:scared2:Losing the battle but still fighting in the war..... I have gained almost all of my weight back. I'm so discouraged and feeling soo depressed I have gone thru so many emotional and health problems in the last 2 yrs so I know that has something to do with it but.. doesn't change the facts. I have a hiatal hernia and was treated for hpylori in the last yr, I have problems eating and digesting healthy foods(meats,eggs some veggies).I can hardly drink hot tea or coffee in the morning so by 1pm I'm starving and over eat whatever is there(work) I actually have a problem eating until around 9:30pm which isn't good because it's too close to bedtime unless I'm on 11-7 shift((yes I work rotating shift work). Wondering if this could also be because of the hernia not the band.Has anyone else had these problems since banding? So fellow banders I can use some encouragement and help. I have an appoint to see Dr. Abkin on 8/5/10 so hopefully he will help me to get back on track. I would really like to find a friend here in South Jersey who could become my mentor so to speak any volunteers? Thanks for reading my post,any idea will be appreciated.:smile2:

Working rotating shifts is so hard! Planning your menu in advance--and sticking to it as much as possible--becomes really key.

Do you have difficulty in the morning because of tightness? If so, it might be worth talking with your doctor about adjustment; allowing yourself to reach the hungry-then-lose-control stage defeats the purpose of the band. If you were able to get something into your body in the morning, then stick to well-planned meals for the rest of the day, then you'd feel lots better.

When you say you have trouble with healthy foods, what do you mean? What kinds of difficulties do you have? Does tightness play in? What are you eating? How much?

I don't know about you, but when I did shift work, exhaustion really played into food issues. When tired, my inhibitions are reduced---making it so much harder to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions. (And that's what led, for me, to eating too much of what was available when I was able to eat.) Even just having a basic plan to guide your decisions can help tremendously. For example, I know that at lunchtime, no matter where I am, I will have 2-4 ounces of Protein and nonstarchy veggies--and maybe some fruit. Within this general guideline, there's actually a lot of flexibility. But there's not enough to let me get off-track.

On days when my band doesn't like chicken or other dense protein, I know to veer toward Beans or other gentler protein choices.

I'm not in Jersey, but if you want an online buddy, I'm here :smile2:

I don't know about you, but when I did shift work, exhaustion really played into food issues. When tired, my inhibitions are reduced---making it so much harder to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions. (And that's what led, for me, to eating too much of what was available when I was able to eat.) Even just having a basic plan to guide your decisions can help tremendously. For example, I know that at lunchtime, no matter where I am, I will have 2-4 ounces of Protein and nonstarchy veggies--and maybe some fruit. Within this general guideline, there's actually a lot of flexibility. But there's not enough to let me get off-track.

I have the issue that BetsyB mentions. Hungry and tired is a really bad combo for me. I have found that as long as I take my food with me, for example Breakfast and lunch to work, I'm doing ok. On those occasions when I'm not prepared, I'm much more likely to eat too much and the wrong things.

Have you seen a Dr. for depression? That might help as well. Maybe working with someone on that will give you more energy to get on track again.

I hope things get better for you soon.

Hello again. Thank you for your support and suggestions. YES in the morning my restriction is suuuuuuuuuper tight. I also think the shift work plays a very key part in my journey,since at times I'm not able to eat when or what I have scheduled to eat. I'm going to try your suggestions and see. This week has been a good week as far as my protein intake. I love the nectar drinks and with it being hot I tend to not want to eat just drink soooo protein shakes and protein infused water was great for me.