Susan Gustavson

I had my surgery over four years ago and have lost over 130 lbs. I have met my first goal and am working on a goal I never imagined, getting to 140 lbs! From the beginning I told anyone who asked that I have a lapband. I wanted to help anyone who asked how I was doing it. The funny thing is that some people act like I have cheated or not worked hard at losing the weight. Most people re curious and supportive. I am amazed at how some overweight people react to me telling them I did the surgery. A few people have been rude about it like I must be weak for having to lose weight this way or like I expect them to choose this too. I hate sometimes how much attention people pay tohowmuch I eat or what I eat. Overall though I would say I am glad I told everyone. Did you tell anyone? Who? Why? What was the reaction?

Do you have any thoughts on why you are overeating? Are you stressed out? Try taking some time to think about what you are trying to solve with food. Food is a poor substitute for companionship, anxiety, boredom. If you know your triggers that will help. Also some foods trigger overeating. If I eat sweet stuff in the morning I will want to overeat all day. If I start with protein, I do better. That said, sometimes I have to restart and I go back to liquids for a few days and sort of rest from choosing what to eat.

Hi Jenn, 4 years out and I still get that mid back pain when my pouch is really full, like right now. So it can be that too.

A couple of things, first is that you are not on or off a diet, you are overall eating differently. This means not just eating diet foods, you have to learn to eat differently. Think about your eating especially when you want to eat in an unhealthy way. I have to give myself permission to eat things like ice cream but not without thinking about it. I like to journal so writing helps me to figure out why I'm doing what I do. I know that if a food is taboo then I will want it more, so nothing is taboo. Second, get a therapist if you are struggling. I chose someone who specialized in behavior modification and not talk therapy. He was annoyingly right. Mylife in generalis better for seeing him. We don't eat the way we do just because we like food. I was medicating myself with food and needed to find better ways to feel better.

Be very careful, I may knock you on your butt. I found I became a really cheap drunk after lapband.

Are you exercising? That helps a lot with cravings. I am 5 years out and down 130 lbs. getting a fill will help but you also need to address the reasons you gained weight in first place. Most of us didn't get this fat because we like food. Think of this time as going through withdrawal. Take extra care of yourself. Lots of sleep, do good thing for yourself, exercise daily. It will get better faster if you can avoid trigger foods, the foods that make you want to binge. For me that is ice cream which is bad because I can still eat that. I just have to stay away from it. I also recommend getting a therapist.

Well, today I am 5 years post op and the difference between my old life and my new life are very different. So far I have lost 135 lbs, I weigh 165 down from 300. I finally have a BMI of less than 25. I have learned a lot over the last 5 years. I lost a lot of my weight in the first 6 mos but i have continued to lose slowly after that. These are the things that helped me be successful. 1. I knew I was a food addict and I treated the weeks after my surgery like detox. I had to clear my system of the toxic foods I was eating and start over again. I periodically juice for a week or two when I know I am backsliding. I knew I wouldn't feel good those first few weeks as I went through withdrawal because I had been a drug addict years before but I knew if I could get through it without using I would do better in the long run. 2. I thank God I had a Dr who talked to me straight and told me there were foods I couldn't or shouldn't eat anymore. Breads bother me terribly so I don't eat them. I didnt eat any Pasta for at least a year or rice due to the issue of swelling. Ice cream and pudding are an issue for me because they are too easy to eat and therefore over eat. Work hard at not throwing up. 3. I got counseling. I knew that I couldn't just give up my coping mechanism, I would just find another one. I needed to find out why I eat and how to control that urge. I eat as a way to lower my stress and hide from people. My layer of fat was a great insulation from the world. Losing my insulation was scary but it opened up a new life for me. 4. Don't drink your calories. I didn't touch soda for 4 years I have had a few since then but they are really hard to drink and I don't really like them. When my weight loss slowed I stopped drinking coffee except once a day, the rest of the day I drink Water. Water is better for you anyway and you will develop a taste for it. 5. Enjoy your weight loss. Not everyone will be happy for you when you lose weight and some people will get really sad because either it didn't work for them or they aren't ready to give up overeating, you can't let that trip you up. I was fighting for my life, I wish all my loved ones could do this too but I can't make them. I deserve to live a good full life though and I can't stay where I was just keep them happy. 6. Exercise! It reduces stress and tones your body along with burning fat. I ate my stress so I need to work out to lower my stress levels. I also really like it. I feel good knowing I can lift weights and do chin ups. I started slow and built up as I lost weight. I love my arm muscles! 7. Loose skin is just a fact. I can't afford the surgery to remove it. It looks weird but it is also a kind of a badge. This is what I accomplished. It is also a reminder to not fill it up again. 8. Reward yourself. Set goals and when you get there reward yourself with something tangible not edible. Buy some nice outfit for yourself, treat yourself to something sexy and the good place to wear it. Take a trip and enjoy fitting in the seats and toilet on the airplane. 9. Don't totally restrict your food. You can eat good things but in reasonable proportions. You can have chocolate but not every day, or every other day, maybe once a week though. Make those things a treat. 10. Take care of yourself. Get enough sleep. Eat right. Go to the Dr when you need it. I let my Protein get low a few times and got really ill. Five years ago I took a step to change my life and I would do it again today if I had to. It was scary but I was determined to make it work. I had friends and coworkers who it hadn't worked for because they didn't want to get enough fills to effect what they could eat or they ate things early on that caused a slip. I wasn't willing to take that chance so I did exactly what the Dr told me, I am so glad I it.