:help:I was banded at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ on April 12, 2006. My Dr. was Vadim Gritsus, who works out of Chilton Memorial and Valley Hospital. Of course, I lost the most weight right after surgery 'cause I existed on liquids for 30 days! Got first banding May 26, 2006 - 3 cc's....did nothing to curb my appetite, but I DID eat the correct foods, and 'cause it was summer, got a lot of swimming in. My second banding was July 21, 2006...this time I vomited alot...had to learn a whole new way of eating! I started at 315lbs...I've lost a total of 40 lbs...and that's where my problem begins...there's something about reaching a 40 lb lose that sabatoges me....I'm eating all the wrong foods, small portions, but starting to incorporate candy and ice cream and pizza, etc...and not exercising!! All I want to do is sleep :notagree ,,,,guess it was too easy during the summer...i don't know how to get back on track. Any one else go through this slump?? I'm very discouraged, and am afraid I'll start gaining back weight. any ideas or suggestions?

Hi Robin,

Welcome to LBT and congratulations on your weight loss so far! I gotta tell you, your story is VERY familiar to me. Losing 40 lbs was always the magic number for me in the past; I was NEVER able to get beyond it by myself. And a similar thing happened with banding. What was different this time was that when I was done with the self-sabotage, I hadn't gained 40 lbs back plus some. And when I was ready to pick up the reins again and take control, the band was still there ready to help me do it.

You have a weapon in your arsenal that has never been there before. Putting it down for a while doesn't mean it will disappear and never be available again. The weight-loss journey is long, and there's no question our heads have to be in the game to make it work. But the assistance the band provides is that little extra something that lets us rest between bouts.

Don't panic, in other words. Think about all the things that motivated you to get the band in the first place. Remember how happy and excited you were to take those steps, and realize how far you've come. It's OK to rest, OK to think about things other than weight loss for a while. The band will help you maintain while you're doing that, and it will still be there for you when you're ready to get back into active weight-loss mode.

Thanks for the kind words, Alexandra! I'll try to keep my chin up...all I think about is food...gotta get a hobby or join Curves...it's not easy anymore.

Robin, it is so hard to give up our old habits. I mean, I am fat because I love chips and dip. I love them all day long, every day of the week. Getting the band did not change my love of them. But, it has limited how much I can eat of them in one sitting.

First off, you have lost an amazing amout of weight so far. Congratulations for that. I am so glad you found us here. I have found that belonging to and being active with two local support groups and this board makes a world of difference to me. When I miss those meetings, or become a little lax on the board, I seem to lose my motivation. It is amazing what a good support network can do for you. Do you belong to any local support groups? If not, I would suggest that. And, of course, spend lots of time with us here at LBT. We are all here to support one another. I would also suggest looking through the board for various challenges and joining one. I recently joined an exercise challenge and find it very motivating.

Good luck to you, I know you can do this. We all can with each others support.