Okay Guys - If you Band works be happy and use it!!!

No worrieeez!

Work it out people!

I loved my Band when it worked.  I worked my butt off exercising and followed the simple rules of any WLS:  Protein first, Veggies & Fruits second, and complex carbohydrates last.  And have your chocolate or whatever you need when you need it in reasonable amounts - measure especially if you like to trick yourself into being clueless .  Don't eat from a bag of Kisses, set one or two aside to be eaten as a treasure and tie up and put the bag away.

Weigh****chers helped me tremendously too.  I had a wonderful group of women - sister friends for support and the weigh-in for accountability.

I don't want to see anyone here fail, but if your band stops working for you at any point and you did all that you can do, I don't want anyone to call you a failure.   You tried and you gave it your all. I don't want anyone to deny you a shoulder to cry on, a place to vent your frustration and anger.  It is a tough place to be.

Ride it until the wheels fall off is what I always said and maybe, just maybe they will keep riding.

Great advice Zee...and realistic.  If we have it and it isn't causing any problems why not use it to the best advantage???

Thank you thank you thank you!! 

I opened this anticipating another band bashing post.  I'm happy to see that it wasn't.  I am 4 weeks out -- as of TODAY -- and I have done very well.  But I also realize that there could be complications in the future.  I am a lot like you though, something doesn't have to be bad for too long for me to say WTF and get something done about it.  I need to feel "normal" and when I don't I am the first one to recognize it.

"Ride it until the wheels fall off".  I love it!

Thank you again!  And I am so so sorry that you had such complications.  My heart goes out to you and I can't for one second imagine what you've been through. 

What..???? Trick myself into being clueless???
Dont you know that if you eat with your eyes closed it does not count??  

THAT WAS A JOKE!! 

I am actually trying to get a better handle on my eating now.. I have gone back to journaling ALL items that pass my lips   (no sexual conotation there)...
And I did discover that I was very good and not noticing 1/2 of what I ate...

This week has been good...

*******My thinking is that everyone here probably has or had self esteem issues related to weight, and everytime we come down on each other and blame each other we are just propagating  the same cruel treatment ..on each other...  ******

I thought it didn't count if you cut it in half before eating it!!!! 
Or if you ate it in the basement without anyone looking!!!  
Or if you denied eating it at all when someone asks where the entire bag of cookies went!!!

Gosh, all these new rules.  Never sure if I am going to get used to them!!!

Actually it's if you eat while standing up or driving in the car....

My band works best if I log everything I eat...I'm less likely to cheat then!

Thanks for the positive post, Zee! :)

 Agreed!  And I'll take it a step further...even if your band works as expected, and you are fully aware that your own habits are the problem, that *still* does not make you a failure.  Even with the best tool in the tool shed, it still takes a LOT of work, persistence, and *forgiveness*.  Even our mistakes are opportunities to learn.  The only "failure" is giving up.  If something isn't working, try something else.  Just keep trying.

Tami