I just went to fitday.com and entered everything I have ate today. I had 2459 cal., 102 fat, and 301 carbs. I don't know what to do with myself. I feel like a failure. How am I going to get myslef to stop eating. DO I love food more then I want to loose weight? I never realized how addicted I am. I spent all this money for what? 25 lbs. in the past 5.5 months. I'm thinking I should have gotten the bypass, then I wouldn't have been able to eat these things. Did anyone have this problem? if so how did you stop? Maybe I need to talk to someone?

How is your fill level? We have all been frustrated at times because we are eating the wrong things. Tomorrow is another day. Are you eating ALL your protein? Are you drinking enough water? Those are all factors. Bargain with yourself: if you eat all your protein and have appropriate meals (meat, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, etc) allow yourself one special treat in the evening. Do NOT buy your treat in bulk though or else it won't work. Trust me... I've lost 96 lbs in a little over a year and every single day of that time I have had a special coffee drink (sugar free iced white chocolate mocha with carmel) and a candy bar. I screw up when I buy 2 or 3 candy bars at a time or get a whole bag of chips or make a whole batch of cookies... Except for rare special occassions I try to avoid all those scenarios. Best wishes, Teresa

I kinda know how you feel. I was banded 5 wks ago and I feel as if I have no restriction so I just eat like normal...well, not normal, just like I did before surgery. I keep wondering if I should have just foregone surgery and just stayed the way I was. At least, I wouldn't have such feelings of failure.

We just have to snap out of it! My therapist told me if I have a bad day then go back to Clear liquids for a day to see if that would jump-start me again. But really, I HATED the 2 wks of clear liquids and couldn't even make it the entire

14 days! I am hoping that things get better for you and me!

Have you had a fill lately? How is your restriction? Are you eating lean protien first? Are you getting 8 glasses of Water a day?

I have found that junk goes down like water, I feel no restriction when I eat chocolate, potato chips, and any sort of junk and I never feel full at all. When I eat solid protien first, I am full on a standard bandster portion (1/2 cup)

I have also found that water loading 10-15 minutes before a meal helps me to cut down what I eat (I dont know how that works, but it does)

If you feel like you need to talk to someone, you should.

CathyCat -

When I felt like I was failing at this whole band thing, I decided to start journaling everything right away on a notebook and kept it in my kitchen. That way before I even ate anything, I already knew how many calories, fat grams, Protein, etc. I had eaten for that day. I also started marking down how many ounces of Water I had already drank and most of the time I was under what I should be drinking. Besides doing that, I got up had my coffee, then an hour to two hours later drank my Atkins Protein shake. At lunch I made myself a two egg omelet and put a slice of Kraft 2% cheddar cheese. I had a string cheese, applesauce (s/f), or a piece of fruit for a snack and then ate whatever I wanted for dinner, but made sure to track the calories I ate.

I know that sounds like a pain in the butt, but it helped me get things under control. The key is to just stay ahead of the hunger.

The band is not giving you it's best when not properly filled. I can PROMISE you that there is NO WAY you can eat that much in a day with proper restriction. You don't have the time or energy, nor do you want nothing but chips and Cookies all day. True, the calories, fat and carbs can add up very quickly, as you now know.

Remember, this is a journey. You do some learning along the way! Don't beat yourself up! Some bandsters have some success doing Nutrisystems or Weight Watchers for a time while adjusting to banded life and find it very helpful.

I like the advice given so far. Get your treat in, journal your food, get a fill! When were you banded? Do you have a fill? What size is your band?

We are all here to help. You can do this!!!

Yes, what is your fill level, and are you eating around the band? Was that day a typical day, or was there something "different" about it?

And you know what? 25 pounds in 5 months is TREMENDOUS!!!! Have you ever been able to loose 25 in 5 before??? I sure haven't, not without my band.

The band doesn't work without a fill. It is sort of like trying to drive your mazaratti car with the cheapest possible gas. Sure, you can still drive it, but you are not going to get good performance out of it.

Be kind to yourself.