Struggling badly...

[lellow 1,713]

it's awful when you have this tool in you which will help you, but you get get it to work the way you need it to because you can't get the fills you need to help suppress your food intake.

That's a cruddy situation to be in.

I too put on weight over Christmas. It sucks.

But it's in the past now. Every new day is a new chance to start afresh.

Life gets in the way of exercise and good food choices, I realise. It's not always easy to 'fight the good fight'. But the best part of the battle is fought in your head.

Maybe you shouldn't worry about losing for now, liquidbluegal. Just concentrate on maintaining for a few weeks instead of gaining. It will mean watching what you eat still, and will probably mean you will have to try to up the incidental exercise you do (power walk to the shops instead of drive, carry your groceries instead of use a trolley).

And in a few weeks, if you're maintaining, look at how you can modify your lifestyle even more so you can start making small losses.

And that way, by the time you get to your fill, you'd have set up some good habits so it can kickstart some good losses again.

And in the meantime, we're all here to encourage you and help you along.

Edited January 7, 2009 by lellow

[k4str 0]

I'm so glad I came across your post and the responses. I'm having trouble too but rather than gaining, I'm just kind of bouncing back and forth between 3 lbs difference / stalling out. I'm going to give the 5DPT a try too, from the suggestion of another and reading that thread.

I had my last (#2) fill on 10/29 and won't have my next until 1/27. While I have been exercising since the 1st of the year, I wish I had started sooner and won't offer any excuses (although I did seriously work waaaay too much in Nov/Dec) - but it's a new year and we can all be off to a great start together! :thumbup:

We should support each other, isn't that what this is about. Best of luck to you all. Keep us posted on the 5DPT and any results; I'm going to give it a shot next week.

[liquidbluegal 0]

Well I started watching what I am eating this week and really being strict with my choices and I am ready to weigh in tomorrow and see if it has paid off.

[lellow 1,713]

Good on you, liquidbluegal!

[Roheryn 0]

I feel bad for you guys who haven't got restriction yet because I know how hard it was for me to survive and maintain that control over myself when I was SO HUNGRY all the time! The way I tried to conquer this was with making better choices food wise and eating fresh foods and if I was hungry snacking on fruit. It was REALLY hard at times but in the long run I had to say that until you get restriction you may have trouble losing, may gain and try not to let it get you too down! It was hard but when you get there, it will be worth it! Oh and I also made sure I didn't have junk food around me, I didn't keep it in the house, I planned my meals for the week initially too so that i would be less likely to try an easier less healthy option.

Liquidblue I feel so bad that you have to wait that long for a fill!! That sucks big time!! And I can imagine how down that would get you, especially the long hours you work and the difficulty you have fitting extracurricular activities into your schedule!! I know that the shakes suck too but as a last resort if the other things don't work, do you think you could go back on them for a bit and manage the hunger ok?? I figure you could use them to help get off that weight that is coming on and it would at least keep you mentally more upbeat.

[Mojo08 0]

Hey there,

I went 6 months gaining and losing 5 lbs and it was a horrible feeling so I decided to make some slight changes and have lost 15 lbs in a month. First of all I did some groceries and brought them to work so that I would stop eating out. I have calorie wise and sugar free puddings, Jello, popcorn and Soups at my disposal. Also started eating sesame seeds and only drink Water or skim milk. That ususally gets me through the day. My Dr. said sugar is bad and diet sodas are off limits as they make you crave the sugar. Then, I made a weekly menu portions from Canada food Guide) for the entire family and prepare my meals on Sundays so everyone knows whats on the menu in advance. I don't eat at all after 8 pm (gives me hearburn anyways) and did I say I drink a lot of water!? And last but not least, I sought support from fellow bandsters to help keep the momentum! Walking the dog has helped as well...he keeps me motivated too!

Good Luck!

[yolandacrosby 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.

As I read your post I was wondering if in my sleep I had typed this and forgot. Most of what you said sounds just like me. I had my band on 08/05/08 and 4 weeks before surgery if it wasn't chicken and tuna and Water I didn't eat it, I hit the scales 1 week after surgery and had lost 25 pounds. I know that was from the preop diet. I have lost a total of 39 now but i have only had one fill in and that was in Oct too and since then I just have not had the money to go get another one. I had my band done in Mexico and the nearest fill center is 6 hours away, the one that was 2 hrs away closed down. I'm depressed, I hate chicken now, I can't bare to touch tuna anymore, I'm now addicted to sweet tea when I barely touched it before, I have started drinking cokes again, with no pain, I eat whatever I want. I need something, I just found out that my medical insurance will pay for the surgery if I would have waited 6 months the $300 dollars a month I have to pay the bank for surgery loan is more than I can just about handle with everything else. On top of it all my stomach is always sore, I can't lean up against a desk anymore or reach over the desk to get anything because its too painful, I can't sleep on my stomach unless I get in a certain spot, and now just this week i feel like i have eaten way too much and its stuck in my throat. I get hungry I eat it goes down ok but the after feeling is like it hasn't gone down and it feels that way even after sleeping all night and just drinking water. I now know why some people dont tell when they have it done, because i'm so sick of everyone asking, how much have you lost? or gosh you dont look like your loosing? Truth is I haven't been on the scales since Jan and that's just because I'm too scared to, I'm afraid I have gained weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tutornmom 1]

I hope this is encouraging but it might not be. I have only lost 39 pounds but I am feeling pretty much successful because I am doing it a little at a time and the books I have read say that is the way to keep it off.

I did recently start using MyPlate at www.livestrong.com and it is great. It helps me see immediately where I am messing up with my eating. I didn't even realize that I had not done well yesterday but when I put it out there I was almost 500 calories over my goal. I haven't been using it long enough to see long term rewards but I believe I will.

I also have trouble with soreness around the band/port. I have learned some things that help. I don't sleep on my stomach anymore even if I can get comfortable because I will hurt the next day. Yes, I miss sleeping that way because it used to be the norm for me but my chiropractor always fussed at me about it and now my band does so maybe this is one of those changes I needed to make like changing my eating habits. Another thing that plays a role in this soreness is food sticking.

For me, I have trouble with sticks when I take too big of bites or when I eat Gummy bread and almost everytime I eat meat that isn't processed without chewing it to death after taking little tiny bites. I have learned that I am good at chewing well and taking small bites when I eat smaller meals more often. My husband and I joke that I don't eat any meals instead I eat 4 to 5 Snacks a day. Because of a family function, I was ravenous Sunday before we ate then I ended up sick all afternoon.

I do have the trouble with feeling that my food isn't going down even through my esophagus. One thing that helps me with this is taking my reflux meds which I didn't think I needed anymore because I never felt the burning. Usually that is too large of bites or the wrong foods as well. I have found that it is worse in the morning. So I eat liquidy things until about lunch time. I read that this is because of the way my band settles while I sleep. I don't know but I do know that I made the right decision and wouldn't change a thing because all of these changes are changes I needed to make and would never have done it without the band.

I hope that helps! Try one of the food tracking things online and be honest with yourself about everything you eat. Also, don't forget to exercise. I know it is hard to find the time and energy but you will have more energy afterwards so start moving. (that little exercise pep talk was for me!)