Is it what you eat or how much?

[DeboraY 3]

I got my lap band April 23rd, 2010. So far I've had 1 fill, 4cc's, and I've lost 22lbs.

So far I've basically been eating most of the same foods that I ate before the lap band, except for breads and meats that aren't ground (such as steak or pork chops) because those things get stuck and hurt me!

I think that I'm losing weight simply because I'm eating far less than I did before, and what I'm wondering is if anyone has had long term success this way....or am I just kidding myself?

I'm waiting for the idea of a nutritional, structured diet to kick in with me, but so far it hasn't. Before I got the lap band, I thought eating a healthy diet would be easy because I wouldn't be hungry...but I am still hungry. It doesn't take much to fill me up, but the craving for the "old" food is still there in a much bigger way than I thought it would be.

Will this pass? Am I still just getting used to this? That's the excuse I give myself...but I need to hear from others, because I don't know what is normal.

As I read on this forum, it seems like everyone is SOOO into the nutrition part of it all, and they always eat the right things and do exactly what their doctors tell them..and I wonder if they were like that from day 1 or if it took a while for the lifestyle change to really kick in.

I would appreciate any input on this, I want to really know what everyone's experience was in the first 3-6 months..

Thanks,

Debora

[Jachut 487]

In the end, its how much you eat.

You can be thin and eat a diet of only rubbish. But you wont be healthy. You know that.

I have lost weight eating pretty much what I ate before being banded, including some bread. But I didnt eat entirely rubbish - I ate a good healthy base diet and then shoved in a lot of sugary carb foods on top of that. I've personally never had much of a problem with junk foods like Mcdonalds and KFC, I've never overeaten them or craved them unduly. But muffins, cakes, biscuits, that's another story.

So yes, I cut out those foods for the most part, but I do still eat them on occasion. If I go out for dinner, I'm not going to piss fart around ordering sauces to the side and quizzing the staff about whether there's butter in something. I just have what I fancy, and I dont eat a lot of it.

But my basic, everyday diet, what I eat 90% of the time is healthy. Its healthy, but I really dont believe in low carb Atkins style diets. I do eat bread and cereals and I eat good amounts of Protein but not HIGH Protein. So again, the next person here will tell me diet contravenes all their rules and I'll never lose weight. But I did and kept it off - so it comes down to calories in/calories out, I think.

Post op, I did exactly what I was told to do and ate really healthy foods too. I actually find it really hard to understand how just after surgery you can not be so bouyed up by enthusiasm, hope and determination that you find this period difficult. I found it really very easy. The hard part of wanting bad foods again came a lot later on. But everyone's different I guess. After the post op period, my doc actually HAS no real rules, the m.o. here in Australia tends to be eating a very normal everyday diet but only a lot less of it. Its about integrating the band into normal life, not about a bunch of rules that really swaps overeating for a life of imposed rules.

Edited July 15, 2010 by Jachut

[sslouha 3]

I agree with Jaqui, I had surgery 4/7 for the first couple of months I followed everything to the letter as I was told, once the third month kicked it I talked to a couple of ladies who are banded and they made it clear the food that you love will always be there, just don't deprive yourself! So I don't I don't eat lots of sweets and cakes or anything else that is considered bad for you, but I do go out and have Parmesan chicken at Mimi's but I don't eat it all, I have three or four bites and I am full. If my daughters want some chocolate chip Cookies, I buy the tub which I can make 3 or 4 and I even have a spoon of the dough and have a cookie.

This is a learning tool and you will make mistakes just don't beat yourself up and look at the quantity that you eat.

Good Luck

Sandee

[DeboraY 3]

One thing I keep thinking about with this "lifestyle change" I'm supposed to have is that if this was a change I was capable of making and sticking to..then I really wouldn't have needed the lap band. My doctor wants me on a diet very close to the Atkins low carb diet, and I know that works because I lost 50lbs on it once. However, if I had been able to stick to it as a lifestyle, I would have lost more and kept it all off.

They keep saying the lap band is a tool...but it's only a physical tool, not an emotional one. I guess I was thinking the emotional part would kick in at some point..I'm just wondering where that point is, and where it kicked in for those further down this road...

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

It is definitely all calories in/out. I am huge on ensuring a well balanced meal and healthy meal. This does include eating complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. I never liked the idea of stuffing my belly on all meat and only having little or no room left for the food that creates good energy in me, and the food that keeps my insides running smooth - kwim?

Everyone needs a little wiggle room. I just personally try to avoid my triggers and sliders.

[neveragain 9]

Diva is right. It's 90% about calories in/calories out. There are little technicalities here and there though. For example, if you ate 1000 calories of just Protein or just carbs, you would have an edge up with the Protein because it takes a little more energy to burn protein. Also, you may stay a little fuller longer. HOWEVER, there are small outside factors that make one diet better than the other, like Jacqui, for example. She's a runner, so the higher carb diet will benefit her greater because you need to supply your stored glycogen for easy access and, in fact, I did that too when I was training for a sprint triathlon and it was better than when I started the program with a high protein diet.

All in all, though, it really doesn't matter which one you use. As long as you try to steer away from the processed stuff, aside from Protein powder, and try to keep your calories around 1000 or so, you're good.

[Jachut 487]

I think that's true you know - processed food is the real evil. If you eat a natural diet you wont be eating a very high carb one, and it wont include a lot of sugar.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

... or sodium ... I can't believe that amount of sodium is put in that stuff.

[bambam31 168]

Well I agree and disagree with the other posters...

The key to losing fat - (I say fat because even muscle loss = weight loss and who wants to lose muscle?) is understanding and applying the energy balance PLUS understanding how your body uses food as fuel and how those fuels differ (carbs, fats, Proteins, alcohol).

Your body has a strong will to survive. It will not voluntarily give up its' fat stores. You have to coax and burn them off. You do this by creating a calorie deficit created by BOTH exercise and reduced food intake. Creating this deficit by intake alone will not take an obese person down to a healthy body fat percentage - at best, it will create a skinny fat person.

Calories In Vs. Calories Out is a bit too simplistic. 1000 calories of cotton candy and 1000 calories of skinless chicken breast are profoundly different. The difference in insulin response alone (not to mention other body chemistry) is huge! All calories are not equal.

Ponder this... "Joe" eats 1000 calories a day, day after day. He needs to lose 100 pounds. This low calorie diet gives him a deficit of 2000 calories a day. By this calculation he should be able to completely lose his excess body weight in 175-200 days....(Bet he doesn't)... But what if he continues this trend for several years? Does he completely disappear? Of course not. Because it's not just about calories in/calories out - it's about managing your metabolism via your energy balance.

I eat 1000 calories some days - I eat over 3000 other days. I still have challenging food demons, but I manage them. If I'm going to eat cheat foods, I do so on planned high calorie days. By cycling calories this way - combined with a challenging exercise schedule consisting of both strength and cardiovascular training - I keep my metabolism white hot. My body fat percentage continues to fall, while the scale stays relatively stable (small lean muscle tissue gains). This lifestyle allows fat loss on calorie deficit days and muscle gains on calorie surplus days.

There are several scenarios of posts on LBT that leave me grumbling... One of them is very low calorie diets. People who eat very low calories (600-1000) love the weight loss they initially see. But how much of that weight is lost muscle? Your body is a machine. If it's being starved is it going to give up metabolically active lean muscle tissue which is high maintenance to keep - or fat stores which costs next to nothing to maintain? Some of both, but the ratio is going to tip toward the lean muscle tissue. As muscle tissues decline, your body adjusts it's metabolism in a fight to avoid starvation, the weight loss slows and then comes the unavoidable - yet easily predicted plateau. They havn't lost weight in months, but hey, plateau's are normal right? No... they aren't normal - they mean your body has adjusted your metabolism accordingly to try to stave off starvation. It won't give up without a fight. But their doctor prescribed the 800 calorie low carb diet, so that must not be it... :tt2:

Here's another one... I've read a lot of posts where people are eating 1000 calories and gaining weight and they try to suggest it's muscle gains... Not a chance... It is physiologically impossible to maintain that large of a calorie deficit and gain muscle tissue, which actually requires a calorie surplus. One person is starving themselves eating 800 low carb calories a day, while at the same time I sit here on a high calorie day snacking on Peanut M&M's dipped in Peanut Butter.

"So Brad, if your so damned smart and think this is so easy, then why did you get so fat you needed WLS?" Because I didn't understand the energy balance and how my body used fuel and how those fuel types differ - BUT now I do... And I want everyone else to know too... It may be simple - but it isn't easy... The band is a great tool to help you achieve your goals.

Your body is a wonderful efficient machine when properly understood. Fuel it appropriately and it will reward you!

Good Luck!

Brad

Edited July 20, 2010 by bambam31

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,280]

Brad what an awesome post!! You hit the nail on the head with that one. I hope everyone on this site has the chance to read this.

This is the exact routine I am doing this time around. I have noticed my scale is going down ever so slowly but the inches are flying off. I'm looking more fit than ever and I'm only 3 weeks in.

Blessings!

PS, I'm going to sticky this thread. I think it has some wonderful information attached.

[BetsyB 9]

Everyone's different. I think quality of food is important for health purposes, but for most people, how much is more important than what you eat.

However, for me, clean eating with a focus on lean Protein, veggies, legumes, heart-healthy fats, and fruits is what works. I've pared out grains for now for a couple of reasons: first, I have limited stomach space, and don't really meet my other nutritional needs when I include them, and secondly, I don't lose as well when they're part of my routine intake.

Does this mean I think carbs are bad? No. I think that ultimately I will be eating a diet that is well-balanced, and includes plenty of whole grains. I just haven't yet reached a place where I'm comfortable (physically, really) with them. During maintenance, the energy (and nutrients) they offer will allow me to keep up my activity level without continuing to lose.

You have to find what works for you. You're losing---so there's probably something to be said for the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you reach a point where you're not seeing the results you'd like, it might be worth journaling for a bit to see where you can tweak things to better meet your nutrient needs and/or spur loss.

[neveragain 9]

Brad, you nailed it. I back you 100%, man. Like in the other post, too, it drives me NUTS that some people don't understand that in order to see gains, you HAVE to push yourself. Your body is an adaptive machine. If it doesn't see a reason why it doesn't have to change, it won't.

Diva, I completely agree. I really hope that everyone gets a chance to read this.

[B-Man 1]

I will second, or third, or whatever the number may be what Brad has said. You might loose weight with a sub 1000 calorie a day diet, but I doubt long term you are going to be happy with the results. You might end up thin (or at least thinner), but how do you feel? Whats your energy level like? Can you keep up with the kids despite the fact you are no longer carrying the weight?

Also agree that you have to push your body beyond whats comfortable.. If it doesn't hurt, your not doing it hard enough.

[Chipotleoak 1]

What about fruits and vegetables?? I eat meat, meat, &more meat. And some carbs. But how do you get in the healthy stuff? Salsas?? I had coleslaw(3 bites) & I had the only pb bout I have had since I had WLS. Oh, & I eat pickles, but they are so salty. Suggestions?

[Chipotleoak 1]

And I am allergic to nuts & eggs, so getting Protein is difficult.