And it is really my fault, so I have nobody or nothing to blame.

I was banded in December, and lost 12 pounds since. I know my eating habits are still bad, and there are days when I start out right and end up badly. Yesterday is such an example.

For Breakfast, I had a banana and a couple of hours later a high Protein Cereal with light soy milk. lunch was a lean cuisine, mid afternoon snack was a small pack of almonds and a slice of colby-jack cheese. Starting feeling a little hungry before I left work, and had a tablespoon of PB and 1 oz of Jerky. dinner was 4 oz of beef, with some yellow sqaush. Then later in the evening, I made a personal pizza and ruined what would have been a fairly decent day.

I know this is emotional eating, and the odd thing is when I am home alone on my days off, I barely eat, but in the evenings after work when I am home with my husband and son, I feel so stressed, so I eat. I know this side eating is what is keeping me from succeeding, but I feel almost powerless to stop it.

Banded in December, but you say nothing about your band. Any fills? How much?

Have you ever had any restriction?

I have dieted for 30 years, and everyone started out good, but the failed miserably, sometimes gaining back more than I lost.

That's why I needed surgery!

Just because I had surgery did not automatically change my behavior. Not at first.

It took a few fills and a lot of restriction to force me to change.

Try cleaning! Start cleaning when you "THINK" you are hungry. This has helped me in the evening or I will get on the treadmill. 98% of the time it will pass. I also brush my teeth.

My doctor does not believe in Snacks. He wants me to eat 3 meals a day that's it. My quesiton for you is have you made preplanned eating times in your day and you eat whether you are hungry or not?

My normal eating plan is:

Breakfast- Chobani fruited yogurt, half scoop whey isolate vanilla Protein powder, benefiber, about 1/3 cup Kashi high protein cereal. \

lunch - 3 oz skinless chicken breast with either laughing cow cheese, or salsa and low fat cheese, or spagetti sauce with parmasian, raw mini sweet peppers, grapes/cherries/small dole fruit cup

Snack- Premier Protein shake (prework out)

Dinner-3 oz skinless chicken breast, veggies, fruit

I do have a prework out protein shake (160 cal) as I usually have a long time between lunch and dinner (6-8 hours).

This is a will power diet until you get restriction.

I find the best defense against the munchies is a plan. Have an apple or banana if you need a snack in the evening. Sure they are 100 calories but the pizza was probably 2-3 times that.

B-52: Oops, sorry to mention that. I have had three fills thus far. I was banded without any restriction at all, and since have had three fills, each for 2 cc's at a time.

Honk: I have tried to go that route also, but then I find myself craving non-stop. But, I do agree, this is a mind over matter thing, and my mind seems to be fighting me.

Yellow rose: That might be a great suggestion! I am going to try that tomorrow, which is my day off.

I have a little of the same going on. I have been banded only three weeks,but per dr. Plan am on real food, three small meals a day. I do have 2 cc's in the 10cc band and I am not hungry except when I am supposed to be. But I am finding a problem area right after school ( I am a teacher) when my own kids are scarfing snacks I want to eat bits of what they have or another unhealthy food. Yesterday I ate a doughnut because I treated my kids to one. What we need to do is find a replacement behavior for those problem times. When I am tempted to emotional eating I've found that I am usually stressed or frankly feeling sorry for myself, and have found that melancholy or inspiring music is a good replacement, I can brood and then change my outlook too. I even created an iPod album for it. Another thing I did was journal all the reasons I am doing this, so when I am feeling tempted I read that or write in it some. I am a mom of three (8,4,and,2), I work full time and am in the middle of getting a master's degree. My hubby was against my getting the surgery and has not been helpful, so I know all about stress eating. It is incredibly hard for me not to pop a little of my kids leftover snacks or dinner in my mouth and I haven't conquered it but am analyzing my habits and making plans. You ARE powerful and you do not have to succumb to this challenge, just keep plugging away at it even if you only make a little progress at a time, don't give up!

Story of my life! I felt as though it was me posting this! Hell I lost more weight on my pre op diet than what I'm actually losing now! I know the band isn't the answer but shouldn't it be doing something !? I have had 3 fills and I get restriction for about a week or 2 then nothing.....and honestly i get frustrated when I see all these success stories and I feel like I will never get there : /

I have not had my first fill yet but I am eating just as bad as I did presurgery! I have twin 3 year olds and I find myself snacking or finishing their snacks just as I have always done! I guess the first step is recognizing this problem. Just how do I get in the right frame of mind to stay strong and not munch all day? Any suggestions???

You guys, it took me 6 fills and 8.2 cc's in a 9 cc band for me to feel restriction. I'm actually going Friday to get a little bit taken out because it's too much, but still...it took 13 months to get to that place.

Don't get frustrated, you'll get there!

For all us Mama's, what if we put all the"bites and such" from our kids plates and snacks that we are tempted to eat in a Tupperware for the day and at the end of the day see if we can figure how many calories it would add to. I think I tend not to count that stuff but I bet it adds up and maybe if I could see it all at once I might think about it more.

You guys' date=' it took me 6 fills and 8.2 cc's in a 9 cc band for me to feel restriction. I'm actually going Friday to get a little bit taken out because it's too much, but still...it took 13 months to get to that place.

Don't get frustrated, you'll get there![/quote']

Andrea: how much weight have you lost if you don't mind me asking...

Snacking with the kids came up alot. How about healthier snacks, that would benefit you and the kids. Fruit comes to mind, whole grain crackers is another. At the very least try to buy things the kids like, but you aren't too tempted by. Good luck!

I was banded Dec 22, 2011 and I feel like I have stalled. I have 5.25cc in a 10cc band. I have great restriction. I barely eat anything. I take a few bites and it is like I have had a Thanksgiving dinner. I eat slow and chew everything. I have had more sliming lately than I care to admit. I can drink some juice and have an episode. So....I just slow it down even more. It is odd. Some days I can eat or drink something with no issue and then next it is slime time. To clarify, I am not unhappy with my decision and in fact I think it was a great decision, but I wish it would come off faster. I have lost about 30 pounds post surgery (43 if you count pre-op diet). Maybe it is just me being anxious. I have so much to lose and I want to get on with it. I admit that I do not excercise like I should. I can make excuses but that is all they would be...excuses. So, I guess what I need to do is jump on the treadmill when I can't walk outdoors and get this progressing. I suppose I thought that with how little I eat that it should be coming off irregardless. I haven't been on in awhile and this forum helps a lot. Take care everyone, Jen

Jen, it sounds like you need a little unfill, if you don't eat ENOUGH, your metabolism slows and you stop losing. Many people get stuck with their loss because they can't eat enough.

Jen, it sounds like you need a little unfill, if you don't eat ENOUGH, your metabolism slows and you stop losing. Many people get stuck with their loss because they can't eat enough.

Andrea: how much weight have you lost if you don't mind me asking...

Hi, I've lost 65lbs. It's taken me 15 months to get to this point and I have at least another 60 to go. I'm a slower loser (I have no thyroid and have PCOS) so don't go by my story, plus it took me forever to get to restriction.