Dumb question..don't yell...

[katie78 0]

I know this is a dumb question but I think my love of food is getting the better of me. I feel like the more I read on, everyone seems to be on a diet with this band and eating so different than pre-band. I was kinda under the assumption that you could eat a lot of what you want, obviously not ice cream and fried foods, but eat sensibly but only you won't be able to eat the amounts you used to. I eat sensibly now, I just eat WAY too much of it and overdo my calories. With all the talk of Protein Shakes and whatnot, it scares my that I will permanetly be on this restrictive diet the REST OF MY LIFE! I know these are preband jitters, and I am panicking like some of you said you did preop. I just wanna give into my cravings once in a while but have the band hold me back a bit....this is what it'll do right? I could have asked this question weeks ago and don't remember, so forgive me, I"m really in panick mode, I'm afraid just afraid of the unknown. It's like any new job I've started, I'm real nervous beforehand and once I get the hang of it, I'm like, "what was I ever worried about?" Is this all true for you guys???

[triser72 0]

I think the best thing I read was last night (somewhere on this site) that Lap-Band is a weight loss TOOL. That made so much sense to me. I need something to aid in my Quest for Portion Control - it's the holy grail for me. I am in the approval process right now, so I still have a bit of ignorance and innocence about the actual experience post-op. I see the restriction in the diets, and I see the things are going to be really tough for me to change. Like you, I was scared about 10 months ago, now I have a whole bunch of bravado!

[Jachut 487]

Calm down. You are right to a large degree, eat less and you will lose weight. Eat less even if its crap and you will lose some weight!

I have never done a "diet" whilst banded, and I dont do Protein shakes, end of story. I am very ANTI low carbing. I eat a normal, healthy diet with plenty of carbs, and I've lost 115% of my excess weight. High Protein is NOT the only way to lose weight and there are plenty of arguments around to support that you do NOT need 80 grams plus of protein a day. I have all my hair, my skin and nails are healthy and I have plenty of muscle!

I supplemented my reduced food intake with a good dose of fairly hard exercise which I have been diligent about.

Be realistic though, I mean in Australia its still possible to get a fairly good diet without going out of your way to do it. When people on here start talking about whipped cream in cans (which is OK because its low fat and artificially sweetened right?) and chicken in cans (which I find unbelievable) and the one that still has me gobsmacked - multipurpose DOUGH in cans (sheesh, how hard is it to make pizza dough for crying out loud) it makes me realise that many people's diets are so far removed from what it should be and people think its OK because its all low fat and artificially sweetened. YOu really need to get your body back to FRESH food - food that you can still recognise because it actually resembles what it was in nature. Ditch the cans, the packaged meals, the boxes, the packets and eat natural. The band will take care of the portions, its your job to make sure its healthy. If you want some fruit yogurt for example, put some darn FRUIT in some plain yogurt! Add some nuts! You get some actual fibre and none of the crap that goes into commercial fruit yogurts.

And again, although our cultures appear to be different and I would never tell someone to go against what their doctor tells them, it is ENTIRELY possible to lose weight with a lapband eating carbs, never drinking Protein Shakes and never even counting protein! You dont have to diet, you do have to choose foods wisely, save some for occasional treats and do some exercise.

Edited April 1, 2008 by Jachut

[triser72 0]

rotfl.....I must have been gobsmacked at birth with that canned multipurpose dough!!! It's all on my butt!

[Turler 6]

Jachut: I loved what you wrote! You are very smart and obviously what you've done has worked! You look amazing and must be so proud. I will be banded on April 10th and I am so glad I popped in here to read this because you are right!

We Americans have too many quick fixes. Yes, chickens come in cans here...among lots of other strange things! I personally hate to cook, but loved home cooked food. I think our bodies respond better to natural sugar instead of artificial sweetener, yet ask anyone and they'll tell you if you're obese/fat/overweight you can't/shouldn't have sugar.

Thank you for your great advice!

~C

[jjsmiles 3]

Not a dumb question at all. I think all of us have been anxious about eating and food and even grieving the loss of what we think food is to us pre-band. I think the true intent of the band is to assist us with Portion Control, but I know for me that portion control isn't my only issue. Not only did I eat too much pre-band, but I also consistently chose the wrong foods and ate all the time for the wrong reasons (not because I was hungry but because food filled both my time and my emotions).

I think if you do truly eat sensibly most of the time you can lose weight by the portion control aspect of the band, but you also have to remember that once banded, chances are you won't be truly resticted for months (healing time and then fills to get to the sweet spot).

I read something here a couple of weeks ago that really "spoke" to me about how I feel about the band. The poster said she looked at the band as a maintenance tool, but when it comes to actually losing weight, she has to do all the work. This is how the band works for me. I am able to eat far less now (for many reasons, the band being only one of them). I am being very careful about what I eat and how much (I try to stick to between 1000-1200 calories most days and I count weight watchers points). I also journal everything I eat on a daily basis.

Because I am not as hungry as I used to be, I am working very hard to lose the weight now, not later. I am working very hard at creating a healthy lifestyle for myself that includes exercise. Both of these concepts are new to me.

That said, I am eating all foods and food groups and using the adage that there are no bad foods, but the key is moderation. There is nothing that I won't eat or haven't eaten (in small amounts) since being banded. The literature by the band manufacturers stresses that people should be eating a balanced diet and should not be relying on shakes for their nutrition (mainly because liquid just slides through the band and doesn't fill your new stomach pouch so the risk is drinking Protein shakes will not help you lose weight because you will be eating and drinking too many calories).

Good Luck. You are not alone and know you can lose weight without denying yourself everything!

[angelface 1]

Timetobandme, I've been thinking the same thing lately. The band should help us eat smaller portions so why is everyone so consumed with sugar free everything and Protein Shakes. As long as we don't eat ice cream and junk, can't we just eat normal foods, only less of it?

[jdelvalle 0]

You will be able to eat what you want once you get used to the band. The 1st couple of weeks or months are the toughest. And that really isn't all that bad. I found that I had my surgery at the end of May 08 and that by fall I was eating what ever I wanted to eat. I would be thinking that the band was suppose to be stopping me from eating. My goal was to lose the weight, but I could eat whatever that I wanted. I just had my 3rd fill and now I am noticing that some foods are not as easily going down. I can still eat whatever, just smaller amounts at this time.

[katie78 0]

Angel~

Totally! As I read somepost I felt like things were a NO NO! As soo as someone tells me I can't have something, I want it 10x more! Now, that said, I don't like being in pain, and if two bites of the best choc. cake in the world make me sick...I WILL NOT TOUCH IT OR MISS IT! PERIOD! I hate pain! Don't know why I did so well in childbirth, guess cuz I knew it wouldn't last forever?? I just know it's my portions that are WAY too big, not really my food choices....but I do make bad ones occationally, I'll be honest. It's so the fear or the unknown, I know it is....I just want to fight this evil battle I've had my whole life. I want hubby to look at me and say, damn thats MY wife:tt1:! I wanna say Damn look at me go...KWIM?

[StLouisGal 1]

I have found that since I have been banded I enjoy my food much more. I eat a wide variety of foods. I haven't tried breads yet, see no need to because I am enjoying fruits, veggies, deli sliced meats, meatloaf, eggs, chunky Soups, cheese, milk, cottage cheese, Peanut Butter, even an occasional piece of chocolate. I eat much smaller portions and track everything I eat on The Daily Plate so that I have an idea of what I am eating. Sweet potatos are my current favorite carb. Baked, with a little light butter, splenda and a sprinkle of cinnamon is delightful. I can make one potato last three meals and I feel like I've had a treat.

I do drink one Protein shake a day. I have never been a Breakfast eater but now I find I have to have something in the morning so a shake fits the bill. I'm easily getting in 75 to 85 grams of Protein a day and usually get 75-80 grams of carb. The only thing I usually have a bit of trouble getting in is Fiber.

I haven't eaten many sweets since I got my band, I don't crave them and why start. I will eventually add a little ice cream, Cookies, etc back into my diet but not until I am securely at my goal. The band is a great tool but I have to do the work, it won't do it for me.

You are the only one who can decide if you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to reach your goal. It is a wonderful tool and I am thrilled with it but it took me many years to be mentally ready to take on the lifestyle changes required. I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you make.

[mstrina27 0]

Timetobandme, I've been thinking the same thing lately. The band should help us eat smaller portions so why is everyone so consumed with sugar free everything and Protein shakes. As long as we don't eat ice cream and junk, can't we just eat normal foods, only less of it?

That's exactly what I was thinking...

[StLouisGal 1]

I think the reason a lot of people talk about Protein Shakes and sugar free drinks is because for the first few weeks that is about all you get to eat. Different doctors have different rules but the first week or so for everyone is pretty much liquid. You have to let your stomach heal. After about six weeks you will be able to eat just about everything, just in smaller portions.

[angelface 1]

So do you think all the people on here who are talking about sugar free everything and Protein Shakes when they go out to dinner are only in there first 6 weeks of being banded? I hope so because I really don't want to eat out all the time and have to take a Protein Shake with me.

[snowbird 2]

Per my doctor I am not supposed to have any Protein shakes after the initial liquid diet phase. I am supposed to eat normal, healthy meats and vegetables and some carbs. I know what I am supposed to do.

However, I still have my sweet tooth that got me into trouble in the first place, so I try to limit my sweets to sugar free. sugar free Snacks do double duty: they satisfy my craving for chocolate, but don't make me want more and more and more and . . . I personally think they taste just as good, if not better, than sugared Snacks which are now way too sweet to my taste.

I do have a Protein shake once in a while for Breakfast or lunch. This isn't diet "punishment" for me, but a way to have a quick, filling meal when I don't feel like fixing anything else. I LIKE my protein shakes--I blend in fruit or coffee and ice with a little milk and they are yummy. I could have real food, and I often do, but sometimes I just want the shake.< /p>

People feel differently about food post band; I don't enjoy eating that much anymore, so lots of times I take the easy way out with a high Fiber bar or a Protein Shake. This isn't a diet per se, and it's not that I am not allowed anything else; it is a choice because I enjoy them and I'm too lazy to cook for myself.

The truest statement repeated here time and time again, is that everyone is different. What works for one doesn't work for another, and what is absolutely necessary for one is not necessarily ever ever done by another. You will find what works for you if you have patience and keep trying.

[StLouisGal 1]

The truest statement repeated here time and time again, is that everyone is different. What works for one doesn't work for another, and what is absolutely necessary for one is not necessarily ever ever done by another. You will find what works for you if you have patience and keep trying.

Snowbird is exactly right. We all have to find our own way. I do eat light mayo and butter because it saves my calories for something I want more. I eat no sugar added fruits because I need the Vitamins and nutrition the fruit provides, not added sugar, but for the most part I eat whole foods, potatos, carrots, peas, Beans,beats, beef, chicken, turkey, ham, eggs, etc. I don't get hungry like I did before my band and I take time to enjoy the small portions of food I eat now.

Everyone has to find what works for them. What you eat is your choice. Your body will tell you what it doesn't want. I have found that I have more energy and less time to think about food because I am out enjoying life. Food is no longer the focus of my life. I eat out, go to family dinners, and all the things I did before. The only difference is I have the power to decide what I will or will not eat. It is a great feeling.