What's so hard about it?

Things change and evolve. Something that was really hard during the first couple of months, I no longer even think about. And things always pop up that I hadn't even considered.

For instance, the first few months, one of the things that really took a lot of getting used to was not drinking with meals, or for a half hour or hour after eating. That was a lot tougher than I would have guessed. Now, it's just become habit.

Can't say I found anything particularly hard. Different, yes, but not hard. And everything I did differently yielded results so it was relatively easy to make the needed changes. 

Forgetting.  Plain and simple, the first few months in retrospect were easy.  In my case 8yrs ago I got banded.  It was cranky, tight, and hostile towards most foods.  It kept me honest and fearful of eating too much or something new.  Years went by and old habits came back, after 5yrs I was almost back to normal bad eating habits, and here I am 8yrs and back to my original weight going in.

So my best advice is to mind your scale and be real with yourself, continue your support system.  I was on this forum day and night for the months surrounding my WLS date and then I faded away.  Forgetting is the worst thing IMO you can do, this is not something that you will hit goal and be able to keep going on without maintenance.  I am sad I didn't learn that the first time around.

Since my surgery I committed myself to a healthier lifestyle.  Not just eating but exercising and activities.  The hardest part is that none of this does not come naturally to me...even after a several years.  I have to make a legitimate effort every day to keep following this path.  I have to continually fight that inner food demon that wants me to eat those cookies or sit and watch TV all day. 

The only things that have come easy for me...  

drinking water...who knew I would drink so much of it. 

staying away from fast food...I just don't crave it any more. 

Good luck on your journey

Not drinking with meals. I used to chug soda like Mtn Dew and Pepsi with every meal.

Fighting head hunger. I never feel hungry but my fat guy brain tells me I need to eat all the time still.

For me, it has to be fighting off all the ladies now 

But seriously, the head hunger is still the hardest.  When you get into the habit of eating properly, you can manage it pretty well, but sometimes it still hits me like a ton of bricks.  Sometimes those old cravings will come at me, and I have to work to get past them and not give in.  But after having success, it's easier to do. 

When you see the weight coming off, it is a great motivator to stay away from the junk.  Knowing that you could slip back into old patterns is scary.

Emotional/head hunger. It took me 4.5 years to find a solution. Now I'm go to OA and its saving my life. 

In the beginning the one thing I found that was hard was not drinking with meals. I would have to put what I was drinking away from me. 

Now I have to say what is really hard and something a lot of us deal with on a daily basis. Is head hunger. 

For me:

Hardest part for the first couple of months:

• drinking enough water
• trying to get required protein
• choking down vitamins on a regular schedule
• traveling (checking in at hotel and making sure to get to the store for sugar-free pops, gallons of water, etc)
• waiting 30 mins after meals to eat
• tracking everything (meds, liquids, protein)

Hardest part for the first 6 months:

• waiting 30 mins after meals to eat
• figuring out foods that work and don't work for me (eggs and chicken can still be difficult)
• finding well fitting clothes (spent way too much on clothing that lasted less than one month)
• tracking calories and protein

Hardest part for the first year:   

• waiting 30 mins after meals to eat (oh how I miss an after dinner coffee)!! 
• dealing with head hunger and cravings now that my stomach is healed
• tracking calories/protein
• realizing that my WLS is boring to the people around me and it's not all about me
• realizing that I'm on a diet for the rest of my life