Weight Gain After 2Nd Fill-Looking For Advice/encouragement!

[The Whela 1]

New member to the website, although found you all so helpful in deciding to get the band. Banded in Sept 2011 and fell into the category of the 30 BMI with 50lbs to lose, but no health problems. I self-paid and live in LA, so I went to TJ. Dr. Almanza banded me and was wonderful. I have been back for two fills and think they are fantastic and Dr. Almanza is soooooo cute I just like seeing him for 10 minutes. lol Please ask any questions about my experience there. I don't think their clinic is for everyone, but it was fantastic for me and I will give you the truth.

I know in some forums "only" needing to lose 50lbs was criticized and mocked, but I found some positive comments here that helped give me the courage to get the band. Carrying the same 50lbs for 10 years was a problem I couldn't solve on my own. I'm down about 20lbs and now I think I need support to get to the last 30 off.

First, I think I have about 2.4 cc's in with two fills. I am adjusting to realizing I can just keep on eating, hungry or not, with the same emotional issues as before. I do a lot of what I call "companion" eating. I am single, no kids and work and go to school. I eat out of boredom, loneliness and for a "companion." Nothing feels as good as snuggling up to a big hunk of chocolate cake, right? However, I still think I can eat too much quantity. Just struggling with restriction vs. length of time between hunger. About the only "restriction" I get is if I eat bread type stuff early in the morning or if I don't chew enough. Then it gets stuck, feels horrible and I sorta vomit up slim until it shifts. I don't really every throw up food, just the slime.

Anyway, I am still working through eating well and not going to those comfort foods, but I think out of guilt of eating bad foods I don't think I "deserve" another fill. lol Getting the bad doesn't make us any less messed up, does it? Only two fills, so it can be that I just am not in the green zone, right?

Thanks for any feedback! Oh, also, I don't have a doctor in LA. I just went and got the surgery so "go talk to your doctor" isn't a helpful answer for me. Just looking for personal experience and encouragement!

[brianw 14]

I'm a year in and my results have been everything and more than I expected. My best advice is that if you have any doubts if you are restricted enough...you probably aren't. Feel free to contact me through here or yahoo messenger. I can prob help you get the results you want!

[judych 225]

New member to the website, although found you all so helpful in deciding to get the band. Banded in Sept 2011 and fell into the category of the 30 BMI with 50lbs to lose, but no health problems. I self-paid and live in LA, so I went to TJ. Dr. Almanza banded me and was wonderful. I have been back for two fills and think they are fantastic and Dr. Almanza is soooooo cute I just like seeing him for 10 minutes. lol Please ask any questions about my experience there. I don't think their clinic is for everyone, but it was fantastic for me and I will give you the truth.

I know in some forums "only" needing to lose 50lbs was criticized and mocked, but I found some positive comments here that helped give me the courage to get the band. Carrying the same 50lbs for 10 years was a problem I couldn't solve on my own. I'm down about 20lbs and now I think I need support to get to the last 30 off.

First, I think I have about 2.4 cc's in with two fills. I am adjusting to realizing I can just keep on eating, hungry or not, with the same emotional issues as before. I do a lot of what I call "companion" eating. I am single, no kids and work and go to school. I eat out of boredom, loneliness and for a "companion." Nothing feels as good as snuggling up to a big hunk of chocolate cake, right? However, I still think I can eat too much quantity. Just struggling with restriction vs. length of time between hunger. About the only "restriction" I get is if I eat bread type stuff early in the morning or if I don't chew enough. Then it gets stuck, feels horrible and I sorta vomit up slim until it shifts. I don't really every throw up food, just the slime.

Anyway, I am still working through eating well and not going to those comfort foods, but I think out of guilt of eating bad foods I don't think I "deserve" another fill. lol Getting the bad doesn't make us any less messed up, does it? Only two fills, so it can be that I just am not in the green zone, right?

Thanks for any feedback! Oh, also, I don't have a doctor in LA. I just went and got the surgery so "go talk to your doctor" isn't a helpful answer for me. Just looking for personal experience and encouragement!

you've come to the right place, thats for sure. Im banded about five days now. i live in southern australia. i had a BMI of 30. but, i did have health issues... hypertension, joints replaced in both knees and lots of upcoming joint problems.

i felt that my weight issues probably werent as bad as many of those here in the group, but i know now what a good move it was. so.. dont feel that you dont qualify...we all come from different backgrounds and have lots to share. its been really good as we' ve helped each other out a lot.

[The Whela 1]

Thank you both. Because I didn't have a doctor here, I don't have any support network. Really just a lot of people around me saying "you did WHAT? What for?" Glad I finally am reaching out to a community where I can be of help and get it from others!

[judych 225]

Thank you both. Because I didn't have a doctor here, I don't have any support network. Really just a lot of people around me saying "you did WHAT? What for?" Glad I finally am reaching out to a community where I can be of help and get it from others!

i know that feeling. i didnt tell my family what i was goign to do... for that same reason. no one else knows apart from you what its like to live in your body.

i had no confidence or positive outlook for any weight loss as far as Im concerned. this has given me a new start im grateful for it. Im not negating how huge it is... its a biggie, but im here and im goign to make it work. You will find there are a lot of people on here who feel the same way. cheers. looking forward to more posts from you.

[Cazzy 725]

Wanting to lose 50lbs is as important you as it was to me wanting to lose 0ver 200lbs .. no one should deny the way you feel about yourself and good luck to you for doing something based on what you want and not what others think u need.

The problem you have is based on needing to lose only a relatively small amount of weight, it will come off really slowly compared to others like myself, once we get to within 50 lbs of goal weight we also are slowing down too. Now is the time to make sure you get to your greenzone sweetspot ... Its a long way to travel to get a fill but until u start getting rid of the hunger pangs your emotional tyope eating wont really go away, unless u use sheer willpower.

Make sure if you live alone you do not buy any food that your eyes want, stick to what your body needs and eat well and healthy. Why on earth would you have choch cake even in the house ... really thats a big NO NO lol

If you want to do something to enjoy your more healthy food more then start cooking, look for low fat/low cal/low carb recipies and use the time u would be eating in front of the tv to experiment. You must become your own expert, testing out what foods work for you what dont, what food sticks what doesnt.

The fills are important for the support but this is your chance to finally get rid of that sack of weight u carry around with you. You dont mention exercise i would def start looking into filling time with movement and use that as a companion and not food. Do i still get hungry after all this time, yes i do, reading posts here i do seem to eat more than a lot of people in terms of amounts as we dont measure cups here in the Uk .. I have say a Soup, chicken breast 2 green veg and jello/yoghurt for my dinner .. Ijust use a smaller plate and use that as a 'measure' ...

I am down to maybe 1lbs a week now for this last small amount of weight to come off and i am having to work twice as hard to even get a lb off so u may need to step it up a lot in order to get your last few lbs off too.. Change your mind regarding food and your body will follow. Food isnt your friend and shouldnt be treated as such. It needs controlling and putting in its place in our lives ..

Good luck and keep working, go get a fill and see how that will help

[honk 780]

My doctor requires at least 3 sessions with a psychologist to discuss what triggers you to eat. Those meetings really helped me with head hunger and frustration based eating. I suggest finding a therapist that deals with compulsive eating. The band will never stop you from head hunger eating.

At least half of this battle is mental. There have been a couple members lately who talked about eating a pint of ice cream a night post op. That is 100% emotional eating.

[Toddy 758]

I was banded 1/31/12. I "only" had 70 pounds to lose, but those 70 have caused my body a lot of aches and pains.

As far as eating out of boredom and loneliness, maybe a gym membership would be a good solution. I know my weight loss improves dramatically when I'm working out. It would give you some social time, too.

[The Whela 1]

I was banded 1/31/12. I "only" had 70 pounds to lose, but those 70 have caused my body a lot of aches and pains.

As far as eating out of boredom and loneliness, maybe a gym membership would be a good solution. I know my weight loss improves dramatically when I'm working out. It would give you some social time, too.

Ohhh Toddy, you sweet thing, if going to the gym was in any way satisfying in lieu of food, I would be all over it. lol It is not. I actually like to work out ok, I just work a lot and go to school and find lots of ways to not do it! I hope to become a person that loves exercise. I like working out with a kettlebell and found a place close to me that does classes, they are just super expensive and I'm not disciplined yet enough to warrant $150/mth. I work out at home some, but again have to have that drive to get off my butt and do it!

[gingerwale 8]

New member to the website' date=' although found you all so helpful in deciding to get the band. Banded in Sept 2011 and fell into the category of the 30 BMI with 50lbs to lose, but no health problems. I self-paid and live in LA, so I went to TJ. Dr. Almanza banded me and was wonderful. I have been back for two fills and think they are fantastic and Dr. Almanza is soooooo cute I just like seeing him for 10 minutes. lol Please ask any questions about my experience there. I don't think their clinic is for everyone, but it was fantastic for me and I will give you the truth.

I know in some forums "only" needing to lose 50lbs was criticized and mocked, but I found some positive comments here that helped give me the courage to get the band. Carrying the same 50lbs for 10 years was a problem I couldn't solve on my own. I'm down about 20lbs and now I think I need support to get to the last 30 off.

First, I think I have about 2.4 cc's in with two fills. I am adjusting to realizing I can just keep on eating, hungry or not, with the same emotional issues as before. I do a lot of what I call "companion" eating. I am single, no kids and work and go to school. I eat out of boredom, loneliness and for a "companion." Nothing feels as good as snuggling up to a big hunk of chocolate cake, right? <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> However, I still think I can eat too much quantity. Just struggling with restriction vs. length of time between hunger. About the only "restriction" I get is if I eat bread type stuff early in the morning or if I don't chew enough. Then it gets stuck, feels horrible and I sorta vomit up slim until it shifts. I don't really every throw up food, just the slime.

Anyway, I am still working through eating well and not going to those comfort foods, but I think out of guilt of eating bad foods I don't think I "deserve" another fill. lol Getting the bad doesn't make us any less messed up, does it? Only two fills, so it can be that I just am not in the green zone, right?

Thanks for any feedback! Oh, also, I don't have a doctor in LA. I just went and got the surgery so "go talk to your doctor" isn't a helpful answer for me. Just looking for personal experience and encouragement! <img src='http://www.bariatricpal.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />[/quote']

Hi, whela. You and I are in similar boats. My bmi at banding was 31. I have received criticism for this drastic step to lose the 55 lbs that I have struggled with for about 12 years. I went to Mexico to get banded. I haven't had my first fill yet, so I'm no expert on that end of it. But I will tell you, from what I've read here it sounds like you need a fill.... As for "deserve" a fill? Without question! Yes, the majority of us have emotional issues related to eating. Depression is common after banding... The loss of food as emotional solace is equivelant to losing a best friend to many of us. I have mourned the loss myself, and im only six days banded. What has helped me so far is to treat my hunger as I do any other emotion. I acknowledge it, and decide what to do about it. Its normal to be hungry a lot when you are detoxing from self medicating with food. When I feel the emotion of hunger, I try to treat it the same way I do when I feel other potentially distructive emotions, such as anger. I take a deep breath, a few moments to myself, and think through how I am going to handle it. This has allowed me to re center during someone those moments that would usually have caused me to devour an entire cheesecake. Just like I wouldnt go shoot my ex husband in the knee when I feel the emotion of anger towards him, I'm not going to stuff an unhealthy cheesecake in my body because some event has caused me to feel the emotion of hunger. I win some. I lose some. But That is life. If you'd like, you can private message me and I would be happy to provide you with support when you need it!

[The Whela 1]

My doctor requires at least 3 sessions with a psychologist to discuss what triggers you to eat. Those meetings really helped me with head hunger and frustration based eating. I suggest finding a therapist that deals with compulsive eating. The band will never stop you from head hunger eating.

At least half of this battle is mental. There have been a couple members lately who talked about eating a pint of ice cream a night post op. That is 100% emotional eating.

Oh wow, I never went down the pint of ice cream road! I actually went to counseling years ago at a clinic for eating disorders that helped. Currently in therapy, so hopefully will have some breakthrough soon. And yes, that is what I tell people about the band...it does nothing for the eating issues.

[Kate rules 43]

I started at a BMI of 36, not quite as low as you but I know the feeling. I'm down to last 17.8 pounds and it is tough. Fills aren't exactly a deserved or undeserved thing. It is a medical procedure to help you.

I am an emotional eater and therapy has helped me with that. Believe it or not, I've lost weight since I started Prozac. I go to therapy every week. I've learned how to entertain myself without food. My iPhone is my best friend when I'm bored and I'm looking for a friend. I also have a band buddy I PM all the time. Helps me stay accountable.

Also, my fitness pal has been a tremendous help over the past month. Helps keep you honest about your food intake. Funny when you see how much you should be eating and see what you've done to yourself.

Best of luck going forward. If you need support and motivation feel free to PM me.

[skirtgirl 4]

Whela, I can talk much faster than I can type on my phone , so I will send you my personal information do a private message ...but I will say that I am in the same boat as well .I live in san antonio texas , single and no kids as well . and have 50 pounds to lose ....I've had that extra 50 pounds for at least the last 7 years . I get the same criticism .....people saying it was a waste of money , why didnt I just go to the gym ... or that I look fine the way I am . even a couple of my sisters begging me not to do it saying that I would be throwing up all the time . I was banned in march 19th . I'm still on liquids and still off of work . I'm doing fine , losing weight and im very positive about my band in my decision im getting it !today is my 9th day and I'm down 9 lbs. BMI was 31 day of surgery. I'm sure it will not stay at this rate ....but I am happy with how I feel so far . glad I found a few people who are in the same boat as I am . I read the others and I never really know how much weight they have to lose it's different when you have a lot more weight to lose as well . everything plays a part . I wish you luck and support is here if you need it . call me, email me , text me ...anytime .....Gina in San Antonio

[sparkplug 106]

I don't blame you all for taking action with 50 pounds that you cannot get off. I started with that much and it got up to 90 before I could get insurance to approve the procedure for me. I will always have to fight the head hunger thing going on and I have been to goal for over 3 years but over the last year gained back 10 pounds that I need to put my head back into the game and get it off. If you want to see how much 50 extra pounds weighs on your body and takes it's toll, especially as you get older, carry something around with that much weight and see how exhausted you get after a while. I know this head and mind fight is forever and have yet to conquer it. Good luck and keep the faith. You do what you want and feel you need and everybody else's opinion is not necessarily right or wrong. It all boils down to what makes you happy and healthy. Keep going and this is an excellent website for support, I come on here every single day of my life for the last 3 years and learn so much.