adorkbl

Head hunger is a constant battle with me. Honestly.. I wasn't prepared to get banded when I did. I did the work and did really well initially... lost 100 pounds... then I had some complications and I just gave up. Went back to overeating (no restriction due to a leak in port) and I went back to my kryptonite.. ice cream. I am talking a 2 pints a night habit. BAD BAD. Gained over 50 pounds back.
I felt SO freaking awful. Not only was I still fat, I undid all the hard work I had done for over a year and a half... AND I was now fat & banded. So embarrassed. So I kept eating to cover my shame and embarrassment.
It wasn't until a few months ago when I was contemplating having my band removed that I really SAT DOWN and started to do some head work. Well crap... I should have done that from day1. I really AM an emotional eater, and I need to be aware of that at all times.
I avoid my trigger foods. Not allowed. These are foods I feel I have no control over, mainly ice creams, Cookies, sweets. That was the first step. As for the rest... I have an internal dialogue with myself. I ask myself, am I hungry? Am I bored? Do I want more because it tastes good? Am I trying to soothe an emotion I am uncomfortable with? When I figure out the WHY.... I address it. Without food.< /p>
I am not perfect, but I am miles ahead of where I have been for years. One day at a time, one pound at a time. It has been getting easier... but for instance, last night I REALLY really wanted soft serve ice cream. I obsessed about it for hours. I got anxious, and I thought about how it would taste and feel. I got close to my... "screw it" mentality... where I would cave. But I didn't. I talked myself down, and reminded myself of my goals. Instead I squirted a dollop of light whipped cream in a glass of unsweetened almond milk. I drank it super slow and savored the light sweetness with the creamy milk. And I felt awesome! I ENJOYED my HEALTHY sweet treat, and I felt like I had the power. Not food.
Sorry for the long rambly post. I guess what I am trying to convey is BE AWARE. Have a dialogue with yourself. Figure out what your triggers are. Take your power back. And most of all... do not let a moment of weakness turn into a month or year of weakness.

Katie... I am glad you felt comfortable enough to come here and ask. But like you said... you knew it was wrong. What is done is done. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just jump back on those liquids!!
My surgeons discharge orders were really lenient. I actually just wrote a post about it on my blog. I am not sure if it was because my band was just repositioned vs newly banded... but I decided I wanted to give my band the absolute best start I could. I want to make sure it is healed, and strong, and the sutures and scar tissue are secure. So I adjusted my post-op diet and am restricting myself much longer than he requested.
I am on liquids right now. I am lucky that my hunger has stayed away since surgery 7/9... and only just today has started to ebb back. Drink Protein shakes! They will fill you up. Drink Fluid as often as possible. This period is HARD. But you will be so glad when you make it out on the other end. Make yourself proud! This is your new beginning!!!

So after 2 weeks of pre-op liquids and 2 weeks of post-op liquids.... I finally started my soft foods today! I had some egg beaters, mashed Beans, cottage cheese and my favorite salmon!!!! (not all at the same time!! LOL)
Just wanted to share! I was soooooooo happy and excited! Those weeks on liquids seemed like forever and were probably the hardest thing I've ever done! But I learned soooo much about how I view food and how addicted I am. I was really able to detox and start my journey right!

I constantly battle head hunger.
For me, two things make me stay to the 1 cup portion: Fear of slips and fear of staying fat. I do not want to deal with a slip and possibly another surgery (which overeating can cause) and I definitely do not want to stay fat. So, when I have the urge to eat too much or eat when I'm not physically hungry, I think of those two things.

I think most of us can eat as much as we want. But, the trick is to listen to your stomach/body for those signals of satiety. Are you continuing to eat because you love the taste of the food or do you want to have that feeling of being full. Sounds like how I was before surgery.
I can do the same as you but so far I've learned that I'm no longer hungry after sitting there for 30 minutes slowly chewing my food. So I stop. But I also get stuck with some foods and after 10-15 minutes the episode passes and I can continue to eat. And I can eat and eat if I pushed myself, but I don't now.
You may need a fill but you should try to listen to those satiety signals? They've got to be there?
tmf

I agree with 2muchfun. You really need to listen to your body and stop eating when you get the signs you are full. As soon as you get the stuck feeling stop eating and think about what you are eating, why you are eating and if you are really hungry.

Hey girly!! How have you been feeling since your surgery?? I've been meaning to message you and see how you are..call me!!

Checking in at 213. Down 1 lb. Pretty good considering I was at a picnic yesterday with lots of tempting food... sigh!

Dawn checking in at 176! 3 pounds down this week!

I understand where you are coming from too... but why have surgery then? You are basically on a diet right now. Kudos to you for your weight loss so far!! But what happens when you lose momentum? Start gaining? Will you use your band then?
Don't be afraid to use your band because of stories of people being too tight and vomitting. Or stories of people abusing their bands. Make a conscious decision to keep your band loser then. But use it!!! Don't struggle anymore than you have to!!
The last few months before I had my hernia fixed I kept my band on the loose side out of necessity. I had to work a teensy bit harder... but it helped control over eating, kept me full longer, and I only PB'd once in that timeframe because I stupidly took too big of a bite and didn't chew it well enough. I do better with my band a little loose. I can get in healthy foods in moderation. I lost 25 pounds after having been gaining or stalled for quite awhile.
As long as you stay aware and stay conservative... you can use your band and avoid tightness, PB'ing, etc. Unfortunately some people want the band to do all the work... and that is when some issues can pop up. They cinch it tighter and tighter and then are surprised when they have problems.
It sounds like you area making smart food choices... wouldn't it be nice to keep doing the same and not get hungry between meals? That is what a properly filled band should do for you.
I say use your tool. I don't think you can "save" it by just letting it sit there.

I am assuming it is because it wasn't pre-approved? The hernia fix wasn't included with your band surgery?

Thanks, truth is, it's an amazing year. I'm happier than I have ever been in my adult life

I was banded 6-12-12 I'm down 39 lbs I want to get under 300 soon I have 16 lbs to go. I've been loosing about 2 lbs a week I get my first fill 7-27-12. I'm healing well and love my band so far. I eat off of a saucer plate now and get full. I still have problems sometimes with saying bye bye to my plate even though I'm so so full. I'm working on it my husband helps me he says babe your head hungry your driven to finish your plate go throw it away. He is So supportive.

I understand where you are coming from too... but why have surgery then? You are basically on a diet right now. Kudos to you for your weight loss so far!! But what happens when you lose momentum? Start gaining? Will you use your band then?
Don't be afraid to use your band because of stories of people being too tight and vomitting. Or stories of people abusing their bands. Make a conscious decision to keep your band loser then. But use it!!! Don't struggle anymore than you have to!!
The last few months before I had my hernia fixed I kept my band on the loose side out of necessity. I had to work a teensy bit harder... but it helped control over eating, kept me full longer, and I only PB'd once in that timeframe because I stupidly took too big of a bite and didn't chew it well enough. I do better with my band a little loose. I can get in healthy foods in moderation. I lost 25 pounds after having been gaining or stalled for quite awhile.
As long as you stay aware and stay conservative... you can use your band and avoid tightness, PB'ing, etc. Unfortunately some people want the band to do all the work... and that is when some issues can pop up. They cinch it tighter and tighter and then are surprised when they have problems.
It sounds like you area making smart food choices... wouldn't it be nice to keep doing the same and not get hungry between meals? That is what a properly filled band should do for you.
I say use your tool. I don't think you can "save" it by just letting it sit there.

I love Pistachios, The Weight Wise Nut: Pistachios are one of the lowest fat, lowest calorie and highest fiber nuts and they offer the most nuts per serving compared to any other snack nut – 49 to be exact.

It seems to me there is a lot of misunderstanding out there when it comes to restriction. Over and over, I read post after post of the following statements:
"I have had fills but can still eat whatever I want"
While some people do have issues eating certain foods, there is absolutely no truth that you shouldn't be able to eat foods like breads, Pasta, and rice. If you are following a low carb diet that's one thing, but being banded doesn't mean you shouldn't be physically able to eat them anymore. Many of us can still eat absolutely everything we ate before surgery.
"I have had fills but I can still eat more than 1 cup of food"
This may be true, however, just because you can eat more than a cup of food doesn't mean you should. More often than not, if you eat slowly and stop after eating no more than 1 cup of food, you will find that you are satisfied and no longer hungry despite the fact you could still physically eat more. Quit trying to test your band to see how much you can eat, because the only one that will fail the test is you, not the band.
"I have had fills but I don't feel full"
Big misconception- the band will make you feel full. Wrong. It's true some people do feel full but it's a different full sensation than we had before banded. In fact, it's almost uncomfortable. The band is not supposed to make you feel stuffed full, it's supposed to make you feel satisfied with less food for longer periods of time. If you keep getting fill after fill because you don't feel stuffed full, you are going to end up one of the many people who have bands too tight and slips as a result. Being satisfied means you are no longer hungry, not that you feel as though you just ate a seven course Thanksgiving dinner. Quit trying to feel full and start listening to your body because it will tell you when it's satisfied.
I encourage everyone to educate themselves on the Lap-Band, what it does, and what it doesn't do. Too many people are walking around banded completely ignorant to the facts and I fear many will have complications and slips because of it. It's your body, take responsibility for educating yourself on it.
Be well all

Great post! The only meter I use for a fill is if I'm feeling hunger in between meals (4-6 hours).

Yes, it is normal. Most people require multiple fills before finally having adequate restriction. It can be frustrating but it will come eventually.
One small piece of advice- just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should. We should be eating a maximum of 1 cup of food per meal total. Just because you can eat more than a cup does not mean you should.
Also, keep in mind restriction doesn't mean the inability to eat more nor does it mean stuffed full. It means satisfied, or no longer hungry, on a cup or less of food for 4-5 hours between meals.
Have a look here, it might help http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/151340-restriction-full-vs-satisfied/page__p__1794810#entry1794810

I stick to LBT mostly now. I am all for sharing experiences and being honest... heck, I have had my fair share of complications... but there are respectful ways to get your story/experience out there. I feel that board is overwhelmingly hostile at times.

Just had a cherry and banana Protein smoothie. I am no longer waiting for liftoff. Woot! Haha.

Sorry for your losses. It took me a few years to finally focus on me. Sounds like you are there. Like another poster mentioned... it takes a lot of work, make sure your brain is on board!!

Checking in... down only 1 pound.
Weight on July 8th: 306
Weight on July 1st: 307

Down to 316! I was a swimming girl this past week. A few hours in a small pool dragging two toddlers around. Didn't seem like exercise at the time but boy they wore me out!

Yes but its a pound in the right direction!

Checking in... down only 1 pound.
Weight on July 8th: 306
Weight on July 1st: 307