Betsyjane

I've found that crisp works. I can't eat a flour tortilla, but I can eat corn, or totilla chips. Don't worry too much about grieving the loss of foods. Your preferences will probably change.....Some foods just turn out to be not worth the effort and lose their allure.

Lauren: My binging is still there occasionally, but it's so different! Most of the time I eat my 3 meals, sometimes a light snack or 2, and tons of Water. Occasionally I graze throughout the day and then get myself back on track...but now my grazing probably doesn't add 100 calories to my day! A binge now for me only happens with ice cream. Nothing else will slide down well enough. When I am eating my meals, I look at a normal plate of food...sometimes my eyes are still bigger than my stomach...and I'll eat maybe a fourth to a third of it and I am just plain full. What a novel experience for me. At first, my head played games and was sure I needed more...that I couldn't possibly be satisfied. But there's just no more room! And really no more urge. My eyes and head have caught up to the FACT that I just am not interested in more food! Now it didn't happen for me until I had enough fills to reach my sweet spot, but once that happened, I was amazed how everything just fell into place!

Please stop the "stupid" and "shut the hell up idiots" comments. This site is for encouragmeent and support, and this thread seems to be attracting folks who keep fanning the flames of hostility. You made some excellent points, But they get lost in the nastiness.

Ix there a link you could provide me that shows nutritional guidelines for vegetarians? No sure whether I want to go vegan. I love my egg white omlettes!

I haven't ever gained weight with the band, but I've hit plateaus. And I still have a sugar addiction. These days it is triggered by 2 things.... If I don't eat enough calories I'll want to supplement with something easy like ice cream. So I make sure to eat my meals! The other is that artificial sweeteners set off my craving...I'm OK if I eat a sugar free popsicle, but if I also have something else, like a Crystal Light, that's too much for me. Also makes me gassy!

Please let's stop picking apart the OP. She eventually got a slight unfill and is doing much better. That's worth celebrating and moving on!

Yeah. I only did it at first, but I really did develop the habit of checking for the bathroom anyway.....

PB, the productive burp, is misnamed. It is when something gets stuck and won't go through the banded area. First you might "slime", a somewhat fascinating thing the body does...producing a very thick saliva to try to get the food to go on through. Then if it doesn't, it might pop back out. It's not as gross as vomiting because you have no digestive juices coming back up so it isn't painful or bitter tasting. The food essentially pops back up looking pretty much the way it did when it goes in. It's a reminder to either chew more, eat more slowly, or something else. You'll find after you do it the first time, you'll forever more check where the bathroom is when you enter a restaurant, and try to sit close to it. After a while, you get educated about your finicky best friend the band, and hoepfully stop PBing.

Think of it this way. After surgery, for some people, there is no difference and they can eat pretty much what they want...until they get enough fill(s) to feel restriction. Then they start living as bandsters. For a very few, there is some weight gain during that time, known as "bandster hell". Then with restriction later, the fun begins..... Remember too that people who talk on this site are often looking for support for difficult times, so it appears that there are more problems with the lap band than therereally are. People who aren't haveing prolbems are less likely to post...they're just out living life. Believe me....I had cravings, binge eating, and grazing problems...and all the usual failed diets. For the first time in my life, with the band, I am losing and comfortable. When I screw up, I just stop losing..until I get back on the program. The band waits for me to get it together. I can live with that....

Go to tickerfactory.com

This may be muy imagination, but it seems like lately, I'lm losing weight everywhere except my stomach!

Mom broke her OTHER hip yesterday. The new ER at Northeast is fabulous. Poor girl....90 years old and having to have an operation and rehab. But she's in good spirits. I'll be at Hectors...Where on 1960 is it? I know I've seen it but don't know where....

I had cravings all my life! And I went on diets, lost, and regained more than I lost. I pretty much couldn't see myself ever being a success with my weight. Now, if I screw up, my weight stays the same. If I do right, I lose. What a difference! And doing right is possible...and used to be impossible. The first time you are able to push away from a plate with only 1/4 of the food gone and really say "I'm full"! You'll know life just got really different!

I do a lot of Thai cooking and haven't had a problem. Lentils god down fine for me. Do you have any tips for me on breaking free from the last of my meat eating habits? I can go for a few days, but then I CRAVE meat!

I'm an aspiring vegetarian. I get a heavy hit of protein from my morning shake. EAS Carb Control only has 100 or so calories for around 20 grams of protein, so if I have a very low protein day, I can always have a second shake to round it out. I also eat beans, tofu, etc. without a problem. Had a problem once with cooked spinach, but not since. It's all about getting to be friends with YOUR band. There were things I couldn't eat at first. Now I know how to eat anything, but some foods just aren't worth the trouble, so your tastes and desires change a bit. I struggle with shrimp so I just don't bother with them anymore...but I eat crab without a problem. I eat raw salads every day. After awhile, you just get used to your band and how much each food needs to be chewed. And you do little weird things to adapt. I made cooked cherry tomatoes last night...popped one in my mouth and realized they had a really thick tough skin. So I chewed, took out the skin, and swallowed the rest, rather than risk it. You get good at doing that stuff so no one sees, and it becomes second nature. You may stuggle at first but you'll be fine.

Artificial sweeteners give me gas and raise my blood sugar. A dash of real fruit juice in water is my pick.

That's a great suggestion. I once got past a plateau by keeping a log of my food for 3 days. I was shocked how much I'd let bad stuff sneak in!

Call me if you need a ride to dinner!

Be usre not to try to get your protien in one sitting or your body won't be able to use it. Split it into at least 3 servings. I've also found that sometimes I think of breakfast as just another meal, and eat for Breakfast what I would normally eat for lunch. I do a morning EAS Carb Control protein shake sometimes in the morning...only around 100 calories for around 20 protein grams. That way, if by late afternoon, it looks like I'm not going to get all my proteins in, I can have another hsake to supplement without eating many calories. You may also find that your food preferences change with the band. I used to love shrimp but I don't eat them now because they reak havok with my band, so it's not worth the effort....but I can still eat crab, so go figure.....

Hey, Lourdes. Drop in anytime!

I have 2 long term effects to share....I ano longer take diabetic meds, and my osteoporosis has reversed itself!

Hi Lourdes! Are you responding to something on this thread?

Fun, ain't it?

Not sure what you mean..... I hope the long term effect is a known one...weight loss and maintenance. The band hasn't been around for lots of decades, so the long long term effect isn't known, but the band is supposed to last you a lifetime.

I asked Dr. Spivak before I was banded, and he said there'd beno problem riding. My port is in the front too. No problems....