I had my surgery Jan 10^th 2010 … so about a month and a half ago. I have been in for one fill (3cc) and I’m still just as hungry as before my surgery. I feel like I’m at a complete loss my mind is starting play all the metal tricks again … I have been working really hard to keep “bad” food from not entering my mouth… but in the past two weeks I have been eating like I did before I had my surgery. I’m so disappointed in myself! My mind is saying “once you feel restriction you can start on your journey” the other downside of this is I really don’t have time to exercise! I’m finishing up my maters (I will be defending in 2 months) on top of working a 40+ hours job and I have to commute over an hour to work every day. Until I defend my thesis for my masters I honestly don’t have the time for working out, I’m not making an excuse I just really don’t have the time! Plus I live in two different locations... during the week I live in a town closer to my work (yes still an hour commute) and then head home on the weekends to be with my family and closer to my school.

I feel like I’m the only one in this weight loss battle (I know am not) but I have skinny friends and skinny family … I’m surrounded by people that are beautiful and skinny. I haven’t even told any of them about my lap band surgery because they “don’t believe in that”. My friends and family are great but they just don’t get it and they just don’t understand! This past week I found out that I have to transfer my job to a less then desirable location and I just feel like all this stuff is piling up on my plate (literally). I’m just so down in the dumps right now! I’m so glad this forum is here because this is the only place I can go and be completely honest and feel like I’m not being judged. I want so badly to be happy right now… I really just need a pick me up! Thanks as always for listening and sharing! Some days this forum is the only place I really feel comfortable.

hi, i have had my since june 08 i have lost close to 190, try not to stress its not healthy i know from expierance

telling your family first mite help i hope someone in family your might understand, i didnt fell restricted at first but i burp or hiccup that was my signal that i was full, now its when i cough up a little clear mucus sorry didnt meam to be gross, try talking to someone, a priest co worker or a therpist. dont give up try to elimate some of your stress clear your plate a little bit, take care hope i helped

I am with you. I was banded 12/20. I was doing well, but the last couple weeks I have lost all the surgical restriction that I had. I've had no fills so far. I am going in a week for a fill. I have been eating awful. I have been going to the gym 4-5 days a week and burning like at least 500 calories each time, but I think the way I've been eating is canceling it out. Hopefully the fill will help us some and I can say no to the junk at work (I do not have bad stuff at home)

So both of us needs to do better. Good luck

Don't be so hard on yourself. Some people need several fills to get restriction, so not having hit the perfect place with your first fill is normal. Grad school is stressful for anyone (being there myself I know) but is even harder when you are fighting so hard for weight loss. It sounds like you have enormous amount of stress in your life. I hope you can think of some helpful coping skills that may help you when you feel the temptation to eat. I have the bad habit of eating while I read, and since I am also in grad school, all I do is read and read! I try to replace that with other things, like a stress ball, but it isn't the same. It takes a long time to figure out the ins and outs of the band, how to eat, how to cope with stress differently, and how to make better choices. You cannot berate yourself for every lapse because there will be more, trust me, and it isn't helpful to you. I would call your doc and tell him you are not losing weight and feel like you need a fill. I am sure they will be willing to go ahead and fill you before you next appointment if you ask. I just have to say this though, you should be SO PROUD of yourself. You are in grad school, which is hard enough, and you have made a committment to lose weight. Neither one of these is easy, but the two together is amazing. You have really shown you are strong and able to make it, so give yourself some time. Good luck with your weight and your thesis... I am already sweating thinking of mine!

clean out your kitchen and get rid of anything you should'nt be eating. Make sure you have an assortment of easy to grab items to eat that are on your diet. When I am getting a craving I try to distract myself by doing something and that seems to help. I was banded on 2 8 11. If anyone wants to be a "diet buddy" I could use some support as well. I have been overweight for years and it took me a long long time to have this surgery. I am praying it helps!

YOU can do it.

Take a moment for yourself. We are all busy. You have to make time for yourself. I work full time, I have a 1 year old, and a 3 year old; I am in law school and have to balance it all..l completely understand your stress. YOU can do it. Just count your calories, get at least 45 grams of Protein, and 60 ounces or Water a day - dont let your mind trick you into needing more. Be good to yourself, treat yourself to a manicure or a massage.

We all have hard times with LB...you can do it. We are here to help you.

Hope the others here before me have said mostly my thoughts. Changing your eating habits is not an easy thing to do. We tend to have a history of what I call diet sabotaging. Telling ourselves that we can always start tomorrow...as you know the saying goes...tomorrow never comes. Forgive yourself and get right back on the wagon. Take alook at your food patterns, keep ajournal and see where it leads you, call your doc and see if you can get in to get another fill ( it usually will take several fills before you hit what is known as the sweet spot). You fall off the wagon, get up, dust yourself off and get back on. Now is the time to start learning new eating and coping behaviors. As for the exercise, walk when you can, don't worry about getting to the gym, IF you sit at a desk when you can get up and walk down the hallway a time or two, walk around the block on your lunch break and if you can park at the far end of the parking structure / lot and walk in to work, take a few stairs if you have them in your building. A little at a time. Invest in a Wii or something similar, find a program and work it for short periods of time. I realize that some of these suggestions may not fit into your life right now, but what I am trying to do is to get you to think fo the little things first. Get through your thesis (and I have a feeling that you will do fantastic!) and once again learn to forgive yourself. Wishing you the best!

You have some things you cant control but you also have a lot that you can. Put them to work for you. I love the clean out your kitchen approach. Get a fresh start with all the healthy foods you like. Might be a little more difficult living out of two places, but stop at the store on your way home & bring what you like. Pack lunches to work or try to pick healthier options when out & about & you have to grab food on the go. Remember portion sizes!!! No time to exercise, i get that. Give yourself a few extra minutes & start by parking at the bottom of the lot. Yep it sounds lame, but those extra steps will help, just like take the stairs instead of the elevator. Any time your body is moving you are burning calories.

Try not to worry about keeping up with others but find your own schedule & what works for you. Maybe the process will be a little slower, but i'm sure you can find a way to make it work for you.

Best of luck!

Ok, so you don't have time to do a formal exercise program. Little steps on this journey. Park at the back of the lot. That will get you a few extra steps in your day. Get up and take a break and walk for 5 or 10 minutes a couple of times a day. Those add up.

You know, my surgeon didn't get on me to overhaul my diet during "bandster hell." He wanted me eating better, but he understood that until I got some restriction I was facing all the demons I had before being banded. I needed the help of the band in order to be successful. At my first post-op appointment he told me that he was fine if gained a few before my first fill.

Do your best to make healthy choices. Try not to sabotage yourself. You are worth taking care of yourself!

just think of what you're going thru right now as a learning experience and it can only make you stronger!!!!!

i was the only overweight person in my family and friends... even coworkers. thankfully, my friends were VERY supportive and my family had accepted my decision to needing more help other than willpower.

i'm almost 3 years postop and i've never exercised. it took me 2 years and 10 months to lose 68 pounds though since i didn't exercise. so, you CAN lose weight without exercising but it will come off much slower.

You have sooo much on your plate right now. I hope you will appreciate what you have done so far...which I would say is no small matter. I solute you on you're on going schooling work. Patience with yourself remember the very fine person you are. Please consider to treat yourself with something special you would like...sounds like this is the time now to do that. Get good rest as you can. would a graph of what you are doing help? Do you have a good support system/group...people you can trust I truly hope you will keep us posted...you are very precious you know. Novena

I had my surgery Jan 10^th 2010 … so about a month and a half ago. I have been in for one fill (3cc) and I'm still just as hungry as before my surgery. I feel like I'm at a complete loss my mind is starting play all the metal tricks again … I have been working really hard to keep "bad" food from not entering my mouth… but in the past two weeks I have been eating like I did before I had my surgery. I'm so disappointed in myself! My mind is saying "once you feel restriction you can start on your journey" the other downside of this is I really don't have time to exercise! I'm finishing up my maters (I will be defending in 2 months) on top of working a 40+ hours job and I have to commute over an hour to work every day. Until I defend my thesis for my masters I honestly don't have the time for working out, I'm not making an excuse I just really don't have the time! Plus I live in two different locations... during the week I live in a town closer to my work (yes still an hour commute) and then head home on the weekends to be with my family and closer to my school.

I feel like I'm the only one in this weight loss battle (I know am not) but I have skinny friends and skinny family … I'm surrounded by people that are beautiful and skinny. I haven't even told any of them about my lap band surgery because they "don't believe in that". My friends and family are great but they just don't get it and they just don't understand! This past week I found out that I have to transfer my job to a less then desirable location and I just feel like all this stuff is piling up on my plate (literally). I'm just so down in the dumps right now! I'm so glad this forum is here because this is the only place I can go and be completely honest and feel like I'm not being judged. I want so badly to be happy right now… I really just need a pick me up! Thanks as always for listening and sharing! Some days this forum is the only place I really feel comfortable.

I am with you. I was banded 12/20. I was doing well, but the last couple weeks I have lost all the surgical restriction that I had. I've had no fills so far. I am going in a week for a fill. I have been eating awful. I have been going to the gym 4-5 days a week and burning like at least 500 calories each time, but I think the way I've been eating is canceling it out. Hopefully the fill will help us some and I can say no to the junk at work (I do not have bad stuff at home)

So both of us needs to do better. Good luck

Ladies you are so not alone. I don't really think of my stresses as the reason I'm eating, I think my ass is just greedy. I work two jobs and in grad school (taking the worst class with the worst teacher now) I was banded 12/28/10 and am experiencing BANDSTER HELL!! I have no restriction and can pretty much eat everything I ate before. My vice was sweets so that is a major problem for me. I have an appointment at end of the week and am so looking forward to getting a fill. Not that it's going to make me produce asexually or end world wars, but it's a change from what's going on now so maybe I'll psych myself out and be more concerned about maintaining the band and not getting sick and choose not to eat the way I have for those reasons, instead of I'm not gonna eat that cause it's bad. I really do not like this phase of the plan cause I feel a bit hopeless. But miraculously I have been rather positive. I am going to be in a wedding in May and know I will get down to 199 as I planned. I just know it I'm gonna get there. Ladies, when you get a chance. FRIEND ME. I could use all the support I can get. I wish you all, all the best.