Hello my name is Jorge and I live in Queen Creek, Arizona. I am 32 years old and I weigh 499 lbs, thats if I havent gained all my weight back. I got my lap band surgery on May 12 2008 and I went down from 537 lbs to 499 the week before my surgery. Even after my surgery I was doing good with my preop and postop liquid and soft food diet stages, until about the 3rd or 4th week when I was able to eat regular foods now I am out of control. My food addiction has kicked in. I was supposed to go for my 1st fill on June 25 and I keep postponing because I am so embarrased to go and I feel like I have truly gained some of the weight back. Has this happened to anyone else??? I have alot of weight to loose...my doctor said that my ideal to loose would be 250-275 lbs...so I have a long way to go...and with this setback I am so embarrased to go to my doctors office and get weighed. I have even tried to do crash diets but they don't work!!! I am a carbs addict and I just feel like a total failure!!!...The whole reason for getting this surgery was to loose the weight and feel good physically and emotionally...right now I just feel crappy and emotionally like a total failure...Am I the only one that this happened to??? Is there anyone that has had this happen to as well??? Should I feel like this???

your the only person who is going to judge you, the dr is there to help you and by the sounds of it, you need to have your fill to ge tit started again. i was waiting in the drs office for my very first consult and there was a lady there who was in exactly the same position as you before her first fill and then she had one fill and now looks amazing, as for her it only took one. but whether it takes one or 0ne hundred and one, you will get there. ive only just started on this journey, but it seems like a long one and there will be walls in the way at points, there always is on journeys. you just have to find another way round.

SARAH

I agree with Keisha85 - the doctors are there to help you. They know that food is a struggle for us. If it wasn't none of us would have the surgery, right?

I am just on day 2 of my pre-op liquid diet and I know this is going to be hard, but if you give up now then all of your pre-op work will be lost! My sister just had the gastric bypass done and has chosen to look for things to distract her from food - her Nintendo DS, reading, etc. I don't know your exact situation but keeping busy always works for me to help stay away from the food. Lately I've been trying to exercise when I'm bored - like going to the pool or park. Anyway - I hope this helped you some!

Looks like you know you can't do this alone, so why aren't you letting others help you?

Use the resources available to you. The Dr. and the team he/she has set up to support you on your journey. Perhaps see a psychologist about your food issues. Learn some coping skills. You are not the first to have these issues. You will not be the last.

Pull up your shirt. LOOK at the scars. You took the first step to better health but the band can't work if you don't give it a chance. Thinking about it will not make it fill it's self.

Recommit yourself today. And if you have too do it again tomorrow and the next day and the next, do it. Until you are just doing the right thing without even thinking about it.

Come back to LBT often. Read about others struggles and successes.

Good Luck! Let us know how you are doing.

Amanda

You are NOT a failure. It is normal to gain a few pounds before your first fill. I did. The doctor was not upset with me. I even gained after my first fill because I needed to be filled more. I finally started losing after my fourth fill. It has been slow for me. I learned part of the reason I was not losing weight was because I was not eating enough. I only gained at the beginning, but after six months I didn't gain I maintained. After talking with my doctor and fitness center I learned I was not eating enough calories. So I increased my calories by about 100 - 200 and started losing. Yes, I was working out every day. I am a little off track right now because I have been out of town for a month. It is hard to eat when you are not cooking for yourself.

I think if you stay hooked up with support it will help. I just found this page today and I am so thankful. My doctor is 3 hours away and there is not support here. I think this web page will be a great help to me. It will be for you also.

Remember: YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE!!!

I know exactly how you are feeling. I too have only lost about 3 pounds since my surgery which was the beginning of April 2008. I keep cancelling my appointments for another fill, just to try to loose some weight before I go in because I know the doctor is going to have a fit when he sees that I'm not loosing. But I think it's a game I'm playing with myself. My suggestion is to schedule your doctor's appointment and get back on track. That's exactly what I'm doing. In just a couple of days. I'm going to get my second fill and I hope that will help quite a bit. Right now I have no restriction. I know once we get the proper fill amount, this is a very successful tool. So, get on the phone and get back on track. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE - AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE EITHER. Have a good week.

Onmywaydown,

You are so right. I have an appointment for Monday and so ready for a fill. I weighed myself yesterday to see where I was. I have gained 15 lbs. So if I can face my doctor on Monday, you can too. Tell me how it goes. I know we will get on track. I have to remind myself that I am not a failure, but I am learning. I am just stumbling around right now. At least I am stumbling. Soon I will be walking up tall!! That is my goal...my desire.