Okay, I'm 2 yrs 2months post op..... and Friday last week I had to be completely unfilled, had 5cc out of my band.....I had the "green zone" since April last year, until, for some unknown reason either got stuck or other and started getting acid reflux and couldn't even keep down water.... So had an emergency unfill. The stuck problem and acid reflux has gone but I have no restriction at all.......and NO SELF CONTROL.... it's like I've been let off the leash and 'Over eating'...because I can! I want a fill ASAP! Can't be seen until 12th July and I'm dreading weight gain ..., have gained a couple of pounds so far but it's scary that I'm on the slippery slope of becoming out of control , I keep telling myself NO "think portion size" but it's so hard not to eat more.....I'm weak....stupid and know what I'm doing is madness after losing 185 pounds and nearly at my goal weight too...it's like I'm a naughty child, all out to cause havoc! .... Help! Anyone else had a complete unfill and struggling to get back on track.. I've got my fitness pal but I can't do any exercise at the moment due to recently having a slipped disc...I don't want to ruin all the good I've/my band has done.....really down and desperate!

I've had to be unfilled twice. The best thing I did was get on the scale EVERY morning. When I saw my weight creeping up, I knew it was up to me to control that. I did gain about eight pounds, but if I hadn't weighed every day I know it would have been a lot worse!!!

There's no way you could have lost that much weight without having self control...fill or no fill. Sounds like you are having a psychological battle with yourself. Forget about what you've done since the unfill and make today a brand new day. Eat band size portions...try to keep the head hunger at bay....if you can't exercise, do something, anything to take your mind off eating. This sounds like a rough patch you are going through but you are obviously successful...keep reminding yourself of that. You are not weak and stupid, you are awesome.

I have had a complete unfill twice, and still managed to loose weight. The reason is that I maintained my Bandster portions, and did what little I could to exercise.

Your current issues seem more to be with your faulty thinking and relationship with food. If you could revise your thinking into seeing eating as self sabotage of the progress you have made to date, and recognizing that telling yourself "NO", you will not eat out of control, it goes a long way to help you through challenging times such as you are experiencing now.

It is very easy for us to become our own "self fulfilling prophecy" when the self talk messages are negative in nature. If you dispair and tell yourself you have no self control, you will be correct, because you have given yourself permission to eat to your heart's content.

If you tell yourself I will empower myself to maintain my weight, and not allow my faulty thinking with regards to food to rule me, then you will overcome your feelings of helplessness.

The band is a highly self empowering tool. You have been quite successful thus far. Don't throw any of that success away because of your mindset.

Remember, just because you can eat more than the allowed portion does NOT mean that you should.

You can do this...if you want to. Only you can determine your path by your choices.

Are you on MyFitnessPal? If you are, I'd be happy to friend you and cheer you on every day! (I'm avivasrobinson on there)

Thank you so much everyone for your support and words of wisdom and advice After reading all your comments I feel so inspired to kick my butt into gear. Gone back to portion control and recording on my fitness pal what I'm eating.....it's only Day 1 but so determined to get back on track....! Xx Fitness pal username crazymama46 x

Are you on MyFitnessPal? If you are' date=' I'd be happy to friend you and cheer you on every day! (I'm avivasrobinson on there)[/quote']

I tried to add you on MyFitnessPal but wasn't able to for some reason :/ x Maybe because I'm on IPhone/Ipad devices ?

Thanks aviva........Tried to add you aviva1979 but not able to for some reason....possibly coz I'm using IPad and IPhone devices ? Not sure x

I felt a little like that this weekend. I don't feel restriction in my band yet and it was a stay at home weekend so i found myself prowling around the kitchen and pantry just looking for anything to eat. It took everything I had in me not to just EAT EAT EAT...

185 pounds is absolutely amazing...focus on the positives part of what you've accomplished. And stick something up on your fridge or on your kitchen cupboards whats a big reminder to you about where you want to be.

For me...I found a hilarious pinterest picture where someone wrote, "Step away from the fridge, fatty" on their fridge door. Sometimes we need that kind of giant visual kick in the butt to remind ourselves that we have a bigger goal in mind and our little instant gratification isn't worth it!

Thanks aviva........Tried to add you aviva1979 but not able to for some reason....possibly coz I'm using IPad and IPhone devices ? Not sure x

My username on there is avivasrobinson

Hi, I am glad to see your post and maybe I'm late on my comment but it so says my mood right now!! Ugh! I got a unfill for the same reason, I didn't understand I was fine all this time, I was banded January 10, 2012 I lost 110 lbs and then last month I got so sick could eat drink anything ended up in the ER! well I had an UNFILL and omg! my mind is so crazy!!! who new! I push the limit cause I can, I have gain 7lbs and I feel like a big failure!! tomorrow will be a new day and I have some soul searching to do. I wanted to know how you are doing and if you had a fill? i'm going next Tuesday and I will just have to be strong!! just wanted a friendly ear!!

Hi deseree65. We appear to have a lot in common including born in the same year. I feel your dilemma believe me. Well, update so far it will be 4 weeks on Friday that I was unfilled and oh boy, it's been tough, I tried to keep on track but to be honest this is why I had a band in the first place to CONTROL my portions, it's that, I so dislike the feeling of being hungry and the daily battle with myself to keep on the straight and narrow and i cannot wait until this friday 12th July to get a fill and just hope that my over indulgences haven't harmed my band. I haven't gone completely off the rails, I've not turned to fast foods in a big way or gorged on certain foods, believe me I had to be so strong not to go through the drive through of Macdonalds on the way home from work numerous times but could so easily have done, if I gave in. Its been the enjoyment of eating normally but the inability to keep to the band portion sizes that I've struggled with, feeling hungry, (probably due to me stretching my pouch) I've so enjoyed eating bread, all kinds of meats without PB'ing but the realisation of this is, I've gained 10 pounds so far, which could of been worse but still soul destroying after getting so near to my goal weight, which is 163 pounds I was 13 pounds away from this and now its 23 pounds. I shall hopefully look at this experience as a band holiday and hopefully after Friday I will be restricted enough to start losing again....I'm sorry I couldn't paint a more positive picture for you, the only advice I can give is try try and control your portion sizes, that way you won't feel so hungry, good news for you is that you are being filled on Tuesday which isn't too long to wait....keep me updated and I will update you too and hopefully together we can get back on track.... You have done so well with your weight loss journey so far and I wish you all the luck and strength to get through this period until your fill....Good Luck! X