Meal help from Successful Banders plz

[househuntress 1]

After 3 years of being banded I'm moving the wrong way on the scale. Truthfully I lost 75 lbs and stopped...I need to loose 100+.

I was soooo happy after being banded...the weight just fell off, I didn't have to worry or stress about what I ate or how much, the band was doing everything. PERFECT!! I loved NOT having to cook, measure, etc. I don't want to think about food..that makes me want to eat more....I need something simple but filling and will keep me full.

All my life I've been fat and stressed over what I ate, how fat I was, going on diets, weighing & measuring food....finally I took the step to hopefully stop all of that because it WASN'T working after 30 plus years of trying. Hard to decide to have the surgery and was totally expensive since I was a private pay.

Now...fast foward to my third year of being banded...Life is much better but I've not lost a single pound since my 75..in fact I'm 10 lbs heavier.

I know I couldn't have done this without the band but now...the band isn't working..it doesn't feel like it did before (My doctor said I'm almost filled up and it's calories that is the answer). Just wondering here... but WHY doesn't it feel like it did...why...isn't the band doing it's work still? I have a lot of questions and no one in my tiny little town to ask. This is my only support. My band doctor is 2 hours away...that's one way..so to see him I have to take cash and drive for 4 hours. OK..now the whine session is over. I would like some input to any and all that have had the same questions and conquered them.

My main question is how to stay full like I use to. Can someone give me some ideas of what you eat in a day of Protein that keeps you full?

I can't eat eggs, bread or Pasta (never have since the band) which is a good thing but that really cuts out the Weight Watcher type meals.

Any ideas and I am sooooo impressed by those that MADE IT and been successful in their journey.

Thanks to all for any help.

[Jack 855]

You've entered another entertaining phase of Life postOp and "Now What"? For myself, the pleasure and success of the band has left ME also "35#" from my goal. Now in my sixth year, there are important changes in my habits and brain-notion of eating and overeating. It has worked well for me to abandon the failed concept that 'full' and 'not hungry' are the same.

Indeed, that irrational pairing helped lead me to 373# at one point. We do not need to repeat the mistakes of the past. And my own method may not translate into how you respond to the basic hunger drive. I've tried to train myself to 'eat when hungry' and "STOP" when not hungry. Sometimes a few bites is all it takes. I find hard Proteins serve me better eaten first. A grilled 4 oz buffalo patty does wonders. So does a complex bowl of fresh produce with a bit of shrimp or some shredded cheese.

It is too easy to fall back on the old "Trail of the Morbidly Obese" and begin snacking on those empty nutrition bombs from the past. The essential GOOD thing, is I simply can not stuff much pasta/bread/etc into myself anymore. Nor do I even care for it. Once a staple, spaghetti or pizza now is a rare and not very satisfying meal.

About once a year I can and do indulge in a cream puff.....but it no longer occupies my desires of forbidden food. I do enjoy eating....only now I actually do eat to live rather than the previous live-to-eat mania.

A BIG surprise, is I've come to actually enjoy the process of "Becoming Hungry". I used to live in the anxious anticipation of doing such, and eat to avoid becoming hungry. I was actually raised with the advise of "Don't eat on an empty stomach" and "Don't go to bed without something in your stomach".

I've had far more success in learning what "satiety" is and how to attain that. I enjoy my meals far more when eating to that magic point of 'satiety' than the delusion of 'full'.....which by experience I know can never be reached for very long. "Satiety" lasts for hours and continues to lead me toward my goal. Cheers and good luck on your journey. Be sure to let us know what you learn.

[annieM 2]

The fact is, you are statistically right where you should be. The band is said to take off 75% of your excess weight. The rest is up to you. Your band will still help you not take in huge amounts, but you need to be mindful of what you choose now. Have you been exercising? Building muscle mass increases your metabolism so you burn more even at rest. Perhaps it's time to hit the gym. Don't forget the strength building exercises. You could also try the South Beach Diet. It's a heart healthy way to live and it's very band-friendly.

Have you ruled out needing a fill? Do you stay satisfied for around 4 hours after a meal? Are you taking in about the same amount of food that you have been? No PB'ing? If you don't stay satisfied and are taking in more food than you had been, you do need a bit of a fill to get you going again. If all is well, the work is all yours. IT CAN BE DONE!!! It just takes patience and the desire to succeed. It's the perfect time to do it too! NOW