Hi all! I'm three weeks post banding. I'm starting to crave all my old (junk) foods. I thought the longer I went without ~ the easier it would get. But it seems to be getting harder. Also, I'm waiting for my first fill, and it seems like now I'm hungry ALL the time. I try having protein and it maybe fills me up for an hour. If I have soup, it now takes 1 cup to fill me up vs 1/4 cup that I should have. Is anyone else in the same situation?

Hi all! I'm three weeks post banding. I'm starting to crave all my old (junk) foods. I thought the longer I went without ~ the easier it would get. But it seems to be getting harder. Also, I'm waiting for my first fill, and it seems like now I'm hungry ALL the time. I try having Protein and it maybe fills me up for an hour. If I have soup, it now takes 1 cup to fill me up vs 1/4 cup that I should have. Is anyone else in the same situation?

Of course your hungry all the time - its called bandster hell and it totally sucks. I was there and it took me a couple of week to get out of it. I am not sure if you are out of the mushies stage but the only time I felt full was when I ate a giant salad. Not to be a downer but the 1st fill may not get you out of bandster hell. Are you allowed to eat chicken or steak yet? Or tried different recipes with eggs? Also try the Detour Protein Bars - taste like candy but w/30 grams of protein and they are really big bars.

I thought this thread would be once you are at your sweet spot and physically cannot eat the junk food you used to. I am totally missing eating pizza and mac & cheese but the pain would be unbearable. Wait till you get there and everyone is eating junk food and you cannot - alas!

Anyways, what did your nutritionist advise you to eat at this period? This is key!

It time, after good restriction, you will find that many of those old foods don't even taste good. There have been times when I just take one bite of something that is forbidden just to taste it. Many times it doesn't taste as good as I thought it would.

I will be honest....I am having so much fun watching my scale go down and getting new clothes and hearing fun comments like, "You don't even look like Wendy!" that the food is now a second thought to me and I'm SO THANKFUL. Now, having said that, I had a really tough day at work yesterday and for the first time since my pre op diet, I wanted chips ahoy cookies with milk. Instead, I just watched some DVR and woke up with a wonderful surprise of another pound and a half lost!

It sounds like, too me, that you are not eating enough. I am 2 weeks out and only had 1/4 soup per meal for the first few days. Once the swelling subsided, I was able to increase my portion to 1/2 to 1 cup of soup. I was confused because everything we read says our pouch will only hold 2-4 ounces of food. When I talked to my nutritionist she explained that when I am in the "Green Zone" or my "Sweet Spot" I will only be able to consume 2-4 ounces per meal. In the mean time she says I will be able to hold more because of lack of restriction. I am now on mushies, still eating about 1 cup of food per meal and watching my scale move almost daily! I do drink ALOT ALOT ALOT of water! I use my Protein shake between Breakfast and Lunch (50 Grams of protein). Between Lunch and dinner I have 1/2 sugar free jello or sugar free popsicles or sugar free fudgesicle. When I feel hungar pangs coming on I drink water and it really seems to tide me over. This is not going to be easy, but I know it will work! Hang in there.

Hi all! I'm three weeks post banding. I'm starting to crave all my old (junk) foods. I thought the longer I went without ~ the easier it would get. But it seems to be getting harder. Also, I'm waiting for my first fill, and it seems like now I'm hungry ALL the time. I try having Protein and it maybe fills me up for an hour. If I have soup, it now takes 1 cup to fill me up vs 1/4 cup that I should have. Is anyone else in the same situation?

food demons will always have to be managed - banded or not. The band is a tool which does give you a competitive edge to defeat them, but you must still have the will power say "no" or "stop."

This is especially true in the evenings when it's easier to cheat the band. I have to be very careful not to get a "flow" going, but if I do I have to say STOP!

By "flow" I mean that the pouch is well lubricated (mucous and/or beverage - TMI, I know) and you can train food without ever filling the pouch. Many people will tell you that if this is happening you need a fill. Not so fast... Most of the day I'm very restricted (I wouldn't want it any tighter at all!) but by evening I CAN eat far more than I should - I just have to say no. It still takes will power and a close eye on the energy balance.

I will be honest....I am having so much fun watching my scale go down and getting new clothes and hearing fun comments like, "You don't even look like Wendy!" that the food is now a second thought to me and I'm SO THANKFUL. Now, having said that, I had a really tough day at work yesterday and for the first time since my pre op diet, I wanted chips ahoy Cookies with milk. Instead, I just watched some DVR and woke up with a wonderful surprise of another pound and a half lost!

I go in cycles similar to this. You can't be 100% on your game all day every day, and day after day. There are periods when I'm very focused and wouldn't consider eating junk food ; Periods where I eat less than perfect foods in a controlled manner ; Periods where I eat waaaay toooooo much junk food and have to make a conscious intervention. The difference with the band/exercise lifestyle is that the cycle is much easier to control/break than before.

Brad