do things change?

[Ninababy 5]

I hate the thought of never eating bread again.. and pasta.. my question is do things change? will you be able to eat some of these things when you are at your goal...? do the loosen the band? just wondering..

[georgia girl 35]

I hate the thought of never eating bread again.. and Pasta.. my question is do things change? will you be able to eat some of these things when you are at your goal...? do the loosen the band? just wondering..

Hi Nina!

It varies from person to person. I've been banded since Sept of last year and I have been able to eat bread and Pasta. I am just now finally getting some really good restriction and I haven't eaten much bread or pasta lately, mainly because I haven't been all that hungry and I just don't need a lot of it.

If I do eat bread or pasta, I try to make sure it is whole wheat or whole grain. It's much more nutritious and still tastes good. Toasted bread will go down much easier than doughy bread will.

Try using substitutes for your favorites foods. Like making homemade pizza out of a whole wheat tortilla. Much healthier choice and it will get crispy so it will be easier to handle. You could also use whole wheat english muffins. The possibilities are endless. Get creative and just try out new things. That way you still get the taste of bread, but in a much healthier form.

It's really trial and error. You'll quickly learn which food you can tolerate and which ones you can't. Good luck!

Edited August 2, 2008 by georgia girl

[Riley O'Riley 0]

My doctor's point of view is that after banding, you should be able to eat anything that you want, including bread and Pasta. It took me about 8 months post-op to believe him and try it, but now I can and do eat both. The thing with bread is that it goes down easier if it is toasted and not doughy (like crescent rolls, croissants, etc.) I can eat biscuits (the top crunchy part) and I eat alot of pasta....just way smaller portions. I have never had trouble with 'swelling' like I've heard other people say.

At first I thought my doc was crazy, but after following his advise and eating what I want and not limiting myself, it has helped tremendously with not feeling deprived.

I am 20 months since my lapband and down 106 pounds. :wink2:

[Jachut 487]

I eat bread and Pasta, and have all the way through, but not tons of it, like georgia girls says.

I think wholegrains are a healthy part of a healthy diet and I wouldnt cut out an entire foodgroup by choice (restriction sometimes makes that decision for us).

But I dont base my entire diet on loads of bread, Pasta, Cereal and processed carbs the way I used to.

As to what happens at goal, I have loosened my band a little as I got a little bit too tight suddenly. My weight went up a tiny bit (3lb) and that's come off again now.

[Ninababy 5]

This really does make me feel better... It sounds like you learn your limits but that for the most part you can eat most things.. in small amounts and in certain ways. It is all such a big change.. but being fat my whole life and feeling bad.. is just not an option for me anymore... thanks.. you are all super..

[Cota129 0]

I can eat hard bread like croutons or the hard crust from, say, garlic bread. Pasta, I have recently been able to eat very small amounts. Forget rice. In the long run, not being able to have these items in my diet like I used to is a very small trade off for the way I feel and look now. In the past months, food has taken on such a different role in my life. It used to have a big one. Now, food is not that important. I don't think about it, I really don't care about it. Don't get me wrong, I love food. It just isn't something that is a big deal anymore.

[Abbisgood 0]

I truly enjoy reading the replys to the questions I have. Thanks to all of you, my journey is getting easier and easier.

[Sunwyse 1]

Don't loosen the band! You work toward getting it to a point where you can eat healthily and comfortably, but not too much, so you can maintain your new weight. Loosening the band won't let you eat bread or Pasta if you end up with a problem with them. It will just let you eat more of what you can eat, which means more weight put on.

[coolcrystal 1]

As for the bread products, I rarely eat bread stuff, but every now and again I'll have some pumperknickel(sp) bread, and some whole wheat Pasta one time, but it filled me up really fast and I couldn't get enough Protein in, so I stopped. I have eaten super thin crust (practically cracker) pizza down twice since being banded, but again, it is very rare and when I'm having a "naughty" meal to jolt my system back into losing, which is what works for me.

[Jachut 487]

The thing to remember too, is that if you end up with foods you absolutely cant eat, very often, you wont be sitting pining for them.

pizza for example. Yes, I can get it down, but it takes a lot of work. It causes discomfort. It goes cold while I'm eating it. I now shudder at the thought of pizza, there is no way that a piping hot pizza just delivered, sitting on my kitchen bench tempts me in ANY way. And i used to like pizza. Ditto McDonalds and Subway and any of those other fast foods. I can eat them if I have to and its the only choice, but I dont actually desire them or like them anymore. Its no skin off my nose to imagine never eating them again.

Same with bread. Whilst I eat it, its no longer something I care to overindulge in. Your tastes will definitely change.

[MissMom24 2]

I have been able to eat it all...although like previously stated, it is more work and sometimes just not worth the effort.

I felt the same way as you...soda...etc. I had big time "last supper" syndrome. Which was totally silly, because I can still have it, just in much smaller portions.