I guess we got moved. We have a new spot on the main page where it will

be easier for people to find the rest of the slow losers.

Looking forward to hearing from everyone!

The best thing for anxiety and depression is exercise. I can really feel down in the dumps and feel like I really have to drag myself to the gym. I really have to talk myself into going.

When I am done though, I feel so much better. Those endorphins that people talk about really do make a difference. I notice a difference too when I skip a day, cause I start feeling grumpy.

As far as fills go, when you lose fat around your stomach, the band gets looser and you lose restriction. It might not show on the scale, but

the fat pad inside gets smaller. Just try to stay away from carbs and you won't feel as hungry. The digestion of carbs is what makes our stomach growl.

If you have to pay for fills, that gets old, for sure. But if you can get them for a decent price or the insurance pays, try to get another one.

Won't the doctor give you one if you tell him you're hungry all the time?

Another thing I really enjoy when I am feeling discouraged is to go into the chat room here. It's fun to talk to other bandsters!

I can't do anything about your home life except you try Ann Landers thought for the day "Would I be better off with him or without him". Make your decision and get on with your life.

I don't have kids but I do know that kids have energy and they also sense when things aren't right. There are probably acting up. Can you send them to a relative for a few days to give you time to think and get better.

As for you fills, if you are shovelling things into your mouth then you don't have much restriction. How much do you have in. If you have the band almost 100% filled then you have a band that is probably leaking. If not you are better off with a loose fill. If you are eating emotionally, you would proably end up PBing frequently if you had more restriction and could cause band erosion or slippage etc.

In the meantime, go for a walk when you feel like eating. Doddie

OH MY GOD...I weighed in this morning for giggles and I am in ONEDERLAND!! I guess it is all the walking!! I am really trying to have some willpower also. I am definitely going to talk to my doctor about the fills. I can handle 6 weeks because he won't change that but I may need to go again in 6 weeks. Thanks so much for all the good advice. I am so glad I found this thread!!:mad:

All right, Jody from Jersey! I hope I will be in onederland one day in the not to distant future, myself!

Thanks Candy!! I noticed that you have already had 2 fills. Gee, I was banded 8/27 and I had one fill on 11/29. I have 4cc's in a 14cc band. I am getting excited to get my next fill now!!

I do have a good doctor, and he does give a good fill amount. I notice there are some people who go through 5-7 fills and still don't have as much for fills as I do.

My first fill he wanted to give me more but I asked him not too. I was scared that I would be too tight. This time I will listen to him and now I know more about restriction.

i think i have only posted here once, but i am happy to report that since my last fill on January 16 i have lost 13 lbs. YEAH!!!!!!!..hadn't lost anything prior to that (well i did, but gained it back). i'm getting another fill this Saturday.

Glad to see some progress!

Well done all of you. Ladybugred. You in my opinion did the right thing by insisting on only a light fill to start with. Once you know how your body and your band can work together (ie how you eat food-large chunks or small) you then can go further in your fill requirements. I did that I certainly don't regret it because it has taken me a year to train my self to not slip back into old chewing habits. Even now, I ate a sausage last night and it would not go past my band. I had to PB and am on liquids today because my stomach is sore. I only have 5 ccs in after three fills. So follow you instincts and try not to get caught up in the emotions to speed things along. Doddie.

I need some support from you guys....and maybe need to vent a little to. Have you ever noticed when it seems like it rains it pours? Well it sucks for me right now. My home life is terrible, my marriage sucks, my kids are bouncing off the walls, I hate my job and have for a while now but can't find anything else comparable and now I have completely stalled out with my weight loss. I just had a fill 3 weeks ago and nothing...as a matter of fact I think I am up 1 or 2 pounds. I am a stress eater without a doubt and lately, it is all I can do to not shovel things into my mouth. I don't know what to do....I dont understand why I have virtually no restriction. I had awesome restriction in December, I thought I was finally at my sweet spot then just about over night it was gone. This sucks. He only gave me a small fill when I went a few weeks ago and I just knew as soon as I left that it wasn't enough. I was right. Now I feel like a failure at this.....please tell me I am not alone with feeling this way and someone tell me the obvious that things will get better. Right now I am just ready to give up

I am so sorry to hear that you're in a rough spot right now, badonkadonk. Please know that I have felt the exact same way many times and that you are NOT alone! I feel a little like that right now, in fact! But we just have to press on and not let ANYTHING stop us from what we want. I haven't been on this thread in a while and, funny, I gained like 3 pounds! So it's obvious I need support from people who are in the same boat as I am. Stay with us and we will help you through this. I think I can speak for everyone but personally, I am here anytime you need to vent!

Also, my fiancee and I have been together for 5 years so we're pretty much considered married! We're getting married in July. But I know what you mean when you say your marriage sucks! I feel that way sometimes but we always get through it. Just remember why you married him in the first place and you will know why you need to work things out! I'm sure he wants to be there for you. Talk to him and tell him how you feel. As for the kids, I have an 8 year old with ADHD. He's ALWAYS off the wall! LOL! Sometimes it seems like I have 10 kids!! So I understand that as well! I'm sure your children are wonderfully unique and they're just being kids! Take some time out of your busy day to play with them. Just go into a pretend world and be a kid yourself. Not only will it relax you and take your mind off of things but they will absolutely love it! I know it's hard to do ANYTHING when you feel the way you feel but just try. The mind is very powerful and you would be surprised what happens when you switch gears and start thinking positive! You're right; when it rains, it pours. But it's also always darkest before the dawn! If God brings you to it, He'll bring you through it! Much love to you!

<I am so embarrassed that I told people I had this done.>

That is so funny that you said that, lady! I was trying to figure out why I never wanted to talk to anyone about my weight but you hit the nail on the head! I feel embarassed that people know I've had the band done because I feel like I should have lost a lot more weight by now. People seem to expect that. They don't seem to realize that this is not gastric bypass! You lose a lot more with that than with the band. Well, at least, you lose a lot QUICKER with gastric bypass.

That's why I hardly told anyone when I got banded. It does make it hard though to eat around people that don't know though. I feel it's worth it.

I went at the fills slowly myself. It's hard to get used to the new way of eating, taking smaller bites, eating slower, chewing more, etc.

The bigger the fill, the more careful you have to be.

Some of the people in the at or near goal forum have said that eating just doesn't feel as important anymore. I can finally see that. As a fat person, I always looked forward to my next meal or planned what I was going to eat. Now, it's almost like eating is an after thought. I am just as happy with a protein drink as I am with a meal.

Thanks for the encouraging words NJ girl. Your absolutely right. I get so caught up in everything going around me, I forget about me. I promised myself I would do something for me this weekend and I am.....it is all set up and everything. That has been one of the hardest things for me thru all this....finding a different way to release my stress other than eating. I can't believe how much stress eating I used to do. The band helps keep that in check to a certain degree but the rest is up to me. I will keep working on it.....

NJ Gal - on top of being embarrassed I have the sister in law from hell who I have known my whole life. She just called to give me the run down of her walking...lucky me!! I have been walking for almost 3 weeks and it is starting to show. Watch for destructive folks like that. Don't let them get in your head. What I tell people now is that I will report when I hit the big 5 0. I tell them flat out I don't go pound for pound. They have now left me alone. It is a hard battle we fight every day between the scale and expectations huh???