Suznty

I was banded in September 2010 and I failed the lapband. My emotional struggles with obesity is more powerful than any restriction that the band can provide. I must fix my mind before I can ever lose the weight. I can't imagine myself thin. I have successfully lost 45 lbs. and kept it off however, I still have 85 to go. I can't quit. I must continue to fight. I need your help. Please help me.

I have question for the Lapband Community. I had surgery on September 28 2010. I have lost a good amount of weight and have no problems. I seem to be at my sweet spot. My biggest problem seems to be head hunger and nervous eating.. Also bad habits have a tendency to break through. Do you think that it is still necessary to visit my surgeon for follow ups? What can he do for me at this stage of the game??? Any and all advice both good and bad, welcome! THanks.

Hello All, I have 8.25 in a 10 band. I so wish that I can get that beautiful, post op restriction feeling. Is that what the sweet spot feels like? I don't know when I'll be there. I can still eat much more then I should and am following the diet plan and Water fast. Are any of you fully banded with total restriction? Thanks, Suz

Yup that's me. I'm the one waiting for the restriction. I have 8.2 in a 10 band. I'm able to eat bread, easily scarf down 2 grilled snack wraps and then eat 4 hours later. Is there something wrong with me? I don't drink before or after meals as directed.......I can easily eat over 1 cup at a sitting.. WHat's wrong with me?? Banded in September 2010, I only lost 40 pounds.. Regretting this. I think I made the wrong decision. SHould of had the bypass. Help!!

I was banded in Oct. of last year. I have 8.2CCs in a 10 band. I'm very curious about that "Comfort-Zone, Safe-Spot" feeling that everyone refers to. I think that I'm serious missing my body's new fullness clues with the lapband. I can eat much, much more then1/4-1/2 cup. Tell me what I should be feeling! What does your full feeling exactly feel like! Do you measure your food? How much do you eat at one time? How long does it take you to get hungry? Any and all suggestions are so greatly appreciated! Thank you for your support and best of luck to you! Let's win the war, not just the battle! Suz

Hi All! I found this great article about the Psychology of eating and in our cases "overeating" The Psychology of Eating What we eat affects how we feel. food should make us feel good. It tastes great and nourishes our bodies. When eaten in too little or in excessive quantities, however, our physical appearance can be altered, which can create negative feelings toward food. (Yup, time for the lap band from loving the way food tastes and makes me fell a lil' too much - me) By learning how to make better choices, you might be able to control compulsive eating, binging, and gaining weight. In addition to better appetite control, you might also experience feelings of calmness, high energy levels, or alertness from the foods you eat. (OK, I'm learning what to do and how to fix this. Head Hunger??!!!!! - me) What factors influence our eating behaviors? Experts believe there are many factors that can influence our feelings about food and our eating behaviors. These include: Cultural factors (My family celebrates with food. Delicious, high calorie, addictive food. - me) Evolutionary factors (My inner cave man is saving for the next famine not knowing if I will ever eat again. No worries here Geico! Wonderful fat is saved for later. - me) Social factors (Eat with friends, family, Celebrate, mourn, I even eat with my dog. - A little bonding time. - me) Familial factors (We're all a little thick skinned with the same issues! A very difficult habit to break!- me) Individual factors ((YEAH, I have issues. I eat for emotional support, when I'm bored, on my drive home from work and when I'm alone. - Sheesh!) There also are positive and negative consequences associated with eating. For example, food might help you to cope with negative feelings in the short term. In the long term, however, coping with stress by eating can actually increase negative feelings because you are not actually coping with the problem causing the stress. Further, your self-image might become more negative as you gain weight. (Duh - my lapband is the tool!) What role does psychology play in weight management? (Definitely the most difficult part of weight loss. There is no lapband to constrain our negative thoughts and behaviors - whoever can fix this part will be a gazillionaire!) Psychology is the science of behavior; in essence, it is the study of how and why people do what they do. For people trying to manage their weight, psychology addresses the following areas: Behavior -- Treatment involves identifying habitual patterns of eating and finding ways to change eating behaviors. Cognition (thinking) -- Therapy focuses on identifying self-defeating thinking patterns that contribute to weight management problems. What treatment is used for weight management? Cognitive behavioral treatment is the approach most often used because it addresses both thinking patterns and behavior. Some areas addressed through cognitive behavioral treatment include: Determining the person's "readiness for change" -- This involves both an awareness of what needs to be done to achieve your goals and then making a commitment to do it. (Am I ready to do what it takes, put all the puzzle pieces in place to make this work?) Learning how to self-monitor -- Self-monitoring helps you become more aware of what triggers you to eat, and more mindful of your food choices and portions. It also helps you stay focused on achieving long-term progress. (Yes, you have to be ready to make that commitment and be dedicated! Don't waste your money, time and energy if you're not. The lapband will not do it for you!) Breaking linkages -- Stimulus control is a technique that teaches you to break links between eating and other activities, such as not eating in particular settings and not keeping poor food choices in your home. (Again, you have to be ready to make that commitment and be dedicated! Don't waste your money, time and energy if you're not. The lapband will not do it for you!) Distraction and replacing eating with healthier alternatives are also good coping mechanisms. Positive reinforcement, rehearsal/problem-solving, finding social support, and altering eating habits are specific techniques used to break linkages. (And again, you have to be ready to make that commitment and be dedicated! Don't waste your money, time and energy if you're not. The lapband will not do it for you!) What does cognitive behavioral treatment involve? Cognitive therapy addresses how you think about food. It helps you recognize self-defeating patterns of thinking that can undermine your success at weight loss. It also helps you learn and practice using positive coping self-statements. (Stop beating yourself up over this! There are too many people out there in this world who is more then willing to do that for you! Be your own cheerleader! GO TEAM SKINNY, Go TEAM SKINNY!) Examples of self-defeating thoughts include: "This is too hard. I can't do it." "If I don't make it to my target weight, I've failed." "Now that I've lost weight, I can go back to eating any way I want." Examples of positive coping self-statements include: (Get in touch with your inner demons! You will need to talk to them 24/7 to keep them at bay. This is more difficult then counting your calories! Just don't talk to them out loud!) "I realize that I am overeating. I need to think about how I can stop this pattern of behavior." "I need to understand what triggered my overeating, so I can create a plan to cope with it if I encounter the trigger again." "Am I really hungry or is this just a craving? I will wait to see if this feeling passes." Summary To lose weight, you must change your thinking. (You're inner Diva, find her and make her your your best friend! Guys, find your inner Arnold! Yes Arnold Schwarzenegger) Weight management is about making a lifestyle change. It is not going to happen if you rely on diet after diet to lose weight. To achieve success, you need to become aware of the role that eating plays in your life and learn how to use positive thinking and behavioral coping strategies to manage your eating and your weight. To help get you started, here are a few tips: The "dos and don'ts" of healthy eating Don't skip meals. Do keep track of your eating habits. (See "food diary" below.) Don't eat after 7 P.M. Do drink plenty of Water. Do delay/distract yourself. Do exercise instead of eat when bored. Don't eat while you watch TV, work, drive. Do only eat in certain settings (kitchen table). Do watch your portion sizes. Don't forbid yourself a particular food. Do give yourself encouragement. Don't beat yourself up when you lapse. Do think of eating as a lifestyle change. Don't weigh yourself more than once per week. Do make healthy food choices. The food diary A food diary is a tool to record--in detail--what food you eat, when you eat, how you feel when you're eating, and what you are doing (if anything) while you are eating. The diary can help you get a better understanding of what you eat and why you eat it. It also can help your doctor, therapist, or dietitian work with you to make the necessary changes for successful weight management. And of course listen to your surgeon and love your band! Best of Luck! Suz

I had Cigna however I was able to appeal. Yes I was denied initially also. Did they give you a reason for the denial? The reason for my denial that I found out later was that my surgeon was requesting my procedure to be an overnight visit when Cigna only pays for the Lapband as an out patient procedure. So what the office did was schedule me as an out patient but kept me for the overnight as observation. So it was covered that way. It took me months of calling Cigna my surgeon and doctor to find this out. They are not generous with information when they deny you of a procedure. The battly may just not be over. Investigate it and don't give up.

Congratulations on your choice to be a success at weight loss. I wish I can go on something like that. A good friend of mine who is not banded is on Phentermine and so far has lost 52lbs since June. We all need tools to succeed to get us to that spot. Just consider this a stepping stone to your final outcome. I wish you all the best. And don't second guess yourself or ever be ashamed of the battle you are winning.

Thank you so much for sharing that bit of advice. I think that if the doctor would have explained this time with the lap band like you did, I would not be feeling so miserable and so uninformed. All that I know is what to expect from my meetings and support classes. We did not touch on the first month lap band. The expectations and excitement are so high to lose weight, that sometimes I forget the most important thing is healing and getting healthy, creating the stepping stones for my new way of living banded. Now knowing that, what happens after my first fill? I think I'll post that question. Thanks for your help again.

I had the same problem. I had to receive a note from my primary doctor and forward it to my insurance company stating that it is medically necessary due to my comorbidities. Another reason was the stipulation that my IC did not pay for the surgery as an overnight stay. My surgeon ended up stating that I would be an outpatient unless he found it medically necessary to keep me overnight. Of course they kept me overnight and my insurance accepted that. I had to dig deep with the insurance company to get all the specifics so don't give up and be persistent. The appeal process can take very long. Mine took 5 months. But I was banded on the 28th of Sept. and down 17 lbs. Well worth the fight!

You are telling my story. I am having the same problem and kind of wondering was all of this worth it if now I don't have any restriction at all. The doctor did say that when it got to be the 3rd and 4th week I would feel like I am not banded at all. So now my thoughts are should I go back to the presurgery Atkins diet, when I was losing weight. On the regular diet now, my weight did not budge either. I am writing everything down that I eat. Taking protein first, chewing slowly, drinking and exercising and like you, no weight loss. Are we being too had on ourselves?? What has everyone else been through. Maybe I should have had the bypass. Will it get better? God! I hope so!

THis is all so new to me and every bit of advice helps. I haven't tried the sugar free popsicles yet. That will be bought tomorrow! Still eating to the full stage. I'm worried about getting hungry in an hour or so from not eating enough. I feel now like I'm not even banded. I have minimal restriction. I do have to increase my water intake. I'm drinking caffeine diet iced tea now. Thanks for your great advice. If you think of anything else, please blog me. But did you have the same experience in the first month after surgery? Did you go hungry? Suz

Hello there. Yes I did experience that. My doctor said that it was because I was not eating often enough and my blood sugar was crashing. Eat smaller meals more often, this should increase your energy levels. Are you taking your vitamins? BEst of Luck~

Sounds good, going to try it~

Hello there everyone in Lapbandland! I like all of you are on the long journey and battle to good health, weight loss and can't forget looking a hell of a lot better. I'll call this battle the "Battle of Lost Restriction". On one side is me not being satisfied with 1/4 cup of mushy food, and the ability to eat much more than a week ago. On the opposing side is my happy little band not hugging my stomach as tight as it with a little voice saying, "They said I was a tool, I can't do everything for you!". Who will win? I'm due for a fill on Nov. 2nd and it is only OCTOBER 9th! A month!!!!! Alot could happen in a month with no restriction. Hitting it with an uppercut I jab mostly protein and veggies, Not drinking 1/2 hour before and after meals, sipping throughout the day and today I took my first 2 mile walk. I don't know what else to so all~! I'm pleading out to all of the experienced, successful bandsters who can provide informtion on how to win this LAP-BAND®®® war starting with the "Battle of Restriction!" Holla!~ Suzanne

I am having the same problem. My restriction that was wonderful for the first week is starting to decrease. My surgeon told me that when I'm ready for my first fill which is NOv. 1st, I'll feel like I have to restriction at all. WTH?? I'm increasing my Protein, keeping my carbs at a minimum, still eating less than before but is this how it is always going to be until I hit maximum fill capacity? Help anyone.:biggrin:

I had the same problem. I was just banded on the Sept.28th. After one week I seen my surgeon and recommended more small meals. I graduated to the mushy stage. My favorite so far is baked chicken (mini-choppered) with chicken broth or lite gravy. You must eat it in very small increments to ensure that it doesn't get stuck. But with the addition of the protein and the more frequent meals, I feel like a new person. Today I cooked a Healthy Choice meal containing chicken and peppers and again (mini-choppered it) It was perfect. The consistency comes out to that of tuna salad. Don't proceed unless you consult your doctor with the mushy stage. Eat slow and be sure to wait 1/2 hr. to drink before and after eating. If you get sugar lows like I did, I sucked on sugar free mints or sugar free gum to get a boost. And drink, drink, drink in between. Try the protein EAS drinks at Walmart too. Good Stuff. Be sure to chill it though. Hope that helped! 15 lbs. off since surgery! Woo Hoo!

Just watch the rice because it will swell in your tummy and may cause discomfort.

Yes I'm living it now. I'm just dealing with it as part of the ride. I can't say that it is overly uncomfortable but look what our bodies have been through. It is the anesthesia and other medications in our bodies telling us to take it easy.

Aagh, after a little research and soul searching, I realized that there is a name for this carbohydrate craving. It's called SAD. Or Seasonal Disorder. Brings on depression and carb craving. Check out the link to read more about it and find the solution before it wrecks your weight loss battle. Foods That Fight Winter Depression

How do you get over that "gonna lose your mind, gotta have anything carbs" feeling? Not banded yet but in my 4th mos. pre-op. Help I need control!!!

How do you get over that "gonna lose your mind, gotta have anything carbs" feeling? Not banded yet but in my 4th mos. pre-op. Help I need control!!!