EL1

I don't know if this will help but before I got my band I got a cognitive behavioral therapist (my insurance pays). She has really helped me change my eating habits. I consider myself to be a true sugar addict. I can't touch refined sugar or I almost go into a trance where all I can think about is more sugar. This usually leads to a binge of about 2 weeks until I get off of it. I think I have figured out that I use sugar as a sedative. Stress really triggers the sweet craving, my therapist has helped me rewire my brain to deal with stress. Just a suggestion but just realize you are not alone and you never fail. Just like when you learned to walk you had to keep trying. Elizabeth

Hey everyone, It has been a while since I posted. I have been doing well, but since the last month or so my weight loss has slowed---slowed isn't the right word, maybe every so slightly creeped down occassionally. I was thinking I needed another fill (I have 1.5cc total), but I was reading on some other post that the total fill amount for this band is 4cc. So I began to panic. I just assumed in a 9.75 band you could have 9.75 cc. Anyway I guess I was hoping to hear from you guys and the amount of cc's you had to speed up your weight loss. Also I realize that some of this is from eating the wrong things---obviously if I only ate protein and vegetables then I would be good, but the whole reason I got the band in the first place is because I like to eat....even after I have had enough. This brings me to my second problem. I have found if I really want a piece of pizza that I can eat a little, wait 10 to 15 minutes then eat a little more til it is all gone. I think I am suppossed to just eat til I am full the first time but my mind wants the whole damn piece. Anyone else dealing with this. THanks, Elizabeth.

First let me say it is really early here and I haven't had coffee yet so sorry for any spelling/grammar errors. So I got on the scale this morning to weigh (I now only weigh on Monday mornings). I had felt fat and bloated all week. I also felt like I ate way too much (with the whole no restriction/wanting a fill thing). Anyway it says I lost 5lbs. Now I should be excited but I'm not. 1. If I am losing weight does this mean I won't get a fill on my doctors appt this week. This makes me sad, because I want one. I liked not being able to eat very much. (okay I know if I am losing weight I am being healthy, but I can still be dissapointed). 2. Has my scale malfunctioned. I had a doctors appt with my family doctor and it said I gained weight. I brushed it off to differences in scales, but maybe my scale is malfunctioning. 3. I had in my mind that at this weight a pair of pants would fit-- I rushed to try them on--still to tight. Does that give more support to #2. 4. If I can be so damned stubborn about refusing to believe a weight loss then why if the scale goes up a pound or too why can't I have this same attitude. If anyone made it through my ramblings--Thanks. I just needed to vent. Have a great day everyone. Elizabeth

I am feeling frustrated as well. Up until last week I was doing great. I started on solid foods and then this week seems like I can eat alot. I have to eat slowly but I can still eat way more than I should. I feel scared. I was reading some posts about how some people think it is stupid that newly banded people are overeating, but for me most of it is emotional, which is why I got the band in the first place. Anyway I don't get a fill for a week. Hope to hear good news from all of you that got fills. Might jump over to the earlier months and see if they went through the same battle (I'm sure they did).

I have lost 23. I need to update my ticker!!!! Hoping to get my first fill on Nov 1st.

I only told one of my friends and my mom. I would like to tell my brother and my dad because I think it might help them, but it is amazing how much trouble my friend and mom have keeping it from people. Its like they have to say something. My mom had to tell people I was having surgery on my ovaries. I asked her how I could have the surgery and no one at work even knew I was having anything done and she even had to mention I was having surgery, couldn't she have said she was coming out to visit just to visit. Evidently this didn't cross her mind. I say if you don't want people to know tell as few people as possible. Even the people with the best intentions can't seem to keep things quiet.

poohlvr, my doc says 60-80g of protein/day, but it is the same for her lapband and gastric bypass patients. Maybe she just does it for everyone. Theoretically lapband patients shouldn't need as much protein as gastric bypass. If your doc says 25 and you aren't having problems then I wouldn't worry. the only thing I guess is that I find that the more protein that I have the less hungry I feel. I'm not sure anyone knows why some people's hair falls out. I have heard protein, biotin, multiple different vitamins etc. I know if mine starts to go I will start taking them all :confused:.

I was told 6 weeks before any ab work or "heavy lifting". I have been walking about 20 minutes a day trying to establish the habit of daily exercise. I did do an elliptical machine the other day with one of my friends who is in the army and really in shape and I was going so slow on it it kept shutting off. :faint: Kind of embarrassing. I had forgotten how hard those things were. When I was in college I used to do them for 45 minutes and yesterday I thought I was going to die after 2 minutes. Anyway I switched over to the recumbent bike, thankfully it didn't shut off!

You know I think all of this worry comes from all of us having failed diet after diet. However we have to keep in mind that this isn't just a diet. I am really trying to concentrate on relaxing and letting the tool (i.e. band) help me. I know it is going to help, so I have now developed the fear that it is suddenly going to pop off and I am going to have to get it removed. I am sure all of this comes from the anxiety associated with not wanting to get my hopes up that maybe I have found something that is finally going to help me, but if you read the statistics it will. Not overnight, so like I said, i just keep telling myself to take one day at a time, use the band to learn new eating habits so I can make some permanent changes.:clap2:

I have been keeping a daily diary of what I eat and find that the days that I am hungry I eat more carbs and don't drink all my fluids. I have been very strict about limiting my carbs to only at night (and then very few) and drinking as much as possible (more than 8 glasses). I carry a water bottle in my pocket so I can sip all day (you can find the little 8oz ones a the grocery store). Anyway the days that I stick to this, my hunger is well controlled and i don't have difficulty sticking to my calorie limit.

I know how you feel. I haven't updated my ticker lately but I lost 8lbs pre-op, 8 lbs the first week and only 1 the 2nd week. I was really disappointed, but then I realized that there would be weeks that I would loose more than others or maybe none at all and I had to look at the overall picture. Also, I stopped weighing my self everyday because I would go up and down daily which I know is shifts in body water, but it was frustrating. I am on my 3rd week and can tell from my clothes I am losing weight, but refuse to let myself weigh again until Monday. I keep telling myself that this is a lifelong battle/change and I can't expect to wake up and be thin no matter how badly I wish it to happen. I will say that I can tell a big difference in how much I can eat, even when I know I eat way too much it is still less than I ever ate before so I am really doing good.

I fantasize about hamburger meat. :biggrin1: