I'm such a failure

And my point about where I was going with the analogy was that when you try to make an elaborate analogy that covers a lot of different moving parts you end up wandering off into over-involved territory...which makes the whole thing fall apart. I don't know which surgery is the screwdriver/hammer/table saw...my point is that a screwdriver can be just as dangerous as a hammer or a table saw. Mainly because I know someone who lost an eye to a childhood crafting accident involving scissors. Where am I going again?

Thanks for this great post, Dev. You give us a look at real banded life and real banded success!

Jean

Congratulations!!! You've done a great job!!

Dev, your story is similar to mine in the sense that I am not where I would like to be, but so much better off than I ever would have been without the band.  If I had it to do over I might not make this choice, but having made it I am happy with the results. I have been a size 14 for four years now, and although I would love to be a size 8, without the band I would most certainly be way over 300 pounds by now.

And Pumpkin, I like the newer, less angry version of you!  I can relate to what you are saying about painful eating.  A few months ago my daughter said to me " you always look so sad when you eat."  I didn't realize that it showed, or how cautious I am sometimes about what and how I eat.

Lets keep up the respectful dialog on both sides of the band.