Why are there no long term bandsters on OH?

I think most of them after there first two yrs or something Kate just find life outside the Internet and just out enjoying life and make up everything they have lost .

I know me personally I probably wouldn't stay away but would I post as much as I do now ? I just dont know I have missed out so much in life due to my weight and that is why I'm inside all the time I would be out doing things.

Summer/ spring is starting to come upon us here in the States and I know for me I do so much camping at our campsite I wont be on here that much I will go a week or two weeks at a time without posting in the summer.

When you are new to the band you rely so much on these boards with questions, maybe problems, excited about your weight loss but when you get to the point of being a vet have lost your weight , no problems , you just go on with your life and dont think about the boards as much .

And to be honest look at all the arguments on this board .  There is support here dont get me wrong I would be lost without everybody here , you all understand things my family/ friends cant , but when I was new and first starting out here I had to quit these boards for awhile before my surgery because of all the fighting and people telling me you are blowing your money just wait for a yr or two and you will be back in the operating table *sigh*.  When you get remarks like that going in for surgery, 350 pounds thinking something could happen to you that scares the **** out of you .  So why come back to this board ?

There is about 10 people in my support group anywhere from 2 yrs to 7 yrs out that has had the band with no problems so I know they are out there , but like they said to us in support who has time to sit in front of the puter all day long now

Okay, I did a little math. There are 169 pages of names under "Member List" for the Band Board. Each of 168 pages contains 15 names; page 169 contains 12. That's a total of 2532 people who are MEMBERS of the Forum.

If FIFTY PERCENT of those members have lost their bands (which I think is a big, big overestimation), then 1266 of them still have them. So, where ARE all of them? We all know that there is no way that many people post of here on a regular basis. I'd be surprised if more than 200 do. Where are the other thousand-plus?

Out living life, having fun, doing things.

Working. Struggling to keep or find a job.

Dealing with kids, family, illness.

Finding that they just don't need OH as much as they needed at the beginning of their journey.

It's fair to say that a number of them were driven away by the day-to-day bull**** and negativity. I know that *I* took a break more than once. You can only be called a lying, ignorant, uneducated c*nt so many times before you say, "F*ck this sh*t."

It's disingenuous ( "total crap") to believe that just because someone doesn't post anymore means they're no longer banded.

Long story short, we don't KNOW where they are unless we PM every member we know longer hear from. Any volunteers? You've heard from me and from kate. That means there are only 2530 people left to contact . . .

I'm always here or there. I tend to read & lurk more. I don't comment on most posts unless I absolutely have positive information (even personal) to share. I've left OH on several occassions because of the War Drama ... information is such, information. It because sad when information is used as a personal attack on a group or individual. I also have other health issues, UNRELATED TO THE BAND, and I'm basically bed ridden at the moment in time. I'm still reading here, just (I guess) limiting my advice to those I think would actually listen from a older bander (6 yrs this Aug).

You know as well as I do that there has been a lot of  nastiness, name calling and just plain jealousy on this sight.  What do you expect when good meaning, but sometimes misinterpreted posters are attacked so viciously.  They don't come back and I don't blame them.

I agree Evil we probably lose more posters then we gain because of what goes on here with what  you just said.  There has been many times I have wanted to quit but I need this site right now for support and encourgement from the ones I can trust on here .

I come here nearly everyday, multiple times often, becuase I still need the support AND I consider many of your friends, like you, Kate!

Until I joined this site I rarely made new friends outside my circle of family, work relations, church and long time school pals.  I love this site because there is nowhere else on earth that I can meet so many people that know where I've been, where I'm heading and how hard battling obesity is.  We are comrades in a special way that most will never understand.

I look past the name calling and band bashing becuase it just doesn't matter to me.  I only worry about my experience and what I know based on my own journey with the band.  But many of you have and continue to contribute daily to my knowledge and my over-all WL experience.  I love you for that!

It's true that many move on from this board to live life and for a variety of other reasons and that's great because it works for them. 

For me, I need you guys!  I'm sticking around!

Lisa O.

I feel the same way Lisa!

I am still here, but tend not to post much because there are so many similar responses to questions that I often feel someone else has said it better than I might have, or responds after having had more success. 

And the surgery wars keep me away from this board as well. 

But I do lurk and chime in when there is fun to be had!

I'm just like Lisa. I feel I know many of you very well and could be great friends. Not just because of our bands but because many of you are very genours(sp) and kind people. I'm on here every day just to see what's happeing and I get many good ideas from everyone. I would post more pics if I knew how. Thanks for all the effort and kindness. It has helped very much with my new life.
Karen

I doubt I'll ever leave because:
A I have no life
B I'm too nosey
C Have made too many friends
D I'm the only one with the correct answers so must inform all people of my genius!
Does that cover all the bases?