Am I the only one that thinks this is a diet?

[pickles123 0]

I had surgery in August 2009. About November I started telling my doctor that I didn't think the band was working. I did lose 50 pounds but I was just dieting as normal. After 7 fills and March 2010 my doctor came to the conclusion that my band had a problem.

April 1 I had my port replaced. It was a defect in the port from the get go. I have the surgery pictures and the port has been sent back.

Since then I have had fills but not much motivation. I think I am near my sweet spot; but it still feels like a diet to me. You need to watch what you eat just like any other diet; but I sometimes feel that I am not getting enought fruits, veggies etc that I would in a regular diet. Plus you have the getting stuck to worry about.

I have done WW in the past and done just as well. I just could not keep it off. Thus the band.

I know I have a attitude problem right now. I just don't want the pre-op patients to think this is easy in any way shape or form.

Sorry just a little rant because I am having a hard time right now. I know I will get back on the wagon just like we did when we dieted; but, I expected so much more.

If you have had any sort of revision, would you please respond and tell me if you had this same type of feeling?

Or just respond with some good ideas.

Thanks for listening!!!

P.S. A great weight watchers recipe with o points. Of course calories but they balance Fiber with calories to get points.

It is call Healthy salad and is really good if you like cole slaw or chinese childen salad

4 cups shredded red or green cabbbage

1/2 medium English cucumber thinly sliced

1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced (I used much less)

1 large garlic clove thinly sliced ( I didn't use any)

1 medium green peppper thinly sliced

1 medium carrot thickly shredded

Dressing:

1/2 tsp salt (or to your taste)

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 1/2 T. Sugar (I used splenda)

1 1/2 T. Apple Cider Vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 T Water (I thought this a little old but added it)

1 T fresh dill, chopped, optional) I did add this

In a large bowl, combine cabbage, cucumber, onion, garlic, green pepper and carrot. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Chill in refrigerator, tossing once or twice for about an hour. Yields 1/2 cup per serving.

I think next time I will add a little chicken for the Protein and it will taste almost like Chinese chicken salad minus the noddles.

It was really good.

Have a great day!!!

[shelley1057 0]

Hi Pickles- Thank you for that delicious looking recipe. Can't wait until I can try it! Sounds like you're having some motivation issues due to all your set backs. I imagine it's easy to get discouraged when things don't go as planned. Some folks have this LapBand with the idea that they'll still be able to eat all the wrong foods, just not as much. I think we have to remember when we undertook this decision that it was a TOOL to use with changes in our eating to achieve healthier bodies and lose weight. But with the kind of set backs you have been having you're still having to rely mostly on your willpower which makes the job harder. Time to psych yourself back up! I don't know what works for you but just know that falling off the wagon or losing our motivation is not failure... just a misstep in the process. And you also know there are a lot of people on this site that hope and pray for your success! Good Luck!

[btrieger 21]

Diet checklist:

• Going to bed hungry? Nope!
  
• Foregoing foods I love? Nope!
  
• Going to quit when goal is reached? Nope!
  
• Counting calories or carbs religiously? Nope!
  
• Hating life? Nope!
  

Nope, not a diet.

[pickles123 0]

Thanks for the encouragement Shelly. That was a really nice post.

I am not one to give up so I know I will get back on the wagon. Just disappointed in how I am doing right now.

I am a perfrectionist type person so in the end I know I will lose these last 30 pounds,

My motto is that you are not a failure unless you give up and I never do. (I just take breaks)

Enjoy the recipe it is really good.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

[pickles123 0]

btrieger.

Sounds like you have a great attitude going there. Keep up the good work and definitely take advantage of your age.

As you get older the exercise is harder and the calories become fewer for weight loss.

I know I had expectations of quicker weight loss and I think that is my problem. But as you well know the turtle wins the race.

Thanks for the support.

Have a great evening!!!

[btrieger 21]

Thanks for the kind words.

Losing weight fast or slow is still losing weight. There is no hurry. Life is not a race and if it is, do you know anyone that is looking forward to the finish line?

A positive attitude is a far more powerful tool than the Lapband and they work great together.

You're doing great. Give yourself more credit. You lost 50 pounds with a broken band. That's more than a lot do with a perfect band.

[pickles123 0]

If anyone is interested I put up the surgery picture of the defective port during surgery. It is still attached to me but laying on my stomach while they try to figure out where the leak is. My doctor is very cool.

I think I put it as "Surgery Picture of defective port"

Neat to see where the actual seal is not there.

[Nean4488 1]

Oh I think this is def a diet! You said you lost 50 pounds eating normal.. you should feel good about that. Im almost at the 50 pounds mark and I have busted my butt to get where I am. I eat right all the time and I work out 5 or 6 times a week for at least an hour. The weight is coming off slow, but its going at least. But I work so hard for those two pounds a week if im lucky!

I would agree this is for sure a diet to me but on this diet I stay full and thats the only difference that I noticed.

[pickles123 0]

Congratulations Nean, You are doing great. I hate those posts that say this is the easy way out.

Have a great evening!!!

[Humming Bird 275]

You have had a bump in your road to success, that's all.

I hope now that your band is repaired things will go better for you and you will feel better about the whole journey.

As for thinking this is a "diet", no, not a diet for me. If it is a diet, it is the easiest diet I've ever been on (& I've been on ALL of them over the years)

You have to find what works for you. Some people really need to obcess over every calorie, every gram of Protein or carb, every calorie burned, every oz. of Fluid intake ...... If that is how they reach their goal, then what a great thing!

For me personally, I write down nothing, count nothing, weigh/measure nothing. I follow some very simple rules. I chew my food well, take my vits. every day, try to eat food that is good for me, try to keep my Protein up by drinking a shake a day .........

It has worked well for me for the first 95 lbs. It is just now that I may need to start tracking or "dieting" to take off that last 19 lbs.

My way may not work for other people. I have a feeling that things will start getting better for you. Hang in there. Thanks for the recipe. I'm going to give it a try.

[Nean4488 1]

For me personally, I write down nothing, count nothing, weigh/measure nothing. I follow some very simple rules. I chew my food well, take my vits. every day, try to eat food that is good for me, try to keep my Protein up by drinking a shake a day .........

It has worked well for me for the first 95 lbs. .

GREAT JOB!!! I couldnt be more jealous. haha

[pickles123 0]

Thanks for all the support.

I just wanted to say I lost 50 pounds eating on my normal Weight Watchers diet. Not eating as I use to. That would be a disaster.

It is just 9 months of no restriction and now I think I have some. I don't want to be do tight. I would probably do better a little tighter but I just hate that stuck feeling. What did I get stuck on? Raw carrots.

[emjay 8]

I'm with Hummingbirg on this one. Much of the weight came off without tracking calories, and moderate exercise. The last 15-20 have been where it's taken a bit of effort to lose. Upping the exercise, tracking calories (not all the time, but within a certain time period to see how many and what works for me), and really watching what I eat. When I do the scale rewards me, when I don't - well you know.

My band is on the loose side and I'm contemplating just a very small fill to make it a bit easier to keep my portions in check and my hunger. But I do like that I can eat anything right now and don't have any sliming or pbing. I like that fact that I know my band right now. If I stay determined I can get the weight off and get to goal - I just know a tiny .1 cc fill would help things along. I don't know if I'm willing to pay the price yet.

[kellyjoiii 19]

Pickles,

Sometimes it is good for some of us to see the hard task of living with a band. Letting US know that it is normal to have problems, to have second thoughts and to know that it is normal to have these things. I LOVE MY BAND, that being said, I have figured out how it is just as hard work with the band as without. I am glad you got your port fixed and wish that it hadn't taken so long for you. Kudos to you for the losses...and I must say, you are an inspiration. I get stuck more since my fill last Friday (I have a total of 5.5 in a 10cc band) and thought for a day or two that maybe I had a slipped band. I have taken a step back, and taken a stand to stop rushing. I think my problem is eating too fast and too big of bites. It's hard. Just as hard as with traditional weightloss I think. Have a great day!

[LeighaMason 19]

I consider my band a diet but it is a diet with an end.

I could adopt the approach that Hummingbird (and lots of others) use but I am more of an aggressive type person, not better just different (OK, really, I am probably a control freak to a fault). So I plan my meals, measure everything, journal everything, I have a structured workout plan and a goal date. Its what works for me.

Once I get to goal I plan on adding calories a couple of hundred at a time each week until I find where my balance point is and I will continue journal my food until I know that I am eating the correct amount and then I will stop journaling

once I am comfortable that I have it under control.

So yes, I am on a diet, but the difference is this diet has an end. Thank god!