Ok. I've decided to do this. I have been reading this forum for days now. I have just now thought of something. Why do you eat? I rarely eat because I'm "hungry". God fobid if I ever allow myself to feel the rumble in my belly! :-) Seriously though. I eat because I like the taste of food. I eat for something to do. I eat because it's dinner time. So, I gues what I'm getting at is as I read here I see people saying how they must have good restriction because they aren't hungry. Well, was was hungry to you before? Rumbling in the stomach or your head saying "I'm hungry"?

I find myself eating more out of "craving" than "rumblings in the stomach". How does the band help with that?

Simple. The band DOESN'T held with head hunger. What it will do is help you be satiated on less food. And, hopefully, that will help you learn to tell the difference between "Am I truly hungry" or "do I just want to eat for the sake of eating"?

A couple of times, I've found myself standing at the fridge, with the doors open, just looking at the foods inside. But I come to my senses and ask myself "Why am I standing here?" and I shut the fridge and walk away. Have I ever eaten something, post surgery, just because I wanted it? Of course. Not so much now, though. If I'm not at my "sweet spot", I'm very close. I don't really experience hunger which I've come to identify as a very hollow feeling, not tummy rumbling, unless it's been like 6 hours or more since I ate.

I eat because i am a food addict. I LOVE FOOD. Food for me is the same as alcohol or drugs or cigarettes are for some. The reason the band has worked amazingly well for me is that it physically stops me in my tracks from being able to over indulge in my addiction. Does it stop me from wanting to eat (aka head hunger) HELL NO. Does it stop true hunger, not for me, what the band does is allow me to eat a small portion that is just enough to satisfy the real hunger and be done.

Thanks for your input ladies! I've been doing so much thinking about this that all sort of questions are popping into my head.