Jules82781

Hi Wendy, I am sorry to hear that you are feeling discouraged. The band is the tool that will help you lose that excess fat. The thing I have discovered about the band is that it makes me completely aware of everything that I eat. I struggle with eating too much, and eating the things that I should not be eating. The thing that I have found that works the best for me is having a strong support system of friends and family that are completely supportive of the effort I am putting into losing the weight. In a way you are right, at times we are our own worst enemy, but it isnt about making a bad choice and beating yourself up it is about what you do after you make the bad choice. Making bad choices with a diet can be completely discouraging and I am not saying that you shouldnt be feeling how you are feeling but I think it would be better for you if you make small goals for yourself and Celebrate reaching those. This process is a one step at a time process and the wieght will not melt off nearly as quickly as it was gained. I use the My Fitness Pal calorie tracker and it has helped me enormously. I find that it can be annoying and tedious at times as far as recording everything I have made and eaten but I also found that now the second someone offers me something that I know I shouldnt eat I take out my phone and look up the calories depending on my calorie goal I may or may not take it. More often then not I refuse food offered by friends or coworkers because I know that it will set me back and I did not put my body through this just to let myself down. You can do this, you are strong enough to make this work. Just believe that you made the right choice for yourself and hold your self accountable for everything you choose to eat and everything you choose not to eat. Good Luck with everything ~ Jules

Don't give up on it yet. You made the right choice for yourself. The thing that you need to remember about this process is that no matter what you weighed before the surgery it did not add up over night and losing it will not happen overnight either. Try to make yourself really think about everything you are eating before you eat. I have only had the band for a couple of months but I am so happy I got it done, even during the times I question getting banded, I am happy with it. When I think about the sheer amount of food I was able to eat in one sitting prior to getting banded and compare it to the amount of food I eat now I am completely amazed. I have only had two fills and they tell you normally that you dont start really hitting the goal feeling until five fills. Please give yourself the chance to be successful and let the band help you make better diet decisions. I have found that even slipping up now and then is no reason to be angry with yourself, I just try and keep in mind that I am trying to overcome 30 years worth of bad habits, and I celebrate every single little victory no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time. Wishing you the best of luck ~Jules

I have only been banded since November 2011 and I am not as enthusiastic as I would like to be about the results either. My best friend/roommate has had hers since July of last year and she has had amazing results. I find myself making comparisons a lot but I always force myself to think these few things and hopefully they will helpl you as well. 1. I do not live the same level of activity as she does since I work in an office and she in a warehouse. 2. It did not take a short amount of time to gain this much weight and it certainly will not take a short amount of time to lose it. 3. I am responsible for telling myself that I am no longer hungry, I have to hold myself accountable for every food that makes its way from my kitchen into my mouth. 4. The doctors said that is would be about five fills before I would really start feeling that full feeling we have heard about through all of the training and appointments. 5. I take the small victories and cherish them, I take the fact that I used to be able to eat one of everything off a menu and not bat an eye and now if I am eating I eat a serving size and am comfortable with it. 6.I am almost religous about using a calorie counter app on my phone. It is amazing what looking at the amount of calories will do to stomp out the supposed hunger I feel. The calorie counter I use is a free app and website they interact so if you add something on one it will be updated on the other. It can seem tedious and kind of a pain at times but I really think it has turned me around for the better. Before any food goes in my mouth I use that and then decide if it is worth it or not. The app is called My Fitness Pal. You set up a profile and then give a goal of weight you want to lose and it gives you a calorie limit for the day. Give this shot it has drastically changed the way I veiw food and losing weight. 7. I think this one the most, I got myself into this and I will not let anything stop me from getting myself out of this situation. I wish you the best in this challenge, and I hope that you dont give up on the band, it isnt the miracle cure but it does offer you the tools to make better decisions and live a healthier life. Good Luck ~ Jules