I had the lap band surgery in June 2010. I lost 50 pounds in the first year. Well the last 6 months I have gained 15 and have been like a runaway train. I have learned to eat around the band. I really dont even know when or how this happened. I guess I just slowly picked up the bad habits again and the emotional eating seems to have taken over. I have been eating like crazy and selecting the foods I know will slde thru. I feel like such a failure. Everyone went from commenting me on weight lose to avoiding the whole subject. I am trying to figure out what my next move is. I didnt have this done not to succeed. Any advice will be taken.

I kind of feel your pain although I just had mine done November 2011. I lost 17 lbs from Oct 26th to November 16 and felt great. I only lost 1lb the next month. Well I go to the Dr on Tuesday and did everything I was supposed to do being very disciplined and lost nothing. I slipped and ate the things that got me in this physical predicament for 1 day. I felt like a failure. Have you had your band tightened? We know what we are not supposed to do but feel having the band is the change all. Well, the only thing I found I have learned so far is how to chew my food so I can consume as much as I like although eating the right foods. If you took any pictures of your self when you lost the weight just remember how you felt when you received the compliments and how much better you looked in your clothes. Don't let anything send you backwards. We are human and we like what we like, but the thing that opens my eyes is I went through spending money, having surgery and now have a foreign object in body for nothing? I don't think so and I get back on track. The scariest and most helpful thing to me and continuing to see my doctor on my progress. I do not want to be given the 3rd degree on my weight, it keeps me wanting to stay on track. Join support groups your doctor's office might offer. Ask yourself do I really want to go backwards, because it will harder to go forward. You made the decision to get healthy, make the decision to stay healthy.

There are ways to "Eat Around The Band", no matter how much restriction one may have.

Because there are so many new people here just starting out, I make a point of never mentioning how one can do this lest I give people ideas to fail.

The band does take away one's appetite, or desire to eat. Part of the "Learning" process is to understand these messages being sent to the brain and learn to listen to them. It is not a feeling of being "Full". It is the message the brain gets saying you are full, but physically you're not. Confusing, but you start to get the hang of it after a while.

Yes, I have a lot of restriction, and it is impossible for me to overeat at any one sitting. Takes absolutely no will power from me.

I could cheat, or eat around the band, but 2 things stop me. First, if you "Listen" to your band, you are really not hungry so it is a emotional addiction.

Second, I am afraid that I can/will do some physical damage to my band/pouch by overworking it!

None of us got to being overweight because we were "normal eaters". We all have some sort of food addiction. For me, anything with flour or sugar is a huge problem so I have to avoid things that have it in it like it was poison because if I start I CAN'T stop. The holidays have been really hard this year. The voices in my head say I am down like 93 or 94 pounds I can have a little of that pie or a piece of dessert. The truth is that I CAN'T, I am just letting down my defenses again. This food addiction never leaves us, we just find a way to be in better control of it.

You already know what to do. You need to do Protein first and then veggies and, only if there is room, a small bit of complex carb. Also, do you need to go in for an adjustment? re-visit the nutritionist? Do you have a food scale and measuring cups?

You CAN do this! You have the strength and the knowledge! You just need to start with 1 day or 1 meal or even 1 hour. Keep it simple and build your confidence back up. You are not a failure, you are human.

Good luck and happy holidays,

Katie

I had the lap band surgery in June 2010. I lost 50 pounds in the first year. Well the last 6 months I have gained 15 and have been like a runaway train. I have learned to eat around the band. I really dont even know when or how this happened. I guess I just slowly picked up the bad habits again and the emotional eating seems to have taken over. I have been eating like crazy and selecting the foods I know will slde thru. I feel like such a failure. Everyone went from commenting me on weight lose to avoiding the whole subject. I am trying to figure out what my next move is. I didnt have this done not to succeed. Any advice will be taken.

my doctor says it happens when you have had the band a long time. You need to take out the fluid and wait about a month then start your fills over again. I hope you can get back on track!!

I had the lap band surgery in June 2010. I lost 50 pounds in the first year. Well the last 6 months I have gained 15 and have been like a runaway train. I have learned to eat around the band. I really dont even know when or how this happened. I guess I just slowly picked up the bad habits again and the emotional eating seems to have taken over. I have been eating like crazy and selecting the foods I know will slde thru. I feel like such a failure. Everyone went from commenting me on weight lose to avoiding the whole subject. I am trying to figure out what my next move is. I didnt have this done not to succeed. Any advice will be taken.

I know that even when we have good restriction we can still eat around the band, but it really does sound like you need a fill. When was your last one?

You may want to go talk to the dietician. Let them remind you (or shame you) of the right things to eat. There has also been some posts on here about the band test where you basically retrain your band (or your own mind) on how to do it's business by going thru the eating stages again. Corrigan posts about it occassionally.

Best of luck to you. You did it once, you can do it again and then some.

You are not alone.. we are all human and I'm sure we've all slipped. God knows I have. The support I've gotten here has helped a lot and reminds me to take it one day, one hour, or even one minute at a time. It helps me to remember how good I felt after feeling successful in the beginning. Try and keep positive.

Great thread!!!

Mimi

I read this and over Christmas I too feel like a failure. I have eaten way too much and things I probalby shouldn't. I have yet to be filled so It seems like I can eat without feeling to full. I get filled 1\26. But I'm really going to stop this picking at sweets and stuff right away.. So thanks to some of you who have had the band for awhile and for letting me know that its a wholel mind set and it me that needs to control my hunger and that the band is only a tool!!!

Thanks for all the advice. I havent had a fill in a while. Now that I have gained 15 pounds I am ashamed to go the dr right now. I want to lose this first. I am confused I think about the hunger part and the "full" part. Im not recognizing the fullness. I have to work on this. I have cleaned all the christmas left overs out of my fridge and I am trying to get back on the wagon.

Thanks for all the advice. I havent had a fill in a while. Now that I have gained 15 pounds I am ashamed to go the dr right now. I want to lose this first. I am confused I think about the hunger part and the "full" part. Im not recognizing the fullness. I have to work on this. I have cleaned all the christmas left overs out of my fridge and I am trying to get back on the wagon.

A friend had this happen after one yr my Dr says this is a hard time. She started fitness pal again and for back on track. Maybe you could get a fill

Thanks for all the advice. I havent had a fill in a while. Now that I have gained 15 pounds I am ashamed to go the dr right now. I want to lose this first. I am confused I think about the hunger part and the "full" part. Im not recognizing the fullness. I have to work on this. I have cleaned all the christmas left overs out of my fridge and I am trying to get back on the wagon.

Don't take off the 15 the hard way. Just go get a fill and use your band. Tell them you are ashamed about the weight gain and I'm sure they will be glad you came in for a fill.

I am going through the very same thing. I lost 102 lbs (yeah me) but I didn't have a 15 lb gain, I had a 33 lb gain. I had 2 miscarriages this year and blame that for the gain but i can't continue to use that as an excuse I too think I'm tight enough but already mentioned to the nurse today that I need a fill. The doctor is aware of my gain and I managed to get 10 off but just put it back on over the holidays. I realized while reading this thread that I can't wait to get it off before going back. My doctor deals with this all the time and the reason I chose to get the band was for this very reason. It's adjustable and allows for us humans to make "u-turns" on our journey. We're all in this together. (I'm going to email the office now to make my fill appointment). Let's just do it. Remember why we opted for the surgery in the first place. Let's protect out investment.

I too have had the same exact thing happen...these past 2 holidays were awful to me...I ate so much stuffing/corn/mac and cheese with butter all over it I was ready to burst and wanted more and more later that day but luckily I didn't take any leftovers home and didn't have it. I gained as well...3 or 4 pounds I think and I'm disgusted with myself. I am so angry with myself and feel terrible about it. I also didn't excercise those nights because I didn't have the time. So the past 3 nights I did 2-3 miles everyday and pushed myself as hard as I could...lost 2 pounds already! You just gotta get back into it and keep going!!!!!!!