tigerlilly46

First of all I think you should be asking yourself why it is that you lost your motivation to look good and to feel good. You were doing so well. Are you feeling deprived in some way? Are you looking to stroke yourself again with food like you used to do? Is something hurting, depressing, frustrating you? Are you feeling powerless and alone? What is going on? Allow yourself to scream, yell, cry, curse out loud and get it out of your system!!! Don't you realize that is how you got in trouble the first time? Help yourself, help yourself, help yourself!! Don't let this happen - stop yourself. I will be praying for you and for me, since I just went through this also and I used what I just said to you to talk myself out of my danger zone. Don't give up on yourself. Love yourself.

In Sept I will be 4 years out from having my surgery. I went to see my dr yesterday and I am almost back to my starting weight. I was so disappointed in myself. I had to have my port replaced a few months ago and before that it was fill after fill with no restriction. I have had issues with the band and staying on track espeically when i wasnt feeling any restriction. I am just posting this forum for helpful ideas on getting back on track and motivational help. . I can't believe I am back to where I started! I had a fill yesterday and hopefully will feel some restriction after my 3 day liquid diet. I know what I need to do but there are times when I get so down on myself and lean towards bad habits! I never imagined being back to feeling tired all the time, clothes being too tight etc I have one of the best doctors who has never given up on me, i feel like I have let him and everyone else down!
Anyone else in the same boat?

Don't beat yourself up about it. Just approach it as if you were just starting out - read as much as you can and try to get motivated again. Make a goal for yourself - I'm going to lose 20lbs by ________ then I'm going to _________. When you reach that, set another 20lb goal for something else special. You can do this!
Keep us posted, we are your Booster Club and we have faith in you!

I feel your pain , I'm 2 years out was going really well looking great then.... Got over filled and surg removed all Fluid for 3 months and I couldn't get back to see him regularly enough 8 months on and still not enough fill and I have out back on a lot of weight, clothes are tighter , I'm joined this site now at 354 am in melb Australia just to find some inspiration enough is enough

You're not alone. Same boat here. I'm 2.5 years post-op, and in April I had a lot of regurgitation and had 1cc removed. Well, that settled the acid reflux but then I realized what I could now eat. And, I did. I just went in today to get a fill and get back on track with a forced 3 day liquid diet post fill.

Thank you so much everyone for your support and words of wisdom and advice After reading all your comments I feel so inspired to kick my butt into gear. Gone back to Portion Control and recording on my fitness pal what I'm eating.....it's only Day 1 but so determined to get back on track....! Xx Fitness pal username crazymama46 x

Hi, I am glad to see your post and maybe I'm late on my comment but it so says my mood right now!! Ugh! I got a unfill for the same reason, I didn't understand I was fine all this time, I was banded January 10, 2012 I lost 110 lbs and then last month I got so sick could eat drink anything ended up in the ER! well I had an UNFILL and omg! my mind is so crazy!!! who new! I push the limit cause I can, I have gain 7lbs and I feel like a big failure!! tomorrow will be a new day and I have some soul searching to do. I wanted to know how you are doing and if you had a fill? i'm going next Tuesday and I will just have to be strong!! just wanted a friendly ear!!

Okay, I'm 2 yrs 2months post op..... and Friday last week I had to be completely unfilled, had 5cc out of my band.....I had the "green zone" since April last year, until, for some unknown reason either got stuck or other and started getting acid reflux and couldn't even keep down water.... So had an emergency unfill. The stuck problem and acid reflux has gone but I have no restriction at all.......and NO SELF CONTROL.... it's like I've been let off the leash and 'Over eating'...because I can! I want a fill ASAP! Can't be seen until 12th July and I'm dreading weight gain ..., have gained a couple of pounds so far but it's scary that I'm on the slippery slope of becoming out of control , I keep telling myself NO "think portion size" but it's so hard not to eat more.....I'm weak....stupid and know what I'm doing is madness after losing 185 pounds and nearly at my goal weight too...it's like I'm a naughty child, all out to cause havoc! .... Help! Anyone else had a complete unfill and struggling to get back on track.. I've got my fitness pal but I can't do any exercise at the moment due to recently having a slipped disc...I don't want to ruin all the good I've/my band has done.....really down and desperate!

I felt a little like that this weekend. I don't feel restriction in my band yet and it was a stay at home weekend so i found myself prowling around the kitchen and pantry just looking for anything to eat. It took everything I had in me not to just EAT EAT EAT...
185 pounds is absolutely amazing...focus on the positives part of what you've accomplished. And stick something up on your fridge or on your kitchen cupboards whats a big reminder to you about where you want to be.
For me...I found a hilarious pinterest picture where someone wrote, "Step away from the fridge, fatty" on their fridge door. Sometimes we need that kind of giant visual kick in the butt to remind ourselves that we have a bigger goal in mind and our little instant gratification isn't worth it!

Are you on MyFitnessPal? If you are, I'd be happy to friend you and cheer you on every day! (I'm avivasrobinson on there)

I have had a complete unfill twice, and still managed to loose weight. The reason is that I maintained my Bandster portions, and did what little I could to exercise.
Your current issues seem more to be with your faulty thinking and relationship with food. If you could revise your thinking into seeing eating as self sabotage of the progress you have made to date, and recognizing that telling yourself "NO", you will not eat out of control, it goes a long way to help you through challenging times such as you are experiencing now.
It is very easy for us to become our own "self fulfilling prophecy" when the self talk messages are negative in nature. If you dispair and tell yourself you have no self control, you will be correct, because you have given yourself permission to eat to your heart's content.
If you tell yourself I will empower myself to maintain my weight, and not allow my faulty thinking with regards to food to rule me, then you will overcome your feelings of helplessness.
The band is a highly self empowering tool. You have been quite successful thus far. Don't throw any of that success away because of your mindset.
Remember, just because you can eat more than the allowed portion does NOT mean that you should.
You can do this...if you want to. Only you can determine your path by your choices.

There's no way you could have lost that much weight without having self control...fill or no fill. Sounds like you are having a psychological battle with yourself. Forget about what you've done since the unfill and make today a brand new day. Eat band size portions...try to keep the head hunger at bay....if you can't exercise, do something, anything to take your mind off eating. This sounds like a rough patch you are going through but you are obviously successful...keep reminding yourself of that. You are not weak and stupid, you are awesome.

I've had to be unfilled twice. The best thing I did was get on the scale EVERY morning. When I saw my weight creeping up, I knew it was up to me to control that. I did gain about eight pounds, but if I hadn't weighed every day I know it would have been a lot worse!!!

Ok..Thanks for the advice, will call doctor tomorrow

Ok..Thanks for the advice, will call doctor tomorrow

Hi. I've been banded for 18 months and I take 4 pills a day which I have to say are quite hard work. 3 of the pills are what I consider to be quite big so I half them and take them throughout the day with milk it's the only way I can get them down sometimes they get stuck but i find the best time to take them is a little while after a meal as long as you haven't over eaten you should be fine. I take 2 x hair, skin and nail tabs 1 x Biotin and 1 quick acting multi Vitamin with Iron. I know everyone is different but if you half them if you still find you can't swallow as long as they are solid Vitamins and not powder filled you should be fine, the milk helps somehow move them down too. Good luck