Why do Bandsters sometimes fail?

I was checking my email this morning and I saw an email from the OCC.  I always love the "tips from Dr. Ortiz" emails because they usually remind me of what I need to be doing.  Today's tip was no different.  I am going to post some of his email and then what I think about it. 

Having weight-loss surgery (WLS)  is not just the end of a less than ideal weight and life style, it is really the beginning of a completely new way of life. It starts by a procedure that assists you "temporarily" to lose the excess weight that would not budge to conventional methods.

This was the opening statement and it hit home pretty hard since that is what I am focusing on this month with my back to basics diet.  I remember a year ago before I had the surgery that it seemed so magical and that if I could only make it to my surgery everything would be fixed in my life.  The wieght would melt away.  Oh, don't get me wrong I did my research and knew that I was going to have to do my part too but it did not stop me from still believing in fairy god mothers for fatties. 

If you are proactive about your weight-loss and help the procedure out by following guidelines and making some small but key modifications in your eating patterns and habits, you will add to this number 30% effectiveness or more. On the other hand if you sabotage the procedure especially early on when most of the weight-loss happens you will actually diminish its effectiveness by half or more.

Here he has a subtle reminder to us that if we are not following the guidelines then we are sabotaging ourselves.  It doesn't hurt anyone if I eat band friendly foods that slide past and no one but me is going to lose if I miss a work out. 

The patients I saw failing were the ones that wanted the procedure to do all the work.  Procedures can't change habits or select foods for you or even make you go to the gym. If you don't use the tool when it is available to you, it won't have the same effectiveness down the line. If you are a patient thinking of having surgery keep this in mind. If you recently had surgery ....live by it. If you already had surgery and were successful you know this to be true. And if you are struggling, well it is time to have a sincere talk in the mirror and ask yourself....... Have I done my best?

Have I done my best?  I can say with honesty that for all but the past two months I really have but since June things started to slip into the crazy days of summer and old habits came back.  I guess it is time for me to ask myself everynight before I go to bed if I have done my best.  If the answer is no then I have no one to blame but myself.  If the answer is yes then it doesn't matter how slowly the weight comes off because I know that I am doing my part.

I hope that this gives y'all some, low carb, food for thought.