Does anyone know if there is a forum for people who are not being successful with their VSG? I can't find one and I desperately need to talk to someone else who may be experiencing what I am. Thank you.

Have you talked to your surgeons office? Ours offers a class on Mindful Eating - there is a book they use - I will try to find out the name of it for you.

Okay - so how do I change my old bad habits? I still THINK I am hungry, I still want to eat something about ever y3 hrs. I can eat approximately 1 1/2 cups of food at a time and I can eat ANYTHING. Everthing goes down. I sometimes feel a little pain but I never throw up. My weight fluctuates between 296 - 305. I lose, I gain. I lose, I gain. So frustrated I'm not sure I even want to try anymore. Any advice would be helpful. Thank you.

I had great restriction the first six months, but I just realized that I can eat ALOT of mostly everything except for dense protein. People are like snack on some nuts...Nuts have a lot of calories and they are a slider food for me. Cheese, peanut butter, nuts and even protien bars - slider food. I can totally see myself in the future either not losing anything else or gaining some of the weight back...for me it is that easy. I bought someone chicken breasts, and if I am hungry that will be my snack. If I am at my calorie limit for the day...I eat a cucumber (i can eat a whole one). It helped me last night when I was wanting to keep snacking. I am scared for myself, but at the same time...I love chicken and fish so I just have to make sure these are always around. I will have chips here and there, and I used to keep them in the house, but on this shopping trip I bought salt and vinegar for the house because I know I will not eat them. They can't be in the house anymore. I do have two things which are good...my sleeve hates fried food and pasta...which were my big comfort foods. My big problem is also i like the full feeling...it is almost as if i have to be full at all times. I find when I am out and about...food not important...but late at night...watching tv...i want to be full. that is why I bought cucumbers...it worked last night. i can also not drink anything with calories now. I can really throw back a drink...so i bought tons of drinks and water to take to the office so if I want something with flavor...it is there.

The book they use is The Beck Diet Solution Weightloss workbook. It is pink, make sure you get the workbook. The people I know from my program who have had to take the class speak very highly of it.

Have you talked to your surgeons office? Ours offers a class on Mindful Eating - there is a book they use - I will try to find out the name of it for you.

Most importantly, STOP eating when you feel that pain twinge. Get up and put the remaining food out of sight for at least 10 minutes when you get that twinge. You'll start to realize that once you've moved on to the next activity, you won't think about the food as much as you do when it's still in your face. This has been very helpful to me - especially when I have something really yummy that my mind keeps telling me I have to eat more of but my stomach really isn't interested.

These are words of wisdom!! I absolutely have to only dish up what I think I can eat. If I go to a restaurant and am served a whole plate of food, I need that to-go box to come ASAP when I'm full or else I'll still pick pick pick at the food just because it's in front of me, even though I'm full, even though I'm uncomfortable. These habits we had don't just disappear. We have to find ways around them. Removing the food from my immediate reach has been absolutely key for me.

Alot of people dont realize that there is a big mental portion of being overwieght. most of us being overwieght is due to compulsive eating. i know when i was growing up that i could not leave the dinner table until i cleaned my plate. growing up poor and in a house with 3 other siblings we tended to stuff ourselves every meal. dont remember to many times when there was left overs. my grandma would ask tell me " boy you know the food aint going anywhere, slow down" . this cumpulsion to clean my plate spilled over into adult hood and made me gain alot of wieght. i now have had to use smaller plates and cook smaller meals so that when i am physically satisfied that i am also mentally satisfied. like mentioned above when you feel the fullness remove the food imediately. the sleeve is nothing but a tool used to assist with weight loss. until the mental aspect of your disorder is handled it wont work as well as you want. Best of luck and remember that you nor your sleeve has failed.