The Wagon...

[prat72 0]

Not only do I feel I have fallen off the wagon but been run over by it. I have lost 41 pounds in 4 months and I am excited but I can't seem to get the scale to move. Why? Oh, it's so my fault. I do good during the day but 1/2 cup at dinner who am I kidding. I have had 3 fills and feel restriction but not enough to stop me from eating. 3 Weeks ago I had a small unfill because I couldn't eat. So now I'm able to eat over 1/2 cup most of the time. I am eating 3 meals and a snack everyday. I am trying not to snack at night but not having much luck. I need to get back on track. Could you help by giving me some tasty quick meal ideas and grab Snacks. I have found salads are no longer my friend.

[gloglo 0]

I too am having the same problem. Somehow i thought that if i got the lapband, i would not have to diet again. I am so angry with myself because i have gone back to pre surgery eating habits. After my surgery i had great restriction for two weeks, then all of the sudden i was hungry and could eat without restriction. My surgery was 3 weeks ago. I lost 11 pounds and have gained back 3 pounds. Today i went for my second fill, i now have a total of 7 ccs in my band.

some how i have to find the will to get back on my diet again. I am a carb addict and i know this is my downfall. how can i stop self sabotaging and get back on the wagon again?

[Phranp 46]

Without "proper restriction" (i.e., the sweet spot) it is no easy task to stay on the wagon or even get in the wagon. There are those who will tell you that you must eat according to the diet your doctor gave you, or that you must eat healthier etc, etc, etc. They are all correct! But, you and I both know that if we were so good at that we wouldn't have gotten the band. Some of us can manage to eat "right" without the sweet spot and some of us can't. That being said, I used to have the hardest time just like you. I could follow my food plan during the day with ease, but when the sun went down I turned into a ravenous munching monster -- and never the good munching stuff either. I tried EVERYTHING. But, you may do better than I. I will suggest the 100 calorie snack packs and if you can stop at one pack, GREAT! Also, if you get enough Protein at dinner you might make it through the evening. If your hunger is actually "head hunger" and not a lack of nutrition, you may need to journal, or talk to a therapist or a good friend -- someone that understands where you're coming from. One thing I tried that may work for you: I would make sure I ate a lower number of calories during the day so that in the evening if I went a little crazy I would still be within the number of calories that I wanted to eat for the day. May work for you, may not, just a suggestion. Eventually you will eat as well at night as you do during the day.

I am at my sweet spot and I no longer munch all night. In part because I can't keep down more than a cup or so and in part because I have been working so hard lately that I am too exhausted to overeat ... all I want to do is sleep. LOL

Ultimately, you will have to decide whether you want to reach your goal quickly, whether you want to go leisurely or ... if you want to go kicking and screaming (for a while I chose the latter, I'm much better now, thank you very much ). It's a journey and sometimes we struggle, but this forum is full of great information and support. If my suggestions don't work for you, there will many others here and maybe one (or more) will have a suggestion that will be just right.

I wish you the best on your journey.

[kellyodoran 12]

Without "proper restriction" (i.e., the sweet spot) it is no easy task to stay on the wagon or even get in the wagon. There are those who will tell you that you must eat according to the diet your doctor gave you, or that you must eat healthier etc, etc, etc. They are all correct! But, you and I both know that if we were so good at that we wouldn't have gotten the band. Some of us can manage to eat "right" without the sweet spot and some of us can't. That being said, I used to have the hardest time just like you. I could follow my food plan during the day with ease, but when the sun went down I turned into a ravenous munching monster -- and never the good munching stuff either. I tried EVERYTHING. But, you may do better than I. I will suggest the 100 calorie snack packs and if you can stop at one pack, GREAT! Also, if you get enough Protein at dinner you might make it through the evening. If your hunger is actually "head hunger" and not a lack of nutrition, you may need to journal, or talk to a therapist or a good friend -- someone that understands where you're coming from. One thing I tried that may work for you: I would make sure I ate a lower number of calories during the day so that in the evening if I went a little crazy I would still be within the number of calories that I wanted to eat for the day. May work for you, may not, just a suggestion. Eventually you will eat as well at night as you do during the day.

I am at my sweet spot and I no longer munch all night. In part because I can't keep down more than a cup or so and in part because I have been working so hard lately that I am too exhausted to overeat ... all I want to do is sleep. LOL

Ultimately, you will have to decide whether you want to reach your goal quickly, whether you want to go leisurely or ... if you want to go kicking and screaming (for a while I chose the latter, I'm much better now, thank you very much ). It's a journey and sometimes we struggle, but this forum is full of great information and support. If my suggestions don't work for you, there will many others here and maybe one (or more) will have a suggestion that will be just right.

I wish you the best on your journey.

what is your current weight?

[Phranp 46]

Kellyodoran, I have no idea what my current weight is because I was obsessing about my weight and weighing every morning and getting mad when I didn't like the numbers. So, one day I stepped on the scale and it said "Lo" as in the "battery is lo". I decided that this was a good time to stop making myself crazy and I stopped weighing. I only know that I need new clothes but, because I don't feel I have lost enough in the stomach area I refuse to buy new. So I wear the same clothes every week. It's getting very boring. The legs and hip area of my pants are starting to look a little ridiculous, but I'm just not ready to give in ... but I may have to soon. LOL Most of my tops are too big too. My stomach is the last place I lose, so I want to give it another month to see what happens.

[danide 0]

I have not gotten my surgery yet (9/7) so I don't know how much I can add to this but... are you exercising? That will really help a lot (even with out the band)- even just a few trips up and down the stairs, jog in place for 10 minutes, lift a chair up and down several times, do leg lifts or squats while on the phone- point is just add some extra activity here and there. and if you ARE exercising- maybe check out some fitness websites to get some tips to boost yourself again. Sometimes (so I was told), if you do the same routines- your body levels out and its not challenged anymore and hits a plato (sp?) so change up your routine a little or add weight training to your routine- I hear that helps...

(like many fat people who have been there done that a thousand times- I could be a personal trainer and nutrionist if I was just able to maintain myself :thumbup: and keep it off ).

As far as snacks- I think thats going to be my tough spot too! are you eating Snacks because you are hungry or you are just bored and want to munch? if you are hungry- add more protien to your diet. but if its just to munch.. you need to find things that are low calorie or at least very low fat.

some ideas maybe- low fat frozen yogart (turkey hill has awesome flavors just make sure you check the fat percent cause some are still pretty high but most are very very low and some are zero), fat free pretzels (or will those get stuck?), fat free string cheese, frozen grapes, italian ice (at least you have to work to eat it so it takes longer to eat), fat-free pudding packs, fat free yogart, as previously mentioned 100 calorie pack things (but I cant just have one lol), sugar free lollipops, baby carrots (even if you add fat free dressing), apples slices (they now sell pre-packed snack packs of apples and carrots). Hope some of those are helpful!

[Manda87 3]

What kind of foods are you eating? That's so important. If you're eating 1/3 cups of chips, pudding, ice cream, etc. then you won't lose weight. Also, are you exercising?

[LeighaMason 19]

Not only do I feel I have fallen off the wagon but been run over by it. I have lost 41 pounds in 4 months and I am excited but I can't seem to get the scale to move. Why? Oh, it's so my fault. I do good during the day but 1/2 cup at dinner who am I kidding. I have had 3 fills and feel restriction but not enough to stop me from eating. 3 Weeks ago I had a small unfill because I couldn't eat. So now I'm able to eat over 1/2 cup most of the time. I am eating 3 meals and a snack everyday. I am trying not to snack at night but not having much luck. I need to get back on track. Could you help by giving me some tasty quick meal ideas and grab Snacks. I have found salads are no longer my friend.

Do you mean a 1/2 a cup of food is your whole meal? If so that is probably the problem. If you eat 1/2 cup at Breakfast and 1/2 cup at lunch you are overeating at night because you are starving. If I don't eat enough during the day it leads to overeating at night. Once I get too hungry, I am hungry for the rest of the day.

When I was in the losing stage I ate 2-4 oz of meat (by weight on the scales) 1/2 cup of veggies and 1/4 cup of starch at each meal. Keeping each meal around 250-300 calories. As an example, lunch 2oz of fish, 1/2 cup green Beans, and 1/4 cup mashed potatoes.

[kellyodoran 12]

Kellyodoran, I have no idea what my current weight is because I was obsessing about my weight and weighing every morning and getting mad when I didn't like the numbers. So, one day I stepped on the scale and it said "Lo" as in the "battery is lo". I decided that this was a good time to stop making myself crazy and I stopped weighing. I only know that I need new clothes but, because I don't feel I have lost enough in the stomach area I refuse to buy new. So I wear the same clothes every week. It's getting very boring. The legs and hip area of my pants are starting to look a little ridiculous, but I'm just not ready to give in ... but I may have to soon. LOL Most of my tops are too big too. My stomach is the last place I lose, so I want to give it another month to see what happens.

Thank you, I understand how even if your doing everything right that darn ol scale might not budge. Even thought your clothes are getting too big.!

[Phranp 46]

Thank you, I understand how even if your doing everything right that darn ol scale might not budge. Even thought your clothes are getting too big.!

Oh, duhhh me... I can tell you that when I stopped weighing several months ago, I had lost about 55 lbs.

Also, the clothes that are too big for me now are not the clothes I was wearing before surgery; they are clothes that are 3 sizes smaller that a friend gave me BEFORE my surgery that I hadn't been able to get into. Now that are getting too big, YAY!