Introduction - How did such a nice little girl become MORDBIDLY OBESE!

Well to introduce myself, I'm a 54 year old teacher (hippie chic at heart). Mother of 2 grown daughters and married to the best guy. Grandmother to Zoe. Been overweight since I was having my kids 35 years ago. Began with just a few pounds overweight but when dieting I'd lose a bit only to put on more later. That has been the story of my life. I have tried, Hypnotherapy, twice 35 years between sessions. Weight Watchers 3 times. And various other popular diets, the Atkins, the Liver Cleansing Etc. All were never sustainable. Especially when I had a phobia of vegetables (to the point of not being able to bring a vegetable to my lips) which stemmed from having a nutritional Nazi as a parent who force fed me vegetables as a child, to the point of vomiting. But that was the ways of the world during the 50's era and unfortunately I had a parent that took it to the last degree. 32 years later I undertook Emotional Freedom Therapy which got me over my vegetable phobia. I could now put vegetables to my lips but after a lifetime of not eating them my tastebuds could not get accustomed to the flavours or textures which I particularly had an aversion to. Well enough was enough I was getting scared for my health's sake having already high blood pressure, and my joints were suffering from arthritis and I also had developed an anti-immune system disease called Polymyalgia Rheumatica. Finally I approached my doctor and she readily agreed to refer me to my surgeon. One 5 minute visit, after 2 hours waiting in his rooms and I was organised to be banded. I had decided on Sept 4th 2008 as my date so I could recover in the school holidays (I'm a teacher of early childhood)