Cheat foods not bothering me?!

[Ready2 4]

I can't eat a lot of the things that others bandsters do and I am (15) months post-op. There is no possible way that I could eat a soft taco from Taco Bell. That doughy tortilla would become a glob and I'd better be close to a restroom. I haven't had a chip or a single piece of bread to this day. I have had a few Oreo's that I chewed the hell out of.

I did not self-pay $14,000 to fail. Money is too precious to me.

If we go to a Mexican restaurant I order a cheese enchilada ala carte (with extra red sauce to make it really moist) and steal a few spoon full refried Beans from hubbys plate and I am perfectly satisfied. I can't eat any more than that.

I have a Protein shake from GNC every morning - I have come to really love them. Even before my surgery I was never a Breakfast person.

I love to put different fresh fruit in the vanilla ex. strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana (yum). Even tried canned mandarian oranges and it tasted like an Orange Julius.

For lunch at work I will have a salad, or deli turkey meat, hard-boiled eggs, low-fat string chesse or slices of cheddar. Oh and I love cottage cheese with some Marinara sauce on it. Certain Lean Cusines work perfect to heat up in a hurry at work.

Please trying counting to (10) before you eat something that isn't a positive food item for your LapBand. Say to yourself "Is this REALLY worth it?"

Steping off my soapbox now.....

[lovemysgt 4]

I made the huge mistake of trying the food that are high in calories. like doughnuts, chips, bread. hamburgers. big big mistake for me it was better if i thought i couldn't eat them. i was doing much better not knowing now i find it hard to stay away. i opened pandoras box and i can't find a key to lock it back up.

[teekii77 5]

Its not the bypass cheat foods are not going to make you sick. You have to have some control in the matter. Why did you have surgery if your going to continue to eat cheat foods and especially a few days post op. Now should be the time you are getting yourself ready for this journey by sticking to your diet the doctor gave you. If you cant do it now how are you going to do it later. The band will not stop you from eating anything until maybe later when you have fills. It wont stop you from eating Cereal, Cookies, chocolate, doritos YOU have to stop you from eating that. Yes you are going to be hungry but you have to suffer through to get the most of the following weeks post op

Thanks Fluffy for your spanking!lol Your response has nothing to do with my post But for you FYI I started at 302lbs and got down to 227lbs all on my own with out any aid just diet and excersice. And I got news for you I always had Cheat foods from time to time. I decided to go with the lap band because I kept gettting stuck at 227 to 225. no matter what the docs had me to do. And no it wasn't do to the cheat foods either!lol more genectics than anything I guess. but anyway I'm disciplined enough to have kept that weight off so I didn't have to start my "journey" at 302lbs. I decided also to do lapband because I dont ever want to see 302 on the scale again. at 5'2 its not a good look. But I probably know a thing or to bout sticking with a diet. But thanks for your Would be reality Check anyway. Oh by the way I lost all that weight during the course of '09 maintained during '10 lapband '11 next episode.

[TaniaG 17]

Ok I've slipped up a few times since I'm suppose to be on liquids full liquids and mushy food. I had my surgery 4-28-11. Well at 1st you're cool cause your're so sick you dont want anything to eat or drink. But around that 3rd day when those hunger pains kicked in I've had a few slip ups. The first time I was hungry and nauseated at the same time so i had a couple of saltines. they went down no problem, The next time I had 4 dorito chips no problem. a few days later I was so hungry so I tried a half cup of Cereal with milk and again no problems. The worst is when I tried a small bake n break cookie again no trouble. Well I'm pretty well done with the cheating not for any particular reason other than I just lose interest in the food soon after I start chewing. I did make sure to chew,chew,chew! But anyway none of the cheat food made me sick. Was it suppose to? The only thing I've notice after the surgery so far is that I get crazy hungry but as soon as I start to eat I dont really want it much after that. I stop eating the minute my tummy quits growling. Now I do still have an occasional saltine because the hunger pains make me so nauseas,but its like only 1 1/2 crackers. Why are the hunger pains so strong? Why does the hunger pains make me so sick? Shouldn't the crunchy food irritate me? I'm not eating it anymore either because well I know i'm not suppose to...lol

Hi,

I had the same horrible hunger pains. I got the band on April 21 and I couldn't stomach the Protein shakes but I did have the broth, condensed Soups, jellos, and cream of wheat and couldn't get rid of the hunger pains. At my follow up appt. my doc said I could start eating scrambled eggs, cereal, even chicken as long as I chewed the heck out of it, lol. Hunger pains went away, YAY!!!

I'm pretty much eating healthy food for Breakfast, lunch, and dinner but I get full very fast. I can eat about a 1/2 cup of food and get full, I love that!!!!

Maybe you should check with your doc and ask if you can introduce some foods that will fill you for longer periods of time. Might work.

And yes I can eat anything but its takes some super willpower to control that bad habit and chose healthy foods over junk foods.

Before my surgery I bought a cookbook, Comfort Food Diet Cookbook and it is loaded with great, simple recipes that I make now for lunch and dinner. It also has diet Desserts that taste great but are super lowfat, low sugar

Good luck

[alondralibre 0]

Well, I haven't tried any "cheat" foods, but I have progressed to soft foods and even a bit of "real" food at a faster pace with my doctor's approval. He said I didn't have much swelling which is why I felt hungry sooner, and why I didn't get sick when I ate ahead of schedule. But any freedom I have now will likely change once I start getting fills.

[teekii77 5]

I guess I should have read everyones response first before replying to just Fluffy's post. I certainly understand everyones post and concerns,and dont want anyone to think I take them lightly even Fluffys. When I make a post I usually like to stick with my question and don't really do well with attacks. In other words i dont like people talking to me as tho i'm a child in ld class. But anyway you all did have valid points and my heart really goes out to the people who said that they have really bad struggles with the food. I remember back in 09 when I first started working on my weight I was 302lbs standing at 5'2. I was eating myself to death literally. Back then I was 30yrs old. I remember crying because I ate so much that my stomach hurt. I also remember praying asking God to give me the strength and discipline I needed to overcome this. My doc suggested LapBand right from jump but I told him I wanted to wait and at least give it a good try on my own first because I had never truely tried on my own to lose weight without any diet aids or anything. So with much prayer I got my behind in gear and just did it! The hardest part for me was getting a grip on the self control when it came to the food. I never did good with rules and can't do this can't eat that. If someone tells me that, its like I crave it all the more. What did work for me is Knowing hey You Can Have An oreo! And you can eat it and stop at 1 or 2. You dont have to have the whole sleeve or half the container which is what i used to do. Eat a snack size bag of chips you dont eat Half a bag of the family size. Or the biggie for me. T have 1 slice of your granny's sweet potato pie and dont take any home. You dont have to eat the whole pie. Get it? That was my biggest accomplishment. Well I kept at it and of course I relearned how to cook healthy,I stopped eating out. If I wanted burger and fries I cooked it at home and controlled my portions.So I didn't restict myself to the point where everything was labled bad unless it was green and leafy. No I gave myself those treats but took charge over how much I allowed myself to eat.I think thats why people fail at losing weight tho from all the cant do this rules. Anyway I bust my tail and I got down to 227. My problem was i could never get pass 225. With all my docs help. Keep in mind I have never been slim. And its easier to count the slim people in my fam than the fat ones. So you see where I'm going with this. My lil sis did the band in 09 while i was dieting and it worked well for her so after maintaining my wieght for an entire year(almost) I went ahead with the band. I say almost because at one point I put on 20lbs during the course of holidays divorce home burgalies,etc...but I promised myself and my doc I would have it off by the time of my surgery. He told me I didn't have to because he was glad that I was able to maintain for as long as I had.So we made a deal if I got the 20lbs off before april of 11 and this was jan of 11 when we made the deal that I only had to do 7days of soy protien pre-op diet instead of 14. Guess What? I won the Bet! But I did the band because as I stated previously I never want to be 302 again and I just got to get over this 227 hump. And even tho I'm just starting with the band I'm over that hump! So really I understand what you guys mean about having the self control. No one knows it better than me. My doc has more confidense than even I about doing well with the band because of the discipline I've showed over the course or these 2yrs of my weight loss journey. this is definetly a new journey for me. But If I get so bent out of shape and act like there is no room for mess ups I will fail at this as well as the rest of you. we got to keep it real and tell the truth.Stop making people feel like 1 cookie or chip will wreck the whole plan. I certainly understand why the doc has me on the food he has me on right now which is why for the most part I'm obiedient to it. Remember I said I hadn't done it since. Maybe because of my past experiences and having my sis here with me who's been thru it I'm more laid back with my approach. But everyone does what works for them. But hey everyone For real It took a lot of Prayer and Focus to get me to this point. I just wanted to know if anyone else had similiar experiences as me or if i was the only imperfect human on the site. Its good to know that I'm not alone, but to the ones who is really struggling you really can get thru this. Falling off the wagon is not the end of the world.Tell the driver to Pump his breaks so u can jump back on that joka! Good luck everyone.

[teekii77 5]

Hi,

I had the same horrible hunger pains. I got the band on April 21 and I couldn't stomach the Protein Shakes but I did have the broth, condensed Soups, jellos, and cream of wheat and couldn't get rid of the hunger pains. At my follow up appt. my doc said I could start eating scrambled eggs, cereal, even chicken as long as I chewed the heck out of it, lol. Hunger pains went away, YAY!!!

I'm pretty much eating healthy food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner but I get full very fast. I can eat about a 1/2 cup of food and get full, I love that!!!!

Maybe you should check with your doc and ask if you can introduce some foods that will fill you for longer periods of time. Might work.

And yes I can eat anything but its takes some super willpower to control that bad habit and chose healthy foods over junk foods.

Before my surgery I bought a cookbook, Comfort Food Diet Cookbook and it is loaded with great, simple recipes that I make now for lunch and dinner. It also has diet Desserts that taste great but are super lowfat, low sugar

Good luck

Wow thanks Apple for that. I'm telling you during all the time of dieting, i have never been so hungry!lol but like i said i stop eating as soon as the growling stops beacuse i dont like the feeling of being to full. I got over that feeling back in 09 when I first started working on my weight. I go to see doc on the 11th so I'm hoping to be able to have an egg or a bowl of cheerios soon!

[teekii77 5]

Oh yeah sorry to whoever said no OJ. I'm not a diabetic or anything and oj is one of the best diet foods I ever tried. Sorry I can't give up the OJ. Everyone please remember Moderation is the Key! No one will ever convince me that natural juice or foods are a worse pick than man-made chemical stir ins or whatever. Although I do enjoy them also from time to time!lol

[Sistersue 12]

Tryingtolose24 guilt is the enemy of any addict. You might want to attend a couple of OA meetings and see how you like them. I prefer AA, OA meeting I tried was run by a woman who was too pushy. What you really want is a One Day At ATime chip. Put it in your pocket and give it a squeeze any time you want to cheat. That said, sugar free Popsicles and pudding can keep you from feeling deprived or if you crave something salty find a low calorie snack that will satisfy you. I also tell myself that in 20 mins if I still want whatever it is then I can have 1/2 a taco or whatever. Usually I totally forget about it by then. If it gets to the 20 min mark and you are still craving it cut it in half and throw the other half in the trash before you start eating and eat really slow and savor it. I also rely on pray a lot, it works.

[Cocoabean 430]

Oh yeah sorry to whoever said no OJ. I'm not a diabetic or anything and oj is one of the best diet foods I ever tried. Sorry I can't give up the OJ. Everyone please remember Moderation is the Key! No one will ever convince me that natural juice or foods are a worse pick than man-made chemical stir ins or whatever. Although I do enjoy them also from time to time!lol

When you are on the liquid stages, you don't have much choice but to drink juices. Just something to consider, juices have a lot of calories without providing much sustaining power. I am sure you are aware of this with the fantastic work you have done so far! My surgeon does not like his patients drinking any liquid calories, to include Protein Shakes. He prefers I get all my calories from solid foods.

And now for my take on food. There are no good or bad foods. Food just is. There are high calorie choices, and low calorie choices. Some choices are healthier than others. Some foods taste better than others.

With a band, highly processed foods usually go down VERY well. Bandsters don't get dumping syndrome from high sugar foods like bypass folk. So these foods don't make us sick. As has been said many times here before, the doctor did not band my brain when he banded my stomach. I have to fight every day to make the right choices for a healthier me. BUT, the band helps to keep my physical appetite under control, so I am only fighting the war on one front, the mental one. For me, it has made all the difference in the world. I can still enjoy the occasional high-fat, sugary treat. I just don't do it all the time.

Some band rules are universal, like eating slowly, chewing well, and taking small bites. Otherwise, we make our journey into what is best for ourselves. I found what works for me. It might not work for everyone, but I am loving it!

[xavier 153]

Protect your band...later when it is really working for you you are going to want to protect it at any cost!! It is a long way to good restriction so this first part is a battle. At perfect restriction (sweetspot) most of what you are now eating would be something I can only get down two bites of no matter how much I chew. Same for whoever up there said they are eating donuts and hamburgers...those would be two bites max. But since I am well out, healed, and at good restriction, I go ahead and have the two bites so I dont feel deprived! My loss has gone very slow but I am ten pounds from normal BMI and wear a size 8 or 10 at Gap. I know I can live this way forever because I havent dieted or done some big exercise plan I can never stick to. Good luck to all!

[xavier 153]

I also dont eat any low calorie or diet food...why would I other than to lose weight faster. Those things are part of a diet to me and dieting is exactly how I got fat. I focus on Protein and after that I eat whatever I want. That being said I seem to prefer healthier foods these days which is weird...but if I want chocolate cake, I eat it!

[HeatherinCA 10]

You certainly can eat junk food, and I do on occasion. Sure it's fine to have an Oreo on occasion, don't worry. It's ok to mess up. But you have to learn not to justify eating bad things. I do it, oh it's only 1 it'll be fine. It's not good, Not gonna lie, I've been doing it a bit the past 2 weeks, and guess what? The scale didn't move. I think everyone is just saying don't "test" the band. Some people post like "oh I can eat 4 cups of Pasta why is that? The band isn't stopping me" it's because the band doesn't work that way. The band is essentially diet and exercise, but it keeps your from being hungry all the time. Which is a big help! Everyone is just trying to help you. The bottom line is, we are on a diet, you have to watch calories. If you wish to include these things in your diet it's fine. But then some people eat these things and don't lose weight, then they wonder why. I think we are just saying don't get too excited about it. It IS about portion size, but 2 Oreo's is still 140 calories. That's like half a meals worth of calories. 1 cupcake has more calories than a bandster meal. I know it's not eating the whole sleeve, but it's still not a great food choice. You have to put things in perspective.

[Melissannde 41]

I don't think it's so much the "cheat foods" that has everyone concerned, but that you might be tempting fate by eating things that are too solid during the healing phase.

I understand the hunger. It used to wake me up at night and I couldn't sleep because of it. What I chose to do was to take a container of yogurt to bed with me and when I'd wake up with hunger pains, I'd eat a spoonful or two and that would calm my stomach enough so I could go back to sleep. Yogurt was on my soft foods list.. saltines weren't.

There are no "cheat foods" in my book. There are good choices, not-so-good choices and poor choices. And I don't believe there are many, if ANY, "perfect" bandsters.

[kimbrown27 0]

Oh yeah sorry to whoever said no OJ. I'm not a diabetic or anything and oj is one of the best diet foods I ever tried. Sorry I can't give up the OJ. Everyone please remember Moderation is the Key! No one will ever convince me that natural juice or foods are a worse pick than man-made chemical stir ins or whatever. Although I do enjoy them also from time to time!lol

I agree with you -- I found the Tropicana 50/50 is really good- i carve lemonade and oj so when I found them I got them and tried them. to my amazement they tasted like the full sugar kinds- I figure its better than a pop/soda or a high calorie drink that I used to drink it may not be totally sugar free as I have not found one that is yet. but its half the calories and for those that say drink only Water are lying to us- because from time to time you need something else to drink! my 2 cents-