I'm so discouraged and mad at myself. I paid $15,000 out of my own pocket (well, took out a loan and am still paying) but I am not following bandster guidelines like I should be and therefore am not losing weight. I drink with my meals, I crave junk food and fatty(chips, dip, chocolate, etc) so that is about all I eat and I drink soda a few times per week. The only thing I'm doing right is exercising.

I'm so disgusted with myself and I just can't seem to get myself to do what I'm supposed to do. I cooked a turkey breast the other day and sliced it and froze it in baggies in serving size portions, I brought one to work today along with a boiled egg and some lowfat cheese and some milk in case I wanted to make a Protein shake. What did I wind up eating you ask? For Breakfast, bacon and eggs (not too bad) and grape juice (bad) and for a snack, 1/2 of a milky way. Then for lunch, 2 cheese breadsticks and 3 buffalo chicken kickers from Dominos. Not a lot of food compared to what I used to eat but still loaded with fat and calories (already up to 1394 calories and 68 g of fat just from what I've eaten so far today) and not what I should be eating.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I want to do good but I also want to eat with my friends at work. I know that's a lame excuse but I was hoping the band would kind of make me to where I didn't have cravings and didn't really care what I ate or if I ate but it really hasn't. I have good restriction, I'm on my 4th fill with 7.2 ccs. I know I have restriction because when I don't drink with my food, I get full really fast and when I do drink with my food, it hurts bad when it goes down. It doesn't get stuck or cause me to PB though. Sometimes I wish it would so I would learn my lesson.

I know I need to get off the carbs and that would help with my cravings. How many carbs per day do some of you eat overall and what kind of carbs are you eating? Can you have like one of the 100 calorie packs of crackers, Cookies, etc without causing too many bad cravings? Any advice or suggestions for learning to change my behaviors and live with the new lifestyle that is required of me?

Hey Mandi

I've been feeling the same way. Cutting the sugar and carbs is sooo hard. I joined in on the no carb for 2 days thread and I feel better already. We started today but you can always start fresh tomorrow. I'm hoping this will help me with the cravings. After I finish the 2 day challenge, I'm going to cut out all sugar and keep it low carb for a while.

Here's the link to the thread if you want to join in! http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f15/say-no-carbs-2-day-challenge-come-join-me-48654/

personally I have not been following a low fat low carb diet either. All I have really changed is my portions. I have lost over 30 pounds since being banded and I think that's fine. I am not a drastic dieter, just not. That's why I needed the band. I didn't have brain surgery, I got the lap band. My mind and thinking hasn't changed that much, I just eat a lot less than before and I am losing 1-2 poungs per week. I am 17 weeks out and have lost about 32 pounds. I haven't lost that much in years! Take it slow, give yourself a break.

I say 32 because the scale waffles back and forth so I put the higher amount on my ticker but I am right on the cusp of 32 pounds!

Hi Mandi,

You and I were banded on the same day.

I'm not working at this as hard as I should be either--but I'm incredibly grateful that I haven't REGAINED any of my initial weight loss.

It's a new year and we BOTH need to remember why we got this thing...and get re-motivated.

I also eat a lot less than before, but apparently enough to maintain my present weight. Over the years I've never been able to maintain any sort of weight loss...until now.

Thank God the holidays are over!

Hang in there, and good luck!

Its ok it takes time to break those old habits dont be too hard on yourself..ive been going off track tooo i tend to eat junk food at nights..but as of today i joined one of those calorie counting sites ...i think it will help me realize how much crap im stuffing my face wit and stop...good luck

I'm not going to admonish you because you KNOW what you are doing wrong. You are placing a lot of blame on the band, when we all know going into this that the band is just a tool to be used--and right now you aren't using that tool.

When I gained 2# over Thanksgiving, I kept a food log for three weeks to see where I was and what I could do differently:

Carbs -- 45 - 69 a day

Proteins - 60 - 97 a day

My suggestion is to start a food log and keep an honest one. If you need to know carbs and proteins in foods, I use Nutrition facts, calories in food, labels, nutritional information and analysis – NutritionData.com where you just put in the food and it gives you a nutrition label.

Good luck...

Personally myself I got the lapband (also self pay) so that I no longer had to live the 'dieting' lifestyle. I didn't want to restrict the foods I was having and not be able to indulge once and a while. I want to be like a normal person, be able to eat with my friends and not have a big hang up on bad or good foods. So for the band its about letting me live a normal non-food obsessed life.

My portions are a lot smaller and friends who don't know that I have got a band mention that its nice not having me on a diet and never notice that I just eat smaller meals and don't drink when I eat.

My weight loss has been slow (only 23 pounds in 5 months) but I have been able to enjoy myself and not feel like food is a big chore anymore. The only 'diet' rules I have is Protein, Produce and then carbs. Sometimes I finish everything on my plate sometimes I don't.

One thing I will say though is probably try and cut out the eating and drinking together- this is one that I have stuck to religiously and once you get used to it, its not that hard and an hur after eating is not that long to wait (in saying that every now and then I have a wine with friends when we go out for dinner but I always make it one and sip really slowly).

YOU CAN DO THIS!!!! Just try not to lock yourself into what is bad and what is good food, you will find if you take the 'I have to be low fat, low carb' out you might find that you relax a bit and cravings won't be as strong.

Anyway I have waffled enough!

Bex )

honestly my dr gave me simple rules to follow...he didnt say cut carbs ..cut fat...he said...NO DIETS!! DIETS DONT WORK. i am 6 weeks out..due for my first fill tomorrow.....as of today i've lost 29lbs...i didnt changed my ticker because i want the official dr office weight... i have made some great eating choices..and they include some carbs...he said......Meat first, then veggies..then carbs if you have room....when i get to the carbs i dont have much room so i eat alot less of them..however i do eat them..now, i have chosen to not have candy ..or ice cream or chips..because i know i cant control those things when i eat them.... the band wont either lol... and yes i do eat the 100 calorie packs ,they were recommended on my list as a great snack!! gl ... and remember...if you have restriction...dont drink... and you'll get full fast and lose... you can do it..gl to you!

Try making small changes. Get rid of the soda first and keep up the exercise. Then gradually replace the carbs and sugar with healthy foods. Its best not to go cold turkey and give up everything at once. A allowing yourself treats in moderation can be okay. The key is moderation.

Good luck getting back on track!

I don't do special dieting, I just eat smaller portions.

I don't keep chips & candy in the house (most the time) because I will eat them if they're there. If I don't have them in the house, I don't want them (too lazy to actually go get them).

I make an effort to eat more meat on my plate than anything else. But I still eat the mashed potatoes, or veggies, etc.

And so far, I think I'm doing pretty good!

Take your bag of 'good foods' to wherever your friends are eating. I've done that. Hell, my husband brings in a bag of McDonalds when we go to Red Lobster (he's allergic). They don't seem to mind.

bump......

You can't change what you have done in the past, you can change what you do in the future, in the now.

Don't beat yourself up over it, we are all human, and I think 3/4 of the people on this board have cheated but just don't own up to it.

Go ahead and put a few bites of the carbs on your plate and after you finish your solid Protein and some veggies if you still have room have a bite or two?

This way you are not denying yourself something you want but its not your main source of calories either. If you really want to work with your band youre gonna have to eat the right things even if the chips and cupcakes look good.

Your working on changing a lifetime of bad habits, so sometimes it takes baby steps. I'm still trying myself, so hang in there and don't give up! Congratulations on your loss so far! 24 pounds gone forever!

I am only 4 days out from when I got banded, but my facility warned me of issues like these before I got my band. Therefore, I'll be joining Weight Watchers (again for the 100th time in my life I swear) to ensure my success. I love WW, and this time I will have success...I can feel it. I don't think I could do this without knowing beforehand that it was gonna be hard - this way I feel more prepared.