Sweet tooth...and the band

[-petra- 0]

Hi everyone,

i have it, a biiigg one, i adore sweets. Will the band work in my case?

Any answers are more than wellcome...

[kiz 1]

Hi Petra, and welcome to LBT.

For the most part, the band will not physically restrict sweets. They go right through. How that band has helped me is two ways...new discipline and sense of fullness between meals.

I know I'm supposed to only eat three solid meals and one healthy snack per day. Snacking between meals is not part of my program, so if it's not meal time, I'm not supposed to be eating, and that has helped me stay away from all those sweets that I ate pre band.

Secondly, once I got wonderful restriction from my band, and this is the biggest help for me, I'm rarely hungry between meals and therefore not craving snack foods.

I was a chronic grazer rather than a big meal eater pre-band. The smaller meals I'm supposed to eat hasn't been a big issue for me. I measure out my 1/2 cup meal and when I'm finished, I'm not at a loss wanting more food. It seems like people who were used to eating huge meals have some trouble with this part of banding. It took some time to get to get to this level of restriction, but once I did, and my sweet tooth cravings are kept at bay because I'm not hungry like I used to be. I feel like a normal person now.

Before I became overweight, I wasn't hungry all the time. My husband and kids who are thin aren't hungry all the time. And finally, now, I have that same sensation of satiety. It makes a world of difference.

I'm very cautious about letting temptation in my home. I was kidding myself in the past when I bought ice cream, oreos, etc for my family. I had to face the fact that I bought those things for me. My family would eat a little here and there, and I would eat the rest. I know my trigger foods, and I don't bring them home. At a year out, I'm starting to feel more confident that I've kicked some of those "addictions" to the curb, but we're all better off not having those things around. I'd rather go out with my husband for ice cream, than to have a quart in my freezer.

[-petra- 0]

Thanks kiz for your answer, it helps. I am also a cronic grazer, dont eat a big portions. Tell me, what do you mean 1/2 of a cup, is it like 100 ml or so?

I am haveing my op in november, and i am so scared that it want work...takes a lot of will power not to eat carbs..and its so ironic that the carbs go down that easy...

[Band_Groupie 3]

I've always said I could live on bread and chocolate. I keep the Russel Stover's SF chocolates (big variety of fillings and dark or milk) as well as other sweets like SF preserves to put on Greek yogurt, SF maple Syrup to go on my morning oatmeal, and SF fudgesicles, popsicles and creamsicles. I have one of those chocolates most nights after dinner and that gives me something to look forward to.

I'm about 6 mo. out and a very good yo-yo dieter. I've never gone this long without losing it on sweets big time a lot. I have my moment when head hunger wins, but now I can have a bit and I'm OK...it's the weirdest thing. I've taken the attitude that nothing is ever off limits and I don't feel deprived like I have on other diets.

If you're really worried about this, I'd at least discuss RNY with my doc as that would give you the added feedback of dumping that some (not all) get.

[-petra- 0]

Hey band_groupie, thanks for your opinion, but i dont want RNY...and my doc says that i am not big enough for that too (dont ask, i am from croatia, and we have a different roules for op) anyway, my BMI is 38.5

i guess i will try with the band...

[onikenbai 33]

1/2 cup is 125mL.

[kiz 1]

Thanks kiz for your answer, it helps. I am also a cronic grazer, dont eat a big portions. Tell me, what do you mean 1/2 of a cup, is it like 100 ml or so?

I am haveing my op in november, and i am so scared that it want work...takes a lot of will power not to eat carbs..and its so ironic that the carbs go down that easy...

Different doctors have different meal recommendations, but mine leaves a 4 oz pouch above the band, and his goal is for his patients to eat 1/2 measuring cup (or about 120 ml) solid meals three times/day plus a healthy snack and to not get hungry for three hours or more. (This measurement is volume rather than weight). I usually start to feel hungry in four to five hours after a meal, but it took me several fills to get to this this level of restriction.

I also agree with Band Groupie in that I don't have off limit foods. I don't want them in my house, only because I don't want that kind of temptation. I would have a small piece of cake at a birthday party, I would split a dessert - which usually means I'll eat a few bites - with my husband when we're out to eat, etc. Knowing that I can still have these sweets under controlled situations makes all the difference to me. I don't like having a long list of "off-limit" foods personally.

[elcee 3,341]

If you are a grazer and a big sweet eater the band may not help you much.

it is easy to eat past the band by grazing - it does not stop you doing this. It is also not common to feel restriction when eating chocolate,sweets etc. They slide right past the band.

The band does help by making you eat smaller meals and reducing your hunger in between. But a lot of people eat due to head hunger rather than actual hunger so again it may not help.

I think you need to discuss this further with your Dr, nutritionist and possibily a therapist that specialises in eating issues before you make your decision.the band may not be right for you and you may want to consider other options.

[-petra- 0]

Thanks to all of you.

How do know, when you go out to eat, how much is about 120 ml of food? :thumbdown: I mean, its difficult to know when you are on solids, or isnt it? Its all in practise, i suppose...

[kiz 1]

I know some people take a measuring cup when they go out to eat, but I don't do that. You do get familiar with the size of the amount of food you're suppose to eat after a while, and different doctors have different standards for meal size. Yours may be different than mine.

Here's a link to some rules of thumb to help you estimate portion size:

When You Can't Measure, Estimate Portions

Example

The meat and Beans Group

3 ounces grilled/baked fish or chicken ---- checkbook

3 ounces cooked meat, fish, poultry ---- your palm, a deck or cards or a cassette tape

(Ounces is a measurement of weight, but with a solid like meat, it's fairly close to volume. It's certainly not an exact science. But, by that measurement 4 oz of meat would equal 1/2 cup. I shoot for 3 oz of Protein plus some veggies for my meal).

Conversions:

1/2 cup - 4 Fluid ounces - 8 tablespoons - 118 ml

[hmarko 0]

Petra - I CAN have a sweet tooth because I am diabetic and have PCO so the smallest type of wrong carb will set me off. This is the mindset I got myself into (I've been banded since sep 11th). I am treating this like quitting smoking - I don't know if you ever smoked). I don't even allow myself to entertain the thoughts of any trigger foods its just not allowed to go into my head. If it does I kick it out :thumbdown: NOT AN OPTION My feeling is it will open a can of worms. Having said that i do KNOW that i can have an occassional sweet but that is a rare exception. For example it was someone's b-day and I had a tiny sliver of cake in this time. M&M, other candies that are sitting around at desks I look at them but don't say should I have one. (OK i did have 1 M&M but only 1). I have gone thru alot to get this surgery so I am trying to do what I can to not get into any trigger foods. This was all even before I got any restricition.... but as everyone said the band won't prevent you from those foods you speak off BUT maybe the fact that you went thru surgery and what you went through to get the band will...its a mindset. One day when I have lost all my weight I can have more of those things but not now.

[ElfiePoo 109]

I'm very cautious about letting temptation in my home. I was kidding myself in the past when I bought ice cream, oreos, etc for my family.

I'd rather go out with my husband for ice cream, than to have a quart in my freezer.

This is really good advice and all part of changing the lifestyle that led to our obesity to begin with.

.

[Enchanted 2]

i guess i will try with the band...

This comment has me a little worried for you.

It's major surgery and will forever change the way that you eat. It's not like trying some crazy new diet for a week and if you don't like it, you don't have to do it again.

I want to be supportive. I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. And while it's reversible, it's still surgery.

Maybe a little more research.

[JosShavaughn 0]

I'm not banded yet, but my mom is and has been for 3 years this month. For a while there she was eating candy like EVERY DAY. Lately she's cut back, I'm very proud of her, but in my opinion, your sweet tooth will not be a major problem, just monitor how much sweets you're eating, limit yourself when you need to, and keep your activity level up so that you're not just taking in empty calories and doing nothing which will lead to weight gain.