The band & depression

[Me1e 0]

Is it normal to feel depressed at about week 5 after banding... I think its because I am so used to turning to food for all emotions and now I cant its almost overwhelming to deal with emotions...

Dont get me wrong its a good thing i cant turn to food... but is anyone else experiencing this depression feeling & almost food withdrawal symptons..?

[Kalipso2 25]

i've been banded for almost 4 months and i'm STILL dealing with the depression. i read how the band is just a tool and that it was going to be a difficult struggle to lose the weight but i honestly thought it would be different for me.

i'm not sure if i would say i'm an emotional eater but i just don't know when or how to stop eating. if i listen head and taste buds i get the satisfaction of eating yummy food but then i end up PB'ing. if i listen to my stomach i'm left depressed because i WANT to keep eating.

just stay strong and always keep in mind the reason you decided to get banded. you have to look towards the long-term results!! good luck!

[tcbeau 0]

my psychologist warned me about this and states that we all need to find new ways to cope. Exercise may be helpful as it releases chemicals to make you feel better. Best of luck to you, and I am sure you will feel great when you are a more healthy size.

[Shamrockgirl60 1]

I am under treatment for mind depression anyway and on a mild antidepressant anti anxiety drug. It does help a lot with my thoughts of emotional eating. Maybe your doctor can give you something for the mood swings and you will feel less like eating emotionally. I am reading and walking and enjoying my grand baby so trying NOT to think of eating.

I am able to cook now for my husband and not want to taste the food.< /p>

Looking forward to next week and the semi mushy stage. LOL

Take care

Pati

[Long2BFree 12]

I have gone through drepression now and again since being banded. I think it's because I want to pig out and can't. I'm also finding out that I want to slip into my old habits of eating just for the sake of it. Now I'm trying to justify spending money to join a 24 hours gym so I can go and work out when I need to release some energy and stress.

[tx girl 0]

I'm only a week banded and feeling the same way. As a matter of fact, it's funny that I ran into this thread because not more than 20 minutes ago I was driving home, saw a McDonalds and automatically turned in. I said outloud to my self "what the Hell are you doing trish" It was pure habbit...that was me, weather I was hungry or not I saw a McDonalds and turned in to eat.

I think it's normal for most of us to feel this way. For most of us our whole life use to revolve around food. If we were happy-we'd eat, sad-we'd eat...anytime you make plans with friends...what do you do...EAT.

The lap band will benefit us all and is already working it's magic. Don't feel bad about having to fight the depression...we just had our identity as we knew it yanked out from under us and now we have to learn how to be the new healthy us. Giving up some crap food is worth being confident and proud of us. Take one day at a time and remind yourself each day that you are worth this fight and that there are hundreds of other men and women that are here to help each other through this journey.

[glorybee123 0]

I think it is normal for us to be depressed after banding because we can't comfort ourselves with food anymore. I also think you go through a type of greiving process for all of the things you can't eat anymore. After all, wasn't food one of our best friends? I get kind of depressed when it comes to going out to eat or eating at a family gathering. It's just not the same anymore. Of course I REALLY like the results of not eating like I used to! The band is totally worth it!

[aubrie 6]

Remember too, that hormones are stored in body fat. As you rapidly lose your body fat, your hormone levels are changing just as dramatically, and since you continue to lose, you can't quite seem to keep up and level off, so hormone levels are all over the map. This will trigger anxiety, depression, mood swings, frustration, not sleeping at night. I even think this has a little bit to do with many of us losing our hair. Not completely, but I think it aggravates the situation. I've even had to have my thyroid medication adjusted with the loss of weight. That throws off moods as well. Our chemistry is in constant flux.

[HeatherO 7]

It does take some adjusting to. It took being banded for me to see how much food or thoughts of food were controlling my life.

Six months out it is definitely easier. I am learning that I don't live to eat and there are other things to focus my time and energy on, surprise, surprise, surprise. I have really found exercise to be helpful with these feelings.

My real weakness has always been evening and exercising has helped me to combat the desire to eat with the natural high that comes from getting a good workout. I also found that reading a book or going online or watching tv are ways to unwind without food. It was almost as if eating at the end of the day was my reward for making it through the day and the trigger for unwinding, release of tension, etc. Nothing else quite fulfilled that need for me in the beginning.

In the early days, I really didnt want these other things, I just wanted to eat. I have read that you are supposed to find substitute activities, probably all of us have, but I wasn't ready at that time. I would be lying if I said that I found substitutes satisfying in the beginning or that I wasn't constantly thinking about food. I am now at the point where I crave things other than food . . . and I think that is the point where the real recovery begins.

I have also now lost some restriction from my last fill in April which has helped. I can now eat normal things without pb'ing . . . but I have learned enough self-control that I don't binge or have those constant feelings of cravings leading to impulse eating followed by overwhelming guilt . . . and repeating repeatedly if you know what I mean. I also allow myself to eat special things in very limited quantities on special occasions such as a bridal shower, birthday, etc without guilt.

The first few months are really, horribly, tremendously tough . . . but, if you can make your way through these and keep striving for something better there is light at the end of the tunnel. It does get a whole heck of a lot easier. Hang in there.