2muchfun

food For Thought! You are not powerless! Our environment is loaded with triggers for eating when we're not really hungry and for continuing to eat past the point of satiety. Learning to recognize these triggers and respond in an effective manner is the key to thriving in this food abundant environment. What is a trigger? Think about the word trigger for a moment… In behavioral terms, a trigger is anything that serves as a stimulus that initiates a reaction or series of reactions. This concept is analogous to a mechanical trigger, defined as a mechanism that activates a sequence. Thinking about a trigger in mechanical terms is helpful because it takes the emotion out of it for a moment. More importantly, it reminds us that a trigger has no effect on its own and must be activated in some way. Similarly, your triggers for overeating are powerless over you—until you choose to act on them. Dismantle the machine Focus: Whenever you want to eat or continue to eat, that is your trigger to pause and ask, Am I hungry? or Am I still hungry? In essence, you are creating a new trigger for yourself - wanting to eat now triggers you to pause and check in. This pause creates a gap between the stimulus and response, allowing you to respond instead of react. Explore: If you're not hungry, get curious! I wonder why I want to eat right now even though I'm not hungry. What was the trigger? Accept: Don't judge yourself. You wouldn't judge a machine for having a switch! Instead, say, Hmmmm, isn't that interesting? Strategize: Choose how you will respond. I could eat anyway if I want to. For now, I am not going to activate this particular sequence of events. Let's see...what else could I do until I'm hungry? Take Action: Each time you choose not to pull the trigger, you weaken its connection. It's as if the wires rust and eventually break. Further, each time you choose a different action, you create new connections. With practice, you will hardwire these new pathways - like insulating the wiring. Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly! Michelle May, M.D.

I just noticed you only have 30 lbs to go? You must be doing something right? It's not the doom and gloom your original post indicates? I think you already know what to do? Just need an atta girl? Atta Girl! tmf

Sorry, but I'm going to be a Grinch. You can't eat candy and chips. It just won't work. Period! You shouldn't be on Protein Shakes either. You should be eating foods like eggs, lean ham, turkey, chicken, seafood, veggies, salads. You're eating everything that will only make you hungrier. The band is designed to slow the digestion of foods in your stomach. The food in your upper pouch goes through much slower and triggers a level of satiety much sooner so you eat less(only with band friendly food). If you eat slider foods the band does nothing and you are consuming empty calories that will spike your insulin making you even hungrier. Eat solid foods that are nutritious and stay in your upper stomach longer or you'll always be hungry. That's why Protein shakes are bad for you unless you are 2 weeks out from surgery or just had a fill. They flush right through. You went to the seminars, the nutrition counseling and classes. You know what needs to be done. Just do it. Or, don't do it and remain fat. At some point you will have to muster the courage to use the tool right? tmf

I've been a student of nutrition for about 35 years now. I think I knew most of what I learned in the seminars and nutrition classes. Learning what I can eat and what I shouldn't eat isn't that difficult. Learning what my band will let me eat has been a new experience. But it's good that I was able to understand why I should avoid white foods(simple carbs). Not understanding why we eat as we have to eat shouldn't hold you back. You will be told what to eat for the first 2 months of your new life. After that you will begin to understand why. But it's impossible to explain so all will understand prior to surgery. These are rules and knowledge you will use with or without LBS. It's knowledge that even regular dieters don't understand but should know. Throw yourself into this and you will learn and you can succeed. BTW-Being a know-it-all in nutrition didn't give me the tool I needed to keep me from overeating and knowing what my triggers are. tmf

One of the reasons the docs want us on a low carb diet is because simple sugar, white bread, even whole wheat bread, Pasta, rice, potatoes etc, when consumed, can cause insulin spikes which tells our brain we're hungry when we really don't need anymore food. And of course, these carbs, simple carbs, are empty carbs and calories. Eating a lower carb diet is the more nutritious way to train our minds to eating healthier. Some call this way of eating the Paleo Diet. But to answer your question, lower carb and lower calorie is the answer. If you eliminate fat, a low carb diet should be a low calorie diet by default. tmf

It depends on what you've been eating the last few days? If you're eating slider foods you will experience what you are experiencing. But, it's also possible that some of the fat surrounding your stomach has evaporated due to your weight loss. This will cause your stoma portal to open slightly. The best ways to judge this is, does your pouch still fill the same as before, stuck episodes? Are you feeling full as before? I have say that for me, my band seems to have a mind of it's own. I can go 3-4 days and eat most anything without that stuck or overly full feeling. And then suddenly the same foods fill me up or give me that stuck feeling after just 3 bites. Go figger? tmf

I feel your pain. I had many friends call or email me and ask how's it goin? I only lost 12 lbs the first few weeks then didn't lose anything from Xmas 2011 to the last week in March. So, about 3 months. I was frustrated too. Sometimes angry but I wasn't gaining weight and I too was hungry all the time but the band did hold me back enough that I didn't gain. My 4th fill started my restriciton phase. It took me till fill 6 to finally get to the green zone. You're almost there. I've lost 23 lbs since last March and 35 overall. I'd like it to be more but it is what it is and I have no regrets. tmf

Don't put butter and sour cream on your mashed spuds. Don't pour sugar all over your oatmeal. My nutritionist recommended I eat soft deli meats like turkey and i did which helped fill me. Tomato Soup just pours right through the band so I needed something semi solid. I make some mean refried Beans so that sticks around for a while, just don't be adding a bunch of lard to it. Lots of mushies also have a high sodium content which can make you hold back Water which appears as weight gain. Try to keep that sodium content low. Good luck. tmf

I hate you! Just kidding of course. It's funny, Jean McMillan posted an article here over the weekend about jealousy over other's success. So many of us do not achieve what you achieved so quickly and my first gut reaction was, "crap" why can't I do that? LOL But it's so much better than the posts from the folks who hate their band and blame everyone but themselves. Keep up the great work and post more often of how you do it? tmf

My own closet. I was thinner for about 30 years and kept most of my clothes. My old shorts seem to have not kept up with the times. I've got these tennis shorts that are about 3 inches below my crotch and look very silly now. I guess it's time for a call to Goodwill? tmf

Don't beat yourself up if you slip here and there. I made some mistakes in the 4 months of BH that I went through. Didn't lose or gain any weight the last 3 months of BH and my 4th fill started my restriction phase. It will come for you too. tmf

Others have said this but I'm saying it again. My band has a mind of it's own. I had a salad with salmon for lunch. I probably ate a little too much, too quickly and I got that stuck feeling I usually get 4-5 times a week. So I waited like you for 15-20 minutes for it to pass and it did and I was able to finish my salad. For dinner we had steak. I was afraid and knew I'd have a stuck episode, but I didn't. I was able to finish my 8 oz steak with no problems. Of course, I cut it up into small pieces and ate very slowly. I even washed some of it down with sips of water. I was satisfied. Don't throw in the towel on solids just yet. Slow, small and chewy is the path to avoiding those stuck episodes. And I know it but I continue to make the same mistake you did. Many years of programming is very difficult to overcome but I'm working at it. tmf

I have to pay my nutritionist and it's worth it. No offense Roro but it sounds to me like you're searching for reasons to fail. If you want to succeed you'll need to speak to a professional who can work you through this plateau. A nurse is not a dietician/nutritionist. No nutritionist would tell you you can't lose weight without exercise. It's much harder of course. Exercise is an important component to losing weight with the band but simple math would tell you that if you only take in 1300 calories a day and your body burns 2000/day, you should be losing 4 lbs month. Throw in a plateau and maybe 2-3 lbs a month. If you keep it off, isn't it worth it? The band is a tool. It won't do everything for you and most of us have our own method of tracking how much food or calories we consume. You must have misunderstood someone if you believe the band will do it all. Exercise, good food choices and eating a low carb/calorie diet is the road to slimmer times. tmf

Your best buddy should be your nutritionist/dietician. Treat him/her like your shrink or your minister. Tell them all that you eat, drink and they will help guide you through this. My doctor has a nutritionist who only works with bariatric patients. If I slide again, I'll be back in a session with her you can be sure. tmf

I would google bariatric docs in your area and start calling. tmf

Your body is still healing and adjusting. Give it at least 2 more weeks before you consider a fill. Sounds like you are in what we call "Bandster Hell". This is the period where your band is the loosest and allows most foods to pass through to the lower stomach. You can be very hungry during this phase. Some people are lucky and get restriction from the start and may need only 1 fill or even 0 fills. I was in BH for 4 months. I didn't gain weight but it was very frustrating and sometimes discouraging. I went through 3 fills before my 4th finally gave me some restriction. 600 calories is a little on the light side imo. You might ask if you can up that to 800-1000? 600 would make me very grumpy. Maybe after you are in the green zone, 600 may work(occasionally for me)? tmf

There seems to be a wide disparity for pre-op dieting amongst doctors. I've seen where some doctors want their patients to lose 30-40 lbs before surgery. Some want 2-6 weeks of dieting and usually it's a low carb diet. Some want 2 weeks of liquids only. My doctor said liquids only 1 day prior to surgery. I had my surgery 4 days after Thanksgiving and ate like crazy Thurs-Sat and then liquids on Sunday, surgery Monday. It can also be patient specific. If someone has lots of weight to lose they may require a more specific diet. tmf

You already look great. Congrats on the weight loss. Good to hear these success stories. tmf

If you can lose it on your own, just think how well you'll do with the band? However, the band is only a tool and if you don't use it, you'll probably have the same results. I would imagine that having the band would give you the tools necessary to not return to where you are now. tmf

3 weeks is unusual but I wished my doc had done the same. Waiting 4-6 weeks between fills is a waste of time for some of us.

Boobs are overrated ;op Yes, you are in an exciting part of your journey. Keep that enthusiasm. tmf

That deserves another Snoopy Happy Dance:

Atta Girl!! We're here one way or another! tmf

I agree with nontradguy but I'd add that you should sit down with your dietician/nutritionist and find out why this is happening. I did back in March and it made all the difference in my journey. Well worth the money. tmf

Sounds like you could use a small fill. It may or may not get better. It really depends on your commitment? Sounds like you are already eating around your band with cocktails and drinking during meals. 20 lbs is very good. Don't judge your own success by how well or badly others post. Now I drink Water during meals occasionally but not always. It depends on the food. You're a little too new to the band to know how to use it with different foods. You will learn as you go along. It really is a slow learning process and can be very difficult since many of us just don't want to give up our safety nets(food). I don't get hungry late at night so sipping a little with my dinner hasn't affected how much I eat and how hungry I am after dinner. tmf