:smile2::sad:I'm having a hard time right now. I was banded on June 1tth and I ahve lost weight but I just don't feel like i am doing this right. I do typically beat myself up or expect too much of myself. I just don't want to be a failure at this. In the department of support I have hardly any positive help or encouragement. There is only a support group meeting in my area once a month and i won't be able to attend the one on July 2nd because I will be out of town. I feel like a bother calling the surgery center lady all the time. Like Oh god it's you again. I don't know what to eat or i feel like what i am eatting is all wrong. I have been working so hard up to this point and i feel like I don't know what to do next. I think i should be losing more and i'm not. i keep a food diary and its very honest. Oy! I don't know. Any suggestions would be very helpful and appreciated!!! XOXO Barbie

Ok, a couple of questions:

1. Have you had a fill yet (I wouldn't think so, but I had to ask)?

2. How many calories are you eating?

3. Have you been cleared to exercise by your doctor yet?

I was banded on September 2007 and I have had those days that I don't think that I am doing right. I still have struggles with foods like chicken today I can eat it and have no problems but then tomorrow I can eat it and it will not settel. I just tell myself hang in there and it will get better. You will find things that you will and will not be able to eat and it is okay to call someone for advise. I know I wonder at times on if I need to eat this and sometimes it is okay to eat a treat to treat yourself. HANG IN THERE AND THE FEELINGS WILL GET BETTER :P:(

:sad:I'm having a hard time right now. I was banded on June 1tth and I ahve lost weight but I just don't feel like i am doing this right. I do typically beat myself up or expect too much of myself. I just don't want to be a failure at this. In the department of support I have hardly any positive help or encouragement. There is only a support group meeting in my area once a month and i won't be able to attend the one on July 2nd because I will be out of town. I feel like a bother calling the surgery center lady all the time. Like Oh god it's you again. I don't know what to eat or i feel like what i am eatting is all wrong. I have been working so hard up to this point and i feel like I don't know what to do next. I think i should be losing more and i'm not. i keep a food diary and its very honest. Oy! I don't know. Any suggestions would be very helpful and appreciated!!! XOXO Barbie

My story is similar to Heather's. I'm 11 months out and have struggled periodically and then get back on track. You know, it took a long time to put the weight on, it's not gonna disappear overnight (darn!).

Head hunger is a whole different ballgame than physical hunger. I told my Dr. at the last appt that I think he banded the wrong organ, whould have put it on my head!

You're probably not doing it "wrong" just learning a "new" way of living. That's what this is all about. It is a journey and not a quick fix.

The posts here have given me many ideas and I'm glad that others are struggling like me.

You can do this!

Sue Stenzel

As people have siad. this is a LIFELONG journey. I am over 2 years and 130 Lbs out and I still struglle with most of the smae questions. I konw quite a few people that have reached goal and continue to struggle. We dd not get this way overnight and it is not reasonable to think we can change habits made over a lifetime in a few months, or even years for that matter. Relax. the band will work. As far as I'm concerned the main thing the band does is give us time to learn and develop new habits.

Some of the best support you can get will come from these boards. LBT is a good one as are wlsfacts.com and some of the ones specifically operated by special groups

like Dr or location. Over the years we have all become experts at beating ourselves up. Once you have taken the step to get banded you can begin to give that up. You have already made a serious committment to an improved life now you are beginning the long hard journey to tweak it

Craig

Craig- that was such a good post, thank you. If we still had rep points I'd give you those. :tongue_smilie:

detroit- I completely know how you feel. Last week I ate anything that would fit. It was an awful week and I beat myself up about it every day... yet did it again the next day. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm really struggling to give up my relationship with food. I keep telling myself it's okay to mess us. I go in for fills about once a month, which help a lot because I get to talk to the doctor face to face, I talk to the other people getting banded and I realize I'm not alone. I've slowed down a lot in my weight loss, about a pound a week if we run an average. Shocking because at first I was losing 2 or 3 pounds a week. But it's come off, and if it takes a pound a week, that's okay too. I go in feeling like I'm a failure because I lost 4 pounds in a month, but then the doctor tells me what a great job I've done and it makes me realize 4 pounds lost is way better than 4 pounds gained- which was me preband. I have good days and bad days... today happens to be a good day, where I'm feeling optomistic.

My husband told me he was proud of me the other day. I was in shock because he's not really a mooshy feely type guy. But it made me feel so good, that I was finally doing something to take control of my life! And that is something to be proud of!

So Detroit-- I guess that was a long post, sorry. :tt1: You mentioned not having support and I can totally relate. And I don't know if this will make you feel better, but I'm proud of you! I'm proud of all of us for doing something that took a heck of a lot of courage and fighting the good fight every day. Every time I eat it's a struggle, if we go out I worry "Will they have something I can eat? Will there be bread? Can I resist?" But I get through every meal, even when I cheat.

Good luck!

Oh yea, very well put. And every day is a new day. I agree that going to the dr. fill or no fill, is beneficial and also helps to keep me on track. I find that there are times I'll be contemplating eating something and knowing I have to go to the dr. will ask, do I really need this? Then I reward myself with a pat on the back for getting past that moment.

Hang in there! It is well worth it, no matter how slow!

Sue Stenzel