Struggling badly...

[liquidbluegal 0]

So I haven't posted in a long time. I am struggling 100% with this band. I have had one fill in october and that was it. I am eating a lot, but not as much as before but still alot. I lost my insurance so I haven't been able to get a fill and now that I have insurance they dont have an opening until the end of march. I hit all the way down to 210lbs but I am creepying up and I am at 216lbs now. It is very dissappointing. I am not making the best decisions in meals since I am getting depressed over my situtation. I work on my feet and move all day long. Typically I have a bagel for Breakfast with NF CC. a Lean cuisine and apples for lunch and for dinner I am usually bad. I am trying but I am at wits end. I just need someone to talk to and to see if anyone else is struggling with the same thing.

[krtork 0]

Sorry to hear that you are struggling. That is the pits about the insurance. Can the dr office put you on a cancellation list, maybe they could get you in sooner that way!

Do you have time to exercise. I noticed you didn't say anything about that. It could help keep you on track, especially after work. It seems like that is when you are struggling the most.

I am not struggling like you are, but I know that when I get home after work is when I have the hardest time. I have a habit of stress eating when I get home. I have to have a distraction, so I try to do my exercise as soon as I get home, that way I am not looking for food.

Make sure you plan for dinner, that can also be helpful. That way you don't have to think about what you want to eat and look through all of the cabinets and fridge to find something. That is always deadly for me, it is easy to grab whatever you see and pop it in your mouth.

Make sure you are checking in here. It is a great source of support! Do you have a local support group or someone that you can talk to in person that understands what you are going through?

Remember that tomorrow is a new day and you can do this!

[smsmithart 4]

first thing i would do would be tocut out the bagel those things are bad for u .....and just make u more hugry later try oatmeal oe a Fiber One Bar ...that will hold u til lunch

[gilta 0]

Hey - I am there with you!

Ok - so how about we buddy up for a bit until we get over this crappy time?

My problem is Desserts. I know they are bad for me, I know they will make me gain weight but I find I am eating them without thinking!

I am sorry about your insurance, that stinks. I have had to wait 2 months for my fill as well. I finally go next week. I agree ask to be put on a wait list. You never know.

Thank goodness for working out otherwise I would have had a major gain. I have lost 2 lbs over the past 4 weeks, but at least it is a loss.

The hardest time of the day for me is evenings. I do fine during the day, but when I sit down that is when I get into trouble. It did not help that I was off for 5 days.

I started back to work today, so I am hoping this helps. I am going to start knitting again so I cannot eat!

Feel free to email me at gilta22@aol.com and we can keep each other going.

Gilta

[liquidbluegal 0]

Thanks everyone! It is hard because i am starvign right after oatmeal or a fiber bar. I am starving. I am trying to squeeze exercise in. I do my videos at home. I have a gym membership and it stinks. I work 12-8 with an hour commute each way so somedays the last thing on my mind is exercise.

I call everyweek to see if there is a cancellation because my doctor only does appointments on wednesdays lol.

Well it is a new year and a new start. Hopefully good things come to those who wait.

[pj_txlady 0]

I also have had a problem eating too much. I started tracking my food on SparkPeople. It is so easy, and helps so much. During the week I plan on tracking my food the night before for the next day. I also have a hard time after work, so.....no Cookies or chips come into this house. Instead, I have Jello, 100 calorie popcorn, sf pudding. Try the tracking and keeping the sweets out of the house. My husband supports my decision on keeping NO NO foods out of the pantry. Also..something that may help, when you are tempted to eat something you know you shouldn't, go exercise. Last night I wanted to munch on something soooo bad, I got on the exercise bike instead. This morning I am down another pound. I am determined to stick to my plan on tracking calories and exercising everyday. We Can Do This. !!

[MistyD65 1]

I've always been one to get hungry quickly after eating a breakfast of Cereal or oatmeal - carbs. I find that Protein stays with me much longer. A scrambled egg or some yogurt works well for me.

You should check out the Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test. Lots of folks here swear by it for helping get back on track. In fact, there is a whole thread dedicated to getting ourselves back on the bandwagon: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/starting-holiday-detox-early-anyone-wanna-join-me-84070/ . Lots of good support and advice there!

[heartfire 4]

I don't have any advice for you but wanted to throw my support behind you! 100%!!!!

This is all a learning experience for us. I'm having a hard time with wanting to snack when I'm not even hungry. Another thing I realized is that I fix something really good for dinner and want to eat a lot of it. I'm forcing a little more than I should in b/c I know I'm not going to be hungry later and able to come back to it! That is just plain sabotaging myself!!! It just dawned on me this AM that that's what I've been doing! Got to work on that before I stretch my pouch.

Hang in there! Keep coming back to the site for support! We're all in this together!

HUGS!!!!

[MistyD65 1]

I'm having a hard time with wanting to snack when I'm not even hungry. Another thing I realized is that I fix something really good for dinner and want to eat a lot of it.

I struggle with that too, Michelle. I'm doing better now, but I can remember getting almost angry when thinking about a meal because I wanted more than the portion I was allowing myself...wanted more even before I doled it out and started eating. How crazy is that? It really shocked me when I realized that I felt that way. It is such a big change, going from eating all I want to eating all I need. When I find myself finished when my portion but still wanting more, I ask myself if I'm still hungry. And usually I am not. I just want more. THAT is the demon that is hardest to defeat, I think. Head hunger.

So, to all of you who are struggling, you are not alone! Keep coming here for advice, support, a kick in the pants when you need it, and the fellowship of others who understand.

[bambam31 168]

I think tracking calories until you can get a fill would be wise. You've already identified the problems which is half-the-battle. Now you and only you can fix them. Getting sufficient exercise sometimes requires you just make yourself do it. It's a wonderful appetite suppressant and when you see progress and have worked so hard it helps deter you from wanting to eat foods or quantities that you know are self-destructive. A lot of people say they just can't find the time to exercise. Well... I look at this way - if you can find the time to eat more than your supposed to - you can obviously stop eating and go exercise. You just have to make the decision.

Brad

[liquidbluegal 0]

Thank you everyone! I read up on the 5 day pouch test and it makes sense. I am going to try it starting monday. I need a trip to the grocery store first. I will let everyone know how it works. Thanks so much for being here.

I wish I had a local support group or something. Just I dont really have anyone to talk about it with.

Thanks, Heather

[krtork 0]

Keep us posted on how you are doing! If you ever want someone to talk to feel free to PM me.

I hope this week goes well for you and you can get back on track.

[Lanakila 1]

Hang in there Heather...and keep coming back here alot! I totally agree that you need to kick the bagel for Breakfast. Those carbs just don't stick with you and keep your blood sugar all whacked out. This catches up with you later in the day. Not only do you want to eat out of habit...you are absolutely starving too. I sure sympathize with you on that one! My problem is stopping for something "quick" on the way home. :tongue2:

I've decided that most Cereal bars and oats just don't provide enough staying power for me, even though they are useful for fibre. I've recently started eating SoyJoy bars. They have 4 grams of Protein and 3 of fibre, so they are far more filling than the other bars I used to eat. I also like the FiberOne bars.

I love the idea of the 5-day plan. It looks like my post-op with just one day for each week. I think I'll give it a try and see if I can't get back to working on my head hunger! We'll work on this together, k?

Lanakila

[bindi2203 0]

I too am strugling so badly at the moment, i have not been on lap chat for at least 6-8 weeks, i have totally plataued and am making very bad food choices. My portions are way out of controll and i fear i am slipping back into my pre band ways. I am constantly hungry, and i know it is head hunger. i now have 5 mls in my band. so i should be eating less not more. i lost weight quickly in the first 10 weeks with exercise and portion controll, i am not doing near the amount of exercise that i was doing, and am finding it extremely hard to discipline myself in this area. So i know how hard you are struggling at the moment, i have even gone back to that horrible stage of telling meself every night, that tomorrow i will be good. i am over all this, i need to get on track, and stay focused and be accountable for my choices and actions. take care..... jo.

[krtork 0]

bindi- hang in there. It is the pits when you plateau. I have been struggling with the same thing. I am finally moving down the scale again.

I know how hard it can be when you stop losing, you feel like you are back in that "old cycle" again of dieting. Just stick with it. Make sure you are measuring out your portions, getting in your Protein and making good food choices. Do you write down what you eat each day. I know that is helpful for me, I sometimes don't realize how many times I just pop something into my mouth - and those calories count!

I think we are all coming out that honeymoon phase. It is just another stop along our WLS journey. At least we all have each other to look to for support!