I dont know what to do!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nykee 13]

Came here to say I give up trying to eat in the lunchtime.. it hurts too much, its too much stress.. and I KNOW thats hurting my band cuz I can feel it hurting my band. I also slimed up my Soup and that pissed me off..cuz i swore I would never let that happen,

so, I give up trying to eat earlier, in oreder to be less tight in the morning.

I am trying trying trying to see your point in getting an unfill..

BUT this is all I can think:

IF I get an unfil, I will only eat more soup.. more drinks...more cheetos and more Cookies...along with any solids that I can get down.. (I KNOW THIS)

I stay away from milkshakes and smoothies and coffee drinks.. (with an unfill I wont)

I try to mostly have tomatoe Soup or spit out allot in a thicker type soup..

(with an unfill I wont)

I am full... I am never hungry.. I dont think I have felt hunder once since I got the band...

Being hungry or 'saticefied' isnt going to help me.

food restriction is the only thing I can see that will help me..

I GET THE food I need. I mean I get enough. I am not malnourashed or dehydrated or even close..

people CAN live in liquids (even though I am not)

I dont seee whats wrong with this diet for a while (NOT FOREVER)

20 ounces?...........milk 1% or non fat

20 ounces.............Lite grape juice..

20 ounces.............lite orange juice

Protein shake (though NOT needed.. 8 ounces of milk has 10 grams!)

I need to like keep really good track.. I WILL TOMOARROW.. I almost sure I can put away alot more liquid than that.

plus

One can tomaote soup

Slice of toaste with lite butter

plus.. I DUNNO.. A bunch of SHIT for dinner cuz I cant keep my hands off the junk once I open up..

I just want a fill

sorry

[Alexandra 55]

Nykee, you're supposed to be getting 60 or so grams of Protein a day, and milk can't be your only source. You're really heading for nutritional trouble if you continue down this road. (Are you taking Vitamins? I hope I hope? There are lots of chewables out there; even if all you can find are children's Vitamins those are fine if you take two.)

If you're determined to stick with this too-tight level of fill, do yourself the immense favor of trying to find better foods to eat. Think about high-protein mushy food like cottage cheese, eggs, string cheese, hummus, yogurt, things like that. If you take in more calories in high-quality Protein you will be less hungry later in the day, I promise!

From the amount of juice you're drinking it seems like you're not having trouble with liquids, so Soup shouldn't be an issue unless you're trying to take it in too fast. Chew everything very, very well and wait a good minute between bites. TAKE IT SLOWLY and don't think that a whole serving of soup is "too much." It's not TOO MUCH because it will keep you away from the crap later on. And that's what it's all about.

[the best me 6]

I just want a fill

sorry

Unbelievable.

Newbies, this is NOT the bandster lifestyle. This is NOT how it's supposed to be. This is NOT how you lose weight. This is NOT how you care for your band. This is NOT how you get your calories. This is NOT healthy. You can see this is NOT working and if this is how you want your banded life to be, I'd suggest you save your money.

Nykee, your best bet at this point is to take Alexandra's advice. sigh. Why do I keep reading this thread?!!!!!!!!

[Kelliebelly 13]

I dont want to tell you what to do or what you should do, I am only 6 mths into this and still learning myself...but I can tell you this, if you perservere with a too tight fill or even go as far as getting more fill you will end up with a slippage...it is nearly a certainty. The money will have been a waste, and your maybe last chance of losing the weight will have gone down the toilet.

PLEASE - at least give a small unfill a try - you will be so suprised at the difference.

Good Luck

[Margo 0]

Nykee,

please read this post and know it is written with LOVE......

You researched this surgery, you prepared for this surgery and you had major surgery because you, and I paraphased, don't want to be 400 pounds and dying. The journey does not stop here, Nykee. Hell, you barely have your feet on the "train".

SO, you got your ticket (the surgery), and you know your destination (weight loss), but there are tons of stops, transfers, detours and delayed departures on this journey AND that's where YOU have to take over, not the BAND. You have to decide if you "stop" and eat the crap or take a "detour" and eat some protien.

Nykee, I know as a banded person that I can eat anything my band will tolerate. BUT, I know as a responsible eater that even if my band tolerates chocolate chip Cookies that I can't eat them without reprecussion. I know my body latchs onto sugar and craves it then, so I have to stay away from white sugar....period. It is "junk" to my body.

Sit down and write down on paper what is "junk" to your body and, if you must, go cold turkey until your head hunger is under control.

Nykee, I have learned to eat for survival NOT comfort, convenience, or to escape. I still enjoy my food....actually more than ever.

Nykee, if you need to just pretend like you are starting your "journey" for the start. This weekend is pre-surgery: eat some of those things that you just love and is "junk". Monday morning pretend you just had surgery.....starting fresh, new and ready to start LIVING...... of course, all this advice is crap unless you see your doctor and deal with your fill. If you continue to play around with a fill that is too tight besides harming your body you might be harming your band to the point that you will loss it, Nykee.

As a women who use to weight 350 pounds, I swear to you Nykee, you'll be a new person, a stonger person and love yourself more knowing life is beginning and not ending.

Nykee, we love you, and are here to support you......

[patty 0]

I think my band may be too tight right now, but I am losing, so I'm not going to mess with it.

I have a slim-fast optima in the am, it fills me up for a couple of hours, then I have a coffee (i am a Decaf drinker, i do put cream in it). For lunch I have either another slimfast or a "balance bar". I have another bar in the afternoon and for dinner I usually have a lean cuisine (low cal, I try to buy only the ones under 200 calories). If not a lean cuisine, I have a small portion of whatever the family is having...My strict guideline, no bread, no potatoes, and no more than 1200 calories per day.

This is what is working for me, maybe you can give it a try. Most importantly, dont have anything in the house that can sabotage you!!

Best wishes.

Patty

[ReneBean 3]

Nykee,

This is my last plea to you. The title of this post is "I don't know what to do!!"

You came here, ostensibly looking for the voice of experience and the support of your fellow bandsters. You have received love, understanding and advice from the people that you asked to help you.

At this point, it is all up to you. You can either take the advice that has been given to you with love and patience, or you can ignore it and continue on the road you are on.

One more time, I will point out that Pain is your bodies warning that something is wrong. If you feel pain when you try to eat, then you need an unfill. There is no question in anyone's mind - with the only possible exception being yours.

You say that if you get an unfill, you will "only eat more Soup & crap". I say, that if you get an unfill, you will be able to eat solid foods in the correct bandster way: hard Proteins first, veggies second, carbs last. Only by eating in this way will you begin to feel full or satisfied. Only by eating in this way will you have energy to face your days. Only by eating in this way will you be able to lose weight without torment & pain.

By now, you DO know what to do. The only question is whether or not you will do it.

One more time I will beg you...and never again. Please get an unfill. Please take care of yourself.

[mousecrazy 2]

Well, this is certainly an interesting thread, and teaches as much about what NOT to do and think as it does what TO do and think. In that way, it is instructive. It is also very sad to see that Nykee has asked for help, but didn't really want help at all. I big eye-opener would be for you, Nykee, to realize that you are on the pitty pot and don't seem to want to get off. It reminds me of students I have who take a step toward success, then sabotage themselves so they won't succeed. I've always thought they do it because they are simply afraid of what people might expect from them if they ever show their competence. Sometimes I ask them this question: "Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time?" The role of victim is way too comfortable for some...although this thread is frustrating, I am certainly encouraged to see that there are so many who are willing to join the struggle and confront it.

Nykee, I'm sure you have a reason/argument against everything. Please sit yourself down and discover why you must maintain this victim identity. It could be a life-changing moment. Much hope being sent your way, Cindy

[Kathy473 1]

The one question that I haven't seen asked is...What has your doctor said about it? I know that I haven't been banded that long but from what my doctor told me is that he made my band towhere I might not need a fill for at least a year unless I feel I need one. There may be a possibilty that I might not ever get one, it is up to me. If your doctor is not helping you then maybe you need to seek help or get a 2nd opinion from another doctor. I hope everything works out for you but don't give up, especially if you have children...they need you more than you need the Cheetos or bowl of Pasta. My children are the only reason why I had my band done...I want to be around for them and only them.

[Anwyn 0]

I just read this entire thread and... wow.

Nykee, I think you should read the whole thing over again from start to finish. Do you realize that your main complaint in your first post is that your current diet is making you gain weight. Your main argument in your last post is that an unfill won't work for you because your... current diet is working out so well for you. HUH? You can't have it both ways.

What's the worst thing that can happen here? You get an unfill and try it out for a few weeks and you gain a couple pounds because everyone here was wrong. According to you, you're gaining weight anyways.

I'm trying to hold out hope that you'll see sense in this, but you make it really hard! Maybe you're one of those people who will only do things for others but not themselves... If so, get an unfill for me because I'm going to have to go on blood pressure medicine if I keep reading this thread...

[donali 57]

Nykee, I am trying to hear what you are saying.

1. You are NOT hungry - hunger is not the problem for you. You have NOT been hungry since surgery.

2. Your sole purpose in getting the band was so that you would not be able to eat - ANYTHING, period. Because if you can eat, you will - hunger or not.

3. Whether you can eat or not, there is absolutely no hope whatsoever that you will make healthier, more nutritious choices. IF you can eat, you will eat more cheetos, more Cookies, more chicken nuggets, more milk, more juice, more Soup. If you CAN'T eat, you will subsist on less milk, less juice, less Soup, less cheetos, and less Cookies.< /p>

4. You have already had so much therapy regarding your head issues with food that you "have a degree" in it.

5. Prior to banding, you lost 48 pounds.

6. You want more consistent/stable restriction so that you can have liquids/cheetos/cookies throughout the day, not just at night.

Just out of curisosity, how did you lose the 48 pounds?

Do you really have absolutely no intention of migrating yourself to a more healthful way of eating? Do you really intend on subsisting on milk, juice, cheetos, soup, cookies and chicken nuggets for the rest of your life?

I believe once upon a time you said you were a nurse - am I remembering that correctly? Are you supplementing your daily intake with a good Multivitamin like Alex hopes?

I do understand about eating when you are not hungry. I do understand about eating as much as possible, as often as possible, stopping only because I am out of food or because there is literally not room for even one more bite.

I do understand getting the band to help stop mindless eating, eating that is not hunger induced.

What I don't understand is your inability/unwillingness to include more healthful/nutritious choices in your menu. I'm not talking about cutting out any of your current choices altogether - I'm talking about choosing to eat lean Proteins and veggies first, and then (if it's physically possible), indulging in the less nutritious stuff.

Perhaps in your mind any thought of consuming healthy stuff automatically slams the door on your preferred, non-health promoting choices.

You are right - if you REFUSE to add any kind of healthful choices to your menu's line up, you WILL only consume more liquid calories and less healthful foods if you have less restriction. Because that's the only type of foods you have available.

I honestly don't know what to tell you - everything I know about banding success hinges on people being able to modify their habits at least somewhat. This is something you wouldn't have to do all at once - make the changes one at a time, in a gradual way.

If you are able to be successful going about this "your" way then I am happy for you. But it doesn't seem to be working for you too much at the moment.

If you had nothing but healthfood foods in the house, you wouldn't eat them? Even if there wasn't anything else? It is not your children's responsibility to resist your pleas to bring home junk food - I cannot lay the blame at their feet.

Throughout my life I have often wished I could be locked in a room for a year or so where the exact amount/quality of food I needed to be my perfect weight was slid under the door - nothing more, nothing less. That I didn't even get to see or interact with people - the sole purpose was to have my diet managed for me. It sounds like you might benefit from that kind of fantasy situation. Unfortunately, I am unaware of any place like that (I still wish there was one for me!). I have only myself to rely on for my choices. When I choose well my life swings towards health - when I don't, my life swings towards sickness. Sometimes I'm healthy, sometimes I'm not. But I try and make it easier on myself by limiting what I have available at home, so that my choices are a little easier, at least in that one place in my life.

Hoping you can make a place in your life where making more nutritious choices is a little easier, and that once you make that place, that it grows throughout your life until you come out on the other side a more healthy, nourished soul - inside and out.

((hugs))

[Alexandra 55]

(((Donali)))

[Nykee 13]

so, I didnt think I was and I did..

I was 380 two months ago and now I am 349!!!!!!

I cant feel it, I cant see it..... so I guess I am one of those freaks. lol

I been having issues about my band being too tight and wanting it tighter and all freaked out....

and this has alleiviated some of that stress.

I WONT GET A FILL.. (secret was I was going to have one at the end of October and see what happened)

But, I aint getting an unfil either..

I went food shopping and the changes I made were, I bought some fish, some 7% lean burger for meatloaf, quiche (I know its high in fat but it has nutrients), diet lean cuisines of lasangue and such..

(THESE are for NIGHT TIme.... )

and I only bought one junky food and that was nacho chips and cheesey sauce but once my kids and I eat some tonight, it'll be gone.

I know this wont cure the cheetos and Cookies habit cuz I live right by a 7-11... But I am really gonna try.. AGAIN

I feel kinda ashamed.. posting here.. and I thought about it alot last night and cried alot and I feel like a fool.. and although I WONT get an unfill, I can at leaste try to do some of the other things I need to do...like eat more healthier food at night and not that crap.

thanks again for your support..

I am reposting this at that other place.

I gotta fix my ticker

also.. its so emotional.. I just cant beleive I weigh 349.. I cant stop crying over it... I mean I have yo yo dieted and been to that...

But this is slow steady (kinda) and its gone for good (ya know, more than yoyo dieting) and

This was my history

December... got my lapband date Feb.15th #415

(no couseling, no nothing..sure you can tell)

January to feb. 14th.....lost 4o pounds on a low carb diet (almost easy but hardest thing i ever did) cuz they told me I HAD TO. #374

Feb. .... banded... only 2-3 weeks restriction till I ate normally

April... got a 1.1 fill........it made NO difference in restriciton #375

June.... got a 2.4 fill.....had a 9 hour PB on pills, and vomited my own saliva for 30 more hours until Ortiz forced me to the ER and they took it out. (all)

Aug...got a 1.6 fill... Knew it was tight.. for 2-3 weeks ALMOST went for an unfil INSTEAD I adapeted to NOT eating (JUST fine) #380

Oct. 7th... weighed at my doctors #349!!!

so thats where I am now.. the fill is tight.. and I NEED IT THAT WAY!

I am not starving.. I am not malnurashed, And I DO NOT MISTREAT MY BAND!

I dont pb, or choke or get golf balls and I STOP as soon as I get a tad bit of weird feeling in the chest..

ok.. so

Thanks for listning

I wanna come here more and support you guys but I live in a camper now due to a huge loss.... and its at a kitchen table and I am disabled and one to two hours at the table is all I can handle.. (I used to be at a easy chair at a desk)

loves

[Nykee 13]

alexandrea)

Nykee, you're supposed to be getting 60 or so grams of Protein a day, and milk can't be your only source

girl)

I DO. and no one told me it had to be from any different source.. I even had a nutritional counselor tell me I had to be sure to stay UNDER 80 grams a day.. and to be sure to do THAT.. (I drink alot of milk at night)

Alex) You're really heading for nutritional trouble if you continue down this road. (Are you taking Vitamins? I hope I hope? There are lots of chewables out there; even if all you can find are children's Vitamins those are fine if you take two.)

girl)

I take a flinstone chewable like they told me to.

And I KNOW I need better nutrition.. I have a long ways to go..

I know this is a "I'll do it later" kinda thing.. but I think I will once I get maybe 100 pounds off, I will be more likely to.. anyway.. I wont have so much stress.. I can have my surgerys.. lots of reasons.

Plus I am college educated..and I did alot in that feild..

I KNOW what nutrition is.. (so thats not a problem, like it is for many)

alexandrea)

If you're determined to stick with this too-tight level of fill, do yourself the immense favor of trying to find better foods to eat.

(I AM)

alex)

Think about high-protein mushy food like cottage cheese, eggs, string cheese, hummus, yogurt, things like that. If you take in more calories in high-quality Protein you will be less hungry later in the day, I promise!

girl)

Well... I got the cheese.. I can eat those slices (A 20$ block a month for the kids) but I avoid them cuz the fat.. but I still have them,

And I like eggs but no one will make me any.. lol (and I aint about to)

I love the yolk when its kinda mushy and I KNOW THAT would go down (at night)

yogart, I cant get into.. or applesauce or pudding.. I dont know why.. I like it.. but I just dont since being banded. (I think cuz it takes up room where I cAn drink milk or juice)

BUT aGAIN.. i AM not EATING at night cuz I am hungry....

I am not hungry and hunger doesnt motivate me..

I am a snacker..

The milk and juice and thin Soup I get down before night time is enough..

I am not hungry.

alex)

From the amount of juice you're drinking it seems like you're not having trouble with liquids, so soup shouldn't be an issue unless you're trying to take it in too fast.

girl)

Well.. it changes throughout the day.. like It was about 12:45 pm, just back from the doctors and shopping and I had to crush pain pills and drink OJ.. and I could only tolerate about 3 ounces..

BEFORE my last fill, I woulda gulped 12 ounces of OJ EASY and be still sipping on it now (or chocolate milk)

Around 3pm.. (a kid comes home) and I will get some tomatoe soup and I could try a peice of cheese

(even though yesterday I SWORE not to try that again!!! I slimed trying to eat before night and I hated it)

alex)

Chew everything very, very well and wait a good minute between bites.

Girl)

I DO!! yeah.. finally something right..

lol

I SWEAR.. I AM TAKING care of my band..

IF its true that the slimimng and the PB and the golf ball feelings and all that are what can make your band slip and all that (I know it can anyway)

I really really got that under control... I KNOW thats usually very hard and even like completely against the rules.. but thats cuz it leads to so much band abuse and my band is FINE>

THANK YOU......

I appreciate your posts cuz your talking my language..

your trying to get through to me in a way I can listen.. (very skillfull you are!)

anyway.... I am so glad your here to be someone I can HEAR..

loves

[Nykee 13]

shailin, I post cuz it IS helping.. I have made up my mind.. MY mind is made up that I have to lose the weight and this is the only way I can.. I am wrong I am sure but its all I know and I know what I know. I wont waste TRYING the stuff (everyones great advice) for 20 more years.. period.

Thanks for the luck.. i swear i appreciate it

the best me)

Unbelievable.... Newbies, this is NOT the bandster lifestyle. This is NOT how it's supposed to be. This is NOT how you lose weight. This is NOT how you care for your band. This is NOT how you get your calories. This is NOT healthy. You can see this is NOT working and if this is how you want your banded life to be, I'd suggest you save your money.

ME)

honesty is unbelievable to you... guarenteed I am not alone in this thinking..and or other kinds of very bad band 'confessions'

INFACT.. ban me if I am a detriment to newbies or band people.. I never meant to be that!

Bigbellykelly, (thats a hillarious name, I sure hope you gave it to your self!.. thank you for the advice.. I know your right. I bet my belly is bigger than yours.. is sooo big.

margo, I loved your post;. you will be a great support to many during this process... and I am glad. I guess all I can say to all your great advice is been there, done that and cant see it happening for myself..

Patty,

This is exactly what i wish I could do.. BUT If I could controled myself enough to do the slimfast and lean cuisine thing (did it a hundred times) for any lenght of time and stayed under 1200 calories, I wouldnt have needed the band,, I am really intrerested in how the band has helped you to do this.

I mean I know its tight... BUT there IS crap you can eat AND you can eat 5000 calories a day in liquids if you wanted to (or couldnt control your self)

I am really really proud of you for doing it this way!!!!!!!!!