So frustrated

After 6 yrs of success with my band and being the star of my surgeons patient for having lost the most out of all his patients with a band I have in the past 6 months gained 20 lbs!  I am so upset and frustrated with myself.  I know that part of the issue is stupid coffee drinks which I have now cut out of my life and for several months I didn't exercise due to health issues.  I have now been diagnosed with an untreatable incurable muscle disease that does cause me to be very weak.  I have however started going to the gym and have gone 7 times so far this month.  I am determined to get these 20 lbs off and am tracking everything I eat.

i am just so totally upset.  None of my clothes fit I had to go buy lager sizes again.

any words of wisdom from others?  I have to get rid of these pounds and am considering doing a liquid diet like before surgery to get jump,started.

thanks...

I am almost 6 years out and have gained about 30 pounds above my goal.

Liquid diets do not work for me .... They trigger a strong rebellion in me ...(I did 26 weeks of Medifast one year).

I go back to basics with 5-6 small, protein packed meals a day.

B -Greek yogurt, 15 grams of protein for 150 calories

S- Luna bar, 9 or 10 grams protein for 180 calories .. Very filling

L -- cheese and meat roll up.  I slice a low cal cheese stick in half lengthwise, spread with a bit of mustard and roll a thin slick of roast beef on it.  I get 2 roll ups for 100 calories ...about 20 grams of protein

S -- whole grain crackers with a tablespoon of peanut butter .. About 200 calories and 5 grams of protein

D -- meat or fish, small amount of veggie, 1-2 bites of starch

If I am hungry, I have a low fat pudding snack.

I walk about 45-60 minutes each evening

As Kath says, I am almost nine years post- and have gained back just under 30lbs twice. Both times I lost it again

liquid diets are pointless self-flagellation! The band is not designed to work with liquid. Go back to protein first, the crunchy veggiew, then carbs if room.  If you eat between meals, make it a controlled calories snack. 

My way of keeping control is not to buy larger clothes. At  30lbs heavier, there was just one skirt and a couple of formerly-baggy tops I could wear. Great motivator having to wear the same clothes every day! 

I am beyond frustrated as well. The band was not the best surgery for me. I am an emotional eater and find my drug of choice, sugar, still goes down easily. In fact, my band is so tight that some days all I can get down are smooth processed foods, which gives me an excuse to pull out the soothing ice cream. (one gets sooo tired of protein drinks and yogurt, after all.) My connection with eating and self-soothing is so obvious to me now. In fact, after my surgery in 2006 I started to lose some weight. (I lost 20 on pre-surgery fast, and then 30 more after.)Then, men started to notice me and talk to me. I panicked and almost could hear the steel door slamming shut on my weight loss. (Turns out that fat women are practically invisible to both men and women, and the attention I started to get-even just friendly chatting- frightened me. People were "seeing" me and it was unnerving!)

Anyway, even though I eat pretty healthy most of the day, in the evening my sugar addiction (which is fierce!) kicks in and I always give in to it. I give in in a big way too. I have tried to avoid thinking about it, but probably consume betweek 500-1000 cal. a day in sweets. (Like a pint of Ben&Jerrys.) Since the surgery, I lost 40 pounds, gained back 90, and lost 70. I now sit at a 235# and although it's better than pre-op 265#, it's not all that inspiring.

I just started posting here because I am so frustrated and disgusted. I have bipolar/depressed type but when on the heavy duty meds I am a zombie. So, cutting back the meds allows me to be awake and more clear-headed so I can actually work, but then I seek comfort in more sugar. (It really is a drug cycle for me, in that the more I eat the more I crave, and I think about my next fix all day long.) I also have severe anemia (taking iron for that), and am so exhausted that I can't drag myself to exercise. I know this is all a bunch of excuses, but I guess my point is that the band is not for everyone, and it was not the right decision for me. Wish I'd done bypass :(