Hi! This may sound a little childish, but I've been on my pre-op diet for 3 days now and it's NOT easy. Work yesterday was torture because I was stuck drinking a protien shake while my nose enjoyed the aroma of everyone else's carry out! I never thought I had a food issue BUT I'm seeing that fighting the food wants is going to be so hard! My question is, do any of you who have the band still find yourself struggling with the way you have to eat or fighting the want for certain foods? At this point I'm scared because I'm stuck eating things I don't generally care for and I am afraid that it will end up being a lifetime full of foods that I want but can't have! Am I making a mistake by having this done? :smile:

Calm down.. breathe... You will still be able to eat most of the foods you love.The band will not prevent that, and it will not make you choose healthier foods. It is only a tool.. the choice of what you put in your mouth is still gonna be up to you. There are typically some foods that aren't band friendly, but everyone is different so I wouldn't cross anything of your foodlist forever at this point. Life after banding is different, but I wouldn't say its a lifetime of foods you'll want but can't have by any means.

The Preop diet was the hardest part of the whole process for me. I was very emotional and wondered if I'd be strong enough to get through it... I was.. and 16 months later I'm continuing to enjoy my lapband. I just kept telling myself it was only temporary.. I could do anything for a short while.. it worked. Just remember if you cheat on it, you only cheat yourself and you'll feel bad afterwards. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

I certainly don't think my band was a mistake. Sure, there are frustrations with food issues sometimes.. but I would do this surgery again in a heartbeat! Good luck!!

Yes those smells and wants will ALWAYS be around ! The band will be the tool that will help you like nothing else. Yes you will smell many tempting things but if you are working with your tool you have a small bite and know thats all you will have of it.

I had doubts pre op too but I believe that's normal. The liquids are only temporary. Post op eatting is not so bad. I don't think. I can eat anything I want right now. I choose not to. I choose to be thin rather than indulge myself over and over. I do treat myself a little but the big prize is really losing weight. I would rather see myself down a pound and in new clothes than to indulge in chocolate or soda. My doc told me they don't yet make a band that gives you an electrical shock when you make a bad choice. The band can help with your portions of some foods but it is ultimately up to me. I have to choose at every meal to use the band. I could eat a huge bowl of ice cream or wash some carbs down my gullit by drinking with my meal. I just follow my docs instructions most the time by eatting low carb, and not drinking with my meal. Once I started seeing the results of my work I was motivated more and more to stick to it. I had lost all thoughts of ever being thin again. I never imagined I could lose 140 pounds until I meet some ladies that had done it with the band. It gave me my hope back. Now I am on my way and soon you will be too. Don't give up on it. You are in one of the most difficult phases of your journey. It is hard but not impossible and it is so worth it. Good luck.

I think it's primarily frustration that had me to the point if sitting and typing out my thoughts! I am very scared as the day ticks closer but a larger part of me is so excited to find myslelf under all these layers! My personality doesn't match my exterior right now! Today has been a better day. I am hearing my body more- this isn't always hunger I'm feeling and I know that now! Kinda neat to realize that. I appreciate the feedback. It's nice to hear the truth in a very candid way. When I had my primary dietician meeting recently the thing I was most disappointed with was there wasn't alot of education in regards to eating with the band. I can pick healthy foods that isn't the problem, but I have never been banded so that education would have been great. I don't plan on cheating on my pre op diet, I have a guilty conscience and I just can't. I want to be healthy too badly to do that to myself. It is tough but I have good support and will make it but sometimes it's just getting it out that makes it better. Also having support like this makes the journey less stressful. Thank you all so much, it's very nice!

Hi Bandaide,

You asked, "Do any of you who have the band still find yourself struggling with the way you have to eat or fighting the want for certain foods?" For me, two years post-band and maintaining a 144 pound weight loss, the answer is a definite yes. Learning to live with the band for me is a process which I began only after decades of self destructive behavior with food. Change does not happen over night, and, like your doctor said, "They don't yet make a band that gives you an electrical shock when you make a bad choice." Mine put it a little differently: "Remember, I operated on your stomach, not on your head." For now, I have to accept that I have a lot of work in front of me and that I might never have a normal relationship with food.

So what's so good about all of this? For me, it's the knowledge that however hard it is for me now, it was much harder before the band. The band has helped me regulate my food, reduce my hunger and slowly has lead me to change my tastes and preferences. For example, it is very liberating not to want to eat bread – not only because I can't right now, but because it almost never appeals to me any more. I look at it and think, "what did this stuff ever do for me besides make me fat?" That's one of the things the band can do – make you not want the stuff you always wanted. Sure, there are hard days, and moments of failure, but on the average there's no comparison between my quality of life before the band and after it.

One more thing – I never had a pre-op diet. It's always seemed a cruel and unusual punishment to me: making someone diet so that they can receive treatment for a condition which stems from not being able to diet. I can only encourage you to take it on faith – it's all worth it.

Good Luck!

Edited February 16, 201016 yr by bandpal

I agree w/everything you said. My surgeon has a saying.. "It takes 1 hr to change the body, it takes 5 yrs to change your mind" the surgery takes about an hour, but it takes about 5 yrs for your head to catch up w/all the changes and way of thinking.. and it is so true...

Hi Bandaide,

You asked, "Do any of you who have the band still find yourself struggling with the way you have to eat or fighting the want for certain foods?" For me, two years post-band and maintaining a 144 pound weight loss, the answer is a definite yes. Learning to live with the band for me is a process which I began only after decades of self destructive behavior with food. Change does not happen over night, and, like your doctor said, "They don't yet make a band that gives you an electrical shock when you make a bad choice." Mine put it a little differently: "Remember, I operated on your stomach, not on your head." For now, I have to accept that I have a lot of work in front of me and that I might never have a normal relationship with food.

So what's so good about all of this? For me, it's the knowledge that however hard it is for me now, it was much harder before the band. The band has helped me regulate my food, reduce my hunger and slowly has lead me to change my tastes and preferences.It is very liberating not to want to eat bread – not only because I can't right now, but because it almost never appeals to me any more. I look at it and think, "what did this stuff ever do for me besides make me fat?" That's what the band can do – make you not want the stuff you always wanted. Sure, there are hard days, and moments of failure, but on the average there's no comparison between my quality of life before the band and after it.

One more thing – I never had a pre-op diet. It's always seemed a cruel and unusual punishment to me: making someone diet so that they can receive treatment for a condition which stems from not being able to diet. I can only encourage you to take it on faith – it's all worth it.

Good Luck!

I really appreciate the honestly that everyone is sharing about their band experience. After my weekend at work, I'm sure that I can do this now. I passed up some pretty awesome Valentine candies a patient brought and a variety of other junk foods that an employee plopped on my desk mid day when "snack" time was usually in full swing! So, I was completely proud of myself. Not to mention that in 4 days I have managed to drop 3.5 lbs...not to shabby! That initail shock was the biggest preop hurdle and I know there wil be more, but I have used the tools of knowledge and your support stories and I'm diving in! Thank you so much for your help!

Great news, Bandaide! Your surgery date moves closer every day - hang in there and keep us in the loop.

I am 2 months out and if I find myself craving something, I have my little bite, because with the band, that's about all I can have! Your portions will be unbelievably small... and you will find that a bite or two will satisfy you. I definitely do not struggle as much now as I did without the band. I had no control at all without it. Now I just listen to my body... eat the way I should (not necessarily the foods I should, but I chew, chew, chew... swallow... wait a few minutes, then take another bite.). This way you can tell when you are full. It's amazing how just a bite or two satisfies that craving.

However, before the band I worried so badly that I wouldn't be able to do it. Now I KNOW I can... and I already feel wonderful! I've lost 44 lbs!!

You can do it, honey. You wouldn't be normal if you weren't having the feelings you are right now. We didn't get this way because we could turn away food very easily.