Overeating.....Stretching pouch?

[mandi78 3]

I'm worried because I can see myself slipping back into my old pre-band habits. I have gone 2 weeks without losing any weight and it doesn't matter if I stick with what they told me to eat (baked meats, veggies) or eat what I want, I'm staying at the same weight. I know once I start getting fills, I will start losing again. That's not really the concern I am posting about.

I am worried about stretching my pouch because when I eat, although I do get full a lot faster than I used to even without a fill (I have the new AP band which starts out with 3cc of fluid), I still eat until I feel stuffed. I know that we are not supposed to do this with the band. I know that we are supposed to eat until we only feel not hungry. Problem is, I never feel hungry. I eat because it's time to eat or because I want to....just like before. I really hoped this surgery would decrease my interest in food and while it has decreased my appetite, I still WANT to eat. I even get upset sometimes because I can't eat more.....though ultimately I'm glad. I do feel that I am still overeating although it is much less than before, I do eat until I am stuffed.

Do you all eat to the point of just not feeling hungry any more or do you eat to the point of feeling full or even stuffed? Do you think it's possible for me to have stretched my pouch already? What is the amount of food I should be eating 3.5 weeks post op? My doc didn't give me a specific amount. I need to start measuring my food out and just eating that amount and no more whether I feel full or not.

[2bthinagn 3]

I'm worried because I can see myself slipping back into my old pre-band habits.

I still eat until I feel stuffed. I know that we are not supposed to do this with the band. I know that we are supposed to eat until we only feel not hungry. Problem is, I never feel hungry. I eat because it's time to eat or because I want to....just like before. I really hoped this surgery would decrease my interest in food and while it has decreased my appetite, I still WANT to eat. I even get upset sometimes because I can't eat more.....though ultimately I'm glad. I do feel that I am still overeating although it is much less than before, I do eat until I am stuffed.

Do you all eat to the point of just not feeling hungry any more or do you eat to the point of feeling full or even stuffed? Do you think it's possible for me to have stretched my pouch already?

Our psychologist recommended a book "Mindless Eating" by Brian Wansink. I read it before surgery. I thought it was really good. It talks about the difference between stomach hunger and head hunger. I think we all have a lot of mindless eating!

[Dave01 0]

Mandi, I am measuring my food out now, keeping meals at around 1/2 to 3/4 cup total. I know some people on here dont recommend them, but I still do a Protein Shake 2 times daily and they fill me right up. Plus it makes getting 100g of Protein in. I have not gotten my appetite back since surgery but I think its because I am afraid of damaging something if I get into a habit of "overdoing it". Hope everything else is going good....Dave

[nina874 48]

Sorry to thread jump, but what are the cups that people talk about? I am in the UK and it isnt a term that I am used to.

Mandi I am so with you on the head hungry thing, its been so long since I listened to my body that I think it has lost its voice!

Nina xx

[mandi78 3]

Nina-1 cup is 8 ounces. Does that help?

[musicalmomma 1]

Sorry to thread jump, but what are the cups that people talk about? I am in the UK and it isnt a term that I am used to.

Mandi I am so with you on the head hungry thing, its been so long since I listened to my body that I think it has lost its voice!

Nina xx

1 cup is about 1/2 pint.

[mandi78 3]

Anyone else have any responses to this?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Sorry to thread jump, but what are the cups that people talk about? I am in the UK and it isnt a term that I am used to.

Mandi I am so with you on the head hungry thing, its been so long since I listened to my body that I think it has lost its voice!

Nina xx

240cc is the same as a cup.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Anyone else have any responses to this?

During bandster hell a certain amount of self control is necessary. The band does not do everything for you. The band will help with stomach hunger but head hunger is all up to you.

If you aren't hungry, don't eat. Period. We all go through it and now is when you start learning to deal with it.

[Jachut 487]

Mandy with all due respect you've just said you've stayed the same weight for 2 weeks and it doesnt make any difference whether you stick with what you should eat or eat what you want, it doesnt make a difference.

How can you TELL in the space of 2 weeks whether it makes a difference?. YOu need to do the right thing week in week out for weeks, months, years to get to your healthy weight. Of course you can relax at times and allow yourself treats but you really cannot say that following what you are meant to eat doesnt work after such a short period of time.

Give yourself a break, its normal to plateau out a bit soon after surgery, after the liquid diet and all and moving back onto solids and your body, no matter how much you would like it to, wont lose 2lb per week perfectly steadily until you're at goal weight. Its going to be up, down, sideways with big long plateaus.

You're in this for the long haul, its a lifestyle now, and it will work, you just need to relax and be a bit patient about it.

[niki 1]

Being banded sometimes it is not easy, for me it's being quite hard for these 2,5yrs I've been banded. If you do some research here at LBT you'll soon find out lots of testimonies stating it is not easy.

The band is a tool that's there to help you out, but it's up to us to do most of the hard work - I mean doing correct food choices, exercising, fighting compulsive eating and head hunger. The band will rarely do it alone, but it's there to help you out.

Two weeks is not enough time to see if it is working well or not. The main goal for us should be re-learning to eat right and that's for life. It's no use achieving our goal and than going back to old nasty eating habits or it will all come back in a glimpse.

I read somewhere that our brain takes something like 20 minutes to understand we're not hungry any more and that we should feel satisfied with our small portion of food. Eating slowly and chewing it over and over again, sometimes helps.

Trust me, I fully understand you, this has not been an easy road. As Jachut well said, there will be ups and downs, and plateaus one after the other. Will power sometimes let us down, but it is up to us to make this band work.

hang in there,

niki

[susaninnkc 0]

on my 3rd fill my dr told me to be careful that I might stretch my pouch back out. I don't know if it was a scare tactic or what. But I had my surgery in May and just now getting the "true" I am not hungry anymore. It takes time be patient. Everyone is different and will experience things at different times. I can honestly say that I was depressed when I would see how much and how fast everyone has been losing. I am averaging 8.2 pounds a month which my dr wants me to lose between 8-10pounds a month. So I am normal. :speechles

[nina874 48]

Thanks for all the advice on the cups thing hopefully that will make things easier for me!

Mandi - I have resigned myself to the fact ( not happily I have to add!!) that just for the next few weeks til I have the fill I am going to have to dredge up some....willpower ( ehem not my strong point)

The way that I am looking at it is I ONLY have to do this for a few weeks not the rest of my life , I did know this would happen from reading the board - but lord did I hope that I would be one of the lucky few who was so swollen that I didnt want to eat!! - but I will get my fill and it is only 4 weeks til that happens so I just have to chew on the chair legs til then!!

We can do this hon!!!

Nina x

[TexasDiva 0]

been banded sine 4/13/07. now starting to see a slow down 30 lbs. I feel your pain, but this is a lifestyle change. It is so difficult to control hunger, and some of us have been out of control for whatever reason. It is just like anything else, just start over the next day... the band is only a tool. we have to do ur part by exercising and making good food choices. I struggle as well. daily... find a good support group to help you in the week moments. someone mentioned OA for help as well.

good luck, don't beat up on yourself, and keep on going towards your goal.

[CTgirl 0]

Mandi.... my doctor said to eat no more than 1/2 cup, even if you still feel hungry .....