Crazy Food Regimens & Nasty Protein Shakes -- Not For Everybody

[ckeely 0]

Just wanted to present a different perspective on eating with a band… Reading through this section, I was shocked to see how many people endorse ultra-restrictive eating regimens, and how many eat next to nothing! My doctor never suggested Protein Shakes, it fact, as I understand it, that goes against the purpose of the band. liquids and soft foods slip right through the band, so while they may provide calories and Vitamins, they won't make you feel full. Firm food are needed for that – foods that, once chewed well, will sit in the pouch and slip through to digest slowly, making you feel full for longer. I've seen people here talk about blending their food, not being able to eat meat, and eating only 3-4 bites at a time. If that's the case, your band it TOO TIGHT! You should be able to eat a small, normal meal, and you should still get hungry throughout the day.

As to the crazy food regimens, yes, you will lose weight quicker if you eat no sugar, no salt, little oil, low carb, raw veggies, etc, etc… But that is exactly the kind of eating regimen that threw me off previous diets because I felt too deprived.

So with the band, I'm trying for a happy medium. I'm eating substantially less food than I did before, so I enjoy some of the things I like – in moderation. For dinner tonight, I grilled shrimp and mushrooms with peas and sundried Tomato bits, then topped it with a bit of herbed feta cheese. Yes, the peas are a carb, but I had fewer of them than mushrooms and shrimp. And the tomato and cheese made it taste good – I ate a small enough meal that it wasn't loaded with cheese, but I liked it.

I eat fruit with cottage cheese about once a day, which is my "sweet food" now. Yes, it has fructose, and it isn't as healthy as a kale/carrot shake, but I used to eat a pint of ice cream for dessert! I decided to quit trying to make myself like low-fat and fat-free salad dressings because they taste like crap. Instead, I bought my creamy Caesar, but I dumped out half the bottle and replaced it with skim milk. I get all the flavor from before with runnier dressing, and I use it sparingly, instead of drowning my salad like I would have in the past.

And I'm losing weight – I'm consuming considerably fewer calories than before, but I'm also eating much healthier. So for those of you who are like me and don't fancy giving up everything you like for Protein shakes and meat-and-greens-only meals, I'm suggesting there are alternatives. Many people on this site seem really obsessive about cutting out absolutely everything that could possibly be "bad" for you. If the band allows you to reduce how much you eat, and you eat reasonably healthy food, you will lose weight.

For me, this is an eating pattern I can maintain long term, whereas those crazy eating regimens, I couldn't.

[Noturningback15 45]

I agree! I posted a reply to someone that was in the mushy stage and I suggested oatmeal and refried Beans and the next person came with a reply to mine for her not to eat those things at this time because they are carbs. I eat all of the food groups within moderation and I am very happy and satisfied with my weight loss so far. Thanks for posting this!

[MaggieB 6]

I totally agree with you and basically do the same as you. I do admit to having a Protein shake in the morning as my Breakfast - I just can not eat in the morning. My doctor is fine with it as long as I am not replacing more than 1 meal with the shake.

It seems like alot of people on this site vomit, PB or slime on a regular basis - I have a few times (my own fault - eating fast, too big of bites). But I learned real fast what to do to prevent this from happening.

I do not deprive myself anything - that is how I failed on "diets" before. I just try and make better choices with my food. I tend to eat high Protein, low carbs but do not elimiate all carbs - I consider fruit and such to be "good carbs & good sugar" that our bodies need. I too am happy and satisfied with my weight loss.

[isaviolinist 11]

I basically agree with you. I LOVE my Protein Shakes, and sometimes I crave them (especially if I want something sweet at night). But I also advocate for a balanced diet. There are many people on LBT who like to label certain foods as "bad". But I don't think there are bad foods. food (of any kind) becomes bad when its eaten in complete excess. I maintain a healthy and balanced diet including Protein, fat and carbs (yep, even the "bad" ones...Im not giving up ice cream any time soon) and exercise tons and lose weight fairly rapidly doing so. When I was first banded, I cut out all the "bad" foods. And then I broke down (as it was like being on a diet) and went nuts with them and regained 50 pounds (which I have since lost plus more, eating a balanced diet and exercising). What I have been doing, instead of cutting out certain food groups, is going to therapy for my binge eating disorder in order to get my head on straight regarding food. That way, I'll be able to have some Cookies in the house or ice cream in my freezer, yet I won't feel the compulsive need to eat everything in one sitting.

[ckeely 0]

I basically agree with you. I LOVE my Protein shakes, and sometimes I crave them (especially if I want something sweet at night). But I also advocate for a balanced diet. There are many people on LBT who like to label certain foods as "bad". But I don't think there are bad foods. food (of any kind) becomes bad when its eaten in complete excess. I maintain a healthy and balanced diet including Protein, fat and carbs (yep, even the "bad" ones...Im not giving up ice cream any time soon) and exercise tons and lose weight fairly rapidly doing so. When I was first banded, I cut out all the "bad" foods. And then I broke down (as it was like being on a diet) and went nuts with them and regained 50 pounds (which I have since lost plus more, eating a balanced diet and exercising). What I have been doing, instead of cutting out certain food groups, is going to therapy for my binge eating disorder in order to get my head on straight regarding food. That way, I'll be able to have some Cookies in the house or ice cream in my freezer, yet I won't feel the compulsive need to eat everything in one sitting.

Thanks for the feedback -- I thought I might get some hostile responses. I hadn't considered therapy, although binge eating is my problem, too. Does it really help you? And do you see a regular therapist or someone who deals with eating disorders?

[isaviolinist 11]

Thanks for the feedback -- I thought I might get some hostile responses. I hadn't considered therapy, although binge eating is my problem, too. Does it really help you? And do you see a regular therapist or someone who deals with eating disorders?

Its starting to help me (I've only been seeing this therapist for about a month, but I love her). Its definitely starting to help me think about things I haven't really thought about before, like the origins of my relationship with food, how binge eating "makes sense" for me (meaning how I use it to try and resolve something that is going on within me). I've also become more aware of the authentic me vs. the binge eater in me and also the other side of me that says I need to restrict what I'm eating completely (which undoubtedly leads to binge eating). Its been helpful so far and I'm looking forward to not feeling like I need to use bingeing as a means of coping.

My therapist deals with eating disorder specifically and she runs a division of her eating disorder clinic that only deals with Binge Eating Disorder. This is the BED part of her clinic: http://www.stopcompulsiveeating.com/ and this is the main page for her eating disorder program: http://www.center4ed.org/

Its been helpful to see someone who is specifically focused on eating disorders.

For me, the only REAL way that I will ever get a handle on my eating is to improve my mindset and relationship with food. The band has helped me tremendously in getting healthy, but nothing, not even the band, can help me with the head part.

[Jachut 487]

I couldnt agree more. I think a lot of people's eating regimes are not lifestyle changes, they're very strict (and to me, wacky) diets that cut out an entire food group. I also dont believe that nutritionistsare entirel on the ball either in a lot of cases - they are not medical professionals, they are not fully qualified dieticians and like personal trainers, they simply offer currently fashionable thinking about diet - which right now hppens to be low carb high Protein.

You makie an excellent point about it being a sustainable lifestyle. I worked very hard to give up dieting forever, and I did like you are doing - a healthy, balanced and moderate diet. five years down the track, not only havbe I had great success with teh band, but I have had to have my band unfilled for another surgery and it will remain unfilled for the foreseeable future. I have not gained an ounce, and it has not been even the tiniest bit difficult to keep my weight stable and maintain my loss - I believe this is totally because I worked on a permanent, sustained lifestyle chane. i exercise rather intensely, but even that is moderate in that I do what I enjoy doing and I resist falling prety to every bit of exercise advice that is currently being given - I run despite the fact that the experts say it will wast my muscles - why - because I like it and I will never believe that outdoor vigorous activity is not beneficial. Sure, i could get different or even better results with other combinations of exercise, but again, I am not jumping on any bandwagon, I'm doing what is sustainable for me.

Anything else I believe means people must have tight bands to maintain tehir lifestyle and most people are just too darned tight, without even realising it. The band is not meant to prevent eating, its meant to help you eat properly.

[cwm812 11]

Anything else I believe means people must have tight bands to maintain tehir lifestyle and most people are just too darned tight, without even realising it. The band is not meant to prevent eating, its meant to help you eat properly.

Amen and then some. When I see the lists of what some people can't eat, I just shudder. For some people the band is like having your jaw wired shut. It's like they feel guilty for having weight issues and need to suffer the penalties. I'm even more amazed at the number of doctors who "prescribe" special eating styles and no-carb diets. The band should help you live a normal life. That's what I do...eat moderately, exercise moderately and I lose weight, too. This does not need to a prison sentence.

Cindy

[Kiskis 56]

I agree. The band is a tool and you want to still eat healthy great newsletter with great ideas & recipeswww.chefdave.org Dave is a bander. He is also on FB & Twitter too.

K

Just wanted to present a different perspective on eating with a band… Reading through this section, I was shocked to see how many people endorse ultra-restrictive eating regimens, and how many eat next to nothing! My doctor never suggested Protein shakes, it fact, as I understand it, that goes against the purpose of the band. Liquids and soft foods slip right through the band, so while they may provide calories and Vitamins, they won't make you feel full. Firm food are needed for that – foods that, once chewed well, will sit in the pouch and slip through to digest slowly, making you feel full for longer. I've seen people here talk about blending their food, not being able to eat meat, and eating only 3-4 bites at a time. If that's the case, your band it TOO TIGHT! You should be able to eat a small, normal meal, and you should still get hungry throughout the day.

As to the crazy food regimens, yes, you will lose weight quicker if you eat no sugar, no salt, little oil, low carb, raw veggies, etc, etc… But that is exactly the kind of eating regimen that threw me off previous diets because I felt too deprived.

So with the band, I'm trying for a happy medium. I'm eating substantially less food than I did before, so I enjoy some of the things I like – in moderation. For dinner tonight, I grilled shrimp and mushrooms with peas and sundried Tomato bits, then topped it with a bit of herbed feta cheese. Yes, the peas are a carb, but I had fewer of them than mushrooms and shrimp. And the tomato and cheese made it taste good – I ate a small enough meal that it wasn't loaded with cheese, but I liked it.

I eat fruit with cottage cheese about once a day, which is my "sweet food" now. Yes, it has fructose, and it isn't as healthy as a kale/carrot shake, but I used to eat a pint of ice cream for dessert! I decided to quit trying to make myself like low-fat and fat-free salad dressings because they taste like crap. Instead, I bought my creamy Caesar, but I dumped out half the bottle and replaced it with skim milk. I get all the flavor from before with runnier dressing, and I use it sparingly, instead of drowning my salad like I would have in the past.

And I'm losing weight – I'm consuming considerably fewer calories than before, but I'm also eating much healthier. So for those of you who are like me and don't fancy giving up everything you like for Protein Shakes and meat-and-greens-only meals, I'm suggesting there are alternatives. Many people on this site seem really obsessive about cutting out absolutely everything that could possibly be "bad" for you. If the band allows you to reduce how much you eat, and you eat reasonably healthy food, you will lose weight.

For me, this is an eating pattern I can maintain long term, whereas those crazy eating regimens, I couldn't.

[Momto3redheads 18]

I guess I don't pay attention to everyone else's diet....so I haven't seen the types of extreme dieting posts you are speaking of. I do know I have read that some folks can tolerate steak, some can't, some can do eggs, others cannot...everyone has little twists and turns as to what they are able to tolerate or what they prefer to eat....that's the best part of this journey is that we can tailor it to suit our own lifestyles. I cannot eat anything solid for hours in the morning after I get up - so I have to drink a shake in order to get some Protein as skipping Breakfast altogether would be even less healthy for me.

My doctor said if I am eating small meals and getting my Protein in then I should NOT be getting hungry between meals at all. That's the point of the band tricking our bodies into thinking they are full with a small amount of food. I have found that once I hit my "sweet spot" that I am pretty much never really hungry - unless I go half a day without eating anything! So for me it is crucial to stay on track by eating my small meals and getting in as much protein as I can - but that sure doesn't stop me from living! I eat potatoe Soup for dinner every once in awhile (gasp!) and when we go out for pizza once a month with our church I can eat a piece of thin crust taco pizza...and have been known to enjoy ice cream on occassion! BUT instead of eating 6 scoops like I would've in the past, just one is more than satisfying....so to me it isn't about cutting out everything "bad" and putting hyperfocus on what I can't or shouldn't have....but it is about enjoying what I do eat and trying to do the best I can....only *I* am accountable for my actions anyway! So I DO drink diet pop...and don't care what everyone else says about it...that's between me and my doctor....and he said it is fine in moderation (I drink cafeine free diet) as long as you wait months after surgery when you are fully healed.

Don't let what "everyone else" is doing bug you....and advice varies from doctor to doctor, too! Just focus on what works best for you and enjoy reaping the results of your hard work!

Good luck!

Kim

[KSD1971 0]

Thank you all for these posts. I'm in the pre-op phase - surgery is next Monday (1/31) and new to this forum. I jumped on here to see if I could find some creative ways to fix my Protein drinks because I'm just getting sick of them. I'm not having problems w/hunger, but I'm struggling getting everything in because I'm having to force them down.

Your posts have really comforted me. I seek what many of you have already obtained - a healthy lifestyle that is sustainable! The one post about a "prison sentence" really spoke to me because that is my biggest fear - that I'm going to wake up from surgery and feel like I've just been handed a life sentence! Don't get me wrong, I'm VERY ready to change my life....I'm just not ready to take all of the joy out of it.

Thanks again!

KSD

[Humming Bird 275]

Just wanted to present a different perspective on eating with a band… Reading through this section, I was shocked to see how many people endorse ultra-restrictive eating regimens, and how many eat next to nothing! My doctor never suggested Protein shakes, it fact, as I understand it, that goes against the purpose of the band. liquids and soft foods slip right through the band, so while they may provide calories and Vitamins, they won't make you feel full. Firm food are needed for that foods that, once chewed well, will sit in the pouch and slip through to digest slowly, making you feel full for longer. I've seen people here talk about blending their food, not being able to eat meat, and eating only 3-4 bites at a time. If that's the case, your band it TOO TIGHT! You should be able to eat a small, normal meal, and you should still get hungry throughout the day.

As to the crazy food regimens, yes, you will lose weight quicker if you eat no sugar, no salt, little oil, low carb, raw veggies, etc, etc… But that is exactly the kind of eating regimen that threw me off previous diets because I felt too deprived.

So with the band, I'm trying for a happy medium. I'm eating substantially less food than I did before, so I enjoy some of the things I like in moderation. For dinner tonight, I grilled shrimp and mushrooms with peas and sundried Tomato bits, then topped it with a bit of herbed feta cheese. Yes, the peas are a carb, but I had fewer of them than mushrooms and shrimp. And the tomato and cheese made it taste good I ate a small enough meal that it wasn't loaded with cheese, but I liked it.

I eat fruit with cottage cheese about once a day, which is my "sweet food" now. Yes, it has fructose, and it isn't as healthy as a kale/carrot shake, but I used to eat a pint of ice cream for dessert! I decided to quit trying to make myself like low-fat and fat-free salad dressings because they taste like crap. Instead, I bought my creamy Caesar, but I dumped out half the bottle and replaced it with skim milk. I get all the flavor from before with runnier dressing, and I use it sparingly, instead of drowning my salad like I would have in the past.

And I'm losing weight I'm consuming considerably fewer calories than before, but I'm also eating much healthier. So for those of you who are like me and don't fancy giving up everything you like for Protein Shakes and meat-and-greens-only meals, I'm suggesting there are alternatives. Many people on this site seem really obsessive about cutting out absolutely everything that could possibly be "bad" for you. If the band allows you to reduce how much you eat, and you eat reasonably healthy food, you will lose weight.

For me, this is an eating pattern I can maintain long term, whereas those crazy eating regimens, I couldn't.

ckeely, How long have you been banded? How much weight have you lost? How many fills have you had?

[honk 780]

I agree some people make banded life sound like as much fun as failing into a Weight Watchers reality TV show that never ends. food is pleasurable. I don't want to take all enjoyment of food out of my life. One of my craving fighting activities? After lunch on a Saturday I go to Cosco and see if they are sampling anything that I can't keep in my house because I would binge on it. I don't think having one inch square of brownie (once a week) is going to sink me. But it definatly is enjoyable. I stand to the side and slowly savor that minuscule piece of dessert. Some people would say this is bad; but it means I can withstand the urge to BUY dessert for my house. Oh and Greek yoghurt without Splendra tastes like sour cream; so yeah I eat artifical sweetners.

[Jachut 487]

Lol, I love plain greek yogurt - but I have also been known to eat sour cream straight from the carton!

Last time I sampled anythign at costco, I bought the $800 blender it was made in! We have only one costco in Melbourne, its the BEST.