I was banded 14 months ago. Did pretty well at first, losing 40 pounds, but then I began to fall back into old habits about 6 months ago and now have gained back 20 pounds. I feel like I am in a rutt and can't get out. I am not sure if I need a fill or not. Supose to see MD in a few weeks. Has anyone been at this point and how do you find the motivation again? Just feel like I am lost.

You have to find what inspires you. Try reading more posts, sometimes someone will write something that speaks to you. Try posting yourself.

I've been in the same rut in the past and I've never been successful with my weight loss, now I know it's up to me to use this very expensive tool.

Just keep trying and you won't be a failure...every effort helps.

Sorry I don't have those magic words that will make it happen for you, but you have those words in you. Look for them, they are there.

My suggestion is to make the fill appointment. If your doc's office is like mine, they will do more than just fill you. They will talk to you about where you are and what isn't working and why. Yeah, you may truly need a fill so it's good to go, but the accountability thing of getting on their scale, talking about where you head is, etc. can really help you out too.

hi crystal,

i did experience "pitfalls" within my weightloss journey.

first and foremost...you can do this....

my experience has been...

when i would fall off the wagon and wanted to get on track....the first thing i would do is to start journalling my food. i used sparkpeople. but there are many sites that calculate what you eat. i found i was fooling myself into thinking i wasnt eating alot. when in fact every little snack...added up.

the second thing i did was to start drinking Water again. it helped me to feel full plus it just made me feel like i was "working my program"

then i started moving. i would start slow like walking. then i got to the gym. that helped me to think twice before picking up junk after i just busted my butt working out.

i also made myself only focus on "one day at a time". in the past i would think of all i had to lose and it would frustrate me.

lastly and this seems to be hardest for alot of people but i think it helped me the most.

i got rid of all my scales and i only weighed 1 time a month. i also measured myself because i was losing inches faster then weight. eventually the weight followed. the scale was my "god" and whatever it said put me in a good or bad mood.

also i read post of people that had a positive lapband program. they gave me strength that it could be done.

anyway good luck and keep us posted.

josie

anyway you definitely can do this.

ocotillo brings up another good point...i also thought to myself "why the heck would i pay all this $$$ and go through such an operation and not be successful."

it wasnt like starting another weight watcher program which i did 1,0000000000000 times before...i had alot more "skin" in the game both financially and physically.

these are just some of the things that motivated me

Well, you haven't had a fill in a year; so I'd think yes you need to accellerate that appointment. AND...you haven't gained it all back. I figure the band is for life and for many of us, that means sometimes we're on a roll, and sometimes we are under the roll!

All you do is just get that fill and get back with it. The band is still in there waiting to help. If you got bored with how you were eating, mix it up. Make an appt to see a nutritionist. Go to WW or Jenny or some such...there is nothing that says you can't do a formalized monitored diet with the band if that type of thing helps you. But get the fill 1st.

I was banded in May '08. I have lost 40 lbs, that's it. I have been at the same wt basically since March, when I had my last fill. I am plenty tight. I bounce around from 160 to 165, up and down. 3 wks ago I found my motivation, my husband's ex wife. He hadn't heard from her in 15 yrs. She lives in Ca, we live in Fla. She emailed pics of their son, and some of herself. That did it for me, I have been on a min or no carb diet. But, no matter what I do, I can't get below 160, I am walking, drinking Atkins, eating protein. I think I've hit that "set" point. I would give anything to see 159, I want to weigh 120. I'm 4'11", and 50 yrs old.

Oh yea, and I am also a slave to that scale. I get on it everyday, and you are right, my mood is set by it. And, the ex wife is coming in Sept and wants to meet me.

You know, the scale can be your best/worst friend. I too get caught up in the weigh every day thing, but it rarely does me any good because my moods will be tweaked by it. Of course I am recently banded and I can't help myself, but I'm going on the one week weigh in starting today. I think for overall mental health, that will help. After I start doing fills we will see, but I hope to do this weekly.

The negative feelings about being a failure are only coming from you (I hope). It seems to me any weight lost and kept off is a positive thing. Routine gets boring and I know I get tired of eating the same things over and over. Like several of the successful losers on this web site say, shake things up a bit. Change your routine. Eat something different, try a different exercise. Do something different.

ee

anavrin...you made me laugh...nothing like the ex-wife to help with motivation.

i'm meeting my fiance's ex end of july and i must say...it got my butt moving.

good luck with yours...