Well, thanksgiving was interesting. Mashed potatoes and stuffing went donw ok. THere was a mix of people who knew I was banded and didn't know., fun afternoon explaining it to many people. Interesting thing is that I found my self feeling that I had to explain that It was all the hard work I ws doing and not the band that was helping me lose 64lbs in 2.5months. That the band was just a tool. I guess I shouldn't care what they think. I really think people assume the band is a magic pill or something, or that it is cheating, anyway I am grateful for it and would reccomend it

It is always strange being in a mixed group :0). I never explain (almost nobody knows) and just say that I am watching my girlish figure, lol. I don't want to spend all my time explaining.

It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving :0).

I'm a week out so Thanksgiving was interesting, it's my absolute favorite holiday meal. I went to our regular family gathering, I liken it to taking a recovering drunk to keg party. I was there but I just wasn't as much fun and I felt like everyone was wondering if it was ok to eat around me.

I took my Soup, and I sat in the living room while everyone ate. I got full really fast, and the smell of food almost made me ill. It's bizarre how that happens.

It was one Thanksgiving out of many. But I'm really glad that it's over.

Thanksgiving wasn't very pleasant for me. I ate 3 black olives waiting for dinner and then had 1/3 cup dark turkey with a little gravy on it, one bite of yams, and one bite of stuffing. Then the pain began. The stuffing and yams came back up and it took about an hour for the pain to go away. I am apparently still learning to tell when I am full. I have had one fill -4 ccs in a 10 cc band - and thought I didn't have much restriction, but I did yesterday.

It was just my three kids, my parents, and a friend and they all know I have the lapband so it wasn't a problem taking my little plate to the couch to eat - my mom kept asking me if I was okay.

Thanksgiving was quite interesting to me and today it's still interesting because I want the food I see and smell. When I got my plate I got a little bit of one thing at a time and I tried to chew well and see if I had enough room left to get a little more and much did not happen. I ended up not getting a chance to taste everything that I wanted but my, my, my what I had tasted great.

I will admit something awful which is that I have 4cc's in my 10cc band and and I have not thrown up since the first day I had my surgery but, today I actually had the thought if I could just throw up I could eat some more. I am a person who hates the thought of VOMITING, what was I thinking?

AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL but so true.

The VOMITING did not happen!!!

I am sitting here right now wanting to eat but I have only had a few bites and I am sooo full.

I guess this means my wonderful REALIZE BAND is doing it's job. I love being BANDED!

Edited November 28, 200817 yr by NinaWoo

My Thanksgiving was the Non-Thanksgiving. I too love this holiday. My husband and I were due to go to my inlaws 7 hours away and we jointly made the executive decision for me to stay home and relax.

I was banded just a little over a week ago -- and he was worried I was going to be tempted by food and I was worried we'd be on the go (the zoo, the museums etc) like we usually are and since I'm still on Clear liquids -- I thought it would be too hard to eat.

So while I was a little sad to be alone on the holiday, afterwards I was really glad I did. Especially when they told me everyone went out for crepes etc.

Everyone in the family knew I was banded so it was pretty easy to get everyone on board with my decision.

Next year ....

...explaining it to many people. Interesting thing is that I found my self feeling that I had to explain that It was all the hard work I ws doing and not the band that was helping me lose 64lbs in 2.5months. That the band was just a tool. I guess I shouldn't care what they think.

T-day DH, DD and I stayed home this year. We usually go to my Aunt's house an hour away but we just didn't want to do it this year (not band related). We had a wonderful day staying home and making our own menu with lots of turkey just for us! (We always cook a turkey this time of year b/c we never get enough at dinner!) Friday we went to my cousin's as normal and it was weird when cousins or aunts said I looked great and asked questions. I've told NO family other than my mom, mil and fil that I had surgery. Part of me felt like I should say that I had surgery and I'm working on my eating and trying to exercise but I didn't. I only mentioned the eating and exercising parts. I really just DON'T want to tell people, including my family. When I told my mom later, she said don't worry about it, I needed to do what I felt best.

It happened at church this AM too. Several people noticed that I'm losing weight and wanted to know what I was doing. I just said I'm working on it, I've got to do it. Part of me felt bad about that too. BUT I also don't plan on announcing it to the congregation either!

I'm in a strange place with tell or no tell. I'm not ashamed that I had surgery. I look at it as a tool and I needed the help that tool would give me. BUT I know how hard it is to lose and keep off the weight and I don't want to discourage someone who is struggling by looking at me and thinking I'm doing this so easily. I'm not! Even with surgery, I still have to watch what I eat and do so carefully as well as exercise.

Right now, I'm not ready to tell. If an overweight person is seriously asking me how I'm doing it in order to help themselves, then I'll tell them about the band. Maybe later, I'll be ready to tell, maybe...

Hey heartfire, keep your head up and don't worry about being ashamed. I am a person who did not mind sharing that I had the lapband surgery if someone ask me, but now that people know I have people making comments. The comments are stated like "I need to lose weight but I don't want the Lapband, I want to do it on my own."

Now this comment has been said by a few people and a small part of me had began to feel ashamed. I then evaluated the situation and why I decide to have the surgery and that helped me to know that I made the right decision for ME and that's what matters. I hope my info helps.

Thanks, Nina, but I'm NOT ashamed. Just not really wanting to tell people. I'm pretty private but with family and even church, there's always a need to tell all to the whole group (meaning it's freely done by all) so to keep quiet about something so big (no pun intended) seems strange.

Thank you for your support and telling me your story!

Lots of best wishes on your journey!!!!

Hello All, Well my Thanksgiving Day went well being that i'm back on solid foods and right before my fist fill. since i don't really feel the restriction anymore, i just decided to get through that weekend and not worry about the lbs. or if i gained any. i get my 1st fill today and i've decided to just pick back up and take it from there and let the past be the past and start new today. i was able to enjoy all the good foods and did'nt have to worry about getting it down. everything went down well and stayed down(no fill). I'm ready to be filled also because i know that's when it really starts. So Christmas i'll be speaking upon my restriction story and how much i could or could'nt get down. and for some reason i'm excited about not being able to get alot down(or at least i say that now). i'm ready to start letting the band work for me and receiving the rewards from it in return !

Dr. Ernest C. Rehnke

Palms Of Pasadena

St.Petersburg,Fl.