a little confused

[gowalking 10,790]

Hi all. I have a question about something I don't quite understand. I'm fairly new to being banded...nearly four months. I see folks on this forum who've been banded for years so maybe it's just because I'm new but can someone explain how you can overeat with the band? My understanding is that if you eat too much, you will feel sick and likely throw up.

I stick to around 1,000 calories daily...3 oz. Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/4 cup carbs. I find this amount of food is basically satisfying...I never feel full but I know I'm not supposed to. I also get hungry regularly but not between meals as much as just before it's time to eat my next meal. There are times when I would love to have a big bowl of spaghetti but I truly fear getting sick and that is often my motivation for sticking to the rules.

How is it then that people 'slip back' into old habits and gain much if not all their weight back? When I read about folks gaining it all back, I think this being banded is no better than all the other diets we've tried..and failed at. I'm really concerned that while I'm currently successful, anything could get me off track, and I'll put the weight back on. I say this because I've been there before. I lost 80 lbs many years ago and kept it off for about six years. Then a second marriage went sour and before I knew it, I had put it all back on and then after stopping smoking, I put on another 50 lbs. on top of what I gained back.

I currently have no fills but have not felt the need for any since I'm not grazing or overeating. I wonder if I should get a fill at my next appointment just to dampen down the hunger even though I'm able to control it so far. Any insight from my fellow bandsters would be really appreciated.

[B-52 7,113]

You'll get many different opinions.....I for one CANNOT overeat with the band...and I do not understand how I can....believe me I put it to the test on cruises, etc, and when the band says stop, I need to stop...plus I'm not very hungry anymore so it is not that big of deal....

Even sliders, such as ice cream.....my normal stomach has shrunk so much from eating less and food and portion sizes, over time, that it does not take all that much to get genuinely "Stuffed" and a good old fashion "Belly Ache"

As far as people slipping back into old habits and gaining much of their weight back, IMO it would appear to me it is because they lost much of the initial weight on their own will power and discipline, just as you would with any traditional diet, which leaves you with the opportunity to fail as you would with any traditional diet....as I have done 100's of times.....may take a few years, but people fail all the time... but the band is a constant.....it's surgical intervention doing something I was unable to do on my own....

But to your first statement, if I rely on the band and not myself, then, at this point 2 1/2 years into it, I still do not understand how that can happen...short of a medical condition forcing me to get a un-fill.....but for now, the band is the band is the band and I do not see how it will change...it is a constant no matter where I am, no matter the time of day, and no matter what food is placed before me......

It is now an everyday lifestyle, something I do not think about or have to work at all that much....

I had surgery...went through the adjustment phase, both for me AND the band, (Bandster Hell) and that's it....there's not much else I need to do except follow a healthy life style with good food choices and plenty of exercise....

But then the band is adjustable...and that leaves the door wide open for individuals to choose for themselves....and there is a high failure rate....

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I think the reason people gain back all their weight even with the band is simple- because they can.

The band isn't meant to physically stop us from eating anything. Plus, even when there are foods that don't go down well, if someone is determined enough they'll eat it anyway. Of course, there's also slider foods that people can eat like they never had the band at all.

The band is a tool not a magic fix for fat. When people gain it's because they're not following the rules and doing what's necessary to maintain their weight. This isn't strictly band related, either. This is true for any WLS.

Best wishes

[stept04 465]

If you look at mis73's post, she has a link at the bottom of her page that reads "lap-band is not about restriction" It is a good read, but in there they discuss how someone could unknowingly slowly stretch out the pouch. It may help you a little if you read it. I enjoyed the whole article, and learned a lot about how the band works. I am glad Missy keeps it on her page. Good luck with your journey.

[Toddy 758]

I can easily see how people can gain weight with the band.

No. 1 - slider foods, often extremely high in fat and I guess that fat just helps it slide on through.

No. 2 - grazers. A grazer can eat a little bit at a time all through the day and those calories can really add up!

No. 3 - neglect their band. They know they need an adjustment, but are enjoying eating and/or don't want to spend the time or money keeping their band properly adjusted.

[zinhaa 363]

Here is the thing. The band is around the stomach not the head. If you stick to the rules you don't eat around the band. Many people do not realize it is a tool not a magic wand. I can not eat more than about 1/2 cup per meal and i take about 20 min to eat. If you streach out the time you can eat more. If you pick up a bag of chips or cheese doodles or whatever any slider- and you just sit there and eat a bit at a time-- meaning grazing over long periods of time, you learn to eat around the band.

Before you know it 5 lbs appears and so on. Habits are hard to break.

Wendy

[gowalking 10,790]

If you look at mis73's post, she has a link at the bottom of her page that reads "lap-band is not about restriction" It is a good read, but in there they discuss how someone could unknowingly slowly stretch out the pouch. It may help you a little if you read it. I enjoyed the whole article, and learned a lot about how the band works. I am glad Missy keeps it on her page. Good luck with your journey.

Thanks for suggesting the read. I guess I'm right where I'm supposed to be. It's just confusing because people talk about restriction, feeling full, not being hungry and that's what I'm not understanding. Even reading some of these responses, I see that Missy noted 'it's not about restriction' and B-52 says 'it's all about restriction'...LOL

And I do see that I can walk away from a fraction of the amount of food I ate prior to surgery. It's just not an automatic response though. I still think about food an awful lot and I track everything I eat so as not to get into trouble. I already checked the menu of the restaurant I'm going to tonight to make sure when I'm actually sitting at the table, I chose from the better options.

I guess for us food addicts, it doesn't really become second nature, does it? I think B-52 is an anomaly. I'm happy for him, but I think most people do not have that same experience.

Thanks again for some feedback. I think I'm just like any other addict....fearful that I will fall off the wagon.

[mrsto 2,925]

YES to all of the above comments. I'm close to 6 weeks out, and I can see how easy it would be to eat around the band. I don't do it, but there have been 2-3 days where I ate my usual 1/2 to 3/4 cup, and then shortly after ate something like graham crackers. Though still staying within my calorie range, I did not feel well; too much too close together. But I actually thought to myself, that I could totally graze all day in between meals, and really F things up. But I (we) have to remember why we took this path in the first place. It certainly wasn't to cheat around the surgery, which was a pretty drastic step to lose weight to begin with. BUT, we're all certainly not perfect people, and never really cured from this disease. (I'm going to get 12 step on ya)... we're always "in recovery", never recovered. We can slip and go the other direction at any time. That's why we have to be diligent with our program, and when we slip, get right back on track without beating the sh-t out of ourselves. This is a long term solution, not an immediate fix.

I had plication with my lap band, and I'm really glad that I did. I've found (like with the graham cracker fiesta) that even though something slides through the band, the smaller stomach size gives me a big wake up call.

[mrsto 2,925]

Hi all. I have a question about something I don't quite understand. I'm fairly new to being banded...nearly four months. I see folks on this forum who've been banded for years so maybe it's just because I'm new but can someone explain how you can overeat with the band? My understanding is that if you eat too much, you will feel sick and likely throw up.

I stick to around 1,000 calories daily...3 oz. Protein, 1/2 cup veggies, 1/4 cup carbs. I find this amount of food is basically satisfying...I never feel full but I know I'm not supposed to. I also get hungry regularly but not between meals as much as just before it's time to eat my next meal. There are times when I would love to have a big bowl of spaghetti but I truly fear getting sick and that is often my motivation for sticking to the rules.

How is it then that people 'slip back' into old habits and gain much if not all their weight back? When I read about folks gaining it all back, I think this being banded is no better than all the other diets we've tried..and failed at. I'm really concerned that while I'm currently successful, anything could get me off track, and I'll put the weight back on. I say this because I've been there before. I lost 80 lbs many years ago and kept it off for about six years. Then a second marriage went sour and before I knew it, I had put it all back on and then after stopping smoking, I put on another 50 lbs. on top of what I gained back.

I currently have no fills but have not felt the need for any since I'm not grazing or overeating. I wonder if I should get a fill at my next appointment just to dampen down the hunger even though I'm able to control it so far. Any insight from my fellow bandsters would be really appreciated.

I had also lost 85 pounds about 15 years ago, and maintained the loss for 6 years :-) Then (like you), various life events slowly knocked me off my foundation, and I gained all of the weight, plus another 9 pounds. Like so many here, I've been up and down so many times; my biggest swing from lowest to highest - 100 pounds. When the last round came back on, I couldn't believe I allowed it to happen. As stated in my above post, we're never really cured from this curse. We can only stick to our program.....whatever that is.....one friggen day at a time

[mrsto 2,925]

Thanks for suggesting the read. I guess I'm right where I'm supposed to be. It's just confusing because people talk about restriction, feeling full, not being hungry and that's what I'm not understanding. Even reading some of these responses, I see that Missy noted 'it's not about restriction' and B-52 says 'it's all about restriction'...LOL

And I do see that I can walk away from a fraction of the amount of food I ate prior to surgery. It's just not an automatic response though. I still think about food an awful lot and I track everything I eat so as not to get into trouble. I already checked the menu of the restaurant I'm going to tonight to make sure when I'm actually sitting at the table, I chose from the better options.

I guess for us food addicts, it doesn't really become second nature, does it? I think B-52 is an anomaly. I'm happy for him, but I think most people do not have that same experience.

Thanks again for some feedback. I think I'm just like any other addict....fearful that I will fall off the wagon.

I'm fairly new, and still struggle with the "feeling" I'm looking for that signals me to stop. I eat pretty slow, and listen closely. I'm SO afraid of the episodes I read about; getting stuck, PBs, vomiting.... I do not want to experience any of this, but I'm guessing that one day, I will. I never feel "full" the way I used to. My signal to stop comes before I'm sure the food is actually registering in my stomach. It's a bit frustrating, because sometimes I want to feel that stomach satiety. But when I stop eating, I realize that I'm really.....done. I'm not hungry, I'm not stuffed.......just..done.

Please try not to be too fearful of failure. Fear many times becomes a self fulfilling prophecy "you pull in what you resist". It's hard, I know. But just take it a day at a time, and focus on the process. I remember so many times, living in fear of something or other. Then BOOM, my biggest fear would happen. The good news is, I'm still here to talk about it - LOL.

[SueBee01 630]

The fear of the problems keeps me in line. If you don't need a fill don't get one. That time may come. If you are managing, as it sounds like you are, hold off on the fill. I have been banded 15 months and have only had one fill. I never felt hunger, just head hunger! It took the nut a long time to get me to understand that you no longer have designated eating times! Only eat when hungry. If it is an hour ahead of tpwhat time you used to eat, then eat. Sometimes it isn't until 7 or 8 pm before I have dinner now. Just a habit I had to break growing up that lunch and dinner were atna certain time. I am sure it is hard fir this with children, but it has really helped me to only eat when hungry. I just tell husband to have a snack!

[gowalking 10,790]

Thanks all. I really appreciate the feedback.

[hely88 883]

In my opinion it is the use of the word restriction that confuses everyone.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,722]

restrict or not restrict..

depends on whom uses it and their version of it

you can have the tightest band in all the land or the loosest one

but if you eat high cal/high fat foods/drinks and more cals then you burn off...you will gain

[lellow 1,713]

If B-52 is an anomaly then so am I. When in the green zone I'm seldom hungry and if I try to eat too much of anything (even slider food) my band will rebel.

I think that that's what B-52 means when he says it's all about restriction. Because for him (and me) being properly filled and in the green zone eliminates hunger.

I accept that it doesn't happen to everyone though.