How To Mentally Start Over?

[JinTx 19]

I was banded sept 2011. First 50 pounds literally fell off. Its bee. A struggle since dec. I am now down 58 pounds. I got a fill a couple wks ago but dont feel much different.

I find myself slowly doing stupid things...breaking rules. It starts small...drinking out of a straw...then the other day i drank a whole can of dr pepper. Not diet. Sodas are a no no for my dr. Drinking milkshakes...liquid calories are a no no by my dr.

I break the rules yet i feel let down when i step on the scale. To clarify...when i say the first 50#s fell off...i was still working it. I monitored all my food, weighed measured etc, logged it all on mfp, made good choices.

I am not gaining for the most part...but not loosing either. I know it will catch up to me tho and i will start to gain. Its only a matter of time.

I am ashamed of myself. I know 58 pounds is something to be proud of but i feel like i've let myself slip. I was so motivated and now i feel like a failure bc i cant pick myself up and get my crap together. I only have about 20 pounds to go til goal.

[sherrypep 91]

I know how you feel. I was banded on 12/21 and lost 24 pounds since. I only had one 2cc fill and I have no restriction. The past few days I feel like I don't even have a band. Mentally I have been eating like my old self. I even tried some things I haven't dared since banding like a doughnut. I am also ashamed of myself, but know what I have to do to get back on track. I go for a 4cc fill on March 6th and hope it will help, however, I see now how easy it is to slip back into my old way of eating. Don't get down on yourself just get back on track. I am similiar to you needed to loose about 70ish puonds. You are doing great for just 6 months.

[jayres14 17]

I feel you! I was banded in July and lost 40 pounds in the first five months. I have lingered around lower 180's to upper 170's for the past few months and can not seem to make a break through. I know it is because I have gotten lazy about watching my calorie intake, following the Protein first rule, and stopping the eating when I am no longer hungry instead of stuffed. I am contemplating getting another fill for no more reason than to MAKE me do what I am supposed to and follow the rules. Plus, I know being too tight can be a problem b/c you can't eat the solid food as much and switch to sliders and end up gaining. I guess we are both gonna have to get our heads out of our a$$es and get back on track. Summer is coming and we need to hit the beach with a "no fear" attitude! Good luck and shape up, soldier!

[Sunshyne068 97]

sounds like you know what to do ... go back to weighing and measuring and eating healthy.

its mind over matter.

[laddie1229 18]

Don't beat your self up or feel you're a failure because you indulged in a treat. That attitude will set you up to fail. I have found that allowing myself to have a small portion of what I am craving enables me to follow the rules 95% of the time. That is winning to me, before the band I couldn't follow them 5% of the time. Good Luck

[GLove 44]

Jintx, sherrypep..... Help me out here. i havent yet been banded so I'm wondering....isnt the band restricting you from eating too much? i know it can't make your food choices, but what about Portion Control? i thought the whole idea was that you would not be able to eat too much......

[Kathleen Rogers 3]

I actually got to within one pound of my goal weight and them started eating too many crunchy foods and too many slider foods....I think that I was self-sabatoghing. I have only gained a few pounds but I know it is my head doing this. I need to get back on track. I was so close to my goal. I was banded in October 2010. I lost at a steady rate for a year and almost reached my goal of 60 lbs. lost. Now I am struggling to get that last 4 pounds off. And I'm not really struggling as I am not really trying. I think that I may be scared to actually reach my goal...because, then what?

[GLove 44]

Kathleen....ah, very good question that only you can answer!

[laddie1229 18]

G, yes the band will help with Portion Control if you follow the rules. Healthy food such as grilled, baked or boiled Protein first, complex carbs then whole grains. I am not in the green zone yet but had plication with my band and eat less than I would with just the band. I think my 6 month WW pre-op weight loss helps me make healthier choices post band.

[u4leigh 7]

@GLove, even with Portion Control, this is hard, admittedly way harder than I anticipated. You may see people refer to "sliders" or stuff that slides right through the band... think ice cream, frosting, and other sorts of sweet treats, even candies. You have to cut all of that out on your own. If you follow the "protein first' rule though, you may make it to veggies after having your lean meat, but there's no way you'll make it to dessert! It is all about following the rules. We all learn them for surgery, but I am a convicted diet cheater. I literally pat myself on the back for having a small omelette for dinner instead of mac-n-cheese or pie filling!

[JinTx 19]

Glove, a lot of "bad food" aka sliders go down fine. Ice cream, chips, etc. I can still eat those things and my band doesnt stop me. *I* have to stop me. And I was aware of that before I got the band. And up until lately I hadnt been eating those things.

Today is a new day. I cant change the past,but I can change today.

[Kathleen Rogers 3]

Hey JinTx - i am going to use what you said as a mantra! I can't change the past, but I can change today. I love that! And since it is still early in the morning here in California, I haven't eaten any crunchy or slider foods yet...LOL So thank you for helping me mentally start over. And GLove - you sure gave me something to think about. Thanks everyone! I'm off to a new start today!

[GLove 44]

Good luck on your "new" day JinTx and Kathleen. Kathleen, I'm in Calif too, So Cal.

[Grider 92]

the band is wraped around certain nerves in your upper stomach that tell the brain it is full. so when the pouch is filled, there should be a message going to brain... stop im full. I have only one fill, so for now, dont think the message is loud enough for my brain to hear, althought I have cut my food intake alot.

[revren316 0]

I saw this post and had to get in on the discussion. I was banded in may of 2010. One thing I have learned is that everyone's journey is truly unique. I much like everyone had tremendous weight loss the first month or two. Literally I was losing almost a pound a day. But before you know. It old habits start trickling back in. I always understood the band was a tool and not a magic cure all. But even still I started eating like I used to, drinking soda like I used to. It started out slow but soon enough I was right back doing the same things I was doing pre op. Combine that with not keeping up with my fills and my weight loss slowed to a dead stop. For over a year and a half I bounced from being serious toband getting back on track to not caring and not following the rules. I never gained any weight back but I never lost anymore either. Then one day about a month ago I woke up and something inside just clicked. I got my stuff together and decided no more wasting my time. I went and got another fill which turned out to be that magic fill that everyone talks about. Restriction!!!! And I've been doing really good, not perfect, but really good and steadily losing weight again. I don't know how long this wave will last but I intend to ride it out. I guess my point is more people struggle with this than you probably realize. I honestly believe more people fail than pass because it's too easy to fail. You just can't beat yourself up too much. You gotta just get back on the horse... Its taken me almost two years to realize that but I'm just glad I did... And even though this has been a struggle I absolutely do not regret doing it and I know I'll win in the end you just gotta keep forging ahead. OK this is long enough lol good luck