I have not had a fill yet. I can pretty much eat anything at this point, and I have been. I'm pretty good during the day, but a night I've been having desert, and I am not exercising.

One the one hand, I am telling myself it's ok b/c I have not had a fill. On the other - and the one that wins out most of the time - is that I feel just disgusted with myself for not following a sensible diet and at least beginning to exercise. I keep telling myself I'll start when I get a fill.

I'm writing this here so that I can see it in writing. Ugh. If I could just cut out the sweets after dinner and make an effort to walk a bit, I'd be proud of myself.

Just looking at your signature, it appears you have already lost over 10 pounds. You must be doing something right! I completely understand how hard it is consume fewer calories before your first fill. But, I have to tell you that even after that first one, you still may not feel the restriction to make a real difference. I understand it can take a few fills.

I got my first fill two weeks ago today (1.5cc) but can still eat just about anything I want. I have noticed a slight restriction this week and am getting fuller faster. Why it took two weeks, I'll never know. I have seen similiar comments on this forum though. The scale is finally starting to move downward after a month of status quo. Talk about feeling discouraged.

As for exercise, that is the hardest part! Eventhough I go to the gym twice a week for cardio, I have been getting on the floor and doing some stretching. It probably doesn't burn many calories but it does get my mind off food. Even if you only do a few sit-ups, you did something good for yourself.

I'm still stuggling with mindless eating when I'm bored. It's all I can do not to go into the kitchen and grab a handful of crackers when I am not hungry in the least. Old habits die hard.

Hang in there. You'll be thin before you know it!

PatU

jgandg,

Things will be different when yu get that first fill, but the sweets will always go down toooo easy.. You need to get rid of them if you can't keep from over eating them. It is not an easy journey, but well worth the trip...just hang in there..

I wouldnt be hard on yourself eating wise until you've started having fills. It takes time for your eating habits to adjust and improve and I reckon its taken me a whole YEAR for some of that stuff to become automatic.

But there's no excuse not to exercise, lol. No band is ever going to make you exercise. So that is something that YOU can control and that you can start right now!

Thanks everyone. I have managed to keep off the weight I lost during pre-op, and you are sooo right - I need to not even bring the sweets into the house. Just keep them away. I like the idea of starting exercise by simply stretching; it's been so long since I've done any real strenusous physical activity that just the thought of it makes me feel like a failure. But stretches, yes - I can do that. I can walk too, so maybe I'll add a short walk to my lunch hour.

I think I just want to be "perfect" at this from the start, and then I feel like a failure when it doesn't happen.

Your lunch hour walk sounds great. Pick a destination to walk to even if it is just 1 block away. Set mini goals and before you know it the big ones will be here.

What are your snack weaknesses? Maybe we can give some substitutes.

Thanks Tersita! My snack weakesess are crackers, and lately cheese blintzes from Trader Joes. :embarassed:

I love Trader Joes, wooohooo. Crackers aren't so bad, is that what you are having at night? What are you putting on them?

I usually eat the crackers plain. But I put raspberry sauce on the cheese blintzes.:omg: Again, something I need to not allow in my house.

Hey jgandg are there any blintzes in the house?

What my doctor stressed to me is that until you get your first fill, it is not really about weightloss...it is about adjusting to the band and letting your stomach heal from surgery. It took me 2 fills to get really good restriction. The thing you have to realize is that you aren't going to change bad habits overnight and it will take time to make all of the lifestyle changes needed to make the band work for you. Maybe you could say that you are only going to allow dessert once a week and that would help you not get so discouraged. However, you are doing something right because your scale is going down!

Thank you Alicia! See, my doc's office didn't really say that this wasn't a time for healing, and you are so right, the bad habits are hard to break. Teresita, I threw out all desert-y things. Thank goodness we don't have kids or Halloween night would have been torture!

Hang in there! You can do it!

you can SO do this!!! take walking literally a step at a time. i started out for 8 minutes on the treadmill about 3 weeks ago. today i hit 44:01.

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't give up. The band isn't working for you yet. Once you get a fill (s) you will not have the want to to eat desert. You will be stuffed after dinner. I took 4 fills until I had the best restriction. There is no way for me to eat desert. I think you will be much happier after you get some restriction.