Hi,

I was home on temporary disability after having 2 heart attacks when I had my lapband on april 4th. Shortly thereafter I had to give up my Cobra health insurance(it was just too expensive) and have only been able to have 3 fills since having the procedure.

I started working again in late September but have been unable to go for my fills now because I work in Far Rockaway,NY and my surgeons office is in Hackensack,NJ. I am becoming very discouraged because all I've lost is 15lbs since the procedure.

I have to be honest, cake had become my friend again. I'd like to talk to anyone from Northern New Jersey/Midtown New York who may have a surgeon who's closer. Also any support or suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't want to be fat anymore.

Edited January 18, 200917 yr by redoingme
to correct grammer

Since you're being honest, I will be too. Cake isn't your friend. Really. It's just food, it's a choice, you won't hurt its feelings if you don't have it in your home.

Good luck finding a fill center. I am unfamiliar with the distances between Hackensack and Far Rockaway, and you say where you work and where the doc is but not where you live (not that I'd know that either!) but

may I suggest taking a day off work and going to your surgeon to get another fill? In the interim you can exercise and make smart choices. With three fills you're probably getting a little help from the band, but you need to keep at it.

And remember...cake isn't a friend, not to anyone. Neither, for that matter, is green salad or grilled chicken. It's just fuel and some work better in our bodies than others. You're just choosing to put the bad stuff in your tank, that's all. You aren't the only one, but you know it's dangerous for you...help yourself stop.

Restless Monkey, thank you so much for your honesty. That's exactly where I'm at right now. I made a decision to look at food for what it is, fuel. So far I've been able to stick with that realization and have lost 5lbs in the last 2 weeks. I had one piece of cake when I went out to a very fancy resturant with the owners of the spa I work at part time. Funny but it wasn't as good as I remember cake being.

Tell me, what do you eat in a typical day? What is your normal Protein and caloric intake?

I just started the job so taking a day off wasn't really an option but I will have to do so. I hope to "talk" to you again sometime.

Good for you! I know I personally often forget food isn't something else...one of my big ones is using it as a timer, like: "I'll eat this snack and then I'll clean the kitchen" LOL There are way better timers than a handful of cheezits. Why can't I learn that? LOL

I don't like cake but I LOVE buttercream icing, so I do feel your "pain". I don't really have a typical day (that's life, isn't it?) I'm in school and each day brings a different schedule and different demands. I too struggle and am trying to not eat snacks, make "healthy choices", and watch my portions. I don't have proper restriction yet either and am starting to get frustrated. SO...my post to you? Save it and you can post it back to me from time to time!

Except change the "cake is my friend" to "food is my timer and substitute for sleep" LOL

I can't get another fill until Feb 5 so I'll hang on if you will. I know it's hard to get time off on a new job but do what you can. We both need the band to provide us with that restriction....it's what the band DOES and we're not getting the benefit yet.