exasperated

coming up on 2yrs in Dec. had a 15 lb gain over summer....gave in to cravings for milkshakes over and over.....i am so sick of chicken i can barely stand it anymore...i want some mac and cheese and mashed potatoes...artificial sweeteners make me sick...i need to lose 35 lbs now...surgeon says most lose all the weight they are going to in the first two years i still feel i haven't learned to live in the world with food....thanks for letting me vent

p.s. any word of encouragement/wisdom would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

Not true about the 2 year thing first of all, there is no better time than now to start over! Go low carb, no sugar no white starch. This will get the weight loss moving, once you see this happen you will have the momentum. It takes about a week to come off the sugar addiction, ut it is so worth it. Also stay away from potatoes, rice, pasta too. You can do this, your band will work again to help you!

thank you!

Brendaj you can do it.  I still have weight to lose and haven't given up on myself.  Hopefully my surgeon hasn't given up on me either.  Take care we are working with you and pulling for you.
Z

Thank you!

Well stop eating chicken! Try fish, shellfish, vegetarian protein like chick peas or lentils. Eggs, cheese in moderation, nuts. Personally I can eat all meats as long as they are not too dry but I know some people can't.

And instead of sweeteners, have smaller amounts of foods with real sugar. I always buy, for example, children sized yogurts with sugar intead of larger ones with sweeteners.

And the thing about not losing weight is untrue. We don't have issues of decreasing malabsorption so as long as you eat sensibly, you can lose as long as you want.

And treat yourself to some mac and cheese once in a while. But make it with skimmed milk, don't add butter, use a bit less cheese. Still not a good option but for me total denial doesn't work!

Kate

Thank you sooo verry much for these tips. I agree total denial does NOT work. I appreciate your reply.

By the sound of your cravings I would guess that it's an emotional connection to food that you're battling.  I have the same issues and started therapy a year ago with a therapist that specialized in food related issues.  It's really helped.  IMO we all need to work on why we over eat in the first place to complete the circle of healing.  The band helps us control hunger and portion size but it doesn't fix our mental connection to food.  If you're struggling with wanting to eat certain foods simply because you want to, then it's not hunger.

Find someone to talk to that can help you figure find out where this tendency is really coming from.  It's really opened my eyes to a lot of things and it's been really helpful.

Best~
Lisa O.

Thank you for your reply Lisa. I definitely know there is a strong emotional connection to many of the cravings. I am feeling sad these days because my sister has cancer and so does one of my dearest friends. I do have a therapist and called her today to see about having more frequent appointments. I really appreciate your reply and encouragement.