Jasie

I feel the same way. I am 5.9 and hide it well. Always get your not fat. Trust me I see myself nude not them. All that is going to change

Day 9 post surgery feeling way better. Went to the Dr yesterday and nutritionist. Changed my diet from Clear Liquids to puree having oatmeal this morning and had mashed potatoes yesterday and they were great. Next week I will be able to have more stuff since my diet will be mashed. 15 pounds gone already!! Using clothes that did not fit before surgery. Good luck to everyone getting banded hang in there. God bless everyone.

I would never recommend going against a Doctor or Nutritionist guidelines however what you are describing here is deprivation. Deprivation is nothing but another diet. I don't know about you but I have lost plenty of weight at various times in my life by dieting and depriving myself only just to gain it all back and then some.
While you are pretty much a new Bandster I would recommend you following the guides they gave you however long term deprivation of your favorite foods is just not a fun way to live.
Living with a band is not about dieting and deprivation. Band is a lifestyle change consisting of Portion Control and becoming satisfied on less food. Sure you need to make good quality food choices but to rule out ever having your favorite foods again is just a recipe for the same old, same old.
I have eaten pizza, ice cream basically anything I wanted with the exception of a few foods my band does not get along with. For example, I cannot eat a bagel. It is just far too doughy to go through.
Moderation is the big key. So for me in my experience I get satisfied on so little food that the craving to eat all the bad stuff does not exist like it once did. I still once or twice a month go to McDonald's drive thru and get an ice cream cone and I did have a slice a pizza this past Summer but for the most part since I found the sweet spot my head hunger has gone away.
I wish you nothing but success!! Sounds like you're doing fantastic so far!!

Gosh guys... my heart is breaking for all of you that this isn't working for – there are so many of you it seems! I am 3 total weeks post-op last night at 8PM (ha who's counting) and reading everyone's struggles really opens my eyes to the facts of my matter.

When I was doing my pre-op appointments and I met with the nutritionist, she handed me very strict guidelines and basically told me that these guidelines were not to be altered and needed to be followed, PERIOD. She kind of lead me to believe it would be life or death albeit she did NOT use those words. I left there thinking, wow... never again will I be able to eat all of my favorites, like NJ pizza and a bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers and red onion and, (you guys know) the list goes on and on and on - oh, I have to make a notable mention of Mac N Cheese; homemade, from a box, at a cafeteria, with lobster in it or...however it's cooked... <deep breath> Yeah, no more.

And then the realization occurred to me - this is Weight LOSS surgery dummy and she is in the business to make you LOSE weight! Of course you cannot have sugar, and flour and fried foods! weeping!

And as the devil and angel on my shoulders are contesting with each other - Angel saying, "you've eaten all of those foods, enough to last you a life time and look how miserable and depressed they have made you" and the devil saying, "ohhhhh but they feel so good and they taste so wonderful, you don't care that you can't really walk on the beach in a bathing suite b/c your thighs stick together and become raw and you don't care that you don't want to leave the house and see anybody as you hide in your closet all day" ... and they are battling with each other, duking it out in my head.

So 4-5 weeks ago I took the attitude of the beloved angel and shut my eyes and let the surgeon slice me open and stick this foreign object in my body, which by the way seems to be taking FOREVER to heal - I guess I imagined it would be a couple days of discomfort and magic wand - I'd be 20lbs down in two weeks on my way to Onederland and onto Skinnyville, certainly within 6 months!

Well, <finger SNAP> I need to get back to reality and what I know 3 weeks in as opposed to the magic wand idea, is this is work, like EVERY other diet I've been on, unfortunately. This Lapband is a tool, just like that little slide rule they give you in WW so you can calculate your points and just like the little boxes of portioned controlled food they give you at Jenny Craig and just like that needle that I stuck into myself on HCG - the difference here is - with time and following the rigid guidelines that sweet little nutritionist handed to me, I know that I'll get to my goal and become accustom to eating WAY less than I did pre-band and manage my weight at a comfortable size 10 and be proud when I look into the mirror that I made it! And above all get the hell out of my house!

For, now, I am invested - pain and all - to make sure that each day I am making the right choices and will no longer be a prisoner in my own body. That scar, that foreign object that I can feel as I bend to shave my legs - those will be my daily reminders of the choice that I made to be a happier me. And with all that, it does mean - NO SUGAR & NO FLOUR for me! (again weeping ).

I believe in the power of attitude and mind control, eat Protein first, soft veggies next and starch if I really need more, take my time and walk away when I get that hiccup - great cue! And I have to give a thanks to SF Jello, if I feel like I need something, well it's been here for me and my girls LOVE to make it for me too in a great big lasagna pan - ha go figure.

I'm not sure if this helps anyone, but it sure felt good for me to get this out - my true feelings - and I am happy I made the decision to get this band, it's like that little rubber band you put on your pinkie to remind yourself to do something today.

Peace and Love!