LeighaMason

I am in on the Easter challange, 10 weeks, 2 lbs a week, so I will go with 20 lbs. So my goal is 146. This sounds too good to be true, I havent been 146 in at least 10 years! But I have been losing at least that every week since I started my fills. So here we go...........

Hang in there Dawn, I felt just like you do. I was starving. Plus I was doubting my decision to have LAP-BAND®. I started thinking "oh no another failed diet", and I paid $10,000 for this one! I chose the LAP-BAND® based on the fact that I was always HUNGRY:reddevil: and that is what was causing my weight gain. I didnt drink sodas or eat unhealthy food I was just HUNGRY:reddevil:,even after I just ate. Then I had my first fill and everything turned around. I had to really start eating slow and cut my food into 1/4 inch squares but I was no longer HUNGRY:reddevil:. The hungry devil was gone. During the month after surgery I had to tell myself "I can do anything for 3 weeks", "I can do anything for 9 more days". Resist as much as possible, dont beat yourself up for the weight gain and just try to make it for the next 9 days. Once you start with the fills and are able to eat everything will be ok! I also needed to replace the physical act of eating with a hobby. I know this sounds weird but I missed the physical act of eating. Kind of like a smoker who enjoys playing with the cigarette. Try something like scrapbooking, knitting, cut out pictures from magazines and make collages etc., they dont have to be expensive or even pretty just the physical act of doing something will replace the physical act of eating. You can do it, dont let the doubt win!

I started at BMI of 34 and 195 lbs, I was banded 10/20/09. I have lost 29 lbs and have a BMI of 27.6. I wasn't going to tell anyone that I was banded but my sister told everyone. The most common reaction was "your not big enough for that" however I feel obesity is as dangerous as cancer and I never heard anyone say "your tumor wasn't big enough a problem to take care of". I think everyone is different and should make the decision based on what they think. Not what others think you should do. I was disappointed with the surgery before my first fill, I thought it didnt work and was just going to be another failed diet. However, after my first and second fills I have been losing between 1 and 3 lbs a week depending on how much exercise I get. I weigh 166 lbs now which is less than I have weighed in the last 5 years. I am happy about the surgery but it is a huge lifestyle change. I have to prepare for what I am going to eat every day. I cant just leave the house and think I'll get something later. Not being prepared creates the worst situations for me. First I don't eat because there is nothing I can have, then I get super hungry, then I get somewhere there is something I can eat and I eat too fast and too much, then I am sick. Don't fall into this trap. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. I also didn't realise how important it was to cut my food into small pieces, and by small I mean like the size of your smallest fingernail, small. Plus I have to eat maybe 3 or 4 bites then rest for a couple of minutes before I can continue. I hope these things help you. Good luck.

I had my LAP-BAND® installed on Oct. 20th and I just had my first fill Thursday (Dec. 17th), it was delayed due to scheduling problems. I didn't have any restriction until the fill. I have lost 18 lbs from the first appointment. In my mind, I was just always hungry. I thought that when I had my LAP-BAND® surgery that I would eat less and I would no longer be physically hungry then I would be satisfied. But I have found, that after I had my first fill, I eat the super small portion and I am physically full, then I am mad because I was enjoying the food and I want to keep eating for the pleasure of eating. I had no idea that I had this relationship with food. I guess this is going to be harder than I thought, but the good news is with just 3.5 cc's in a 10 cc band, I can barely eat 1/2 cup of food and I stay physically full for several hours. Now I just have to get over the habit of eating.