Hi everyone I am three weeks post op today and I am wondering why it is easy to eat cookies and chocolate and the chicken gets stuck and causes me to wretch. Anyway I should not even know that those bad things go down and I feel that I am getting off of the right and healthy path. I have been very stressed and I need alternative ways to deal Please Help!!

I am very new to this as well, but here are a few tips that my dietician shared with me...

1. Use a baby spoon or shrimp fork when you first begin to eat solid foods. This will help you to keep the bites small.

2. Chew, chew, chew

3. Put down your fork/spoon between bites

4. When you think one more bite will be the one to make you satisfied, don't take it. That is the bite that will probably come back to bite you.

So far, these few things have worked for me, but it also helped that I was ignorant to the fact that alot of junk foods will just slide right on down. I didn't find out this little tid bit of information until I went for my first fill. - or least I didn't retain this knowledge until then. I almost wish that I had not known this. LOL This past weekend I ate 4 chocolate chip Cookies (2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday). I felt horrible, guilty, you name it, and I have even weighed 3 times a day to see if the 4 cookies tattled on me! Today I realized, there are going to be times when I fall off of this horse, but I just gotta get back on. Having the band doesn't make us perfect. We're gonna mess up, but we just gotta keep looking forward. You can do it!

I agree with the above post very good advice. Try not to watch TV while you eat also. When you want to have a snack that is not on your list have 2 glasses of Water first and then if you can take it eat the cookie. You will not want it after the two glasses of water and if you do it will not be as good as before the water.

I am 16 months out and return to liquids for a few days if I get out of control so I can refocus myself. I try to not keep things in my house that will set me off on a carb craze but I have a skinny husband who eats all the time and two grandbabies that need the stuff too, but like Peanut Butter is not allowed in my house at all because although it is good Protein a whole jar does not help at all. When I was first banded I made my husband keep his junk food in his car. I also consider a refrigerator with an alarm did not know they made those till a year ago. I also have been know to just throw stuff away (brand new) if I just can't take it better to lose a couple of dollars than gain a couple of pounds.

Cheri

I am 14 months into my band and still don't understand why some foods work well when others don't. eggs don't work for me and I wouldn't touch a McDonalds french fry with a ten foot pole anymore, they just stick like crazy. Yes, I too find it odd that I can eat an oatmeal cookie but a bite of scrambled eggs really screws me up. I also find that in the AM my band seems less forgiving than the PM.

My doctor says that everyone is different and the band can be fickle. All posts so far on this thread are excellent suggestions. Just keep experimenting with different foods. This might be a good opportunity to get online and find some recipes for things you've never tried before. I find it funny that whole & natural foods seem (in general) to work better for me than anything processed. If I could have stuck to that without the band I might not have gained so much weight.

Just keep exercising and eat as well as you can and I'm sure you'll do fine. The band is a great tool, you just have to get the hang of it. Even after a year mine still throws me for a loop sometimes, but it's still my best friend.

You do not need a butt kicking just a little direction like we all do. So stop being so hard on yourself. I vote we save the butt kicking for cakes and pies and mexican food what do you think?

Cheri

I agree with the above post very good advice. Try not to watch TV while you eat also. When you want to have a snack that is not on your list have 2 glasses of Water first and then if you can take it eat the cookie. You will not want it after the two glasses of water and if you do it will not be as good as before the water.

I am 16 months out and return to liquids for a few days if I get out of control so I can refocus myself. I try to not keep things in my house that will set me off on a carb craze but I have a skinny husband who eats all the time and two grandbabies that need the stuff too, but like Peanut Butter is not allowed in my house at all because although it is good Protein a whole jar does not help at all. When I was first banded I made my husband keep his junk food in his car. I also consider a refrigerator with an alarm did not know they made those till a year ago. I also have been know to just throw stuff away (brand new) if I just can't take it better to lose a couple of dollars than gain a couple of pounds.

Cheri

Some great advise. Thanks!

Thank you guys for the great advice and support. How do all of you deal with stress when food is not longer there to medicate yourself. I need salist of ideas that maybe I can pick from when things ger bad I feel really down and out. I know one I do is come on these boards:rolleyes:

Don't be too hard on yourself....this is a learning journey we are on...we will stumble, but if we get back up and keep our focus forward you will be fine!

I found very quickly that all of the crap foods are easy to eat....I think that is why when people get "too tight" they end up gaining weight as they fall back on what is easy....so be careful of that too! Everyone is different on what they can tolerate - and that may change for you after each fill, too! I can eat homemade scrambled eggs without a problem if I am careful and chew, but give me a fast food egg and I am dead meat as they come right back up! I cannot eat any bread or buns at all, but can tolerate a few bites of thin crust pizza when I get a craving, but my friend can eat a hamburger with the bottom bun without a problem. Everyone is different --- it is so wierd!

Stress eating is what got me overweight to begin with...it's a habit that you have to work to change. I think everyone should be required to remain in therapy after surgery as it would probably help tremendously! We have to find a new way to channel those feelings - lately my best way (due to the extreme cold outside!) has been to curl up with a good book...and have some ME time, forgetting about the bills, laundry, dishes, etc, that need my attention. When the weather is nice it helps me to go outside and play with my girls or take the dog and go for a walk - exercise really is a fabulous way to burn off stress....if I can take the first step to do it!

Make sure you are getting tons of Protein in every day - I have found that when I am able to get at least 60 or so grams in that I am NOT hungry at all and it makes stress eating a lot less desireable....as if I do start I end up throwing it up after a few bites. It's a learning process....hang in there, it will get easier!! In the meantime, we are here for you!!!

God Bless,

Kimmy

Hi everyone I am three weeks post op today and I am wondering why it is easy to eat Cookies and chocolate and the chicken gets stuck and causes me to wretch. Anyway I should not even know that those bad things go down and I feel that I am getting off of the right and healthy path. I have been very stressed and I need alternative ways to deal Please Help!!

I think it has to do with texture. I used to get stuck on chicken, eggs, meat...forget about vegetables. Then discovered I was overfilled because I was looking for physical restriction...and at least in my case, that's not going to happen even with an overfill.

A butt kicking you shall have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First and foremost you and I had the surgery on the same day so we are at the same place in terms of time.

I too am hungry and could probably eat a hot fudge sundae in one bite but the concept is self control and getting your head on right. It sounds like to me you did this for a quick fix not as a tool. So get your head on straight and start figuring out why you are eating Cookies for god's sake. Throwing up can cause serious damage to the band so maybe you should consult with the doctor or nurse to see what foods you should eat.

Also I highly suggest you run right out and buy Geneen Roth's books, "When food Is Love". She explores why we are eating and sabotaging ourselves.

Also, the people who are telling you dont be hard on yourself are not kicking your butt which is what you are asking for.

I have faith in you that you can do it or you wouldn't have gone through this serious life change.

Get your act together and good luck.

Hi everyone I am three weeks post op today and I am wondering why it is easy to eat cookies and chocolate and the chicken gets stuck and causes me to wretch. Anyway I should not even know that those bad things go down and I feel that I am getting off of the right and healthy path. I have been very stressed and I need alternative ways to deal Please Help!!

A butt kicking you shall have!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First and foremost you and I had the surgery on the same day so we are at the same place in terms of time.

I too am hungry and could probably eat a hot fudge sundae in one bite but the concept is self control and getting your head on right. It sounds like to me you did this for a quick fix not as a tool. So get your head on straight and start figuring out why you are eating Cookies for god's sake. Throwing up can cause serious damage to the band so maybe you should consult with the doctor or nurse to see what foods you should eat.

Also I highly suggest you run right out and buy Geneen Roth's books, "When food Is Love". She explores why we are eating and sabotaging ourselves.

Also, the people who are telling you dont be hard on yourself are not kicking your butt which is what you are asking for.

I have faith in you that you can do it or you wouldn't have gone through this serious life change.

Get your act together and good luck.

Hi There, I've had the same question also and I think my problem is that in searching for what I call safe foods, foods that i can eat fairly easy without too much drama afterwards seems to be the junk foods which is not a good thing. I used to love apples, now I can eat applesauce no problem but if I take a bite ( skinned or not) It just sits in the back of my throat for hours butM&M's with peanuts go down smooth as can be. I believed processed food are much easier for me that whole or non-processed foods. Icecream no problem but I only eat maybe half a cup not the whole container anymore. The real bad thing is I continue to lose weight. But all in all I've improved my eating habits quite a bit, even if it dosen't sound like it. One thing I know is don't try and beat yourself up over it. I have done that all my life and then I get depressed and eat even more, Lots of good suggestions on here but I suggest tell yourself positive things instead of beating yourself up over your choices. Look at the great choice you made and the guts, to have this surgery, that was a real positive step you took to do that. Go buy yourself some new smaller pants and feel good about yourself. IFEELGOOD