Hi all!! I'm new to this site. I was banded on 11/21/12 and have lost 45 pounds of my 110 goal. It's been amazing that I am getting compliments now and people are noticing the difference. I have been feeling the last few days that my momentum is running slow. I have a doc appt next week and I'm hoping to get another fill to make me feel fuller. Any advice to try and get the momentum back? I want to make sure I'm staying on track. Thanks!!

First, read Jean McMillan's article on "Tighter isn't always Better" Just to the right of this post in the Magazine articles.

Feeling full should not be your goal. Maybe you meant feel satisfied? That's the goal. Feeling satisfied with less food will win the race.

I will check that article out- thanks. And yes by full I meant satisfied. I'm feeling hungrier every day.

As you lose weight your stomach (or the fatty layer covering) also shrinks, which then makes the band looser. This is why you can feel like you're in the Green Zone for awhile then gradually find yourself getting hungrier. I had similar happen. I had been in the Green Zone for months then last month it seemed like I was hungry every 2 hours again. I got a tiny fill and have been back in the Green Zone ever since.

For me, I find both looking at my past and dreams of my future my momentum to keep going. As much as I despise old pics of myself, seeing them gives me some serious incentive to keep going and losing weight. I think my biggest motivator is my children, though. Whenever I start to feel frustrated, I just look at them and remember being healthy for them is the biggest reason I did this to begin with.

Find what inspires you. Best wishes

Thanks Missy. That was very inspiring and I'm happy to hear u are doing so well. I didn't realize that as u loose the band could become more lose. That seems to make a lot of sense and may be why I feel good for awhile and then hungry again. I've had one fill since surgery and it def helped. Thanks again for taking the time to respond!

Hi I am new to this site but would really like some advice. Is this the right way to talk to people ?

my momentum is a pic my hub took right at my 8 month post op of him and I (together) wearing a skirt I wore. that is both of us in this garish circus tent. yep, that motivates me.

Hi I am new to this site but would really like some advice. Is this the right way to talk to people ?

You can communicate with people like this or even start your own thread with specific questions. You can also start personal conversations with people.

I motivate myself by setting goals and sometimes having rewards (non-food) for when I achieve those goals. Sometimes they are scale goals i.e. a got a new gold watch when I got under 100kg; other times they are non-scale goals i.e. when I reaching a cycling goal, I had a major reward of getting my first road bike.

Having things to work towards also helps. So far I have had my son's wedding and a multi-day cycling event. This year I have two major multi-day cycling events, one of which is a charity fundraiser.

Motivation comes from within.

Good luck.