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Thanks for the feedback everyone. I had my bat wings, moobs, and tummy tuck all in one go. I'm now 19 days post-op. I had 6 JP drains. The 2 in my arms and the 2 in my chest came out after a week. The 5th one in my groin got clogged somewhere around 2 weeks, so it was removed. The last one is still draining about 85cc / day of a slightly yellow, mostly clear liquid, so I really doubt it'll come out at today's visit. The day after surgery, they tried to stand me up. I passed out, probably because of low blood volume. Because of that, I spent a total of 3 days in the hospital, but by the end I was doing laps around the nurses' station. I had a button for pain meds & an IV antibiotic while I was in the hospital, plus Norco (hydrocodone + tylenol 5-325). A Norco every 4 hours actually worked better for me than the button, and that's exactly what my doctor prescribed for me to use at home. I also tried 500mg tylenol to see if I could get off the harder stuff sooner, but nope. I went from Norco every 4-6 hours down to just a Norco at night, down to nothing. I've been off all pain meds since day 15. The scale numbers are just plain depressing with all the fluids (and probably weight gain from being out of the gym),. My shirt size is now a men's medium! I was somewhere between a large / XL. I started working from home at day 14. I'll start going back in to the office on a regular basis once this last drain is out. Here's some tips I learned: You need lanyards for the JP drains. The nurses will pin them to your hospital gown, but once you start showering, that does you no good. Amazon sells a box of 25 for under $10. Use Glad Cling-wrap once you've only have a drain or two to keep dry but have otherwise healed up enough to shower. Don't be afraid to cut a hole in the butt of your compression garment for #2. My particular compression garment looks like a men's one-piece swimsuit from the 1920s. It has clasps and a zipper down the front. It also has a hole in the front for #1, but no flap in the back for #2. Especially with drains in your arms, it'll be hard to get in and out of the garment to use the toilet. The compression garment I got tended to roll up my thigh and cut off the flow, so my thighs collected a lot of fluid. A bed wedge or pillow + workout tights under the garment worked wonders for this. I wish I had a tip for getting rid of the glue from all the bandages. Nothing worked. I tried water, soap, ice, oil, and rubbing alcohol. I had to scrape it off with my fingernail.

I'm confused by some of the items here. Before you read on ... understand that I'm asking this because I want to believe so badly that you're RIGHT. I'm not being argumentative. I just am hesitant. Set me straight if I'm wrong here. Hummus? Isn't that really high in fat? The label I see (online) says 24g of fat. Do they even make low-fat hummus? Beef Jerky? Isn't that crazy high in sodium? That equates to retaining liquid, meaning weight gain. And sodium means high blood pressure too. The sugar free pudding I have here says zero grams Protein. I'm sure the Jello is no better. What brand are you using? I found only one or two varieties of Boar's Head products that are low sodium. Traditionally, lunchmeat is loaded with sodium. Peanut butter (the normal kind) is pretty high in fat too (16g for Jif, one serving is 25% of your daily intake!) Ok hold your fire for a moment. Maybe I should explain myself better. My nutritionist said to worry about protein, sodium, and fat content, before worrying about calories. If you can find something high protein, low sodium, and low fat (and low sugars), then the calories are less of a concern. Yes, I'm focused on sodium a lot. What good is losing weight if I still have high blood pressure? Yes, I'm focused on fat somewhat too. Sure, some fat is necessary, but if one serving of something has 30% of my daily recommended intake of fat (for a normal stomach person!), then it can't be good for me. Ok, flame on. Be gentle. Staisea ... I love your term "with a blip of cheese". That's fantastic. Like "bagel with schmear".

Hi There, Haven't posted this thread in ages! I got banded in manchester in April 2007. here is my story so far.. Lindsey, I feel l this is important to know, as the past year I have heard mosly successful band stories, with people loosing their weight from the get go. Firstly..Five years ago I weighed 10 st 8lbs.. had a personal trainer and a body fat of 20%!!! Seven years ago I weighed 17 stone 3 lbs. I white knuckled over six stone off my frame and went from size 22-24 to a size 12 who could run up stairs 3 at a time! This lasted until I got engaged 4 years ago and then the weight started to creep on. I gained 7lbs the week I got engaged because I 'let my hair down' and I FREAKED out!! NOT FAIR NOT FAIR!! Was my mantra, and I became Very Very angry. I just wanted it gone, I wanted it to be fixed and never look back. It was only a 7lb gain but it drove me to distraction and 18months later on m wedding day I was up an additional stone. In hindsight it wasn't such a disaster, but I was just FED up that my sweat and tears didn't shake that F***ing monkey off my back. In saying that I was BEE-AUTIFUL on my wedding day, and I cherish those photos!! I gained about a stone on my honey moon, bringing me close to 13 stone. I tried getting back on track and tackling the demon again with weight watchers, Motivation weight loss clinics, hypnotherapy and counselling but I was totally defeated!! Fast forward 2 years and I'm at my lapband consultation weighing 17stone 10!!! So,I weighed 17stone 10lbs last year at my initial consultation, followed by a 10 day liquid pre-op diet which got me to 17stone at my surgery date. In the following 4 weeks I lost another stone, bringing my total weight loss to 24lbs in 5-6 weeks. That was it..I did the 2 weeks liquid post op and 2 weeks mushies after that and then went back on solid food. To my horror, I felt I was eating without restriction, BUT as I had not had a fill I knew it wasn't anything to panic about. So, because I fly to manchester to get my fills, I didn't make it over until June for my first fill. I was maintaining at 16 stone but hadn't lost a pound since starting back on solid food. After that fill, once again to my horror I felt no restriction and started to feel quite down that this band was all a cod and I had spent my money on what? This feeling continued and I said nothing to anyone but it was obvious there was no restriction as I could eat anything, and my mam sister & husband were kinda saying.."what's the story?" And i was feeling mortified, but "dieting" to maintain at 16 stone. This continues until September when I finally made it over again for my 2nd fill. At this point I was up 4lbs and embarrassed that I wasn't doing as well as 1..I thought and 2...as well as other peoples tickers were showing on this site. That fill made me feel no different either and I was able to eat Steak, Crisps (my worst weakness) Anything really. WITH THE EXCEPTION of McDonlds or any french fries/ nuggets/chicken gougons.. they were painful and would come back up as a PB.. So hey...I was getting somewhere. But Nope.. Depression..this band wasn't the magic wand I had told myself it was, I was putting too much faith in it, I didn't want to do ANY work loosing this F***ing weight AGAIN..I just wanted to EAT and LIVE LESS LIKE A "NORMAL PERSON" There was my problem, I wanted the band to magically transform me while accepting no personal responsibility for my actions either. After all, all I wanted was not to think about this weight loss thing anymore and for it to just happen to me! So I gave up AGAIN and said..waste of money, waste of time..once again defeated and this is how it is and always will be. My mental attitude was all wrong, I just couldn't face it anymore. So since Sept of last year, with Chips McDonalds Gougons etc being my only restrictions I started binge eating again, and binge drinking and could see my face getting puffier and puffier right before my eyes. In Jan this year my first Nephew was born and it made me face everything again and I decided to come out of my hibernation and contact the clinic again to tell them that I was failing miserably. To my surprise they were saddened for me and that I had gone MIA on them and wanted my over straight away to help me get back on track. So I joined Weight watchers again..weighing in at 18 stone 3lbs (Jesus!!) And went to Manchester that week for another fill. This one was aggressive. For almost two weeks I struggled to get anything but soup down. I am tight. I have hope again and I am doing my damndest to get focused and loose this weight realistically and the band IS Helping me this time. I can't eat much, but I still drink too much, and twice in the last 3 weeks I have somehow managed to scoff 8 bags of crisps in one sitting (but it takes hours instead of minutes) why and how did I manage this when I couldn't even get porridge or scrambled egg down? I just don't know, It was total after drink binge eating. But twice in 3 weeks instead of daily, and suffered the consequences of mush crisps in my neck as a result. I have lost 3.5 lbs in 2 weeks still (Oh wow..big swing..only 90 more to go) But I can't allow myself to think like that. I am now geting water back into my daily routine, cutting down on the alcohol and I am STAYING with weight watchers, and If it means ONE pound a week that's what I will take. I am too long doing this to expect starvation and horrible extreme dieting to be the answer to my prayers. I Have to LEARN to do things differently. For anyone who drives, here is an analogy that describes exactly how hard it is to change being a subconscious/ emotional/ habitual eater. If you drive, that is something you had to learn to do. At first it was difficult, you had to concentrate, you had to be conscious of looking in your mirrors, changing gears and steering. In the beginning you couldn't talk on the phone or scratch your head while concentrating on driving. 15 years later (for me) I can drive, talk (even on the phone), scratch anything that's itchy, change radio stations/cd's all while I'm driving because it has become subconscious. All the driving manuevers have become second nature and I don't need to instruct my self anymore what to do coz I just do it. Now, Imagine UNLEARNING how to drive a car? How can that be done? That is is tantamount to the challenge I have at hand now. I have to unlearn how to do what has always been second nature to me, I have to unlearn how to do what has put me in this situation at the age of 32 and that is not going to happen today, tomorrow or even this year. BUT...IT WILL BE DONE..however slowly, it will be done. I will never white knuckle it again. I will never loose 7 stone again only to gain it back, my will won't let me which is why my will has given me this whole past year of struggling to learn this lesson. What have I learned? I have learned to begin UNLEARNING. THAT is my weapon and that is what I will do. SO, I won't be slim for my nephew's christening in May, or for my birthday or for Christmas..But I will be UNLEARNING. AND I WILL BE MY OWN TEACHER, I will stumble and fall, but I will learn to get up and walk on. I will never be perfect but I will be smarter, wiser and happier. There is my experience. The Band IS great, but it is not plain sailing for someone like me. It is helping me definately, no doubt about that now, but it is not as strong as whatever it is inside me that has been yelling for the last year to get my attention about how to do this once and for all. That is my epic, my story, and I apologise for the MASSIVE post but it was to show that not everyone has the same experience with the band and that ultimately the issue is MUCH MUCH bigger than a pice of plastic or food a diet. This is coming from someone who's communion dress was let out because of weight gain at the age of 6.

I have been on depression meds since 1984. It has been so long now, that I just consider them additional Vitamins. I have had to change types over the years, and in fact blame a bit of my weight gain on the depression puills. Anyway, my advice would be to keep the two issues as separate as you can. Treat your depression as it is needed. Treat your VSG sysmptoms as well. But try not to combine them. Not being able to eat is depressing. No doubt about it. i am going through a real tough time right now with solid foods (7 weeks post-op). We still go out to eat. Here is why. Before I would have spent 10-15 bucks on dinner and 10+ more on beer. And that was to eat unhealthy and drink beer. Now we go out and I spend 10-15 on dinner (and 4 bucks on ice tea - they should be arrested for a felony.... sorry got off on my soap box there.). So before I spent 10-15 and now I spend 10-15. The difference is that I eat 1/10 of it. It bothered me at first. then you know what. I said poo on it. i am going to order what I want and eat what I can. I bought it, it is mine, if I want to sticvk it in my ear I can. So if I do not eat all of it - so what. A watse? sure. If I can not take it home it is a waste. But you know what? It is your business. eat what you can. I have also come to the realization that I am eating so little, that I can be a bit more adventurous with my foods. 10,000,000 million calories a serving? Not for 3 teaspoons it is not!!! I am finding that in my period of really struggling (I took Monday off because I felt so bad and down and was not eating enough), that a treat is in order. I had some baby back ribs last ***ht. Took me 30 minutes to eat a few of them.... but so what. I think everyone in the resturant could hear me lick my fingers.... ha ha ha I am enjoying these... I would take 2 bites or so and then simply wait 5 minutes before eating any more. It worked okay for me. If I eat too fast bad things hapen, so go slow and enjoy whatever amount you can. Do not let the reduced portion size make you crazy, allow the yummy-ness of the food to speak for it self. And finally, some part of your depression has to be related to your weight and that has to be getting better. So, with all the struggles, there has to be some good feelings about the weight loss and the improved appearance. And that has to help with the depression. I can fully understand your position, (I am in it right there with ya), it will get better. And you will look and feel better. Right now just figure out the best way to enjoy what you can during this short period of adjustment. I wish you the very best of luck, and you have friends here - all understanding of your situation, keep us informed and reach out when you get down.

Is there a reason you guys picked Dr. Farhan? I wasn't really sure of what surgery I wanted. I really don't want the RNY because of the dumping and weight gain. Can you feel any restriction yet?

It is so good to hear from you Simply Southern. Keep your chin up! By now it can only get better! Lisa, I'm so sorry that you are going through all of this! Hopefully your doctor can finally figure everything out for you soon! I too am now struggling with some weight gain. It helps to come on hear and read everyone elses issues, and they are not far from our own. We are all truly blessed to have a brand new lease on life! 2013 will rock for us all!

Worked in property management for quite a few years, had a "I had kids young and don't feel like I have had any fun moment" so i went out and took classes for firefighting. Got one good season in as a wildland firefighter in 2002 and then it got interesting from there. After back surgury, some problems with my heart and a TON of weight gain (I have never been small by any means but was soooo much healthier) I find myself temporarily back as a community manager for a property manangement group. I am currently going back to school for a few different things..... 1. I am going to finish my degree in fire science (only have 12 credits to go) so I can put a "diploma" to all the hours and hours of time I spent in class. 2. I am taking classes at Clayton College for a bachelors of Holistic Nutrition (this is just for me so I can learn a better way to take care of me and my family for the long run) 3. I am going to Arizona in September to get certified in permenant cosmetic application. My goal is to find something to do with the USFS that is fun, only part-time and only in the summer, plus not as stressing on my body as fighting fire, then I can do the permenant cosmetics on the side as a creative outlet (that just happens to make really good money) so I can enjoy the last few years my boys are home (they are 12 & 15) and have flexible schedule to spend time with my wonderful DH that doesn't have a flexible schedule (he is a police officer).

I am just starting solids and have been terrified to eat much because I don't want to see the scale go in the opposite direction. I have read numerous times that the body is healing and that one should not worry about weight or weight gain. Because I am already losing slow and it would hurt my poor lil feelings if the scale says I gained weight. I am easily discouraged and feel that if I see a gain when I am trying I would be devastated.

I was reading my medicine I've been taking for my eyes - Most people only have to take it for 1 or 2 weeks, I've been having to take it for a month now. Anyhow, one of the side effects is WEIGHT GAIN! I noticed my face is very round this morning, and so I started reading the side effects and come to find out, I'm taking steroids. I didn't realize it was steroids, I thought I was just taking antiobotics. My eyes are healing, however, I am not at a crisp clear 20/20, and I'm just one of those slow healers, not sure if its because of my diabetes or what, but I always seem to take longer to heal. Anyhow, that helps to explain my dramatic weight gain I think. I am hoping to be off the steroids at the end of this week. I go see my eye doc on March 3rd, so I'm hoping she will take me off of them. I hope everyone had a great weekend.

168 today. Didn't meet my goal but am still super happy to be in the 160's. I am still down and made it through the holidays without a 10+ lbs weight gain like a typical year. Onward to the next challenge. A huge thank you to you Susan???? for running these. These challenges are a huge motivator to stay on track for me ????

I’ve always been heavy. Even as a kid I was the chubby kid, the funny class clown, the best friend. After high school I attempted different diets, all of which failed miserably. I was a Theater geek so it always hurt to not get cast into the characters I wanted to play. After various relationships and weight gain and loss I finally found the perfect person who I’m going to marry who is my partner in crime and hands down slightly funnier than I am. Slightly. When we started dating I knew our weight was a problem but it wasn’t until moving to Orlando that I really could tell that it had affected us. I was never a person to actually want to have kids but being with Holly has made me the happiest person in the world and I want nothing more than to start a family with her someday. So, I am excited to announce and pleased to share that we have a surgery date TOGETHER. That’s right we are doing this together and together we are both having the duodenal switch surgery. When I say that this went fast I am not exaggerating. April 12th - Orientation May - Various appointments (blood work, EKG, stress test etc) May 21st - Final Appoinments (psych evaluation and nutrition class) & Insurance Approval May 22nd - Call from surgeons office to schedule dates. Holly’s Surgery - July 30th My Surgery - August 2nd IM. SO. EXCITED!

Well I have a bit of a hiccup to report. After suffering some pretty bad migraines, and not really being a migraine kind of person, my doc sent me for an MRI just to make sure I was all good. Long story short....I found out Friday that I have a tumor on my pituitary gland. It is benign, so praise the Lord. But it will have to be removed surgically as it is causing my headaches and messing with my hormones. And YES it is causing me to be completely unable to lose weight! And my acne that I'm suffering from! So now I'm waiting to hear from a neurosurgeon to get a consult and surgery scheduled. While I'm terrified and dumbstruck that I have this tiny alien growing in my brain, I am relieved to know that there is a reason I have been stuck at the exact same weight for months. In fact, I would bet money that had I not had the sleeve, I would probably weigh close to 300 pounds now because excessive weight gain is a side effect of this. Life can never be simple, can it?

Haydee, I hope you dont have that gene too... you are next to be mom???? Laura... I love my wellbutrin but they are all different for different people... Lexapro and many others cause weight gain... wellbutrin can cause insomia but i have lots of energy, and sometimes decreases appetites... just an fyi... just make sure you ask! my 20lb gain made me more depressed!

Yes, I read there’s a term called snatiation for the sneezing. I thought I was getting a cold as I had a runny nose and back to back hard sneezes soon after surgery so I googled it and realized it’s a real thing (not a sickness.. thank goodness). 9 days post op and the sneezing has subsided. I lost about 13.5 lbs in the first 7 days. Now I gained back 1/2 lb so I’m down 13 lbs. I haven’t lost weight or gained in about 3 days. I’m not too worried because I was sleeping a lot and recovering from surgery plus I’m due for my TOM so I suspect just like b4 surgery my cycle will cause a stall and perhaps a slight water weight gain and then right after my cycle I will drop again. I’m def able to drink more now and very little sneezing so hopefully it goes away for you too. Now I just feel full just like b4 surgery, but with a smaller tummy. Best of luck!

I agree with what everyone has said on this subject of slight weight gain. It messes with our mental health at times, and finding the correct balance is not easy. I think it is aLao a moving target depending on our current health, ability to exercise, ect... .

Congrat AuriP on getting your walks in. Just got caught up reading all the posts since Beni started this group. Lots of good tips. Thanks Beni for starting this group it helps me keep focused on the long haul. No more struggling up steps, no more airplane seat extenders, no more buying clothes I really don't like just because they fit, no more giving excuses to get out of day trips that consist of walking more than 2 blocks, no more Cpap, no more Pre Diabetes & no more yo yo dieting & weight gain. KarenAllen you got this .... You'll be home soon. October is a great month to finally win the battle!!

Congrats to all of you. You are all doing such a wonderful job. I didnt realize how pregnancy and gaining weight were going to affect me. I go up and down 5 pounds, but I have put on about 4 inches around my waist. I am pregnant with twins, not for sure if I told you guys that or not. I have moments when I get down about weight gain. I am eating like crazy and still have all my fill. I guess I was just going so hard at losing weight that now I am having trouble adjusting to the fact that I am suppose to gain. I know in the end I will be able to get back on track. And wow, who would have thought how far we would have come in 6 months!!

GoyaChula, first of all you need to discuss this with your band surgeon, but the standard is that you need to wait 12-18 months after being banded before you try to get pregnant. You need to let your body heal and get used to your new lifestyle, and that will give you time to lose the majority, if not all, of your excess weight. I am almost positive that your surgeon will tell you that you need to be on hormonal birth control right now. If you have had fertility issues due to weight gain, you will probably become more fertile as you lose weight. Many bandsters have become pregnant without trying, after years of infertility, because they have lost weight. I got married very young (age 18) and have been married for almost 14 years. I have had bouts over the years of really wanting to get pregnant, but we chose to wait, mostly for financial reasons but also to grow together more as a couple. I understand how it feels when it seems like everybody around you is pregnant or has children. Most of my friends have children, including those several years younger than me. I have always been big but also gained weight during the marriage and hit 302 pounds at my highest point. When I turned 30, I felt ready to get pregnant in every way but physically. I knew I wanted to be at a healthier weight when I got pregnant and that is part of why I got banded. A little over a year later I am 14 pounds from my goal weight, feel great and am trying to conceive with the support of my band doc and my OB/GYN. I would suggest that you and your husband focus on getting healthy now and think again about getting pregnant a year from now (or however long your doctor advises to wait). You have plenty of time. That's my opinion.

I know that I had been fatigued and tired for years. I was willing to try anything. although I slept okay, I slept restlessly, awakening several times a night. I complained to my PCP for years. I have been told that I was depressed, had hypothyroid, too much cortisol, etc. I finally decided that my weight was the problem and that if I lost weight I would feel better. The weight doctor decided to send me for a sleep study. I discovered I had sleep apnea.I feel like a new person! Or better yet, like the person I used to be. It took awhile to get used to the machine but once I got used to it, wearing it feels very coomfortable. sleep apnea is associated with weight gain so now I'm wondering if I had recognized it earlier would I even need lapband surgery?

Oh woowww..yayyyy.! Congrats!!! Thanks for sharing this info. I was soooo, concerned Bcuz I was thinking it wouldn't work. But, have ur metabolism boosted up since the surgery? And did u experience any weight gain after the surgery

I'm 2+ years out, and I don't eat Pasta and haven't since surgery. I'm personally choosing to stay away from anything "white"--pasta noodles, bread, rice, potatoes. They are processed differently in our bodies which can possibly cause cravings and hunger (and weight gain). I eat pretty clean, because let's face it, eating the way I did before didn't work, right? I was morbidly obese and so unhealthy. The "little of this and a little if that" theory works great for most people early out pre op, because let's face it, you're going to lose some weight no matter what. But there's going to come a time when you can eat more, you're hungry more frequently, and can tolerate pretty much everything. So what's the better choice then? A cup of linguini or a cup of zucchini noodles? A cup of white rice, or a cup of a whole grain rice that's actually good for you? A peice of white, starchy bread with 150 calories,or a peice of grainy whole wheat bread with 80 calories? All that stuff adds up the further out from surgery we are and causes weight gain. I'm choosing to eat more deliberately, both for my health and for ensuring I'm maintaining my weight. I take pleasure now in being able to run a couple miles and fit into size 6 jeans, not just food. I'm not perfect, but I know if I stick to that 90-95% of the time, an occasional english muffin or piece of cake isn't gonna kill me. That's what "moderation" means to me.

Linda This band is NOT the magic cure to your food issues - it banded your tummy not your brain... Only you control what goes into your mouth not the band. The band does not take away all your hunger and it doesn't take away you thinking about food (imho) - it is a tool to control portions The reason we are all FAT right now is cuz we ate alot of food (high fat - high sugar and didn't exercise) That is the plain and simple fact. My typical dinner pre banding would be 3 tacos w/beans (made w/lard) then a hour later 2 more tacos & Beans with tons of cheese and then 1 more taco before bed and then during the middle of the night brownies - Cookies - ice cream and all I did was sit on my butt- now typical dinner 4 oz fish - 1/2 cup brown rice - 1 - to 1 1/2 cup veggies - 2 sf pudding and sf fudgecicle - or sf angel food cake w/dannon yogurt - am I still hungry - sometime even though my tummy is full - this is head hunger. You have to plan what you are going to eat, you have to shop, you gotta weigh thing to know what a correct portion size is. will you have to do this for the rest of your life - hopefully not once you learn what a true portion size is - we fat people have a whole different definition of portion size - "I use to say - who came up with a pint of ice cream being 4 servings - hell that's only one serving" You gotta work at this - the band isn't going to do it for you We are going to be hungry for a while (both head hunger and withdrawls from our addiction)- we are use to eating alot of food but we just don't realize that we were/are eating huge amounts... Got to the thread "At or near Goal" ask those people how they got there - did the band do it or did they do it. I bet most will answer that they made wise food choices and exercised and ya they had some help from the band but that they did most of the work not the band. I just think that too many people think the band is going to do all the work and that they don't have to do any... you are told only to expect 1 -2 lbs a week - if you want more - exercise more... If I lose only 1 lb a week I am happy - but I am working at this lot harder than the band is.. I make wise food choices 1000 to 1200 calories a day which I log and I walk 10- 13 miles a week. The band is only a piece of plastic it can't make your food choices or do the exercise for you... My Doc & Nutritionist said that these were my guidelines- #1 Protein 60 grms daily, low fat, low sugar, 3 meals plus 2 healthy Snacks - Vitamins, Calcium. I am allowed to pick and choose what I eat - I am not limited as to what I eat - just that it's healthy and in size with correct portions - 1/4 cup ice cream (sf) instead of the whole pint made with real sugar & cream. In our lives we allow for a margin of error – which we should also do when trying to eat healthy – if you are eating 1000-1200 calories a day – allow for some of those calories to be used for a little bit of something you really want (chocolate - have a healthy choice fudgecicle - it's s/f & 80 calories)- you need wiggle room in your diet to make it work (I save my morning and afternoon snacks for night time which is my worst time) – the all or nothing practices has to be thrown our of your mind. You can learn to reprogram your mind to strip away the guilt that comes with dieting. You have to realize that it’s not that the first slice of cake that will doom your diet – it’s the second or third or whole thing that leads to weight gain. You have to listen to your body & respond smartly to your cravings and emotions but over time you will learn how to eat right and mange your craving and that’s when you’ll train your brain to stop obsessing about eating right and punishing yourself – If you stop over thinking you’ll stop over eating.. Good Luck on your journey

I cheated but then my surgery was cancelled anyway as there were cancer patients that required surgery - I was a backup and if they didnt have beds I would have got surgery and when they took me in to get changed and stuff I almost crapped myself because I had cheated - Thankfully they didn't do the surgery but it was then rescheduled for another 2 weeks after which meant I had to stay on the preop - which I didn't I ate as soon as I left the hospital and then the next day but went straight back on the shakes. Didn't cheat at all and then I rang the hospital to see what time I needed to be there the next time and I wasn't even on the list - So I ate dinner that night which I think I had every right to lol. Now my surgery is scheduled for the 12th (next tuesday) and they rang me on the 1st so I didn't start the diet until the 3rd, I've definitely cheated, I had a piece of bread with ham and cheese and then a cracker with vegemite and cheese and also an egg, I don't feel guilty at all because doctors are to blame for the cancellations and my weight gain and they've even admitted that. My surgeon's nurse also rang and basically I'll be having surgery on the 12th no matter what (thank god.) I know it's hard for people to keep on track but I don't see how doctors can expect you to be perfect when the shakes/preop diet they assign you is dishgusting, I've heard of a woman whose preop she could have fish and salad with dressing - I'm not allowed that but if I was it would have been way easier to stay on track

I know DerbyGirl my toy chest is getting full! Most of what I was buying was for that 1100 mile bike I have been planning. It looks like next year before I do that. I talked to my nephew Sunday and it looks like the 100 mile Everglades trek is on for October! That will have to do, I guess. Denise, it is good to hear from you, sorry you are having to endure library p.c.s. I had a slip this is the second time. The doctor I am seeing is pretty commited to saving the band if it is possible. I threw a little fit when I realized there is a real threat of losing the band. I have decided that negativity is counterproductive, so I am focussing on excercise as well as smart/wise food choices. It would be very easy for me to say I now have no help and start going back down the path of huge weight gain. I prefer not to, so I am going to get as much exercise whenever and wherever I can. I am also restarting my food journal and tightening up on the types of foods I surround myself with. JC

Band _Groupie - Wow we are in the exact same boat. I had to have an unfill two months ago and I am now up 11 pounds from my lowest weight. I am also watching myself and doing my best this week (and next). If I have not started to lose again, I'll go in for a very small fill. I havent been on LBT in a long time. It's my weight gain that brought me back. Here's hoping you and I both start to see the scale moving down!