the hardest part of my band is that I have maybe 20 business meals a month with people I work with and customers. I have to work hard to appear to be eating, without eating too much.

had a lunch meeting with a woman today, as well as with a guy who reports to me. my guy told us that we had each been banded, so it was a very interesting lunch - since all of us knew that the two of us were banded, we didn't have to play around with our food, and we both ate in a similar way.

This has been a concern of mine as well. I don't have many business lunches, but I know when I do go out for lunch or dinner with friends, they can't seem to grasp the idea that I can't eat meat, (I've gotten around this by simply stating I'm vegetarian) and I eat a very small amount. I hate giving a 30 minute explanation to people in what I eat and why I do. I've also found it easier to just say I ate before I left home, or I have dinner waiting for me at home.

my problem has never been eating in front of clients or people i work with... it's my family!

yesterday was the first time in 34 days that i've eaten with them. i had one piece of pizza (which i couldn't even finish!!) and my mom was watching me like a hawk. at one point she said "kris marie, that's too big of a piece!" *sigh* what does she know? later that night i had a tiny piece of cake (maybe 1" x 1") and less than a quarter cup of icecream (it was my birthday dinner). after i ate i had to go to the bathroom. when i walked out my sister asked me if i had been in there puking. *sigh* hopefully they stop watching me so closely and give me a little bit of credit for knowing my body and knowing what to do!