Never Got Onboard

[Doc'sWife 56]

i have to side with everyone else on here. you are beating yourself up. you are doing a great job. as everyone else says this is not an easy process. most of the people who get this done have been overweight there whole lives. it takes more than a surgery to change habits. i totally get the drive through issues. i love me some arbys. every once and a while its ok to have something you want to eat just not all the time. I decided that once every 2 weeks i will have something small if i want it. you can't be expected to eat 100% healthy all the time. not even athletes and other thin people do that 24/7. so keep on truckin chikky

[LargeMediumSmall 3]

No problem. I guess my doctor is a litle over ly optimistic when he says the band can work for everyone. He actually said that at a seminar this past Saturday. I just feel so bad for anyone it doesn't work for and my only consolation is the belief that there must be some other divine plan for those folks. I've struggled with food all my life, even when I was in the Army I struggled with weight. So I'll just send out lots of prayers for those who try the band and hope that they don't fall into any negativity or roadblocks. Thank you for clearing up some misconceptions I may have had. I have a tendency of focusing intently on the positive all the time. I just tend to be a very positive person and sometimes forget that things just don't work out well for everyone. Thanks for reminding me of that,

Best of luck.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I have a tendency of focusing intently on the positive all the time. I just tend to be a very positive person and sometimes forget that things just don't work out well for everyone. Thanks for reminding me of that,

Best of luck.

Whoa...don't apologize for focusing on the positive! That's a good thing and probably why you've been so successful! If we don't focus on the positive, it becomes too easy to give up!

.

[Momto3redheads 18]

Oh my goodness - please don't beat yourself up so much!! You are doing fine - this is a new journey for you and not one you will master in only a few months. Don't compare yourself to others or worry about what you "should" be doing...just take everything day by day and do the best, not looking back, but looking forward! You will do fine.

My doctor stressed to me the importance of letting my body heal the first 6 weeks after surgery - so I didn't lose a thing, I think I actually gained a lb or two! But I really didn't care, as I was focused on the long term, not the short term. I knew I wasn't going to be a beauty queen in a few months time, so I didn't let it stress me out. (stress affects your weight loss too!) Once I started to feel restriction and wasn't getting hungry between meals - it was like magic....I truly wouldn't have believed it after chilling in "Bandster Hell" for those months....where I was hungry and sure that this band wasn't going to work for me, either! I didn't excerise at all the first year....I am a working mom of three and had a 6 week old when I had the surgery - so time for myself was next to nothing...and truly it wasn't a priority for me...I was focused on enjoying my last baby! I lost about 80 lbs the first year - and since then have lost another 20...though I seem to be bouncing up and down a few lbs thanks to the holidays! I would like to lose more, but I know I will have to get serious and exercise to see real results - I actually kinda feel like I got lucky losing as much as I did without exercising....but maybe chasing the kids and going up and down the stairs constantly with laundry did the trick!! LOL

As for cravings.....they may not entirely go away....but they do get less intense, I think. Last night my hubby made mini hamburgers and so I thot I would eat one with a bottom bun, since it was thin....nope, the bread was not going to happen! Yet I have friends who have the lapband that CAN manage some bread....but what is funny is that I don't miss the bread, fries, etc, at all...I just miss the convienence! My current addiction is Wendy's chili - it is sooooooo good and full of Protein...it makes me feel full the longest. I make my own smoothies at home with Herbalife Protein powder and then add some extra powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Protein Powder --- the more Protein you are getting the less hungry you will be....try to just beef up your protein in the day, don't stress over a journal as it won't help you if you are obsessing over it...just take baby steps and make small changes....and the results will come!

Hang in there - I hope that you go to a support meeting as those are helpful....you can see others in the same boat as you and get ideas and encouragement. It is priceless!

blessings,

Kim

[Doc'sWife 56]

also if you are having difficulty with finding stuff you can eat there is a lap band cookbook that i bought on Amazon. it has alot of yummy looking recipies in it.

[chica125kml 0]

Congrats on losing 27 lbs. I'm only a half a month behind you and I think you're doing terirfic. My doc said that the first 2 months is really about healing not as much about the weight loss. And good for you getting the basics down. I have to actually time my self when I eat because I have a habit of eating way to fast plus it's so hard for me not to drink while eating. Just remember that we aren't on the biggest loser---we aren't going to lose over 100 lbs in 2 months. Also remember that you will always have support here!

[Melly26 0]

Im actually having the same problem. Although i havent had any fast food since my 1st fill,last week, it is still tempting.. i still find my self snacking through out the day. Im only at 4 cc in a 12 cc band, so i guess im gonna have to get a few more fills to hit that "sweet spot" everyone talks about. I have zero energy and im not sure how some of you guys do it. i work a 9-5 full time, and go to school full time and im a single mom. I have only lost about 5 lbs total from the preop liquid diet and i was banded almost a month ago, i feel like maybe i could fail with this too, as i have failed all other means and this was my last resort.

[Cangel76 1]

This is truly one of those things that is about the Journey not the end result. It is a tool that is supposed to teach us to take better care of our bodies. It is like giving up any other addiction, if one falls off the wagon, as a therapist we often say, "the guilt is the only thing that makes you stay off the wagon." The idea is, yesterday, I ate crap food, carbs, carbs, carbs. Plus I had a chocolate covered cherry, only one, but I know that every day I am going to learn to behave better with my food intake. I also allow myself a little bit of the one thing I love, whatever that is. So that I am not depriving myself. The hardest thing for me is when it comes to the liquids, I sometimes drink with foods I am eating, I know, naughty, but if food is dry I take a small sip and then chew it into the food.

You will get there. I really recommend finding an exercise routine and this does not have to be horribly difficult, things like parking farther away from a store and walking instead of looking for the closest spot. There are other options like if you have stairs in the house go up and down a few extra times a day. Another great thing is to get a Pedometer, it measures the amount of steps you take, wear it, and try to make a new goal for yourself every week. See what your base line is and then increase it in small increments.

Be patient, but most of all, be kind to yourself.

Oh yes and it is so easy to give this advice, but living it is difficult. I am frustrated too with no fill in over a month I am starving. I am, however, going to the gym every day and lost a pound and a half in a week. So the gym does help, if you can't afford it, add in exercise however you can.

[LargeMediumSmall 3]

Please read my post on Making Peace With food. I am a self-professed recovering compulsive over eater/food addict. I think a lot of others here are also. We may or may not fit into the DSM V categories for addictive disorders but food can be an addiction.

I'll just say this. Recovering from this is a daily battle. Some days we win, some days we lose. The band is there to help us gain a little control while we learn to deal.

The band can be tricky, fickle & unpredictable but it's still a great tool. Hang in there and just keep seeking support and listen to your heart.

It's been 14 months and I would say I've had a pretty easy time with it but it still throws me for a loop and confuses the heck out of me sometimes. One day I can eat a certain type of food and the next week I can't. I'll occasionally tighten unexpectedly then losen up. I'll get a fill, then unfill, then fill again. I've just learned that sometimes it can be a little bit of a high maintenance deal but it's worth it to help me with my eating issues. The band can be a tricky little bugger but it just takes time an patience to figure out how it works for you. I figure that some day I'll get the hang of it.

BTW, did your doctor give you the Lap-Band Solution book by Paul O'Brien MD? You can get it on Amazon. That book answered a lot of the before and after questions for me. I actually bought a copy for my sister in law who had her surgery in another state and apparently had little to no follow up care from her doctor's office. The wonderful support staff at my doctor's office is probably one of the reasons my process went smoothly.

Just have patience. You're doing fine. At about the 10th month I got online and started reading about people Youtube that had lost 100 pounds in 6 months. I freaked out and wondered if I was doing something wrong. Turns out my 4 to 6 pounds a month loss was right on target according to my doc. It's 14 months now, I'm down 90 pounds and have very, very little extra skin. Just a little in the belly area. Nothing a good pair of Spanx can't fix. So each person's process is different.

You'll do great. Just have patience. Good luck.

Best of luck.

[mwinston2000 1]

You are doing great!!!!! Even if you feel you aren't "fully onboard" look at all the weight you've lost. How many pounds would you have gained if you weren't banded?? We all have times when we need some extra motivation, that's what this forum is all about!!

[GardenGal 2]

Hang in there. You are doing fine. I am 14 months into my band. I've lost 80 pounds it it took me quite a while to get the hang of the band. I now speak at my doctor's monthly seminars because I am so pleased with the results. I could have lost more had I exercised harder but I didn't. I've had a lifelong love/hate relationship with food as I suspect many other banders did. I've taken the time to really explore this journey I'm on and feel that I understand the mind, body & spiritual aspects of the lap-band weight loss process. So if you need someone to talk to you can count on me. I know I'm a perfect stranger but sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger than your closest friend because they can be more objective.

Let me say this, and of coure I am speaking only from my own personal experiences and can't speak for others....if you are still struggling with hunger or demons of the drive through your band may not be tight enough. The band works so well when it is adjusted properly that you really shouldn't even want that stuff. And frankly, if you do end up ordering, you should only be able to get in just a few bites before you feel uncomfortable. And honestly, at this point in your journey, if you overate those favorite foods until you threw I up because of the familiar and comforting taste, I'd truly understand. Been there. That too, will pass.

If anyone ever told me I would no longer crave fast food, french fries, or carbs I would have told them they were full of it. But when my band is properly adjusted I don't. Here's the thing....you are new to this. It will take a while for you to develop a new relationship with food. They say it takes 30 days of doing something for the brain to develop a new 'habit'. The same goes for the lap band. Soon you will no longer crave & no longer care about food. Those familiar flavors you long for will simply just disappear. Trust me. It will happen. I can now pass up McDonalds french fries AND cheesecake for the simple fact that I don't want it. Wow, it still even sounds funny and almost impossible to believe as I type this, but it's true.

I was 265 when I started. So I understand that 20-something pounds didn't even make a dent in how I looked. I barely noticed a difference at 50 pounds, but now I see a world of difference and you will too. I hated when would see advertisements on TV...."I lost 19 pounds and 7 dress sizes by doing XYZ program!" Poo! I think I didn't see a change in a single pants size until I had dropped over 30 pounds. So I know what frustration is. I know what psychological weightloss warfare is. I suspect you do too.

The thing that drew my attention to your post was the emotion in your statements. If you were my friend sitting here next to me I'd have to ask you to look at why you chose the surgery. I have a suspicion that at this point you are simply scared. Scared that you went through this process and it is going to fail you as every other diet option has failed you. I'd speculate that you know that your true problem is never feeling full and compulsive (for lack of a better term) overeating. You've tried to control your hunger and eating before but every diet or program just made you focus on food even more. You felt out of control, you hate yourself for the string of 'failures' in weight loss and each time you tried you ended up adding extra weight. Now, you are even more scared because this seemed like the last straw for you and you don't think it's working. It is working and it will continue to work. You just need to understand that it takes time to figure out how you feel with the band, how it works for you, & how to make it work the most efficiently for you. It's kinda a high maintenance little device but I guarantee, IT DOES WORK! I've had my band for over a year now and it/my body still throws me little surprises now and then.

You must remember that this is a life changing journey you are beginning. Mind, spirit, AND body will change. Take it slow, examine all levels of it and deal with one issue at a time and you'll do great. This board is a fabulous wealth of support and information, keep on it. If you need someone to talk to you can feel free to call me anytime. Normally I wouldn't pass out my number but I really feel like you need someone to talk to 678-431-2703 I'm in Georgia so I'm on Eastern time.

Best of luck and I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely,

Samantha Hall

Start August 2009 265 Size 24

Today December 2010 185 Size 12

[GardenGal 2]

Samantha,

I am keeping your email as an inspiration! I have the same fears and was just banded last Friday. Your message hit the target with me. I need to remember what you said!!! Thanks for the post and taking the time to lead us "newbies" through the key hole!