♕ajtexas♕

PBing can irritate your throat or you could be getting sick. I would suggest calling your doctor. In the mean time try a day of liquids and see if that make it feel better. Good luck.

Welcome back Chrissy! You have made the first step with contacting your doctor, that is great. In the mean time you can start evaluating what you are eating & how much. Start logging your food on paper or with an app. When I was first banded I kept my food log on paper and I would also log how I was feeling at the time or what happened that day. It was a food log and a journal all in one. It help me identify some triggers I needed to watch for. Also, start walking. Go for a 10 minute walk to the end of the block and back. Work up from there. Basically start moving. Finally drink at least 64 oz of Water a day. Add crystal light to it if you don't like plain water. And for support stick around here. I come to this site every day for support. Made a lot of wonderful friends who encourage me every step of the way. You can do this!

I want to eat when I'm bored. So, if I think I'm hungry I'll find something to do. I'll go for a walk, do some crafts, get online, anything to stay busy. The other thing I do is have a drink if Water, that often stops the hunger. Hope this helps.

Look at what you are eating. Do you log your food? Are you eating Protein first? Are you drinking enough? Are you physically hungry or is it just head hunger?

I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. My first suggestion would be to call your doctors office and see what they are willing to do for you. Payment plan or something so you can resume your care. It's important that you get your band checked out and make sure it hasn't slipped. Second suggestion would be to get back on the band lifestyle. measure your food, eat Protein first, then veggies, small bits and chew till mush, etc. It sounds like when you do eat you over do it and irritate your band causing issues the next day, (I'm not a doctor this is just my opinion). Good luck to you.

Fingers cross & prayers for you.

Yes it is normal. I think we all feel that way. Now, time to forgive yourself and make the changes in your life to be happy and healthy. You can't change the past, but you can set the future.

Cindy the reason for the post op diet and slow moving to food is that your stomach needs time to heal. If you where to eat solid food then your stomach muscle would have to work and could rip out the stitches holding the band in place. So doing liquids then mushy food gives your stomach time to heal. This is what my doctor explained to me.

If only we could band our head. That would solve all the head hunger issues.... but no such luck. For me, I stay busy. If I think I'm hungry I find something to do or I drink a glass of Water. I too am an ex-smoker and when I quit I had to find things to do with my hands. I would knit or crochet anything to keep my hands occupied. As for emotional eating, it's tough and still gets the best of me sometimes. Yesterday we had 50mph winds blow through central Texas, they blew half the roof off my house and blew over our portable chicken coop. My husband and I had to gather up all the metal roofing from our front pasture last night, wasn't fun. To top it off one of my dogs was MIA. I was stress and very upset to say the least and all I wanted to do was eat everything I could find. I logged everything I ate and found that I eat almost 1800 calories (1200 is normal) and that extra 600 calories was junk. That was yesterday and it's behind me now. All I can do is move forward and hope that I can manage better next crisis (cause I know there will be one). Do the best that you can and learn from your mistakes, this is a journey for life. PS my dog came home after everything settled down.

Helen, thanks so much for sharing your story. I am so glad you found us and are working with your band to find success. Good luck to you.

I use an (free) app on my phone called Eat Slower, it is a timer for your bites. You can set it at any time (I set mine for 1 minute). When I go out to eat I set the app on vibrate and hold my phone on my leg (no one can see). I take a bit, chew it and wait for my phone to vibrate & then I take the next bit. It has really helped me when I'm eating out or eating with a bunch of people that don't know I'm banded. This is what I do, hope it helps.

First off, you are not a failure. It is time to stop thinking that way. This is a long journey with lots of ups and downs and you have just begun, When I first started I kept a journal, a notebook (not a computer app). I would list what I ate, when I ate it and how I was feeling at the time and anything else that was on my mind. What I found was some patterns and trigger points (times) to watch for. Now when those triggers resurface I recognize them and do something to stop them (go for a walk, drink Water, etc..) I learned to fight the head hunger and feed the physical hunger, You can do this.

Her profile states that she was banded in 2005. My recommendation is look at what you are eating. Do you log your food? Now that I am at goal and in the maintenance journey I fear old habits creeping in. It sounds like that might be what is happening to you, in my opinion. Are you still following the bandster rules? Protein first? 1 cup per meal? I don't know if you have a nutritionist but I would recommend meeting with one and evaluate your daily meals. Good luck to you.

Careful, Jean. I think he wanted you. Definitely flirting.

Thanks for this article Jean. It's an eye opener.

You did all the work! You are rocking this journey, girlfriend!!

Agreed. Studies show most marriages end in divorce with or without wls.

My husband is my biggest cheerleader. He is so very proud of me. Oh yeh, sex got a hell of a lot better, too.

Very very true. This is your journey & noone elses.

Lost 79 pounds, 6 pant sizes. Banded February 2012. Band saved my life!

I agree with Missy. You are missing the fruits, veggies & dairy in your diet. Definitely not balances in my opinion.

I've been banded a year and I still catch myself cooking too much food. I also take left overs for lunch or I feed the left overs to my chickens, they love it when this happens. lol

You said you eat even when you are not hungry, that is head hunger and no WLS is going to stop that. The band will help with your physical hunger but only you can change your head hunger habits. I eat when I'm bored so if I'm bored I have to find something to do. I go for walks, do some sewing, read, get online anything to distract the mind from thinking it is hungry. Find out what your triggers are for the head hunger and address them. The band is a great tool for the physical but will not help with the head. Good luck to you.

If only we could band our heads. I've said that many times. I eat when I'm bored so I try to stay busy. If I think I'm hungry, I ask myself "Are you bored?" and if the answer is yes I find something to do. Go for a walk, do some sewing, get online, etc. 9 times out of 10 if I do that then the "hunger" goes away. If I do snack, like tmf I eat health snack foods.