Frustrated

[Ginger85 17]

I was eating what I thought was a healthy meal at work, and my food ended up getting stuck. I'd never been in so much pain and I ended up needing to have my lapband unfilled completely. I've been so hungry and eating like crazy! I've been on this journey for almost 5 years and haven't made much progress or what I would like. I think I'm depressed! :/

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,443]

Whether it was a "healthy meal" or not has nothing to do with having gotten stuck. And, if your lunch consisted of foods you've eaten all along with no problem, a band is known to behave differently at any time with no warning, hence, its being called "the fickle bitch." Another possibility is that you were eating too fast because you were distracted?

Whatever the case, is the plan to begin refilling gradually?

You don't indicate what you weighed at the start, how much progress you would have liked, where you'd like to be in the end, etc. You may make an appointment with your practice's RD to review your food choices to determine if you've been off track for much of the five years. If you haven't been tracking your intake, it's likely that that's the case. Take a week's worth of food trackers to the appointment so that you and the RD have something concrete to work with.

You're not the only one who's disappointed either by her own hand or by the band itself. Attending the practice's support group is an opportunity to compare notes, feelings and the rest. If your practice doesn't provide a monthly group, try other hospitals nearby. Most welcome patients from the others.

You can turn things around.

[Ginger85 17]

I've met with 4 different dieticians, and 2 different nutritional specialists. But I think because of the area I live in people aren't educated enough to help me. A the food I have been told to eat is stuff I can't. It just gets so frustrating when they don't understand.

I definitely know it's because of what I am eating because I honestly have no idea what I should be eating. So I've just ate what doesn't cause problems, healthy or not.

And I agree I was distracted when I was eating

[WLSResources/ClothingExch 3,443]

@@Ginger85, doesn't your surgery practice have an RD on staff? If not, are you in fairly reasonable distance from one that does? It would be worthwhile to go a little farther afield for the right info. Hey, combine it with a shopping trip! Or maybe Skype is a possibility.

I'm guessing that the people you spoke with work independently and have no knowledge of eating for a lapband, but there's got to be someone who can guide you and provide printed materials.

Edited January 12, 2016 by WLSResources/ClothingExch

[Ginger85 17]

The Internet is full of great materials. I also lost track with the support groups on here. I miss the old website

[kathousefl 62]

Hi Ginger - I am sorry to see you are frustrated. Ironically I just had a sticking problem from something I eat all of the time. I think in my case it was not the food, but the speed in which I ate it.

Have you maintained a 69 pound weight loss for five years? What types of foods are you eating now? Are you going back for a fill soon?

I think everyone is very different in his or her approaches to losing and maintaining. For me, I stay away from processed carbs most of the time because eating those types of foods is what caused me to gain weight and over eat.