When the band works TOO well...

[TheProfessor 378]

I was banded 9 months ago - Dec, 2014 at 259 pounds, size 22 pants, tops: 2XL, bra 44 DDD. My weight loss was slow and steady for the first 4 months - what a delight it was to see the weight coming off and myself size getting smaller.

At 6 months and my 5th fill, all of a sudden I hit the green zone. My hunger dimmed to almost nothing and then the weight started falling off fast.

I hit the one-hundreds (ONE-derland!) a couple of weeks ago, and I am ecstatic. I'm down 64 pounds now. 25 of those pounds have been the past 3 weeks. WOW. I'm a size 14, L tops, 40DD bra.

And I'm still going down fast. I am eating less than 1000 calories a day because I have no desire to eat more. I don't snack. I eat tiny meals. I am well hydrated and I am full of energy - woo - I feel terrific.

The danger: The band for me can dim hunger to the point where I have no desire to eat at all.

There were two days this past week that were absolutely nutty at the College. After my 1 coffee at 6:30 am, it was non-stop meetings and classes and I was filled with energy, bursting with a sense of wellness... and at 4pm I realized I hadn't eaten ANYTHING. No food at all. My Greek yoghurt with honey, my container of 4 Tbsps of home-made chicken salad and my 1oz of cheese was untouched. I checked in with myself - no hunger. Forced myself to eat a small dinner.

The following day I had a repeat performance. Had a coffee in the a.m., then a Protein shake... and that was it. NOT GOOD!

The band as a tool acts to trick my body into that feeling of satiety. With the help of the band, I know my body is happily consuming the 100 extra pounds of weight I've been carrying for 15 years that resulted from over-eating. That said, beware the band working almost too well!

I have become highly aware that the busier I am the less distracted I am by food and hunger - first time I've been at the College in the green zone. So while I'm enjoying my band TREMENDOUSLY (best thing I've ever done for myself), I find mine is working almost too well!

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

Enjoy it while it lasts. I dropped 100 of the 150 I needed to lose. I am five foot five and when I hit Onederland the weight loss train screeched to a halt.

To lose any weight I need to be super vigilant about my food choices. No fried or creamy, no carbs or big salads. My problem is I do this for a day or two, lose about four pounds, then cave in and have a carby meal or fried food, and gain it back within the same week.

I didn't think I'd stabilize at this weight without binging, but that's exactly what has happened. I have been bouncing between 198-204 for the last eleven months. I repeat, without any binging.

Time to get my head back into the game for a long haul of dieting I guess. I wanted the band to help me by not needing to diet. Well, it helped do exactly that for the first hundred pounds down. Now I have to work, really work, for every pound lost.

Big girl panties time.

[meggs353 118]

You might want to check in with you doc - the thing is, this might not be as dangerous as you think. It sounds like you are in the perfect green zone, and as you said, you have reserves that your body is tapping into for energy. You may be doing just fine, and when you get to a healthy weight you might find that your loss abruptly stops. I wish I could get rid of hunger. I haven't found the perfect spot yet though. Good luck!

[TheProfessor 378]

I never thought I would get rid of hunger. It's miraculous and such a relief. For a few months thought I thought I'd never hit the green zone.

I've worked really, really hard at modifying my diet. I was never attracted to sweets or junk or pop or sugar. My downfall was butter, Pasta, bread and large quantities...

The green zone has allowed me to develop excellent eating habits. Due to a dim in hunger and excellent satiety between meals, I am able to only eat small amounts. I've given up wine as I noticed I lost no weight loss when those calories were bing poured down my throat.

Knowing that I only have a half cup of food or so at a meal, I find that following the bandster rules - Protein first, tiny bites, fibre second... is easy. There is literally no room for temptation.

Now that the band is working at its optimum level, doing exactly what it's meant to do, I have to be mindful of the physiological changes that have taken place in myself - that I have such diminished hunger that I have to be careful that I don't forget to eat.

I feel like I've won the lottery.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there, so happy for you. I am not on a diet and have just the one rule for myself: to eat when I'm hungry and not eat if I'm not hungry. The first is more difficult than the latter because I was such a restricter in my former life. All that head chatter. Like you, sometimes this puts me late in the day for nourishment and for me this can set up evening grazing (particularly because unlike you I have not given up alcohol, which I know slows my progress, sigh). Happy Onederland and size 14, yippee. Isn't it fun? Oh the clothes I was missing all those years!

[B-52 7,113]

I've been there for almost 5 years now...my weight continued to drop, passing any goals I set for myself, and finally stopped where IT DECIDED to....at a very healthy place....and I have been at that same weight now for over 3 years.....

You need to check your body fay %, not your weight or BMI's...that will tell you what % of your weight is essential (muscle and bone mass) and what is not (fat)

It will also tell you if you are getting enough Water per day.

To this day, the only thing I care about is that I get enough daily Protein, Water, and Vitamins.

After that I eat what and when I want....and that is very little very seldom. If I am distracted, I can go full 24 hrs without eating, and not even notice it...but you will always see me with a bottle of water.

[briefs199 337]

I just had a fill a few weeks ago. It's only now that I'm noticing it has really dimmed my appetite. It's actually so much that I'm worried but if I'm eating a half cup of food, isn't that what we should be doing?

I find it hard to believe I can really be satisfied with so little food. How did everyone come to terms with this?

Edited September 23, 2015 by briefs199

[TheProfessor 378]

Briefs199 - I came to terms when I realized that the band is helping me consume the extra 100 pounds of excess weight I packed on since 1999.

I spent 15+ years over-eating and storing that excess food in my body as weight. Now I eat half a cup of food at a meal, and even though it seems like a tiny amount, I know it's ok because my body will take what it needs from that, THEN dive into my food "reserves" (thighs, tummy, etc).

Trust your band. It's doing its job. The constant constriction around the bottom of your esophagus sends signals to your brain that you are sated. So why mess with it? Listen to your body and enjoy knowing that you are satisfied after a small meal. Woo woo!

#winning!

[ntif8 0]

Hi guys so happy to have found this... It is my second time to loose weight with the lap band - first time i was too young/overeating to the point that the band would flip over so i removed it and got it again this year - a question to you - what do you eat? I find it very difficult to figure it out - i have it closed to the extent that i can only take liquids/yogurt/soups is this the correct way?????

[TheProfessor 378]

I eat normal foods, but in small quantities. (Mostly) everything is cooked or prepared from scratch so I am in control of hidden calories and carbs that come with pre-prepared supermarket stuff. (Example from last night: I made Indian butter chicken from a scratch recipe, rather than buying a kit or pouch of the instant sauce variety).

On a typical day I start with a coffee (yay!) and get things rolling with a Greek yoghurt. At about noon I'll have a few tablespoons of homemade chicken or egg salad, maybe a couple of slices of ham or turkey and 2 ozs of cheese (Havarti and sharp cheddar are my favourites!). dinner is a Protein (lamb and chicken are my favs, and I love seafood, too - so non-battered fish, crab, shrimp or scallops) plus vegetables or salad.< /p>

I eat absolutely no non-veggie/fruit carbs. I've eliminated all starches (potato, bread, Pasta, rice) and processed crap from my diet. I was never into junk anyway.

[Dragon Lady 59]

Wow, I also have hit this point recently with my last fill. My fitness app has been telling me that I'm not eating enough, but I feel fine. I know I'm fine because when I don't eat enough my sugar drops and I get dizzy/confused/grumpy, and that's not happening.

[TheProfessor 378]

Yup....! I hear ya'. So the way it way explained to me: I packed on 100 extra pounds of weight over the past decade. My body may be consuming less calories since my surgery, almost "scarily" low, but it's compensating by "eating" the hundreds and thousands of extra calories I stored in my thighs, hips, breasts, and gut over the years.

I'm eating but not the traditional way. A great way to think of it, especially since I am feeling so well!

[Bandista 7,466]

@@ntif8 the links below in my signature helped me understand about the band -- it is not about preventing food from going down, it's about signaling the brain for satiety. For me, Soups and shakes are just sliders and don't trigger that. Talk to your doctor about the red zone. I have test for myself -- I always need to be able to eat salmon and broccoli. Small bites, of course, slowly and chewed well. If I can't do that then I know something is wrong and I'm too tight.

[2babutterfly 483]

Enjoy it while it lasts. I dropped 100 of the 150 I needed to lose. I am five foot five and when I hit Onederland the weight loss train screeched to a halt.

To lose any weight I need to be super vigilant about my food choices. No fried or creamy, no carbs or big salads. My problem is I do this for a day or two, lose about four pounds, then cave in and have a carby meal or fried food, and gain it back within the same week.

I didn't think I'd stabilize at this weight without binging, but that's exactly what has happened. I have been bouncing between 198-204 for the last eleven months. I repeat, without any binging.

Time to get my head back into the game for a long haul of dieting I guess. I wanted the band to help me by not needing to diet. Well, it helped do exactly that for the first hundred pounds down. Now I have to work, really work, for every pound lost.

Big girl panties time.

@justwatchme. I could've signed my name to your post! Same weight numbers and same eating issues! I've lost about the same as you and need to lose another 50! I got a small fill yesterday and I need to get my head back in the game!

@@TheProfessor I envy your ability to just not eat when you're not hungry! Enjoy this time just make sure you're getting enough Protein in.

[TheProfessor 378]

@@2babutterfly Well thanks, but it may hearten you to know that I completely BLEW IT yesterday. Gah!

I had an old friend visiting me from British Columbia, and we got into the wine (yes wine - for those who know me on the forum I have been living a "Wine Free Life" since July!) We got into the wine... and then another bottle, and then it was all downhill from there - - cheese and hummus and crackers and pancetta and ... OMG it was all so nom-nommy.... and I ate SO MUCH. I was;t hungry in the slightest but it was all so fun and social and the wine made me forget myself.

My punishment for this slip - I'm so unused to eating large quantities of food that I had my first food sticking episode in months, and it was the nastiest I've ever had. I could NOT get the food unstuck and was miserable and in pain and upchucking slime (sorry for the overshare) for a full hour. My eyes were red, my nose was running and I went to bed exhausted.

I learned my lesson. Won't be over-eating again any time soon....!