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You do not need a butt kicking just a little direction like we all do. So stop being so hard on yourself. I vote we save the butt kicking for cakes and pies and mexican food what do you think? Cheri

I would be happy to talk to you! I am 16 months out and down 80 lbs. I am in Texas too down by Galveston. Feel free to private message me or e-mail me. Cheri

Try dropping your carbs some it helps me not no carb but lower carbs. Cheri

If someone asked me who is really interested and not just wants some more gossip I will tell them. I am not ashamed that I had the surgery but did not tell everybody just close friends and some of my family. Cheri

I agree with the above post very good advice. Try not to watch TV while you eat also. When you want to have a snack that is not on your list have 2 glasses of Water first and then if you can take it eat the cookie. You will not want it after the two glasses of water and if you do it will not be as good as before the water. I am 16 months out and return to liquids for a few days if I get out of control so I can refocus myself. I try to not keep things in my house that will set me off on a carb craze but I have a skinny husband who eats all the time and two grandbabies that need the stuff too, but like Peanut Butter is not allowed in my house at all because although it is good Protein a whole jar does not help at all. When I was first banded I made my husband keep his junk food in his car. I also consider a refrigerator with an alarm did not know they made those till a year ago. I also have been know to just throw stuff away (brand new) if I just can't take it better to lose a couple of dollars than gain a couple of pounds. Cheri

Only way you know is to ask? I have had to say I am sorry about the way I worded somethings along the way too. The only thing I do not say sorry on is my views on God and on drugs. I try not to force those views on others but it might have seen like it along the way. Sorry Cheri

Depression and grief is not that easy to control on your own. I take meds and see a therapists longturn. I spend a lot of time in prayer, and try to stay as close to God as I can. I do not sit around all day doing nothing feeling sorry for myself, I work a fulltime job and watch my two grandbabies twice a week for 8 hours at a time which pushes me to work into the night or on weekends to keep my hours up. I have read hundred of books on the subject some agree with and some I do not. Unless you live my life you do not know what it is like. You just do not wake up one morning and you are all happy and full of joy . . . wish it was that easy. I have a great church family that I am close to, right now I am helping with the little kids practice for Christmas eve service play. We go through seasons of time in our life like there is a time for everything and God has made a time for sadness and for grief as well as happiness and joy. I agree helping others helps you to help yourself. I do try to do that. The purpose of this thread was so people would share the sadness the holdays bring to them. To let it out and not carry it around. You would not have gotta the lapband if you could handle your issues with food. So please do not judge us if we have more than one issue, and count your blessings depression has not visted you and decided not to leave. I would not wish it on my worst enemy. Depression is not just a mental thing but also a chemical inbalance also. Please do not judge us and please people do not stop posting your sad times that hold you back from the holidays. It will help us all. And maybe we can all learn for each other. ansoninc : Sorry I read your post as a negative when it really was not ment that way. I am sorry to make you think I thought you were judging us when you were not. Thank you for your examples you gave us to help us get through this and help other people as well as ourselve. Cheri

I have the flu right now bet you do too. And yes your band can become too tight even after several months happened to me after 8 months and had to have a small unfill of .2ccs. Made all the diference. Keep us posted. Feel better soon. Cheri

I think we need a thread for all of us who have a hard time during the holidays to talk about it with others. I think talking about your pain releases it and you are not carrying it around all by yourself anymore. I suffer from clinical depression and have probably my whole life (I have great genes fat ones and depressed ones). I take meds that help but they are not my cure. I am a Christian and feel like such a disapointment to my Heavenly Father, Christian are suppose to be full of joy and our light should be shinning for all to see. Mine is kinda dimmed right now. I have prayed and begrf God to heal me of this, it is something no one should have to go through. The thing is it is so crazy is that I have a wonderful marriage of 30 years a great son (29) whom I talk to or see everyday a great daughter-in-law that I love and the most beautiful 2 grandbabie girls whom I also see almost everyday they are 18 months and 4 years old and everyone is healthy.They are a p ece of Heaven on earth Last December my only rother Britton died from an overdose of prescription drugs. He also suffered from depression as I do. He died on December 29 after one night in the emergency room and one day in the hospital where he was bleeding from all of his organs and slipped into a coma and soon was brain dead. He wanted to donate but the only things that they could take was his tissue. Britton was the unhappiest man I ever knew. But if for the grace of God that could have been me. I also lost my Daddy at the age of 10 and never got over that I am a 50 year old women still griefing my father for forty years and the love I need from him. Those are hard things for me deal with I feel like a have a daily walk with God but I need a daddy and my son needs a Grandfather. Inside lf me is this little 10 year girl with only a dream of what it could have be Please share reaseif the holidays are sad you we will notugjr yuo.

May I please ask a question of the posters here how did you let your self gain so much back? I do not say this to be mean, but why did you not stop at 2 or 5 or even 10 lbs. I am asking for my own information as I do not want to fall into this also. It is a possiblity all of of us face. Any advice you can give us that might would have made you stop and get back on track sooner? I have gone up as much as 2 lbs and quickly return to liquids as I suffer from clinical depression and emotional eating is just one cookie away for me. I think the returning to liquids is how I have chosen to cope with the emotional eating. I saw a therapist for 3 years and then on and off since then. I did not see her for an eating disorder but for my depression mostly due to grief and learned hope to use coping skills. Behind every emotional eater is problem that needs to come out. Please do not be offended by my question I would really like to know for myself. I saw a sign today that said inside of me is a skinny person, but I can usually shut her up with a few Cookies. Cheri

Do not get ahead of yourself take it one step at a time. Do not worry what next week will bring just stick with it one day at a time and then one week at a time. No lies tht first month is no fun, (well . . . .mushies were kinda fun) but once you get that first fill so much will change. I really lost all hunger except that evil head and emotional hunger. You are going to do great Ross. A little hunger never kill any of us. You will survive! There are people in the world who would do anything for chicken broth and clean clear liquid everyday. Two days to go!! yahoo!! Cheri

I totally agree with the above post. You need help and that is nothing to be ashamed of. So many of us are emotional eaters but your problem seems even more than that. Like you want to punish yourself. I am no doctor but I have seen a therapist on and off for the past 6 years and think it will help you. Do you go to a support group? That is very important to be around people who are dealing with the things you are, you find out you are not alone. On-line support is great but not the same as in-person. We did not have a support group close to me so I met people on this site in the same area as me and we meet and talk on the phone on a regular basis. It helps so much. I aslo found when food controls me instead of me controlling it I return to protien shakes. I buy the ready made so I do not have to think about food at all for a few days. God bless you. I said a prayer for you. You are not alone. Cheri

I have been married for a little over 30 years and when I had my surgery 16 months ago, I told my skinny little donut eating man that I love that this is my surgery and I am in charge of it and not him unless he wants me to control his food intake too. All has been peaceful!! Cheri

Sometimes I have to go back to liquids for a few days or so to break my focus off of food. I know liquid is not the way of the band but it works for me to refocus when I start that emotional eating. Cheri

I say if you are not going to get the fills why get the band? My Doctor was very slow with fills none at the time of surgery and only ½ cc at each fill as I felt I needed them. I am 16 months out and only have 3.8 cc in a 10cc AP band. Last fill 9 months ago and one unfill of .02cc 4 months ago. So I have not been fill crazy, but needed those fills so lose the weight. The fills are part of the process otherwise why spend the money, just go on willpower? Cheri

So happy everything thing went well for you and that is behind you. You must have a very high tolerance for pain!! Rest and recover. Cheri

Powered Peanut Butter is great and only a few grams of fat but taste so good!! Well worth the price. My friend gave me some for my birthday!!! You can make it whatever thickness you want. Cheri

What all does that price include? Thanks Cheri

I say follow the rules if you are already breaking the rules now what about a month from now? Or 6 months what will you be eating? The Doctors are not being mean but are helping you heal. You have all the time in the world later to eat what you want. What happen to will power?? Come on you can do it. You seem to lose the most during the first 6 to 8 months so no cheating. Cheri

I was banded in July 2009 also. Do you go to a support group? If not you need to. I go to a couple and I have a friend that I met on this site that I talk to everyday also on the phone or we have coffee. You you need that support from someone going through what you are. This site is good and I come here almost everyday but it is not a subsitute for in-person support. Also I agree about finding sugar free fat free treats that might work for you instead of the real thing. Sometimes when I need too I return to liquids just to take my focus off of food. Tomorrow I am going to be just drinking Slimfast Low Carb shakes for maybe a week just to get my mind off of food. I am about 20 lbs from goal and the last is so hard to get off, but right now I am depressed and am turning to food for comfort so this is what I do as a coping skill (I suffer from clinical depression). It might help me lose some but even if it does not that is not what I am doing it for, it is to refocus myself and on those 7 days I do not have to worry about food I just drink a ready made shake and I get all my protien. Cheri

My Doctor said not in the hospital please, we waited about 2 weeks, then put a pillow across my tummy. Cheri

So sorry for your loss. I think everyone goes through what you are in some way or another after surgery. No they might not have lost a loved one, though some have. But that is not the point. . .for most people food is their friend,their comfortor. And after surgery we seem losted without our friend who is gone. My advice to you is to get some counseling to help you deal with all your stress, in doing so you will probably find out why you use food as a comforter. Why you choose to help keep youself overweight and why you are hurting your health by smoking again. I would not recommend it to you if I had not gone through it myself. Went in thinking I was there for one reason but found out that, that was not my problem at all something totally different, she did not help “cure” my problem as I am not sure if it can be fixed . . . BUT she did teach me Great Coping Skills that help me everyday. I know what triggers me and then what I must do to end it as soon as I can. Everbody on this planet would benefit one way or another some sort of therapist. If you are a Christian spend some time in prayer and studying the Bible, in bad times as well as good times we need help and guidences from our Heavenly Father. He is there for you, you ask Him to help you find someone who can help you in therapy and help you to get to what is behind making you run for food in sad times. Your weight looks like it is on tract for just being banded in October. You are still hungry as you need more fill probably. As you get more fill you will not be physically hungry, but they do not fill your thoughts. I am 16 months out and I still struggle with emotional eating. I know to try my coping skills first . .. . 99.9% of the time they work. If I still feel like I need to eat I call a friend or take a hot bath, or read a book. I use to get out of the house and go shopping. I do not even have to buy something just look . . . it puts me in a different frame of mind. Since I assume you are planning on having your Band for life you need to find out now about dealing with head hunger and emotional eating or it will be a long hard journery for you, The first 8 months I was so committed and was glad I had those skills and talked out all my problems already. You are just in the beginning stage you have to forgive yourself for past emotional eating and pick youself up and move ahead to your goal. You can aways e-mail me if you want to talk. If you want to talk on the phone private message me and I will give you my number and we can talk on the phone. One more thing find some in person support group and go you need to be around people going through what you are. Come to this site on top of that, but in person support is a must. Cheri

It will go away soon. Hold a pillow against your tummy when you cough and it will help. I used a pillow against my tummy the first week when I walked too. Cheri

Wow great answer Tami! Kids, even little ones are watching what mommy and daddy do . . . you have to set a good example and taking abuse it not right for you or them. I would say leave and then if you wanted to do counseling you can still live in a safe enviroment and meet him there. Some people can forgive but they never forget. He might not be one who will let you forget. I sometimes wonder if that happened in our marriage (30 years) if I could truly forgive, I know I would never forget. It would be the hardest thing I could ever do. But you have to forgive yourself for messing up and maybe move on. Take care of yourself and kids. Cheri

Do you mind telling us is it cheaper in Mexico like the Band? If so how about a ball park figure? I am 50 and know I could never afford it in US. If things ever get better in Mexico maybe but not with things like they are, but I would love to know price. A person can dream. Please be careful if you go back. Cheri