An observation and a question.

[soozan 0]

I read that some people here are banded but not filled yet. They are on their post op diets and have lost a LOT of weight(being mostly liq diets).

I am also reading that they are H U N G R Y.

Ok, the question.

What is making you not eat the way you used to. Why can you do it(stick to the rules) this time? You don't have restriction yet so in theory it wouldn't hurt. But you guys are doing it and all the while being hungry.

WELL DONE...just wanting to know your psychology behind not eating the old ways...now.

Now, once you are filled to restriction there will be no choice. It's the now, pre filled that I am curious about.

Thanks. I hope my question is understood.

Susan

[Longhorn 1]

I had that question, too, so I asked my doctor. He said there is no reason for me to be hungry and to eat so I do. I follow the rules -- Protein first, chew a lot, wait between bites, and I try to get in 70 grams of Protein per day. But he never gave me a limit on how much I could eat. Fortunately, I don't have to eat that much before I'm satisfied. This is how I've avoided Bandster Hell.

However, I am not losing weight very quickly in the last couple of weeks, if at all (it's fluctuating.) I think a lot of folks would prefer to lose more quickly so they are limiting how much they eat but end up hungry. I'm not in any hurry. Just different approaches, I think. I chose my doctor because I share his philosophy.

[TracyinKS 7]

I lost 19 lbs on the pre op liquid diet... a diet that I put myself on, as my doc did not require it of me........ I also lost before my first fill........WHY? because I was mentally in diet mode, and ready for the change...... because I have lost 70 lbs 3 times and 0-30 lbs more times than I can count...... drop in the bucket... as I am an expert dieter........ my problem is MAINTENENCE....... which is why I chose the band.... the maintenence factor. I know I can lose this weight, but keeping it off will be my real challenge.

Also....... when I've lost before it was a daily struggle.. a fight within myself to stay on plan....... I put myself on and stuck to a low carb diet until my fills started kicking in and now I do it because I am no longer hungry....... and with the level of restriction I have now, I couldn't eat a piece of pizza even if I wanted to....... straight dieting wouldn't prevent this and I would of jumped off the wagon by now or feeling guilty from jumping off the wagon for the holidays........

You will hear this over and over again.......... the band is merely a TOOL........ a TOOL to HELP you stick to your plan. The plan you set in motion is merely up to you.

[Kristin1031 0]

I have not had a fill and I am not hungery either. I also follow the plan set down by my surgical group and the bariatric program that they offer. I do limit the amount of food at each meal to 3 ounces.

This has worked for me because I too eat lots of Protein, I always start with the Protein first finish it then if there is room, eat some vegtables and sometimes fruit.< /p>

I am totally satisfied, I do not feel deprived in anyway. I am cooking the food that I feed to my DH and I am eating right along with him. I am making wholesome foods and trying to make him enjoy healthier menus. It can't hurt I figure.

I also make sure to keep drinking, I am always drinking, as it still is hard for me to get in my liquid. I know that I have restriction, I can feel it, and my pouch tells me when I am full. I have begun to listen to it more these past two weeks.

I think it is truly different for everyone. We are all made differently and even our bands are different, we all have different fat pads between the stomach and our band, because of the different ways in which we carry our weight. This too will make a huge difference in how much restriction you might have.

I go back to the fact that my surgeon told me at my last appointment that he has had patients who did not need a fill for the first year, the band was enough restriction.

I do believe alot of this road is mental, you must get yourself on the plan of eating very little and being satisfied with it. If you look at the small portion and think you are being deprived, I think ultimately you will be. Our mind is a very powerful thing, and it can make us do many things.

I agree with other posters here, that I am excellent at weight loss my problem has always been maintenance. I believe the band will help me to maintain my goal because I will be unable to eat more than a tiny bit of food. I do not like feeling the pain of being over full......I have felt it twice now. It is not pleasant.

I also will not allow myself to suffer not having bites of so called forbidden foods, if I want it I am going to have it, will just cut somewhere else. I will always keep my calories and fat and carbs in check by logging all of my food.

[SueSue 0]

My doctor told everyone at the seminar that once the band is put on it tends to diminish your appetite. I did not believe him but he must of been right because something has changed and I still do not have real restriction yet after 3 fills.

I have lost 29 lbs. in 3 monts. I eat half of what I ate. I do not understand myself what happens but half way through a meal the food no longer looks good and I am satisfied. I can still eat anything, I take 6 pills in one gulp, three are capsules, three are small. I still drink carbonated drinks and bread. No problems. I have not counted calories and I tend to eat whatever I want each meal but as I said half of what I use to eat. I use to eat a lot before the surgery. I ate so much it surprised me. I would want to eat in an hour also. I am a diabetic and my doctor told my husband if your blood sugar is high it makes the body want food. I sure believe that. As I said I am not sure why but the band itself has helped me considerably. Hope this helped.

[Longhorn 1]

My doctor told everyone at the seminar that once the band is put on it tends to diminish your appetite. I did not believe him but he must of been right because something has changed and I still do not have real restriction yet after 3 fills.

I have lost 29 lbs. in 3 monts. I eat half of what I ate. I do not understand myself what happens but half way through a meal the food no longer looks good and I am satisfied. I can still eat anything, I take 6 pills in one gulp, three are capsules, three are small. I still drink carbonated drinks and bread. No problems. I have not counted calories and I tend to eat whatever I want each meal but as I said half of what I use to eat. I use to eat a lot before the surgery. I ate so much it surprised me. I would want to eat in an hour also. I am a diabetic and my doctor told my husband if your blood sugar is high it makes the body want food. I sure believe that. As I said I am not sure why but the band itself has helped me considerably. Hope this helped.

You're describing my experience so far, except I've lost about 20 pounds in eight weeks. If I'm at 29 pounds in another month like you, I'll be quite pleased.

[shortgal 5]

I did not do a pre-op diet other than 2 days of Clear liquids before surgery day. I was not hungry at all for the first four days and after day five started to increase my fluids, since I was on Clear Liquids at that point. But my calorie intake the first two weeks was probably between 300 and 700 calories.

I have mostly followed the Dr.'s recommendations regarding post op diet and have worked hard to keep my calories very reasonable ( between 800 and 1000 daily). I do track my calories most days, partly track my Protein. I had two Atkins shakes today ( 30 gms of protein) and a lean cuisine that had salmon ( must had had some Protein, but didn't check how much) Also had a yogurt and that has some protein (9gm, I think). so i know I'm close to getting enough protein.

Some days I'm hungrier than others and I do believe the band, even without restriction is giving me some restriction OR like others I'm just used to dieting... not sure.

But I totally agree on the issue of keeping the weight off this time. First goal get it off, second keep it off.

[secretstolen 4]

I was just banded and I have no restriction currently. I get little pangs of hunger from time to time, but that's usually a sign to have a Protein shake and then I'm good. I've been tempted to drink/eat things that I'm not supposed to what with Christmas and all the goodies this time of year, but what's kept me from doing it is the reality that now it's not as simple as saying, "Oh, I messed up today. I can be good tomorrow." There's a real health risk involved if I mess up and sabotage the band. Even though I probably could eat a cookie, the reason why I won't touch one is because the risks of that cookie coming back to haunt me later are greater than ever before. *LOL*

(And even if having one cookie wouldn't hurt me, don't tell me that. I'm happy and content believing that it would be my downfall. Haha!)

Plus, I have this irrational fear of being scolded and shamed by the surgeon and his staff for not following their instructions.

[aubrie 6]

I am 6 weeks post op and have lost 26 pounds. I did not have a pre-op diet, and only two weeks of liquids afterwards. Mushies for 4 weeks. I've only been "really hungry" three or four times. Water consumption usually took care of it. I have a 10 cc band that was filled to 4 cc at time of surgery. I have not had a fill post op yet. I do indeed feel restriction. I can't eat very much at a time. Heavy foods keep me full for hours. (Things like refried Beans, chicken, meat) I get a tummy ache if I eat to much and it will last a while. I haven't PB'd yet, but have been stuck on fish that was to dry. At this point, since I'm losing very well, I don't think I need a fill. when I level off, I'll be the first one calling for an appointment. I think a lot of this has to do with my frame of mind. I think Kristin1031's description and attitufe is a ditto for me. Although, I can eat more some days than others, I try to be mindful of what I'm eating. Slowing down and really tasting and enjoying my food is interesting. I'm more aware of textures and subtle flavors. When you're mindful, it just doesn't take as much to satisfy you.

[SuzyGayle 0]

I'm 3 months post op and have not had my 1st fill.....I still have restriction since surgery and can only eat a small amount.

I also followed my surgeon and nutritionist's program with post-op liquid and mushie stages, then solids. My hardest problems is slowing down my eating....if I don't slow down, I end up PB and sliming....not fun.

I'm definitely following my old low-carb, low-calorie diabetic diet, BUT I can now definitely limit the quantity of foods. Before I could cheat big time, but those days are gone.

I've lost my desire to eat a lot, and very rarely feel hungry....if I do, I notice I'm not getting enough Protein....

As stated before, everyone is different, but you must absolutely want this more than anything....

[Candle 11]

What is making you not eat the way you used to. Why can you do it(stick to the rules) this time? You don't have restriction yet so in theory it wouldn't hurt. But you guys are doing it and all the while being hungry.

WELL DONE...just wanting to know your psychology behind not eating the old ways...now.

I guess I am one of the people you speak of. I've had 1 small fill of 2cc's in my 10cc band. I did not have any restriction after surgery and still don't now. I've never been stuck or slimed or felt any different than before surgery.

Your questions are good ones and I really don't know the answer. I really made a dedication to myself when I started this, I was going to succeed. I'm in uncharted territory right now - I've never been able to lose this much weight at once on my own. Maybe the liquid/mushies/restrictive diet at the start got me into a routine and detoxed me from all the sugar & crap in my system? Maybe my stomach has shrunk, my tastes have changed and my body feels so good right now - I just want to keep it going! Maybe there's something to the theory that for some people the band alone effects their appetite? Maybe it's a combination of these things?

I eat 3 small meals and 1 to 2 Snacks per day. I don’t drink any Protein shakes or supplements. I track my calories and plan my meals. I drink a lot of Water. I take Vitamins. I exercise.

I've thought a lot about this myself. I wish I had a better answer for you - lol. <O:p</O:p<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

[Candle 11]

PS. Fear has worked well too - lol.

I followed the pre and post op diets to the letter! (I even started my pre op liquid diet a week early)

I worry about damaging my band. I always have that in the back of my mind when I feel the desire to over eat.