I was banded on 8/30/10 and so far so good. I eat 4-6 ounces each meal (no fill on the band yet) and I feel full. The question is:

How do you deal with the COMPULSION to eat?

I have always had a hard time with compulsive eating. I could eat something, nibble on something or snack on something after a big meal. I still feel this way. The only way I have been able to deal with this so far is to not have snacky type stuff in the house. I am proud to say I have been a good little boy since being banded but I fear the day when there are some snacks left in the house and I am alone! “Just one bite won’t hurt” I hear my mind saying. One bite has never been one bite. I used to buy the snack size bags of chips so I would eat 3 or 4 bags. There would be about ¼ of a bag of potato chips left and my mind would say “go on, eat them up just to get rid of those things” then I would buy another bag. L I would have a pizza delivered, when ordering they would say the large is only $3.00 more, “well I can’t pass up savings like that, yea give me the large.” All the time I am thinking I’ll eat 3-4 pieces and save the rest for tomorrow. Tomorrow came and the pizza was gone.

I have done extremely well so far. No snacking between meals because I feel full. Has anyone had this problem since being banded?

I still have a compulsion to eat... I just try to find something else to do when I want to eat and know I shouldnt. It is also hard because I have a boyfriend who lives with me and is ALWAYS snacking... My bedroom has become my favorite place again. When I need to relax I go there or out for a walk.

Dont get me wrong either I have ate out of compulsion already and nearly got stuck. I paid for it...No one is perfect and this whole thing is new to me. Its like being back in kindergarden and relearning how to do certain things all over again. Kinda sucks but I always try to remember why I had the surgery done...and in the end I will be a much healthier person..

Believe it or not, after you reach a certain restriction, that compulsion goes away. My mind tells me I want to eat, but if I try I don't enjoy it. I also have a problem when ordering out at a restuarant. I can usually only eat 3-4 bites and then have to take the rest home. Needless to say, we always have left overs in the fridge.

Depends on what you mean by "snack". Yes, I snack, but it's healthy things (by and large..not perfect...yet.. LOL).

I eat lunch around noon or 1pm. Supper usually isn't till 6 or 7. So.. around 3 or 4 I'll be hungry and have a "snack" of Protein & produce... string cheese & apple for example.

I think you're referring to things like tortilla chips, popcorn, etc. as Snacks and those I try (mainly successfully, but I have 3 others living in this household who aren't banded..sigh) to avoid.

Thankfully my snack choices are almost always good... not like chips stuff. It is more like cheese or a fruit etc.

I hope the compulsion to eat does stop when I get restriction. That would be great. But I know I will still think in my head...wtf.... only three spoons of food and I am full.. that isnt right....lets try another.....then im screwed...I guess after so many times you learn your lesson...lol

Was banded on 07/22 and I have only had one fill so far. I have some restriction, especially during the day. I can't overeat really or snack during the day but for some reason at night I have very little restriction. I can eat my dinner and not be hungry. But I get snack cravings sometimes at night. Unfortunately for me I have two kids and a BF in the house that like snacky food so I do have chips, etc. lying around. I sometimes give in to the cravings and eat a handful or two of chips. The old days it would have been much worse than that, believe me. So I am glad the band is there. I will just be glad when I get another fill or two and will hopefully get to full restriction and won't be able to fit it in at all! Also, I am going to the grocery store this weekend and I am buying only HEALTHY snacks for the whole household. It will be better for everyone but especially me! I am going to stay focused and not beat myself up over the small slip ups here and there. At least I am not pigging out on McDonald's and drinking 44 ounce sodas from the gas station every day like the old days! I know I will eventually get there! Good luck fellow bandsters!

It's funny because I am not even huingry right now but all I keep thinking is how I need to eat my lunch. food is always on my mind and just before I read this, I thought to myself "you are not even hungry" But yet food is on my mind. Other then the morning I am rarely hungry yet I do eat. I am trying to always make good choices but I do wonder sometimes when the complusion to eat will go and to REAL need to eat will come.

Good luck, stay strong!

I suspect that the compulsion to eat is partly a learned habit, which has to get "unlearned" there is of course an emotional aspect but I am thinking that with the help of the band we can UN-learn the habit part and only have to deal with the emotional part.

sounds good on paper anyway......

I think you'll find, with time (and increased restriction) that the ability to control the compulsion will increase (or the compulsion will disappear altogether).

As you gain mastery of the tool, you'll find that inner changes--emotional ones--take place. You will gain control.

After I was banded I found that I had a compulsion to finish my food. If there were 2 bites left I felt a need to eat them or I tried to make someone else eat them. :wub: I also found that I had a "value system" when ordering food, I thought there had to be a big portion for it to be worth it. I selected food from a menu based on how big of a portion it was.

It took a while but I worked through these things and stopped doing them. (Most of the time.)

Believe it or not, after you reach a certain restriction, that compulsion goes away. My mind tells me I want to eat, but if I try I don't enjoy it. I also have a problem when ordering out at a restuarant. I can usually only eat 3-4 bites and then have to take the rest home. Needless to say, we always have left overs in the fridge.

I wish I had your band - cuz mine doesn't do a darn thing for my compulsion to eat and I have optimal restriction..

I will eat my dinner - be physically full and still want to eat and I'm 3 yrs out.

I try and distract myself - but if that doesn't work - I eat a 100 snack pack popcorn - They are my lifesavers - and yes sometimes I do eat 2 - but really after eating one I have taken care of the hand to mouth issues..

I don't keep dangerous foods in my house - period - If you were an alcoholic you wouldn't leave a bottle of booze on the kitchen counter..

When I go shopping - I look at the junk - candy - cheese puffs - and say - ah hell no they aren't worth it - and if I just need something (a treat) I buy 1 candy bar - I buy 1 small bag of chips - cuz after it's gone - it's gone..

I am like Sparky - I have great intentions of just eating 1 - 100 cal snack pack of cookie or whatever it happens to be - but end up eating the whole box ( or the whole whatever it is) - sugar is my heroin - it's my drug of choice - if I start I don't quit - so I make sure I only have 1 serving at my disposal..

There are certain things I can control – like Ice Cream for the most part – I have sf stuff in the house and I can limit myself to a serving – but if a bag of reese Peanut Butter cups were in the house – forget about it – they would be in my stomach – or in the trash.. I have my trigger foods – that I really try to stay away from.

I have an addiction - I am in recovery for the last 3 yrs - but the want is still there - do I act on it no - but the desire is with me.

The foods that I want to eat are all sliders so my band doesn't do a darn thing about stopping me..

What stops me is that I have lost 115 lbs and I feel so much better - I never want to be morbitly obese again.. I don't want to go back there - so I don't eat the crap that got me there in the 1st place

I wish I had your band - cuz mine doesn't do a darn thing for my compulsion to eat and I have optimal restriction..

I will eat my dinner - be physically full and still want to eat and I'm 3 yrs out.

I try and distract myself - but if that doesn't work - I eat a 100 snack pack popcorn - They are my lifesavers - and yes sometimes I do eat 2 - but really after eating one I have taken care of the hand to mouth issues..

I don't keep dangerous foods in my house - period - If you were an alcoholic you wouldn't leave a bottle of booze on the kitchen counter..

When I go shopping - I look at the junk - candy - cheese puffs - and say - ah hell no they aren't worth it - and if I just need something (a treat) I buy 1 candy bar - I buy 1 small bag of chips - cuz after it's gone - it's gone..

I am like Sparky - I have great intentions of just eating 1 - 100 cal snack pack of cookie or whatever it happens to be - but end up eating the whole box ( or the whole whatever it is) - sugar is my heroin - it's my drug of choice - if I start I don't quit - so I make sure I only have 1 serving at my disposal..

There are certain things I can control – like Ice Cream for the most part – I have sf stuff in the house and I can limit myself to a serving – but if a bag of reese Peanut Butter cups were in the house – forget about it – they would be in my stomach – or in the trash.. I have my trigger foods – that I really try to stay away from.

I have an addiction - I am in recovery for the last 3 yrs - but the want is still there - do I act on it no - but the desire is with me.

The foods that I want to eat are all sliders so my band doesn't do a darn thing about stopping me..

What stops me is that I have lost 115 lbs and I feel so much better - I never want to be morbitly obese again.. I don't want to go back there - so I don't eat the crap that got me there in the 1st place

Inspirational....enough said...

Inspirational....enough said...

Thanks ;0) Hugs

You will always have a compulsion to eat. That's why you have a plastic band around your stomach! I call it food addiction, I'm a food addict, and my brain says feed me almost constantly. The band isn't going to take that feeling away, it would have to be on your brain for that....hmm I wonder...:thumbup: Anyway I am a fairly new band also, got banded on 8/17/10, and I find sugarfree popsicles (15 calories) and sugarfree Jello (5 calories) helps a lot. It satisfies my want to chew and swallow which for me I think makes my brain happy. Try these or other very low calorie chewable things, it will help. I'm told that within a couple of months your brain gets in sync with your stomach and stops demanding food all the time.

Thanks for all the responces!

I guess tavimew is right "You will always have a compulsion to eat. That's why you have a plastic band around your stomach!"

I come from a family where food was the center of ALL social functions. My Mom (rest her soul) was always telling me I needed to lose some weight but then turn around and bring me a 1/2 gallon of home-made chicken and dumplings!

As work the vending machine calls my name! I have been able to fight that by leaving my wallet in the truck and all my loose change at home. Plus the fact that I work in a 50,000sq ft computer center with a hall way around the big room and 5 laps is a mile so I get in about 2 miles a night (I work 3rd shift) :thumbup:

So far I have been able to fight off my former BFF but I am hoping after I reach the green zone the cravings will pass.

Good luck to all of us!

That is hard..

It takes me half an hour to drink some water i am in the green zone and yet,at the same time i want to eat like crazy pasta or bagels or ham or whatever...

It's crazy,i cant even eat mushies and i WANT to eat everything i see.I am not hungry at all.But i miss my "friends".Food was a companion and as someone else here said, it s a period of mourning coz you lost them and it is not always easy.When i crave food i stop and i ask my self. "are you hungry?No you are not.Then shut up and move on".If i dont stop and i snack then i will be in pain and you dont want that.Separate the brain from your body.We have to learn this the hard way.The easy way obviously didnt work out, otherwise i wouldn't carry 240 pounds

Be patient,there is nothing in the world we cannot conquer :thumbup: