Jack

re: "why not just do Weight Watchers or something. What does the band really do that it's worth putting all my money into it? " I spent over 30 years fluctuating up & down & then up more again doing "Weight Watchers or something". So far, while not 100% the results I want, the Band has helped me more than any other approach I've used. Results seem to vary between Bandsters. Don't know of any specific academic studies that isolates the differences.

Tracking our intake is an essential part of learning about our eating choices. The various programs make tracking quite easy. Those subtle reasons we respond to daily stress from whatever source, can be observed and then changed once we become aware of our Intake errors. Changing old habits is difficult but rewarding. And the scale is not the final arbitrator of whether we are successful. Changing the physical and emotional constraints of Morbid Obesity demands our full attention, discipline and dedication. "We ARE the Band".....and the Band as Tool means we must learn to use it....the Band as an instrument in the symphonic orchestra of our ultimate health/happiness requires we learn to tune it before we play a sonata. You. Can. Do. It.

You might want to get examined to determined whether a hiatal hernia is present. While I "can" eat before bedtime, it really isn't something I do much these days. Perhaps a saltine if I 'must' but really is just the remains of an old preOp habit.

I've grown fond of my own sense of serenity and a more gradual pace of life in general accompanies the changes my Little Angel of the Silicon Fisssst has imposed on my eating habits. "Eating rapidly" has become a clear error in many ways I strive to avoid, especially at first meal of the day. I haven't seen what more recent research has shown, but the old notion was that the pyloric sphincter opened only enough to allow passage of the portion of stomach contents that had been reduced to a certain liquid gruel-like consistency before introduction to the small intestine. I never had the concept that Bandster upper pouch contents was an "hours delayed" event, as somewhere in reading a lot gave the idea of just slowing down the process, but one could clog up the drain by certain eating errors. Thanks for the post Jacqui.

There's a lot of conflicting opinions regarding "starvation mode". The subject is something of a hot topic at times for all of us. IMHO, if such were true, there would be no 'death by starvation' cases and people in concentration camps would have a whole lot better experience. Here is one interesting discussion: http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html The balance in our food-as-energy models are interpreted in many ways. I'd urge you to do a LOT of research on the subject and tell us what your conclusions are.

What kind of help do you want? Talk with your doctor and give him accurate information so he can determine what the best approach is to deal with this issue. No Bandster ever died of 'constant hunger'. Mostly 'constant over eating' is what gave people such as myself the kinds of problems that come with Morbid Obesity. Recovery from a decades long self inflicted over eating habit has required continued daily efforts on my part, which mean I have to do my part of the dance. The result is worth it, and nothing tastes as good as better health. Good luck.

I tried "miso soup" for a temporary bridge during that phase. Never did develop any craving for it. As you experiment, the variety of flavors becomes ever more amazing IMHO, from the old preOp days. Sometimes just the tiniest of pin-head size peaks of such as mustard would give me incredible gustatory satisfaction. Also just a fingertip in a little plain horseradish was immensely satisfying on many levels....not to mention clearing the sinuses. Part of my own discovery was how complicated the physical act of eating really is. I had always sort of just inhaled/suck/washed it down without much chewing, though, appreciation for flavors, consistency, etc. My goal was to push as much down as rapidly as possible so I could get some more as soon as possible. What an idiotic approach to one of the great pleasures of life! I learned to saunter and stroll through a meal instead of making it a bumper-to-bumper rush hour stress event.

re: "And, you're still hungry with the band?" One of my most unexpected and BIGGEST postOp pleasures, is coming to realize how ENJOYABLE the act of 'becoming hungry' can be. Like a summer rain squall moving in from across the plain, you sense it in the distance, you feel the increasing awareness of the approach, and the gradual merging of the distant beauty into your immediate surroundings. The delight of actually HAVING a physical appetite which responds to Normo size meals is blissful, after decades of simply striving to stuff as much down my gullet as rapidly as possible while planning what to eat next. Somewhere along my life path, I lost track of this important event. Somehow I became obsessed with the dread of 'being hungry' and ate everything in my path to avoid that. The other part of the Band that is a true delight, is that the pleasure of 'becoming physically hungry' is well balanced with the pleasure of 'becoming physically satiated'. Sometimes it may take only a bite or two. Often 1/2 a sandwich is more than it takes, rather than an entire loaf of bread. Learning how little it takes to satisfy is a delight. PreOp typically was an adventure in "how much can I eat". PostOp the matter far more often is "how little it takes to be satiated". Entirely different focus for me. Cheers on your journey.

Welcome to LBT and cheers on your journey......from another Oregon resident...."but it's a WET rain".....

Congratulations!!! Belts can represent real dedication. I have a favorite belt bought in 1965 for a special occasion.....wasn't able to wear it for over 30 years.....but now it fits great....in fact, wearing right now but it would be too big if I hadn't added a couple smaller-size holes. cheers to the Bandsters one and all!!!!

re: "http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html" excellent link!!! Thanks....and he hits most of the major points we all need to know. PBing for me has happened far more frequently because of some 'Error of Eating' I committed in some variable of 'too much/too fast' rather than being just the type of food....although certain items predictably are most often culprits in a little slime. Dry stringy chicken unchewed very well....which violates the 'too much/too fast' Rule of Eating... PB for me can happen even on a one or two bite basis if I ignore my new eating habits. Most often if I'm too hungry and eat too fast, there it is. And if 'Sport Eating' rather than 'Satiety Satisfaction' I tend to find my attention wanders from actual eating to something else, old chomp-and-gulp may intervene producing PBs.

In early soft food phase the blender is your friend....and do NOT take "bites".....take "nibbles" and put down your spoon between each delightful taste. Learn to savor the flavor. Learn to gauge the important nuances between "AM hungry" and "WAS hungry". It doesn't take more than a spoon or 2, it is a very delicate balance. If you learn this early on, you will not get the "too full" sensation. Learn the "just enough" spot and it will serve you well.

During my own transition period I needed to reinforce my newly recognized notion of "not hungry" vs "hungry". It helped for me to actually measure portions as eating actual food came back on line for me. I got a very small dish that I still use for dessert, it only holds a given amount. And I got used to used measuring cups for a while. But in this phase, a single poached egg was PLENTY for weeks and weeks. Eventually I could eat a small tin of Water packed tuna in 2 or 3 meals, with a little slippery NF dressing blended in. Get small a plates, and a small Soup dish and a child sized spoon. It reinforces the amount you eat while giving the idea of 'full plate' if you need that kind of visual. A snack for me was 1 saltine nibbled slowly over about 10 minutes. It actually DID take that long at first, my Band was extra tight from the beginning. In my era I was encouraged to eat to help the children in China who were all starving at the time. It really is a new freedom to NOT have to eat it all, eat this last little bit, eat just another bite, eat to make it all gone, eat because it takes up room, etc etc. Bless Mom....but her depression survival skills didn't do me the kind of good she intended.

I've re-read this, and re-considered exactly how I was feeling 2 days postOp. I've changed my answer. Yes, it IS crazy to consider it!!!

re: "Making a 4 hr road trip as passenger/navigator" probably no really big issue. But.....add in whatever time/energy demands of the concert plus ?then what? Another 4 hours back home? re: "concert" for myself, while I _could_ have done it physically, in no way would I have wanted either crowds or noise OR open ended 'being up and out' demands on my energy level. Proper recovery is far more important than a concert, IMHO. Perhaps doable, but exactly "why" would be the final question.

Old "Sport Eating" habits die hard. You know what to do. And like most of the rest of the Bandster world, you know what not to do. Wish it were easier for me too. Good luck and cheers in your journey. Every day requires discipline and dedication to our goal. And nothing tastes better than success.

This can be a confusing and painful moment, when friends somehow determine their opinion about your medical condition and decision, should be the final verdict on what does or doesn't happen. There's a ton of ways to deal with this kind of situation, depending on a world of variables. It also depends on how blunt you want to be, and whether you want to bludgeon them (metaphorically of course) or simply thank them for their opinion "Now BUTT OUT" etc. One colleague meant well in his relentless determination to advise me on matters none of his affair. Finally I had to say "Thanks for your concern. Your vote has been duly recorded. Now please respect MY vote, as that is the only one that counts." And how to handle the endless clucking about a jillion unrelated unsimilar seemingly concerned friends? Those who haven't seen you on the way downDownDOWN will be amazed. I told most of that crew it was "due to clean living and righteous thoughts". Creating a new ME is one of the unexpected tasks with which a Bandster Life blesses us. People that saw me at 350+++ for years were startled with the mini-Me sized from high school of the JFKennedy era. We have to become comfortable with our New Selves. This kind of encounter is merely a training exercise.

....beware Lesson #2: eating chicken and talking on the phone at the same time..... Don't ask how I know about this one.

dessert treat: 1/2 cup LF yogurt, 1 t Adams peanut butter, stirred/blended, a few drops liquid stevia, a few dozen raw blueberries...

It is essential to learn how to quietly ask the waiter to puree your soup. They don't need a life history, only a quiet request on the order of "Due to recent surgery I must ask if your kitchen can kindly puree my soup please". In the entire postOp recovery 3 week liquids/3 week mushies I never had any problem with such a request. And even now often only the appetizer menu is plenty for me depending on what/where. Our postOp "social eating" does require some modification from our old preOp eating behavior......we can learn to modify our table social behavior to enjoy the occasion without over eating. It does take practice to learn the shifts in our new Life Style.

We're coming into prime strawberry season here. I'm unable to eat enough of them raw to encounter any calorie or blood sugar issues. And while many disagree, I simply can not stand strawberry any other way. There's something to the fresh berry not present in other incarnations IMHO. Blueberry vines, raspberry and blackberry bushes and the Holy Gooseberries are plentiful on my little gardening acre and are my main indulgences. As far as other flavors go, I'm a fan of'plain vanilla' with various flavoring herbs as cinnamon, nutmeg, and a wide assortment of others infrequently. I don't care for chocolate and could go another 30 years without it except it's nearly as prevalent as oxygen. I prefer stevia if I need to sweeten something. most of the SF products have something in them I don't care for either. I'm not a pudding or especially 'Jello anything' kind of guy, since under the guise of a 50 year wedding party the relatives forced me to endure lime jello with bologna strips and 'fruit cocktail' many years ago....but that's another story. Life was pretty tough in preOp days as a Diabetic with some hidden allergy reactions. I just remain cautious.

re: "Any ideas? " maybe I'm missing something here, but why not just throw in a couple of diced or blended real strawberries if you want the most intense flavor? I've never gotten that super-intense flavor out of the big cosmetically appealing tennis ball sized versions, it's the little thumbnail sized berries that seem to have the real flavor.

Another tactic I found helpful was to get engaged in some project long put off. One handy task was to start sorting out all my old "Fat Clothes". Amazing mess of items barely worn. And walking. And other home chores. Gardening and yard work. etc. cheers on your journey

re: "One of my largest fears is that I will never be able to eat again." great topic to discuss!!! The reality for me was WAY better than anything I imagined it could be: I _CAN_ still eat nearly anything I choose. A huge improvement is, my belly is no longer in charge of "how much". Also, my palette changed, along with my relationship with eating. No longer are social occasions events **just for ME to OVER eat**. And the fact postOp I enjoy eating more than before.....the meaningful difference here is, a bite or 2, or a 1/2 cup or cupful, is plenty to satisfy. The compulsive repetitive and continual OVER eating for me is pretty well gone. I can still go to the Steak House and get a meal. I just don't care for the onion blossom, 3 courses of appetizers, Soup, fries, a 20 ozer, and desert. While I might eat all of that, it would pretty much take most of the week to do such. The phrase "eat to live" no longer identifies my eating behavior. "Live to eat" is far more satisfying. cheers on your journey.... NOTHING tastes as good a being slimmer, healthier, and happier.

I found herbal teas helped soothe my sensation of hunger during the first few weeks. One that worked for me was huckleberry tea, others were camomile and peppermint.