I know when I signed up for my surgery I had all sorts of high hopes this was the be all-end all and my life was going to be what I finally wanted it to be. Well as many of you know that's not what happened to me. For those of you who are not familiar with my story, I'll give you the brief overview.

I was only half commited to my post-op lifestyle, I had expected my surgery to do a lot more than it actually did. I really believed I had found my "Magic-Bullet" and I would be on the road to losing weight and getting fit. Well I did the first year, very little effort on my part and I lost sixty pounds. After the first year everything came to a screeching halt, no weight loss or weight gain in a year, not bad uhh? After two years of staying the exact same I finally had to have the "Heart to Heart" with myself.

Are you happy with who are now? "NO!"

If you don't lose another pound will you be happy? "NO!"

Are you willing to commit to a completely new "LIFESTYLE"? "YES"

What are you going to do to make it happen? "Adjust my eating and exercise"

I'm sure you have "Played this game"! What kind of talk did you have with yourself? Did anything change after you had the talk? I'm asking you to be very honest with "YOU" not anyone else.

I can honestly say I have had that talk with myself on more than one occasion, but this time something stuck. Maybe it's because I'm in my forties now and have really embraced the gift I've received.

Here are some other things that I've learned that have helped me to stay on track:

· Get plenty of rest.

· Eat slowly and chew my food thoroughly.

· Eat until I'm satisfiedl, not "Thanksgiving full".

· Find an exercise program I really enjoy

· Drink more Water.

· List all of the things for which I am grateful.

So, here's my challenge to you: Try these suggestions for 1 month and notice how differently you feel, physically as well as emotionally. If you find that you feel better, and are experiencing some new sensations in your body and attitude, then consider extending this experiment for another month. This time, add one or two things that would introduce a small degree of change to your life. This last one is key: introducing too much change too fast just sets you up for failure, so keep it simple. I like the KISS acronym: Keep It Simple, Silly.

I would love to hear your feedback. How are you feeling about the changes you are experiencing?

Edited July 23, 200818 yr by CoachCher

I feel like maybe I can write this similar story. I know I am not a couch potato so i just get depressed when the scale doesn't move. I am willing to give this a try just to take on the challenge. Need to lose another 55 lbs to reach my initial goal--- hmmm

OMG - your story is my story! I'm 18 months post op, but I was the opposite a little of you. My 1st 6 months I gave it my all, and then after an accident I had to have surgery and I just started eating whatever I wanted, when I wanted it, and absolutely no exercise.

I'm now at 18 months and haven't lost weight in a year. So, I just had this talk with my self this week. I headed back to the gym on Monday and have been there every day this week so far. I've started planning my meals out again, and eating good stuff. I feel better already!

I'm newly banded (3 months out) so I haven't had the long-term struggles of someone thats been banded for a year or more. Saying that, I have to talk to myself everyday. I have to remind myself of why I don't want to eat whatever I want and why I have to exercise. This lifestyle hasn't become a habit for me yet. Challenges come daily. Sometimes I face them and overcome then and at other times I fail. I try to learn from those failures. Of course I love the success I've had thus far. I love new clothes and the newfound self confidence that has been bottled up for years. Those are good reminders of why I don't need to digress to my "old ways". I've lost weight in the past, always to gain it again. This time it is for life. This time I have something I never had before; my band, support and I love me. The last is the most important.

Stick to the band blueprint and you will do amazing!! I know it's hard and it takes ajusting, but if you believe in you and what you can do you will see the success you want and deserve!!

Keep up the good work, you are on your way.

Hey Leslie,

You sound like someone who is driven and have taken the time to map out your course.

Having your band, support, and self love is a recipe for success. Stay the course and you will do amazing!!

Remember if you do veer off course you can always readjust and get back on course, we all have had to do it at some point in our journey.

For those of you having problems with the lapband, here's another story. I was scheduled to have lap band surgey on 7-23-08. My insurance does not cover this procedure under any circumstances. Therefore I prepaid the entire cost of $15,000. As I was lying on the gurney with my IV going and awaiting the surgeon - he finally arrived late for my surgery. He told me I had been rejected for this surgery. The anesthesiologist found an electrolyte imbalance that is unacceptable for elective surgery. I was crushed. So anyway, you guys remember that you are lucky to have the opportunity to have the surgery even with the other problems you encounter from the whole business.

Thanks for listening,

Jackie

Thank you for posting this blog entry. I am starting my fourth week post op, and obviously no fill yet. So, I started out last week playing the "see how much /what I can eat game" with myself. Fortunately, I didn't get sick but I did get "thanksgiving full" at least twice. I finally had to have "the talk" with myself. First and foremost, I had to express how immature my behavior was. Ulitimately, I had to admit "who was I fooling? My doctor, the nurses? Yeah right! They're not the ones with the weight problem and co-morbidities. So, I snapped out of it and got serious. I'm planning my meals, logging my intake, and getting in at least 30 minutes of walking everyday (I generally swim but can't until after my first dr's appt.).

I'm so glad to see that I am not the only one to have the "falling off the wagon" experience (even if I'm only 3 weeks post op) but more important, I'm glad to know that support is out there for us to get back on.

All the best.

I would like to hear from someone that has had the lapband surgery for more than several years. Have you kept the weight off and is it still a struggle to keep it off? I would like to know about the long term struggles of the surgery. I am thinking of having the surgery and was just wondering how it will be years from now. My problem is I can do a diet for awhile but can I do this the rest of my life.

Over 2 years out and food is still a struggle. My battle is with "band friendly" food. Sugars and chips. Too easy to eat. Low was 186 and I've crept back up to 204 over the past 6 months. I'm gearng up for a fill (had a slight unfill for acid reflux) and getting back to basics.

I wish I had never strayed. I knew I was getting lazy. Thought it would be easy to go back to the rules. Not!!!

have i ever played this game???? I invented this game!!! I am new today to this forum; although, i do subscribe to a couple other bariatric surgery websites. I am right along with you right now; and, i have having such a hard, hard time mentally. I, too, thought this was my miracle. In a sense, of course, it was. I have multiple medical problems and had battled my weight for most of my adult life. I was blessed that my insurance paid for the entire process and continues to cover my fills and visits. I am 10 months out from my lapband and have lost 68 pounds. In my reasonable mind, i would like to lose 31 more pounds. Of course, that will be no where near my ideal medical weight; but, it is a weight i could live with confortably.

but, here i am. Eating the easy foods....ice cream, milk shakes, cheese, Cookies...the list goes on.....i can even choke down a candy bar. I am so so so very disappointed in myself-not the 68 pounds...but my lack of dedication to the rest of this road...the exercise i can never seem to stay dedicated to as well as the foods even a lapband patient needs to avoid. I know that i need to fill my little pouch with better food choices; but, i am someone who has had bad eating habits for 20 plus years and i am beginning to struggle.

thank you for your words of encouragement and 'game plan'.....i needed to read those words from someone else in my boat.

i will visit this site often and i hope i will have days of good reports...........thanks

I have been banded for 3 years. I have gone from 350lbs to 198lbs and still loosing. Although very slow. Everyday food is a struggle. All I can tell anyone is dont give up. Food is alot like any other drug. Once an addict always an addict. That is how it was for me. I can honestly say if I had to do it all again I would.

Food addiction is real. Some people do not understand that. They think we can stop eating and that we just do not want to try. I am so thankful for my band. It HAS changed my life. It has given me a tool to help control my eating. Right now, I am just going through a tough period with eating the wrong foods that will make it through my band with no problem. No regrets on the surgery. I am just needing to get over this hump and get going in the right direction again. I can at least say that I have not regained....only become stagnant.

I'm a total loss. Even though we paid for the surgery it seems I won't use it properly. I lost 17 pounds then it seems I just quit working with it. What is wrong with me. My husband lost his job soon after and we had to relocate. We are getting settled now and my husband says "are there any more excuses". I don't know if I need to try another fill. My doctor doesn't accept failures and I don't want to go back to him. I'm stuck.:thumbup:

When I was first banded, I read this forum page by page making note of the most successful. One common theme was they had a positive attitude towards their journey.

This is a new chapter in the book. Conquering complacency.

10 months out and eating what doesn t make me slime...i m losing but veryyyyy slowly.had a fill last week and it doesn t seem any more restrictive than before.i had a scoop of vanilla soft serve ice cream 3 days after the fill(with my 30 y/o daughter)and today she is harping on my eating habits!

I am here looking for help~~and found it.!

"band friendly" ~~wonderful term.i can go to taco bell and have 1/2 of nachos supreme and belly feels good...no choking.

Can eat pureed chicken-a bite of ground beef-a super soft scrambled egg bite or any similar proteins and almost instantly slime/barf.!

I was defensive and said"what do you want me to eat"-i m so tired of chicken broth-low fat yogurt-sugar free pudding...etc.

I don t pig out-i don t eat cookies/candy-etc.but i am easier with mashed potatoes or potatoe soup-instant grits.

Wrong foods.!

I am reminded here that i had committment in the beginning-and need to renew that .!

I will be back on here every day for strength and support.i have 53# off and 25 to go. I want to have this my life style. Not to ever-ever go back to "fat grama".

Thank you all for your testimonies......