESS. That does indeed take a significant mental adjustment. But once that adjustment is made it is no problem to go to restaurants and parties and partake of whatever you want, as long as you realize you will only be able to have a fraction of your former portion. For example, at buffets I used to start with the salad and then go back repeatedly for servings of the "good stuff." There was usually something high-caloric or especially tempting that I'd save for last, "if I had room," and of course I'd always find the room. Now I go straight to whatever I want, and enjoy the heck out of it. With a good level of restriction the party becomes about the PARTY, and not about how much I can eat.

On normal days it is a pure pleasure to be free of constantly deciding and bargaining with myself about what sort of snack I might have before the next meal. I simply do not think about snacking!

I could go on and on. Sure there are physical and mental challenges, but no one ever told me being banded would be a river of light. Changing my morbid obesity is and continues to be the most important and most rewarding thing I have ever done for myself.

Christina - I really don't have any bad days, at least so far. I have never pb'd or slimed. I have never felt like I couldn't have what I wanted to eat. I have ate out with family/friends and pretty much ate what they did, just less of it. I have drank wine when they drank beer, again just less of it. I have a few things that I chose not to eat, but would if I really wanted it.

I can't express how much this band has already helped me. I feel better, I can walk better, my knees don't hurt anymore, I am happier. I have more confidence now, I go more places, and my health is already better.

When I first heard of the surgery, I said "no way" to my doctor. After a year, and a lot of research, I decided it was what I needed. The only regret I have is that I didn't get it sooner. It is a very scary decision to make, but I have never been sorry, and I would do it again tomorrow!

can someone please explain to me what "pb'd and slimed" is? I have seen it a few times out there and frankly it doesn't sound too appealing! Just wondering what I am getting myself into here.....

If you go up to the search button you can type in PB'S & Slime & all the threads containing those words will come up. I will try and get a few to the front page for you to read up on.

Christina,

All days have been good since I have been banded. I have had few problems and the journey has been hard because of the changes I have had to make, but relatively easy compared to being fat. I really enjoy my food and that has not changed at all for me. THe band rocks!!!!

Babs in TX

334/184/170

-150

6/23/03

Here Here Betty!!! You took the words right out of my mouth!!! Must be ESP!!!

This is the one thing I have done for myself that I will never regret!! It's the best thing I could have done!!!

Nancy

I love reading what you all have listed! These are the things I love to hear. ALex- I especially like the sence of "normal" throughout what you wrote it hits a cord with me. I hope there are more bandsters out there that for the most part have "Easy times".

......bumped

Christina, I love that you brought this up! Personally, it's been pretty easy for me. Yeah, I've had times that I couldn't keep out of things I shouldn't be eating. But I also realize that even when I'm not eating my healthiest, I'm still not eating near the massive amounts of food I used to and that's a definite plus. I'm still working on the brain hunger part of it and that's difficult, but my band helps me so much by not allowing me to totally let go of a healthier lifestyle. I am so thankful for my band.

I'm not been hungry once since I've been banded.

I have just had my second fill and have restriction now ! It feels great to leave food on the plate because you are full. It is amazing to look back such a short time ago and think about the amounts of food I consumed in a day, when dieting!!

It feels great to leave food on the plate because you are full.

You bet. For some of us -- for me, anyway -- leaving food on a plate is a new experience.

I'm probably an average bandster: Yes, I PB and slime sometimes. But it doesn't ruin my whole day. I'm not obsessing about food or eating huge quantities (just because it's there) the way I used to. Sure, I still have my "foodie" moments, but they're infrequent and I usually can keep them in perspective; they aren't controlling my life anymore.

These life-altering changes are, in my case anyway, the psychological results of a physiological change thanks to the band.

I no longer am constantly hungry. And I finally feel free to get rid of my oversized clothes because I have hope and confidence that the band will help me keep the weight off. That makes for a pretty easy day.

I like this thread . It's good for today too, because I was kind of thinking along these lines. This morning for Breakfast I had a CIB. A little later I had ONE SERVING of the Thin Mint Cookies I bought (one box, wont buy more). It felt good to stop at a few cookies instead of eating the whole darn thing. Then later my boyfriend and I went out to lunch. I had a bunch of iced tea and almost 2 cheese sticks, then my entree. I ate about half the chicken and about 1/3 of the mashed potatoes that were there. I chewed well and ate slowly (which I sometimes have problems with), and didn't even get the tight feeling in my chest, just an "i'm done now" feeling. I pushed my plate away and had the waitress take it the next time she walked by. Unfortunately if it's in front of me, I would nibble on it until I was in trouble. I would subscribe to the idea of ordering a to go box with my meal, but for some reason microwaved leftovers do me in, so I don't bother with that anymore because they'll just go bad in my fridge.

Anyhow, I still feel full (finished lunch about 30/40 minutes ago), don't care to snack or anything, and that box of cookies is sitting right next to me, untouched. Honestly, it's wierd to sometimes feel like you pigged out, but then you look at your plate and laugh because more than half of your food is there.

......bumped