steph2012

I have always said that it is easier to say no to carbs than it is to indulge & then have to give them up again. ... and let's be more specific, when I say carbs, I mostly mean potato chips! I have such a weakness for potato chips. It is definitely my red light food. I find that when I indulge, it just causes me to want more. The craving is very much insatiable. So, why do I do it?! I have no freakin' idea why! Once carbs are in my system, Instead of the craving going away because it was satisfied, I just want more. Now I have to figure out how to put an end to this nasty carb craving cycle. Anyone else like this? I feel out of control & 'weak' today. Sorry, I know I'm beating myself up...

Anyone that says THIS is the easy way out, is definitely uninformed! There hasn't been anything about this process that has been easy!

Lori, I can relate. I have just over 2 years banded. I have lost 105 lbs. Weigh 188 lbs now & am feeling 'stuck' as well. Am bored with food most days & spend a great deal of time on-line searching for recipes to break this boredom. I have exercised a little along the way but am finding it hard to find the motivation right now. Honestly, for me, I think the key is to keep going as is (maintaining) until I can summons the motivation. There's nothing anyone can say to motivate me. I just have to keep looking for it within myself. Probably not much help but you are not alone!

Me too, I know food is stuck almost immediately, within minutes for sure. When stuck, drinking always makes matters worse for me, never better. You definitely irritated your vagus nerve. That can last for hours & is very unpleasant. The best was to avoid it is to chew, chew, chew & don't overeat. You'll get use to it! You are doing the right thing, liquids/soft foods for a day or two is the best recourse after something like this.

We blend apples in our smoothies all the time. I'm surprised it didn't work out for you. Try it with a bit of vanilla protein powder. I often add PB to smoothies as a treat. I LOVE PB in smoothies. Good Luck!

Shrug or small sweater. I'm wearing a little sweater today with frills. It's cute. Has a bit of glitter in the knit. Something like that would work.

I like your suggestion Razzswt39. Have you every tried making a mocha with the premier Protein chocolate in it? I may give it a try... I would typically use a quality chocolate 'sauce' but I may try it with chocolate Protein shake. Seems like it could work.

HealthyNewMe, Do you have a link for that study? Was it posted online?

I can't say I'm not disappointed. I was thinking a small defill to allow for higher caloric intake and then exercise 'willpower' like a normal person to maintain (say 1600-1800 calories/day). I didn't realize when I signed up for this procedure that I was committing to a lifetime of child sized portions. I want to be normal and eat off a normal sized plate (she says in a whining voice as she stomps away, LOL). I don't want to have to be fearful of getting something 'stuck' when eating in public. Am I playing with fire?!

My original goal weight was 180 lbs. Over the past 2 years, I've revised that goal & set it at 160 lbs. I'm 7 lbs away from my original goal weight. Over the weekend, I was looking at some pictures of our recent vacation. We travelled with a group of friends. I had an 'ah-ah' moment when looking at the pictures - I looked like the rest of my friends. I don't mean I looked identical to them but I fit in with the group in terms of weight. I was no longer the biggest girl in the group. In fact, I wasn't even the bigger girl in the group. It got me to thinking about goal. I'm not sure where I'll set my end goal weight. What I do know is that I look like I hoped I would when I started this process. I have arrived! So, now, I need to start tackling maintenance. I need to educate myself & learn what I need to know to be successful in maintenance. So, what does maintenance look like for a Bandster? Do we continue to eat 1000-1200 calories a day? That doesn't seem right to me. The average intake for a sedentary female is 1600-2000 calories a day. Do we increase our caloric intake?

After 2 1/2 years, I'm nearing goal weight & have noticed that I'm starting to have more port site 'discomfort'. I don't know what triggers it. Could it be that I have less fat insulating it? LOL. Anyone else have this trouble? Is this something I should be talking to my surgeon about or is this normal?

I'm nearly 2 1/2 years out. I've noticed my nails are 'cracking & splitting' - both finger & toes. It's bad. They are tearing way down in the quick. Almost (accidentally) ripped a toe nail right off a short while ago. Anyone else have this kind of trouble? What am I deficient in? I don't take any multivitamins or supplements but I obviously need to start. Any suggestions?

I'm the same way Annette - carbs send me into an out of control downward spiral...

Your situation is very common. Hang tight. It's willpower for now but it will get easier with each fill.

You can definitely 'eat around' your band. Most people can eat near unlimited quantities of carbs. But the only person you are hurting by doing this, is YOU. The band is meant to work when you follow the rules given to you by your surgeon. While all of us have different rules, there is a common thread - Protein first, complex carbs next and rarely, if ever, eat simple carbs. The band works best when you follow these rules. The band does very little when we eat simple carbs.