just yet another vent from me....this band is supposed to help right? It's not going to do the work for me but I feel like I'm on the road to failure on yet ANOTHER DIET! I don't want to diet. I didn't want to diet. I wanted this band to help me not feel hungry and help me in this weight loss. I could have "DIETED" on my own and still felt hungry and unsatisfied. I am making better choices but still feel hungry and unsatisfied...which kicks in my anger and my need for emotional "food" satisfaction. I'm not happy and I'm not even close to being satisfied on the "Diet" I'm supposed to follow. Fact of the matter is that I'm on another restricted diet and hungry. I've failed diets over and over and over and here I am again. If I were successful at putting myself on a restrictive diet, I wouldn't have resorted to surgery and having this foreign object in my body. Okay, done venting.... thanks for listening.

When were you banded?

Then start tracking your calories, eat food you like, and go from there. Calories in vs. calories out. Everyone has a "diet," it's how you perceive said diet that makes it become such a negative thing for you.

I was banded on 4/18/11.....and I know, I know, I know...the rules. I know I have to work it and it will work for me. I get all that. I'm fine with my proteins first, I never was a huge junk food eater (candy, cake, cookies) so I'm good with that too. However, around that time of the month if I want two oreo cookies I'm going to give in or else I'll eat the whole box! I track my calories already....and I'm limited to 1,100 calories...and I'M HUNGRY. Not head hungry...stomach hungry. I try, I drink with the hope it will fill me up a while longer....nope, still hungry. I know it is a process, and I know I'll get there eventually but I'm frustrated and irritated right now. I really just felt like B*tching because I feel like I'm on a diet and I don't want to be on a "diet." I do good with my changes, high protein foods for the most part but I have a hard time getting in the 60 grams a day but I do pretty good. I'm good at watching my carbs etc. but I'm not losing because I need to eat MORE CHICKEN, more yogurt, more whatever and I'm going over my 1,100 calories on "the good foods" because I'm hungry. I try to wait out the hunger. I'm just b*tchy and hot and miserable right now and being told that I can't eat when I'm hungry is making me cranky. That's all....I really do know the rules and follow them pretty well about 90% of the time but I will have a little piece of cake and allow myself that indulgence without eating an entire cake, brownie tray or even fast food....I'm a slow loser apparently (and a sore loser too). My calories are averaging 1,500-1,700 - - - which is still probably a huge reduction from what and how I used to eat. Thanks for letting me vent.

Are you exercising?

I'm sorry, I couldn't see your band date when I was reading this on my phone. The band is still fairly new to you that you haven't seen the results it can produce. Once you learn how to eat your favorite foods again and have lost 50+ lbs, I think you will be happier.

Sorry you are so miserable. I would talk to the surgeon and see if you can get a fill.

Yes, I'm not hard core exercising...but I walk at least 5 times a week for 45-90 minutes. I usually just walk during my lunch hour and if we go to the park on the weekends that is when I get my long walks in. I am up at 4:15 a.m. M-F and don't get home from work until 6:30 p.m. after I pick up my son....so there isn't much time left in the evenings for a workout at the gym. Once I get some weight off and feel more comfortable going to the gym and being "Seen"....I'll get back to my gym membership and do more but I don't like going to the gym with all the Bally's Beautiful people. I know that is stupid and I admit it but it is my insecurities that I have to deal with .

I'm going for my next appointment on 8/10 so I'm hoping a little more fill will give me something to work with. Honestly, if I wanted to sit down and eat a quarter pounder hamburger, ff and a drink, I could do it with no problem...that is what is frustrating. I don't do it but I COULD DO it...I shouldn't be "ABLE" to eat like that anymore....

Again, I'm just venting. I know I'll get there, I'll fall off the wagon once in a while and get back on the wagon. When I sabatoge, I do it to myself and I know it...those two oreos last month did not stop me and cause me to only lose 2 pounds....Yes, it is 2 pounds but it is ONLY two pounds. I'm not looking for 5 or 6 pounds a week. I'm hoping for 1 pound a week and would be thrilled with 2....I'm not unrealistic. Just frustrated. I'll get over it.

Walking is good! Any type of movement is exercise. The key is to just move more. Simple really. Doesn't require a gym membership or a heavy duty workout machine. Do stuff you find fun. Dance around; it's movement

I could eat all of that too. I eat a lot more than most bandsters. In any case I think you have the wrong idea of how the band works. Read this link http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html It should help you out.

First take a breath and relax. It happens to many people, for me I had to make "friends" with the band. If you don't like it, you can't work with it. You are doing so much more than I did, I really didn't watch the calories because I didn't want to be on a diet. I choose the lapband because I didn't want to be on a diet. I walk when I can, which isn't often. Some things that might help. I LOVE chocolate, so I use chocolate protein drinks, I use the low fat fudgecicles, 100 cal Oreo bites. Drinking the water is really important, it helps to flush as well as hydrate you. Recently read that whole grains help in weight loss. I can eat a burger and ff, but have to just say no.I have eaten them in the last 2 months, but right now my body WILL NOT take bread. It did, but doesn't now. I think I am tighter in warmer weather. I do have rice, gravy and pasta. But I try to keep it on a salad plate and no seconds. A treat for me if coffee, which I recently have been overdoing so I cut that today. Since I love the international creamers I end up with to many liquid Cas (5 cups), Also coffee really chases away my hunger, then I don't eat what or when I should. So my body thinks it's starving and holds onto everything I do eat. Sweet tea kicks my butt, so that's out today also. When I first started, I gave up the tea and lost 4 lbs. in one week, with that as the only change. I know the rules and the ones I break daily. My problem is that even though I am not at the goal I set over 2 years ago I am very happy with how I look and the fact that I am in a size 12 rather than a 22. I am in restart mode right now, so I will be tying a little harder for the next few weeks. The hope is that I will start loosing again since I don't think I need a fill, today's lunch didn't go down well. I try to eat what th family does and just watch the portions. Keep working and you will be just fine.

I think you are doing well. I know how frustrating it is to not have restriction. I went through that. Sounds like you are making good choices most of the time. I would highly reccomend going ahead with a gym membership. Don't worry about how you look, noone is paying attention. Go in there with your head held high and know you are working on your issues. I would even go so far as to get a personal trainer if you can afford it. If money is tight than maybe you can hire one for a few weeks and learn some moves. I love my trainer, really keeps me motivated and on target. I hope your next fill does it for you. Good luck!

I'm sorry you're having a hard time and are hungry, OP. Are there plans for a fill? If so, keep that date in mind and work toward it so you don't get lost in the "I'm always going to be hungry!" mentality.

Your walking is excellent. I'm going to be the sound of dissent and say that if you're truly physically hungry and having to restrict your intake, I would not add more exercise at the moment- that can come later. Exercise is excellent for weight maintenance, but calorie deficits count MORE for losing weight and often when people exercise a lot they use it as an excuse to consume even more calories because they are hungrier (effectively cancelling out any benefit from the exercise, or even overeating because they overestimate how much they are burning). I think your current hunger level makes adding exercise a potential red flag.

You just go ahead and fuss sunshine. Lord knows I've had my days. I just usually let my husband hear it all. I'll b***h one day and then get back on the bus the next day with some changes. There have only been a couple of times where I have been hungry and that has been right before it is time for a fill. I'll just trick myself with some Special K cracker chips or some pickles because I can eat quite a bit of both for not a lot of calories. Here recently I started really looking at any nutrients I might be missing and uped my fish oil. It took my grouchies away and I also started loosing 3 lbs a week doing the same thing I was doing before and barely loosing a pound. You might want to look into that. I did a lot of research on it and I sware by it now. Just keep swimming.

Trish,

Can u tell me how you get your fish oil without taking those giant pills?

I don't want to depress you. I did not get restriction until 6 months so I been where you are.

Trish,

Can u tell me how you get your fish oil without taking those giant pills?

I get them at Wal-Mart. It's called Coromega Omega 3 + D. It's a box that has 30 Tropical orange flavored squeeze packs. I've tried the pills, liquid, mixing the liquid with juice and this is the only thing I can stand. They are actually pretty good. A little expensive $12 for a box of 30 but I usually take 3 packs a day and it has so improved my mood and weight loss.