ok im about 3 months post op. my first fill isnt untill june 23rd ,my insurance wouldnt pay for 1 before that. im def getting more hungry and im starting to snack inbetween meals and getting back into my old food habits. the icecream chips and crap have made it back into my diet. kicking my food addiction is harder than i thought! now i still work out regularly but the weight loss has really slowed down and i log my food so i can be accountable for what i eat but it doesnt help. hopeing maybe u exspiranced bandster can give me some advice on how to kick my ass back into gear.. thanks guy

You are doing some really good things- like working out and journaling. Can you keep the junk out of the house? Other family members may want it, but maybe they can enjoy treats outside the house, at least for now.

I would focus on eating the right foods (low carb, low fat, yada yada) even if your portions are bigger than you would like. Portion control will be much easier once you have restriction. Keep us posted on how your doing. Good luck!

Jornaling and exercising is a fanstastic start. However, will power needs to play a part as well...head hunger is terrible, even for me. Now i can walk right past all that stuff without ever looking back, but it took about 2 months to come to that. I have only been banded since Dec, but now I don't crave sweets at all. Keep your chin up..It'll come soon...You need a fill......onenuttynurse

I am right there with you. I'm having a very, very hard time giving up my old habits. I am reading a great book from the library that is giving me some insight into myself, and helping me understand the correct food choices, and why. Sugar and white flour addiction, is the base theory of the book. If sugar in any form is in the top 4 ingredients - don't eat it. The book is called "Why Can't I Stop Eating: Recongnizing, Understanding, and Overcoming Food Addiction." By Debbie Danowski and Pedro Lazaro, M.D. I've been trying to cut out the sugar and start their eating plan. I'm also reading several books by Joel Furham - Eat for Life, etc. Really good reading, and it's made me take a hard look at not only what I eat, but what my kids and husband eat. They are going to die when they hear this.... but I think I'm going to tell them we are not going to buy any food if sugar is in the top 4 ingredients. It shall be a very interesting conversation!!

I think it is totally awsome you are including your family! Not only will it reduce temptation for you, but they don't need the junk either. This is true wether they have a weight problem or not. I hope the talk goes well. It will be great to have the support of your whole family. Keep us posted on how it goes! Best wishes!

By best advice for staving off the hungries is loading up on your Protein and Fiber instead of refined carbs and moderate your fat intake. (Some of that Atkins logic comes into play here). Protein and fiber help keep your satisfied for longer periods of time and refined carbs seem to just make you want more of them. It always seemed to take about 3 days of really watching it to get the cravings totally out of my system after falling off the wagon. But sugar seems to be an evil I can live without if I stay away from it.

No doubt the first 3-4 months are really hard. You don't have proper restriction and you still haven't tackled your food issues. Once restriction is in place, it does tend to get easier. Try and keep your mind busy, stay active and plan your meals. Keep journaling if you feel it helps you. Remember why you had this surgery and what you want your outcome to be. You CAN do it!

For not having a fill yet you have done really well so far.I was just banded on May 10th so I don't have any Fluid in my band yet either. I have seen various information for people before their first fill.... some say not to expect to lose weight yet since you are not restricted, others like you appear to have lost significant amounts of weight despite the lack of restriction.

I have only lost 12 lb so far, but its only been 3 weeks so I am not going to kick myself for it. I haven't been as active as I know I need to be, but I had other health issues that were zapping all my energy (I work full time too so I am tired alot when I get home). The good news is that the other health issue was addressed yesterday and I am looking forward to more energy so I can start to exercise a bit.

Anyway, my problem after being banded was once I realized you still have to diet (and thought geez- maybe I should have chosen the gastric bypass after-all). I decided that just eating whatever I wanted but in smaller portion sizes was probably not going to get me too far. I decided to join weight watchers so I could have more structure in my food selections. I had tried weight watchers in the past - as I am sure we all have, but now I am able to stick with it because I am not hungry so I don't cheat.

Its good that you are getting a fill finally. Your insurance company has really been undermining your success by making you wait so long to get one. I am getting my first fill on 07/06/10 ... I am a little nervous (I don't do needles well)... but if this is going to work, a fill is needed.

Keep up the good work.

By best advice for staving off the hungries is loading up on your Protein and fiber instead of refined carbs and moderate your fat intake. QUOTE]

Man that is true. I forgot my protien shake this morning and I was starved by 9. I didn't realize how much it worked at satisfying me till I forgot it!!!