Describe your green

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

If you're in the green zone, describe it here.

Me: I can eat about a cup of solid food or a large salad. I chew it well and feel satisfied. If I don't chew meat really well or eat too fast, I get immediately stuck and that's the end of the meal. I can get stuck even on lunch meat eaten too fast.

As long as I don't snack between meals, I have no stomach hunger for at least four hours. If I'm "hungry" before four hours, it's probably anxiety, boredom, or another emotion. If I snack between meals it messes up that satisfied feeling and I'm looking for food all day.

I'm happier with healthier foods now that I am in the green. My latest favorite is kale salad with mushrooms, croutons, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I've also fallen back in love with Greek yogurt for Breakfast with two tablespoons of granola. I had a long running affair with hummus a few months ago.

I have no desire for French fries or burgers. This blows my mind. I do like Popeyes chicken strips. I also can't seem to ditch movie popcorn, but I know that's an emotional crutch.

I can eat almost anything except pork chops, dry chicken breast, and dry roast beef. I am able to eat soft pork, dark meat chicken or moist white chicken, and tender beef.

Recently I've been bringing my lunch to work and I'm enjoying it more. Less Popeyes and more chicken salad.

I've had five fills over ten months and I have 7.6cc in my 14cc band.

What's your green?

[Miss Meg 199]

I'm not there yet - still very much in the yellow zone for me. I have no issues with any food whatsoever, have not had any stuck episodes at all.

I can still eat a fair portion of food - definitely not just a cup full. Although I am consciously eating less and making better choices. I am quite good with the chewing too and try to make my meal last as long as possible.

I do get slight tummy grumblings within about 3-4 hours.

I have had 2 fills totaling 3.5ml and I'm not sure what the size of my band is - the surgeon only told me 'small'. It is something I will ask at my next fill.

Very envious of those in the green zone as I can not wait to get there - bring on the green!!!!!!

[B-52 7,113]

It first started when my "Tastes" for foods started to change..,foods I used to love just did not appeal for me anymore...I then became a very picky eater, and soon realized it was not any particular types of food, but that food, and eating for that matter did not appeal to me anymore....simply had no interest in it. Could care less.

I can go to the grocery store and not find anything I want to purchase....go to our favorite restaurants and not see anything on the menu I would care to eat.......etc.

I soon realized that this was the band taking away my hunger....not just in between meals, but 24/7 I never get hungry, and could care less if I eat or not....I have gone 24 hr periods without eating. Don't intend to, just forget to. I have to remind myself to eat.

I have NEVER felt full after eating with the band, as many other people on this forum describe....it's something different for me...it's as though my brain is telling me I'm full, and I don't need to eat....even though I have not eaten and have no physical "Full Feeling"....24 hrs a day! The mere presence of the band stimulates that.

There are certain foods that give me trouble, and are high risk of getting stuck (learned the hard way)...so I simply chose not to eat those foods anymore....this includes all red meats, anything made from flour such as breads, pastries, Pasta, cakes, Cookies etc.

And there are a few other categories...It boggles my mind when people are determined to eat pizza...WHY? What's the value? and high risk of getting stuck? It's not worth it!

Also, when I do eat, the band allows me to eat just so much...then I have to stop...but I don't care because I'm not hungry or interested in the first place. So it's all good.

I think a lot of peoples problems are they just don't know when to stop...even if the band is telling them to, SCREAMING at them to stop!....they continue because that is how the used to eat...then they can't keep anything down, irritate and inflame the area making it worse....blame the band, get Fluid taken out so they can find comfort and eat the way they want to...then say the band does not work or they are failures....REALLY????

The staff at my Dr.'s office likes to tell me stories like this....some people just don't get it...either you want to loose weight or you don't...you have to accept the change or you're wasting everyone's time...

Sorry, I'm getting off track....

So, for me, being in the green zone....I have no hunger, and my portions sizes are limited making it impossible to overeat.

Does not matter if it's a holiday, family get together, vacation cruise....the band, and me being in the Green does not change, but remains constant 24 hours a day....

Having said the above, I quit counting, or worrying about calories....best thing I did was stop using those gadgets such as fitbit etc where I was tracking everything I do all day, making me neurotic.......

And, since I eat so little so less often with very little or no struggle, all I need to do is choose to eat the best, healthy foods I can....organic, non processed, etc.

Also be sure I get plenty of Protein and always be drinking Water.

So being in the Green has....has taken away my hunger and cravings, automatically sets my portion sizes making it impossible to overeat, and leading me to become very health conscious.

Does not mean I don't indulge in life's pleasures...I do! Just don't do it like the pig I used to be.

If I'm offered ice cream, etc, I'm not going to pass it up....I'm done dieting.

It's a new lifestyle one that I will live for the rest of my life, never having to "Diet" ever again....

It has become so much of a lifestyle I go through the day and don't even think about it anymore, what I need to do or not do....just live my life....my NEW life with NEW habits. (forced upon me from surgery..a physical change)

I first hit the Green zone 4-6 months after surgery, my final fill, then after that it took some time to figure out what the heck was going on, why was I always getting stuck 2-3 times a day, etc, etc....but eventually I found that "Groove", that balance between everyday life, new foods, new way of eating/chewing, and the band....

With that, the weight will come off and settle out where the body wants to, not any goals I have set...I became fat/obese by living a bad lifestyle. did not set any goals to become obese! It just gradually happened over time....so the same is true in the opposite direction for living a different lifestyle...gradually came off and settled at what my body considers normal...which in fact it is.

It has been 4 years now, and nothing has changed....and I am still an extremely picky eater, and still in the Green Zone, which has become blase...no big deal anymore...it just is. As is my weight loss...no one even notices or mentions it anymore...Old news.

Edited January 29, 2015 by B-52

[endzone 55]

Thank you for describing your green zone, I am not there yet, but close I think ........sometimes I can go 4hours and other times about 3 other times maybe 5 ....still all over the place but when I go the 5hours I eat too fast and get stuck...still learning....also still learning the one cup portions LOL

[KateP 359]

I can eat all foods, some require a bit of extra care but none is impossible. I bring food back very, very rarely, maybe once every few months and it is always because I ate too fast. I have only once in my nine years had a painful stuck episode, once when I was learning - about two months post-op - and once about three years ago.

My band never physically prevents me eating more, stopping is my decision.

If I am doing things, I never feel hungry but if I am not busy, I think of food.

If I feel hungry, I eat. If I don't I will start to want food more and more. But I don't have a snack in that case, I have a extra light meal.

[enjoythetime 1,457]

My Green zone goes something like this.

I reached my green zone after my 2nd fill, two months after surgery.

I can eat whatever I want with no problems. I've never PBed, Slimmed or had food come back up. I've had a couple of "slight" stuck episodes that luckily passed quickly on their own and this was caused by the same food (French fries) which I shouldn't be eating any way.

My desire for some food that I used to LOVE such as pizza, Pasta and breads are no longer there. I just don't care to eat them, it's a choice.

I now crave healthier food (most of the time).

I know exactly how much food makes me feel satisfied, I eat 4oz chicken or Protein of choice, 1/2 c veggies and then I typically skip the starch just because I don't want it. If I'm full before I finish this "set" plate then I stop, if I'm hungry I eat what's on my plate and I'm done. If I still have that "feeling" of not being satisfied I wait an hour and resuming consuming my fluids and any feeling of hunger that was there is now gone.

I do allow myself treats, in fact I allow myself treats every day, now 99% of the time my treats are skinny cow ice cream, a Protein Bar etc. (see these are treats to me now vs. a snickers or a pint of ice cream), I've completely changed the way I live my life and it's not with the feeling of resentment I really like them AND if I do find that I want real ice cream then I eat it I just get a small vs. a large. I just need that taste now and I'm satisfied.

I do still have cravings and still have hunger. It's just that now I eat to be satisfied and nourish my body.

Much like B-52 said there are times when I go to the grocery store or a favorite restaurant and absolutely NOTHING looks or sounds good to me. At times this is frustrating because I end up just getting something because I know I have to eat but I feel like it's kind of a waist, a waist of money and honestly a waist of calories. Yes, I'm still mindful of how many calories I consume a day but I don't track them any more.

There are days when I'm hungrier than others, if I'm hungry, I eat. I just make the healthiest choices possible. I never let myself go past my set portion size, I know what amount of food satisfies me and anything more than that truly isn't hunger it's just old habits dying hard.

Edited January 29, 2015 by enjoythetime

[Bandista 7,466]

For me there are several shades of green -- it's definitely more of a range or a zone then whatever pinnacle I sought to achieve at the start of this adventure.

Like others, some days I am not hungry at all. I am never hungry before mid-day, and because my "rule" is to eat when I'm hungry and not eat if I'm not hungry, I just skip Breakfast and enjoy my tea.

I am always able to drink well and am even something of a glugger. Lately coffee (new to me) and sometimes tea can make my band noisy -- a throat gurgling that I find embarrassing.

I still really enjoy food but part of that is my identity as a cook. I love food preparation and presentation. Often I will make something that I end up not wanting to eat but that is fine with me. I enjoy the process anyway. For example I made polenta the other day for the snowstorm. It's beautifully done with homemade stock, onions and garlic from our own garden, but one bite and I could see that, like rice, it's not band-friendly for me. I don't eat rice and don't miss it. Once in a blue moon I will have a taste of gluten-free Pasta but otherwise I don't eat Pasta either. I have no cravings for foods I used to want before. I wouldn't try eating pizza because, to me, it's just not something I want and it's likely it would get stuck anyway.

I haven't been officially stuck for quite a while but in my early months I had to learn a lot of behavioral modification. I eat with a very small shrimp fork and I have a long baby spoon I like for my yogurt, etc. When I eat yogurt, I mix in a little GF Cereal and some nuts, usually chia as well for digestion, and this makes it not be a slider for me.

I know that chewing is the key to my satiety. I have a few weaknesses and do not restrict myself as that was a mentality that did nothing to serve me in the past. I often have to remind myself that I AM NOT ON A DIET. It's a mental thing with me. If there's something I want, I go ahead and have a bite.

A friend brought a homemade carrot cake to a dinner the other night and I had my one bite just to be able to comment on it -- I really had no desire for even that bite, much less more. And I didn't even think of trying the frosting. The sugar may have set me off and there is no reason to set myself up for anything like that when I'm ambivalent in the first place.

My weaknesses include cheese, which can be a slider for me, olives -- but I can have only a couple and take a long time to savor them. I do drink alcohol.

Mostly I guess for me the green zone is about being able to really listen to my body because there is no distraction of my brain harping away about food.....that dialogue in my head has been eliminated and I am free to just live. I love that!

I do not obsess about Protein, though I do love Protein. Salmon is something I often order out in the world. I love beef, I cook with chicken thighs rather than breasts for the most part -- I make a lot of chilis and stews.

If there's anything I miss it might be the giant salad lifestyle. You know, the HUGE bowl of salad (plenty of olive oil, of course) and really tearing into it. Well, if missing being a salad pig is my crisis, I guess I'm doing pretty well!

Back to the unpredictability of my green zone -- there are times when I plan something, like going out to lunch, and have no appetite -- and other times when I am suddenly hungry. I eat then and I have to have it fast. My husband often fries me an egg for these occasions. It's as though when that urge comes on it needs to be immediate. Love it that my body tells me what it needs and all I have to do is follow.

Edited January 29, 2015 by Bandista

[Pat-rice 30]

Still looking for my green zone. Going to the surgeon in two weeks and maybe getting a small fill. I can eat anything I want. I am making good food choices and limiting my portion sizes but other than feeing fuller sooner, I don't think I am getting any other feedback from my band. I hope I realize it when I do get to the green zone lol

[Hope41 13]

Great info

[Kai-shek 230]

Does the green zone mean success? Though I can identify with many of the things above

Changed eating habits

No longer buy the "goodies" from the grocery score

Not interested in restaurant menu

Only interested in food when I bored or think I should be eating

I have even lost all my weight from 220lbs to 107lbs to be honest I am really skinny, I love clothes, I would not change having the band, but it is no picnic and I face daily challenges so I would add a word of caution the green zone does not always mean success for me. I am two years out and still struggling and learning.

[enjoythetime 1,457]

@@gail10 this is the post I was telling you about

[Keeper 218]

Feeling that I might just be in my green, seeing this thread at the top of topics is very timely. I have only had one very small stuck episode - bread - and it passed very quickly. I have never slimed or PB'ed. I am grateful as I am one of those people who rarely gets sick - I just cannot handle it. Right now I am considering the fact that I cannot eat as much as I could before and the length of satiety after meals to be my green. I am feeling this was after my 4th fill which was last week, so I know I am still in the early process of learning how my band will affect me after this last fill.

I am sort of in awe of the people who do not crave foods the way they used to. I do. There are days I would do anything for chocolate, but there are days where I could absolutely care less. Since I got stuck on bread that one time I have stayed away from it and have not really missed it. I have had rice and potatoes but no Pasta. I guess I feel that cutting out some of the white starches is better than none.

Yesterday hubby brought home Chipotle for dinner. For those who don't know or have one around them, you can order salads, burritos, tacos, or "bowls" and pick your fillings. These are pretty large portions. I always get a bowl with rice, meat of choice, a little sour cream and a little cheese. Before being banded I could eat an entire bowl, plus some chips. Yesterday, I basically let myself eat until I was satisfied. Actually I ate a little more than I should have because I was a hair uncomfortable afterwards, but I was astonished how much was left in the bowl. There was this little part of me that wanted to finish it because it is good and satisfying and because I always used to, but the majority of me was happy to leave the rest of the food untouched. That, for me, is huge and a definite sign of success!