I need a kick in the butt!!!

[The Favorite 0]

Ok....so I need a kick in the butt. I was banded May 28th. I have lost 30 pounds since then. However, I have not lost anything in 3 months! That's right.....3 months! I have had two fills since my surgery. I only have problems eating bread, nothing else. I can eat WAY more than 1 cup of food if I let myself. I feel like I am hungry all of the time. I currently have no motivation to eat right or exercise. I cannot seem to get back on track. It seems like I cannot lose anything whether I eat right and exercise or not. I want this to be a change I will make for the rest of my life. I am so tired of living this fat life!

[mamaj 2]

Hi Favorite, I am not one to give out "kicks in the butt", but I strongly suggest you go back to your doctor. It really sounds like you probably need a fill. I am going to be banded in six days, so I can't speak from personal experience, but I have been doing a lot of reading AND I live with a son who was banded 13 months ago, so I have seen his journey up close. From all I have seen and read, it is a very slow and LONG learning curve, especially for the first year post-band, and finding the right fill for you takes quite a bit of effort. Of course, it then changes as you lose weight, etc. so you need to stay on top of your adjustments. If you can eat almost anything except bread, you are too loose. The Lapband is a tool and is meant to be adjustable so please go back to your doctor and have them do it for you. My son went at least ten times in the first year, usually for a fill, but sometimes they had to take Fluid out for him, as being too tight is not good either. He was on several plateaus but an adjustment, even a tiny one, usually did the trick for him, and sometimes it was a fill and sometimes an unfill. When he was too tight, he would eat too many sauces and soft foods and that too leads to no weight loss. Best of luck to you :-)

[pocketsfullofsunshine125 0]

Ok....so I need a kick in the butt. I was banded May 28th. I have lost 30 pounds since then. However, I have not lost anything in 3 months! That's right.....3 months! I have had two fills since my surgery. I only have problems eating bread, nothing else. I can eat WAY more than 1 cup of food if I let myself. I feel like I am hungry all of the time. I currently have no motivation to eat right or exercise. I cannot seem to get back on track. It seems like I cannot lose anything whether I eat right and exercise or not. I want this to be a change I will make for the rest of my life. I am so tired of living this fat life!

This sounds like me i was banded April 23 and only down 30 pounds and recently from giving up on myself :wink5: i gained 5 pounds back sucks ubber booty!! i only have myself to blame though smh!! oh well what am i to do now!!! Ive had only 3 fills since surgery and i have no restriction whats so ever and i have not gone back to the doctor out of shame... :thumbup:

So I just decided to get my ass in gear and start doing what i gotta do and at least lose those five pounds then i will go get a fill...........So far i pat myself on the back i been busting ass working out and eating the way am suppose to...

So here is your kick in the ass.... no procrastinating and go and get a fill and do what you gotta do so we can do this!!!

[amoroxy 0]

I hear you! I am in the same situation. Being addicted to food is horrible especially the way it runs your life. If you have any suggestions for me please let me know. I am a big fat failure too. :thumbup:

[Melissannde 41]

keep going back for fills. I was going almost every month for the first year.

Also, I know you said you could eat more than a cup.. and I hear that you're not doing this all the time, that you said that just as an example.. but let me encourage you to keep to your small portions, whatever your doctor recommends. Mine suggests 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup low carb veggies. Avoid the high glycemic carbs (white bread, anything made with white flour, white potatos, white rice, any color of corn, white pasta), substitute whole grains if you must have some. I do better to keep them out of my food plan, UNLESS I'm going to exercise.

Eat your portion, then move away from the table and do something else. If you're still genuinely hungry in 20 minutes.. have some more veggies.

Get as much of your fluids in as possible. I try to drink 64oz of just Water a day.. this does not include anything else (coffee, crystal light, Powerade zero) that I might drink. 32 oz tween breakfst & lunch and 32oz between lunch & dinner.

And call for that fill. The band works best when you have the proper amt of Fluid in it for YOU. Can't go by what is a good fill level for someone else...

[The Favorite 0]

It seems like I find myself thinking about food all of the time and that leads to snacking!! I am scheduled for another fill next week. I think I am struggling mentally more than anything. Its like the fat girl in me is back telling me chocolate is my BFF! I thought for a while that I had gotten rid of her!! Maybe i need to tell myself NO SNACKS! Or something! Any suggestions?

[JJLaw08 4]

I was banded in Feb. I have been to the doctor at least once a month since then, and I have gotten a fill every time. I'm up to like 7 or 8 fills. Does your doctor not do this?

[Melissannde 41]

Depends on what you call Snacks and how you deal with them.

I allow myself healthy snacks.. such as an apple and a stick of string cheese, or a small container of cottage cheese with 1 tbspn bacon bits (sounds weird, but tastes good) or a package of 100 calorie almonds (emerald brand makes them.. can find at Walmart). I try to make sure there's Protein in whatever I snack on.. and under 200 calories. Prefer 100 to 150.

I know others who use the Chewy bites of Calcium as a snack.

IF you can control how much you have.. chocolate, esp. dark chocolate is not a bad choice. The problem is the amount and frequency. :thumbup: Hershey's dark chocolate kisses are only 20 calories each. If you can portion yourself out a few.. you could have a little bit before bedtime (unless you find that eating before bed makes you gain.. then you'd want to do something different).

Another strategy is to practice delaying tactics. Tell yourself.. I didn't plan for that item (chocolate, chips, bread.. whatever it is that's haunting you) today in my food plan. I'll have it tomorrow. When tomorrow gets here.. put it off one more day.

Last suggestion: Figure out the amount of calories in the item that you want to have. Then make yourself exercise AT LEAST long enough to work those calories off. I did that to get over my craving for McD's sausage biscuits. After I had spent 40 minutes on the treadmill.. my legs were telling my mouth "It just aint worth it!"

I'm sure someone else will come along with other ideas.

If you are a book person, look at Judith Beck's "The Beck Diet Solution". It's not about a diet.. it's how to deal with all the negative behaviors we have and how to change them. She also has a website & I think a newsletter.

Best of luck to you.. Just finishing the last of my morning Water so now I can go eat lunch (late start today..)

Edited November 10, 2010 by Melissannde
fixing spelling error.. can't help it.. OCD!!

[The Favorite 0]

Thank you so much for the responses. It really is appreciated! I switched doctors three months ago, and have had a fill every month since then. I am only up to 3cc's in my band. I have no clue how large my band is. I find myself wanting to eat anything I can get my hands on. I have quit buying "bad" stuff for the house. I am addicted to skinny cow ice cream bars. I need to just say no sweets, just like I did with dr pepper! I am an ex-smoker as well, so the chocolate cravings come from lack of cigarettes...no excuse though!!

[Melissannde 41]

Thank you so much for the responses. It really is appreciated! I switched doctors three months ago, and have had a fill every month since then. I am only up to 3cc's in my band. I have no clue how large my band is. I find myself wanting to eat anything I can get my hands on. I have quit buying "bad" stuff for the house. I am addicted to skinny cow ice cream bars. I need to just say no sweets, just like I did with dr pepper! I am an ex-smoker as well, so the chocolate cravings come from lack of cigarettes...no excuse though!!

With only 3cc's, it's very understandable that you're struggling. I came out of surgery with approx. 3cc's. I have pretty good control at 5.5, but it took a long time to get here.. a half cc at a time.

Yes, everyone is different and some people have good control of their appetite at 3cc's, but usually it takes a bit more.

If you have a 10cc lapband, I believe the average to get satiety on small amounts of food is around 4 to 5 cc's. The realize band I think I read somewhere it was about 7cc's. Since they're taking you up slowly, I would think you probably have the 10cc lapband. Or you could even have the 4cc band (don't know the name of it). But if you had the 4cc band, you really should be pretty good at a 3cc fill, so I'm thinking 10cc Lap. Just observations, not definitive.

It really doesn't matter what band or how much fill.. it's whether or not your getting appetite dimming. Glad you're getting regular fills. It will get better.