Hi I'm new to the bandster site,i have a surgery date of 10/19/10. Would anybody that has had the procedure done already please answer a question for me.Will the surgery help me control my appetite?(i have a big one lol) I'm really looking foward to getting thinner and healthier and i was hoping that it would. I hope this is not a silly question,thks Todd:biggrin:

Interesting question!!!!! It doesn't stop the mental craving/desire for food, but it certainly limits how much you can eat at one time of non slider food. Slider food would be like chips/dip, milkshakes, ice cream, sugary drinks, stuff like that.

Mimi

I was banded 7/8/2010 and for the first 5 days..I couldn't eat more than 1/2 a sugar free popsicle. As my post op swelling went down...my appetite went up! I ate alot before my surgery! And I do mean alot! When I started eating regular food again...I could still eat what I would consider a "normal" amount of food...I just got my first fill 8/19/2010..he put 3cc's in my 14cc AP Large Lapband. I felt an immediate squeeze on my stomach but, I am still able to eat more than the "1/2-1 cup" meals I hear so many talk about. However, the amount of food I consume has decreased dramatically and I am now down 24 lbs. in the last two months. So...not too bad I suppose. I am still waiting to see what it's like to get that "restriction or sweet spot" you hear everyone talk about on here...But, for now...I am just trying to make healthier choices when eating...proteins first...low carb...no sugar...and get in my exercise. It seems to be working for me. One thing I love about this band is this...no matter how bad of a day I am having...or even if I could care less about eating right that day...I can't go totally crazy! My band keeps me in check! At the most...I can still only eat what a normal person would eat at a sitting. One serving...not seconds, thirds, and fourths anymore! LOL...And I definitely can't eat a whopping plate of food anymore either. There are times when I can't swallow a bite of turkey breast deli meat and times when I can eat anything really without any problems going down at all. Long story short...YES!!! THE BAND WILL TOTALLY HELP YOU CURB YOUR APPETITE...you just have to work with it. Good luck with your journey! =)

And just so you can see it really works....here's a before/after pic after only 22lbs.

Edited August 30, 201015 yr by rcain03@hotmail.com
forgot to add pic...

Yes, it will--eventually. Chances are, once the operative swelling goes down, you will have a period of time when you are genuinely hungry. It can take several adjustments (fills) over a period of months to achieve good restriction.

So, it can be discouraging at first--you may feel as though you had the surgery for nothing. You can lose during this time, but you will be hungry, and any loss will come from bona fide dieting.

As you achieve good restriction, your hunger will be HUGELY reduced. The smaller pouch will no longer empty rapidly, and you will stay satisfied for a period of hours after eating only a small portion of food.

That said, your MIND may still want to eat things that your body has no need (or room!) for.

I've found that this "head hunger" really does go away with time. If your body is satisfied, it really does become easier to say no to the stuff you don't really want or need.

Congrats on your surgery date! Head hunger will still happen where yo feel like you want to chew, but, overall, once you start having a few fills you will not be as hungry. I think about food less often and can't eat what I used to. My weight loss is slower, but I am in my fifties, have a back injury and am diabetic. I am still losing weight and feel so much better. You will be amazed at how the band can keep one in check as long as you go for your fills AND drink water.

I'd like to add that as long as I am following the recommended diet (mostly low carb), I have lots less trouble with head hunger. As soon as I have a serving of spaghetti or something carb-ish, I struggle with making good choices the rest of the day. It's much easier to make the right choices with the band!

Good luck! Sharon

Yes, it will--eventually. Chances are, once the operative swelling goes down, you will have a period of time when you are genuinely hungry. It can take several adjustments (fills) over a period of months to achieve good restriction.

So, it can be discouraging at first--you may feel as though you had the surgery for nothing. You can lose during this time, but you will be hungry, and any loss will come from bona fide dieting.

As you achieve good restriction, your hunger will be HUGELY reduced. The smaller pouch will no longer empty rapidly, and you will stay satisfied for a period of hours after eating only a small portion of food.

That said, your MIND may still want to eat things that your body has no need (or room!) for.

I've found that this "head hunger" really does go away with time. If your body is satisfied, it really does become easier to say no to the stuff you don't really want or need.

Well said Betsy! I agree! :cursing:

I loved to eat and would eat whenever and whatever I wanted. Now that I have the band I have to be mentally on board with the program but I have been and am not hungry. YOu MUST GET all of your 70 grams of protien a day or you will get hungry. I have stuck with getting my protien and I am not hungry. There are many protien broths, hot chocoaltes, shakes, fruit drinks etc that will keep you hydrated and full of portien in the first few weeks. If you can do this you will not have as many cravings.

It definitely helped my appetite. For quite awhile after surgery I still had the urge to fill up my plate and eat a lot even if I wasn't hungry, but not anymore. I experience what I would consider normal hunger now, if its around mealtime, or if I wait too long to eat or skip a meal, but nothing extreme. I have always loved to cook, and the band has actually helped me with this, as I cook more than ever but rarely have the desire to eat much of what I make. I fill up quickly, and my mental hunger has all but disappeared.