I am in the starting part of my journey, and I know all the foods I will not be able to have after my surgery, and I have this terrible "I need to have them before I can't have them anymore" feeling, and it's terrible! I think I gained an extra 10lbs in the last three months because of it! I just wanted to know, did other people go through this? Did you satisfy your cravings? What was the hardest thing to give up?

Well my first advice would be to follow your surgeon's recommendations, but you'll find they vary like the wind.

Personally, there is not one single food or beverage that I CAN'T eat. I cycle my calories so if there is something in which I choose to indulge I do it on a higher calorie day.

My word of caution is in regards to food demons.... Don't fool yourself into thinking that the band will quell them long term... it won't... Sooner or later they will find a weakness and you will crack... The band is only a tool - and food demons will ALWAYS have to be managed.

Brad

Well my first advice would be to follow your surgeon's recommendations, but you'll find they vary like the wind.

Personally, there is not one single food or beverage that I CAN'T eat. I cycle my calories so if there is something in which I choose to indulge I do it on a higher calorie day.

My word of caution is in regards to food demons.... Don't fool yourself into thinking that the band will quell them long term... it won't... Sooner or later they will find a weakness and you will crack... The band is only a tool - and food demons will ALWAYS have to be managed.

Brad

what do you mean that you cycle your calories? you seem to have had amazing long term results. what has your experience and journey been like?

My journey, like most everyone's on here, has had it's fair share of pitfalls. You fight through them - you learn from then - and you move forward.

By cycling calories I mean that I don't eat a set number of calories day after day. I don't do the same exercise day after day either. By varying your intake and export you keep your body from adjusting to a set routine. This keeps your metabolism burning, and fat decreasing. Your body will not give up it's fat stores without a fight!

Oh, don't get me wrong, the first six months or so people lose significant amounts of weight without much effort - but then the REAL battle begins. You have to put your game face on and go to war!

This site is littered with threads just like this:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f178/worth-116227/

Brad

I am in the starting part of my journey, and I know all the foods I will not be able to have after my surgery, and I have this terrible "I need to have them before I can't have them anymore" feeling, and it's terrible! I think I gained an extra 10lbs in the last three months because of it! I just wanted to know, did other people go through this? Did you satisfy your cravings? What was the hardest thing to give up?

Maybe your just tense and jittery for the big day. Sometimes, when we're told against doing something, we end up doing them anyway because we're tense. Just relax;)

Whew .. this made me nervous. I have seen nutrition 3 times now, attended 3 support groups and am not being banded until Sept. I have yet to hear about forbidden foods. A few people in support group have found certain things they struggle with personally but nothing forbidden.

No champagne? Really? Someone must have forgotten to tell me that.

Seriously I am one year out and still have champagne occaisonally.When I was first banded I had been told no carbonation. A couple of months later when I went back for a fill I asked about this and was told that it was fine in moderation so long as I could tolerate it. Apparently after banding some people find the gas very uncomfortable while for others it is not a problem. And if you are following the rules of not drinking and eating at the same time the bubbles are not going to stretch your pouch.That whole idea is crazy.Think about it - what happens when you have a build up of gas? You either burp or fart!It doesn't stick around to stretch your pouch.

What you choose to drink makes a huge difference to. Gulping a bottle of coke straight down is probably going to hurt like hell. Having a glass of lime and soda that you sip slowly isn't. Ditto champagne.

However be careful. Don't try drinking champagne and then eating straight afterwards. that can cuse major discomfort.

Now that I have been banded for awhile some of the foods I thought I would miss don't even taste good to me and I don't miss them. I am not one of those who can eat anything. Some foods give me trouble. I can not even take a couple bites of pasta or eggs. I didn't drink soda very often before the band because it bothered my stomach. I have not tried beer or anything that might be bubbly.

I've tried just about everything in moderation. Some foods give me problems, like green beans...too stringy. When I was on vacation I had beer and it didn't bother me. But I choose to not drink my calories. Like others have posted, now that I'm on a high protein diet my cravings have changed. Refering to "the Last Super" mine was last Thanksgiving. I had turkey with allllllll the fixin's. But that was the only time I cheated Preop. I knew, from reading these forums, that I would be able to enjoy food again. Best wishes!!!

I guess my biggest problem is that I have always had a very high sweet tooth, and have grown up on carbs, so I am just worried about what I am going to eat, because I am also have hypersensitive taste bud syndrom or am considered a "Super Taster" and I can't eat anything too salty, spicy, etc., I just really like bland foods (hence Carbs) and sweets because it is a taste I can handle, and after the band, yeah everything in moderation is fine, I just know, that carbs, like breads, noodles, and sugar are big no no's because you don't loose the weight with those, so I am concerned about what foods to eat (haven't met with a nutritionist yet), but in the mean time, I almost feel like I am mourning the foods I will not longer eat, though I am kind of getting over it and really ready to start cutting out the crap. Any suggestions on bland, healthy protien type foods? I also started this forum to see if others went though this weird "grieving" if you want to call it that, before being banded, if it was a normal emotion/reaction to everything going on, you know before heading into the "unknown".

I am in the starting part of my journey, and I know all the foods I will not be able to have after my surgery, and I have this terrible "I need to have them before I can't have them anymore" feeling, and it's terrible! I think I gained an extra 10lbs in the last three months because of it! I just wanted to know, did other people go through this? Did you satisfy your cravings? What was the hardest thing to give up?

I think you described EXACTLY how I feel. I've felt like a horrible person for the last 3 months. I've probably gained 10 lbs just like you. I have 3 more months to get myself in line before my paperwork is even submitted. I know I just need to put my mind to it, but it's easier said than done. If I had great willpower I wouldn't be this fat in the first place!!

I am in the starting part of my journey, and I know all the foods I will not be able to have after my surgery, and I have this terrible "I need to have them before I can't have them anymore" feeling, and it's terrible! I think I gained an extra 10lbs in the last three months because of it! I just wanted to know, did other people go through this? Did you satisfy your cravings? What was the hardest thing to give up?

It's normal to feel that way. But gaining 10lbs???anyway, how long til the big day do you have?

I don't know, I have only had one doctors visit, and the psych eval. then they will submit my request, and then go from there, they aren't sure if I need to do the 3 month diet or not, and as I was under a medically supervised diet last year for 4 months, it may count. So, it's anyone's guess at this point!

i am being banded on june 28th and i too went thru the whole binging on favorite food thing for a few months. anyway, for the last month, i have really been watching what i've been eating. i stopped all carbs, pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, etc. and have concentrated on proteins and vegetables and fruit. i lost 10 lbs. last week i was on a one week cruise to bermuda and again, was very careful and lost another 4 lbs. i've also been exercising every day. i have really lost my craving for the carbs -- and they were always my biggest downfall. on sunday my husband wanted pasta which i made but i didn't eat nearly as much of it as i usually did and while i enjoyed it, i would have been just as happy with chicken. i have my pre-op testing this friday and then i will be on total liquids until surgery day. i won't say its been easy, but i see a light at the end of the tunnel and i think that is what is giving me the motivation to stay on track. i am concerned about not feeling great once i start eating solids after the surgery. i am terrified of vomiting and having food get 'stuck'. but i will try to take one day at a time and enjoy my shrinking figure!!! good luck t all my fellow bandsters, esp the june ones!!

When I saw my dietician yesterday, who also had WLS, I asked her about not drinking soda. She says she has one everyday. She keeps one at her desk and sips it throughout the day. She told me that I can have anything I want now but to keep it in moderation.

I think the hardest thing for me is to say goodbye to the Diet Coke. I love the Diet Coke but I drink way too much and the band should help me get over it real quick. I'm not even full pre-op yet and my body thinks it's the death march so I'm getting phantom cravings of all my favorite foods and I have only been to a seminar so far.