I was banded Nov 19th 2010. I am scheduled for my 1st fill Dec 15th. I am a little confused on the eating thing. I was trying to eat 4 oz meals and was always hungry. So i went to counting calories. I am going to ask my doctor when i go for my fill which he recommends. I wanted to know what is working for you. I know every doctor says diffrent but just curious whats working and not working for others. I know i am hungry more since my band is empty. I was losing weight until i got on solids. I haven't gained any more back so im happy. But would like to start losing again. 4oz meals just wasn't cutting it. I have changed what i eat and how much. Any info would be greatly appriciated :0)

I do both. I journal on FitDay, and will continue to do so; it keeps me aware of what I am putting in my mouth so that I don't slip back into bad habits. And I weigh out portions, too---most of the time, I don't finish what I'm "allotted," so I've become more lax about this. (My body stops me well before I run into trouble, as long as I choose the right foods, which I do.)

I do a combination of both. I got a nice little scale at Bed, Bath & Beyond that has a little book of cheat codes & you put the food on the scale, enter the code & you get calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, fiber, sugars and weight. All in either grams or ounces. Or i just use it to weigh out the serving sizes. I'm keeping my calories anywhere between 800 & 1200 a day depending on the meal and each starts with 2-4 ozs of meat with Protein. I've only had one fill & routinely exercising and i'm down 30lbs since being banded on Oct 25th. Other than some raw veggies, i can eat just about anything if it is within my limits. Like others, i follow protein first, veggies & then carbs. If i know we are eating out for dinner, i'll make sure to do minimal calories during the day with protein rich foods. Then if i know where we are going for dinner, i will check out the nutrition menu online and already know what i'm getting when we get there. Otherwise, i just chose wisely. We do wing night every 2 weeks or so. YUMMIE but within reason. I'll have 6 - 10 wings depending on if i'm having a side salad with it. Are they the most healthy choice?? Nope, but i'm not going to deprive myself of something i love, rather just switch to moderation! As time is passing, i do notice that it's easier to tell how much food is a meal size. I use a small salad plate now instead of a dinner plate and know that just because you can still fill it, doesn't mean you should. The food journal....LOVE IT. That's been the best counterpart of the scale, it holds me accountable for what i'm eating, how much exercising.

That scale sounds awesome!! Maybe when my current scale poops out, I'll look into that one. It sounds great!