controling bad eating habits before Lap Band surgery

[bajagal101 59]

I am waiting for my insurance to OK my lap-band surgery. But in the mean time i am eating like i always have,its like i know i will never be able to have these foods again. And i guess maybe i will feel deprived and have mad cravings?

why do i do this knowing i need to change? I feel like i want to eat everything ,i guess like a alcoholic having his last drink before going in to rehab. I just hope that i can get over these feelings and have better control of my eating. Maybe i will have to change or die.

[gowalking 10,790]

Honey....I know just how you feel, I felt the same way before I had lap band surgery. First of all, you should be able to eat alot of the foods you think you'll never eat again. But....you may find as I did, that you don't want them so much anymore once you find that losing the excess weight feels so much better than how good any food tastes.

I just got back from a cruise, and believe it or not, I lost a pound. I had virtually no problem eating healthy choices and not overeating. I feel soooo much better with the weight loss and better mobility that I don't care about what I can't or shouldn't eat anymore.

If you need to have food funerals right now, go ahead and do it. But I bet that once you start to look and feel better, you won't be missing that food the way you think you will.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

One of the many things I would like to share with lap banders is you dont have to have a food Funeral ! Most people can eat 75-100 % of what they ate before. The thing is , partly, is you dont WANT to eat junk because you're noticing a weight loss or feeling heathier or looser clothes. Yes I can still have pizza, cheeseburgers and fries, bread, and Pasta, but very rarely eat them, and then only have a couple of bites before im satisfied or my body says " NO more! " I only have a few foods that I absolutely cant have again, so you learn to substitute something close. ( celery instead of broccoli, chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, etc ). NO food funerals ! Just normal healthy foods with an occasional not so healthy food. Mostly Protein, fruits, salads, some nuts, cheese, crackers and pb. A little cookie/ ice cream or something sweet every day. Nothing weird, Hope this helps !

[B-52 7,113]

After I did my 2 week pre-op weight loss, I had my final appointment and weigh -in on a Friday, before a Monday morning surgery....

After the final visit with my Surgeon, my wife and I went out and I had what I call my "last Supper"...went to a place I knew I would never be able to go to again after surgery, and really "pigged Out"....my favorite all you can eat Chinese buffet, complete with a raw bar and sushi bar....

Then saturday and sunday, for the most part, I fasted and was good to go come monday...

that was over 3 years ago, and yes, I have never been back, nor have I ever been able to eat sushi...

I can only eat 25-35% of what I ate before,volume wise, and there are many foods my band will not let me eat at all...

Edited July 28, 2014 by B-52

[Sharpie 3,306]

If you could control your food consumption you would not need a lapband. It's about Portion Control mostly. my band will not let me overeat comfortably. there are a few things I cannot eat such as French fries and rice.. otherwise I can eat pretty much what I want . don't worry so much about your changing for now, it will come about with the band. Good Luck.

[PuraVida37 715]

When I went through the pre-op diet, all I could think of was the point of it is not to lose weight. The point is to shrink so the doctor won't hit your liver or other organs. When I wanted to cheat, I just thought, "I COULD DIE ON THE TABLE." And for me, that was enough to get me through the hard times. Also, as a food addict, I really felt free on the liquid diet stage. I didn't have to worry about food at all. I loved it!! I thought I would mourn the loss of certain foods, but not at all! It was quite the opposite. In fact, I didn't get "the last meal" like some people have. I just didn't want it.

One meal that got me through the PRE-pre-op diet (just low carbs) was a whole wheat pita panini. I prefer the brand Best Pita, cut in half, with one slice of low fat/low sodium cheese in each pocket, then 2 slices of thin cut low sodium ham. Put in on a cookie sheet and bake on 385 for a few min to melt it all. It became my go-to lunch. Just enough carb to satisfy. Other meals I ate eggs, meat, yogurt. I miss my panini! But now I just do the same with no pita (I don't eat any bread).

Now, that was my story. What are you going to MAKE YOUR STORY? Are you going to change? Why are you resisting? Are you scared of failure? Isn't the whole point to have a healthier you? Don't you want to get started on that RIGHT NOW?!

PS Once you do start, you will see the pounds fly off. I lost 30 lbs pre surgery from Aug 1 to Sept 30. It was so easy once I got started! Now it's even better with the band.

[Jack 855]

Like all Bandsters, our individual details may vary, yet the obstacles in our Journey are similar.

My own relationship with food was more like a cheap torrid novel, with food acting like a Dominatrix making me write bad checks and doing things against my own will power.

Usually most of our preconceptions are wrong and eventually we figure out how to handle our newly discovered Powers against Overeating.

The Band is sometimes like having a secret Power Ring that confers Super Power against the Eeeevil Professor Gluttony that conspired to keep us all Morbidly Obese.

[KarenElaine 44]

Lots of good advice to store away, hopefully for the not-so-distant future. Like @@bajagal101, I'm "in waiting". I'm approved to see a surgeon, have gotten all but the psyc visit and last dietician appointment done, both of those are this coming week. I'm hoping it won't be long after that. In the meantime, I'm trying not to gain any weight, but can't seem to "not eat", ugh!