I can't eat healthy foods!

[Dianechef 3]

I am not sure if I am filled too tight or if this is really how the band is supposed to work?!?!?!?

I have problems getting down normal food. chicken, salad, vegetables, eggs, apples, bananas.....healthy foods!! After about 5 bites, everything sits right at my band & it hurts!! I have never PB'd anything because I just stop eating from the pain. It's frustrating!!

However, I can eat chocolate, Cookies, ice cream, even cake!! I rarley eat them or even have them aroud the house, but I know I CAN!! The store is just 1 min. away!! It's torture on me.

It seems as if my band is working AGAINST me! I can't eat the good stuff, but all the bad stuff goes down very easy. HELP!! This is not why I got banded. I thought I was supposed to get full on the good stuff so that I wouldn't be hungry for the junk!!!!

For those of you who have lost successful amounts of weight with the band, is this how you felt? I am trying to very hard, & feel like I'm hitting a brick wall!!

I'm not giving up - I've done very well. It's been 9 weeks & I've lost 25 lbs! But, I've been sitting at 25 lbs for 3 weeks & that's when I had my first fill. I have a constant struggle in my head over eating all the bad stuff that doesn't cause me pain.

Suggestions please!! I'm feeling like I may not be able to maintain the good attitude I've had so far. I just might explode real soon & give in to it all!!!

[Alexandra 55]

Diane, you're in the learning and exploration curve of banding and it sure can be frustrating! I'll bet you can get down healthy foods, if you eat veeerrrryyy slowly and veeerrrryyyy carefully. And with such careful eating, it may actually be the fact that it takes only 5 or 10 bites to fill you up. At the very first sign of discomfort, try walking away for 10 minutes and see how you feel. Then try a few more bites, but don't go beyond any point that causes discomfort.

It really can take some getting used to, the limited capacity once you have restriction. But if you can eat five bites of chicken, I'd submit you're not too tight. Try really downsizing your bites and upsizing the time between bites, and you may find things change for you.

[Anwyn 0]

Diane, I'm experiencing the exact same thing right now. Everything sits in there like lead.

I'm trying to do what Alex recommended. I take my first bite and then get up to walk around for 5 minutes. It's frustrating because everything but the first bite gets cold, but It seems to be going better when I really stretch out my first couple bites. I'm still only getting in about 1/3 of a cup of food tho. I'm going to give it a few weeks to see if I adjust a little before looking into an unfill.

Good luck, and congratulations on your 25 lb loss!

[Road Queen 0]

Diane, like Alexandra said, you are learning to live with your band. The other part of the equation is you. You need to take the small bites, chew, eat slowly, and make healthy food choices.

Figure out what works for you and your band. Most people have more restriction in the morning. Mine is tight in late afternoon and early evening - bad if you decide to have a late night pigout, good if you eat an early dinner and stay out of the kitchen.

My band is also very tight when its hot out. So then I try and eat more at noon and Snacks and just have Soup or something at night.

Work with your band and it will work for you. Celeste

[Dianechef 3]

Road Queen,

You said your band is tight when it's hot. Hmmm...... I live in AZ & it's been 106 lately. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?!?!?!?! HA!!

[the best me 6]

Yes, stay away from the junk and work with your band. Also, make sure you use adequate low-fat food lubes. Add BBQ Sauce to that chicken. Dip cooked veggies in something creamy. Don't get out of hand with added fat and calories, but if 2 ounces of chicken w/ BBQ sauce and some steamed broccoli with garlic sauce sits comfortably and you stay full for hours, that's perfect! This is the aggravating part of the band. It can really stop you in your tracks...which is good...but you do have to slow down slower than you think and turn a healthy meal into a small event. Embrace this love affair between you, your food, and your band. And indulge a bit if you know you have had a good food day. Pre-band=2 slices of cake plus the nibbles of the kid's leftovers plus the scraps from put-away and the knife and other nibbles, which makes it 3 sliices. Post-band=a few bites of cakes and a lick of frosting from the serving utensil and it's all good. No guilt. And weight loss!

Another thought. All of us hit short (or long!) plateaus. Don't be afraid as your body adjusts to it's new and improving metabolism. Keep up the good bandster eating and be patient with your body. You will move down the scale again after a time. Be patient! You are doing great!!

[Road Queen 0]

I'm coming to Arizona - do you have an extra room? For the last few days, we had highs in the lower 70s and I could eat alot. I can feel that is changing today. I had chicken tortilla Soup for lunch and tried to eat a tortilla - no can do - (I could eat them yesterday when it was in the 60s). I was losing until the weather cooled off but I don't want a fill - maybe coming to Az for a long weekend is the best bet. Bands are fickle...Celeste

[babsintx3 0]

Hi Diane,

You might try having a hot cup of tea before you eat. Sounds like you have what is commonly known as first bite pain. Your esophagus might be having some spasms and thats what it hurting you. Plus some of the foods you listed are difficult for bandsters to eat anyway like chicken (eat it like a porcupine; very carefully! LOL) salad is sometimes tough for bandsters. Fibrous veggies can be tough for some. I dont understand the banana though! And chew the crap out of every piece of solid Protein or fibrous food you eat. If this doesnt work with a certain food, take a break and dont eat it for a while. Sounds like you are doing great though!!!

Babs in TX

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[La_madam 20]

If your not PBin eating the healthy stuff then you are OK, its the junk food that will kill any weight loss efforts since it goes down to easily. You can always ask your doctor to remove a small ammount like .2 cc's, that will make a difference so you may not have pain but still have restriction. This is a mind thing, we have to do some of the work. Slow down your eating, wait a few minutes after the first bite, my first two bites take a bit to get to the band and after that I seem to be OK but if I take continuous bites without stopping I get pain.use a small ( crab fork) it helps to take smaller bites, works great for me.

[Dianechef 3]

I just had lunch & drank a few sips of warm tea before eating. WOW!! It went down without pain!! HALLELUJAH!!!! Thank you Babs!! Thank you all for your wonderful tips & help.

I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[babsintx3 0]

Hi Diane,

Glad the tea helped. THis is an ole bandsters trick.! LOL Secrets of the universe and such! LOL

Babs in TX