cravings after banding

lavender714 · May 2, 2009

I am scheduled to get banded 5-18. wondering about having food cravings after banding. Do you still get them? are they bad?

Any input would be appreciated.

Can you have chocolate a little at a time a few times a week?

thanks

jennie

Allformyson · May 2, 2009

After the initial painful period after surgery I had no desire for food. After a while certain smells (as well as being hungry) would make me crave food. But knowing I could do some real damage to myself has kept me from giving into any craving. It's more like a passing thought now..like "oh that smells good, I'd would eat that if I could", then it goes away.

I heard of some people who allow themselves a small piece of chocolate or 1 hershey kiss. I think there is room for it in moderation, especially something like dark chocolate that has antioxidants & flavonoids in it.

karen_karen · May 2, 2009

i didnt have any craving for along time but i know about 6 or 7 months out i wanted a junior bacon cheeseburger from wendys and i ate that and i can tell you my body wasnt use to the grease anymore so i was in the bathroom for the rest of the day. and so there goes my craving issues lol....... i think when you start eating healthier and you make better choices you will find yours not liking the crappy foods anymore. i can say the burger was still good though but at the same time i knew it was to greasy for my taste. i think once your body gets use to eating healthier you will see that you will choose them over the bad foods.

ParrotheadCathy · May 2, 2009

And you may discover that some of the things you used to crave all the time no longer taste the same. I know, that's weird. But if my granddaughter was eating potato chips, I'd think yum-yum. Recently, I gave in and ate a couple. To my dismay/pleasure, they tasted mostly greasy and I didn't want another one. She and my great-granddaughter live with me and they eat things I shouldn't and usually don't want. I allow myself a couple of french fries here and there (and I mean 3 or 4) and that satisfies me.

A little chocolate here and there (not everyday, though, is my thought) probably isn't all that bad. As long as you feel you have the control to eat a bit and not a handful. The band is the advent of a new lifestyle not the beginning of punishment for the rest of your life.

dubbee · May 2, 2009

"advent of a new lifestyle, not the beginning of punishment for the rest of your lfe"...I LOVE IT!!! very wise and very timely for me...thanks Cathy, I needed that.

My banding was 4/13/09 and to be honest I don't have cravings as much as I miss eating. Just being able to pick up a fry or have a forkful of that spaghetti I just made for my family, is what I'm learning to live without. I think it's called control or lack of. I will win. I know in a couple months I'll be able to enjoy those things if I want, but on a much smaller scale of course. So when I wish I could partake, I think about why I laid on that operating table and let that surgeon put that foreign object in my body. I think about no longer having aching knees, needing help getting out off of the couch, feeling my clothes getting tighter, obsessing over having a heart attack someday, just feeling good about Sheila...and that lg bowl of ice cream, that oil-soaked hoagie, that dbl cheeseburger and fries don't hold the same enticements for me.

Good luck and hang in there.

I've lost 20lbs already and I swear I could pull my jeans down without lowering the zipper or undoing the snap! Woohoo

ThinknHealthy · May 2, 2009

Well, I still have cravings. My stomach was operated on, not my brain. I agree with Cathy, the band is not meant to be a permanent punishment. Portion Control is the key. If you enjoy spaghetti, you can continue to enjoy it, eaten slowly and in moderation. A small hamburger? If it is not a problem getting through your band, is something that you could have occasionally. However, if you are like an alcoholic with food, like "one is not enough" then probably staying away from the "one" is best. For me, I don't have a problem with eating one of my daughter's french fries and being satisfied.