I was banded in Sept 2010, I have lost about 35 pounds total and can eat pretty much whatever I want just alot less. I read on here that people watch what they eat and diet, I am losing weight just monitoring my portions. Anyone else eat what they want too??

My question would be what do you consider "what you want"? There are lots of things I don't eat but not sure if I would call it dieting or just not wanting. I don't eat cheeseburgers,fried chicken tenders, or french fries. Did I have apple crisp with ice cream (small portion) at a tree trimming party tonight; yes. But I did'nt bring any home (was offered) because I would eat it until it was gone. I think having occational treats is fine but eating high fat/cal. foods every day (even at lower portions) is a bad idea. I want to be able to treat food like a thin person does; and most thin people dont' eat the crap that I did in the frequency that I used to eat it.

"Normal" people can eat whatever they want - they just don't KEEP eating! Most of us can't stop with just a little of something, that's why we got fat. Having the Band, properly adjusted, allows us to control our portions - or suffer the consequences! It's like getting our hand slapped when we reach for more. I know if I had more self control, I wouldn't need the band, but I don't, so I do.

As has been said many times on this forum, our Band is a tool. If we use it properly, we will get the job done. If we don't (by eating the wrong food) we may still get the job done, but it will take longer.

I don't know if the analogies work for you, but I certainly don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary.

I say if it works for you do it. If you are happy and satisfied eating small amounts of what you want you are going to be much more successful in the long run than denying your self all the things you love to eat small amounts of things you hate. LOW is correct average people eat what they want they just have the ability to stop at one or two where as someone like me would eat the whole bag then stop. But once we reach our goal weight doesn't mean we can go back to eating what ever, this will be a life time of change not just a few months till we reach X weight.

I think I'll be more like you eating want (mostly I lived on carbs so will have to really cut back on those) I want just much smaller portions of it. I will also be working out and the combo of the two will get me to where I need to be.

I say if it works for you do it. If you are happy and satisfied eating small amounts of what you want you are going to be much more successful in the long run than denying your self all the things you love to eat small amounts of things you hate. LOW is correct average people eat what they want they just have the ability to stop at one or two where as someone like me would eat the whole bag then stop. But once we reach our goal weight doesn't mean we can go back to eating what ever, this will be a life time of change not just a few months till we reach X weight.

I think I'll be more like you eating want (mostly I lived on carbs so will have to really cut back on those) I want just much smaller portions of it. I will also be working out and the combo of the two will get me to where I need to be.

I think already (13 days post op) I am eating pretty much "normal foods" I just make myself live by certain taboos: no caffeine, no fast food, no bread, no soda, no alcohol. I'm just eating much smaller amounts.

Oh, and roasted chickpeas...they got stuck.

I am finally filled to a good restriction point and no longer can eat what I want like I could the first 4 months. I am at 8 ccs and can't eat breads or most meats. I get stuck very easy and have to chew a lot. I am very happy and hope to lose weight faster now. It has been difficult to this point to limit my food intake and to not eat what I wanted when physically I could. I was never good on diets.

It's more about nutrition, when you only eat such tiny amounts you want to get in proper nutrition.

I'm eating whatever I want, just WAY less!! I am looking at my half eaten Stoffer's lasagna right now and recognizing I can only eat a SMALL amount. I put in the plate 1/3 of what I usually eat and now half of it will be popped into the fridge for later or tomorrow or feed to the trash can.

I LOVE MY BAND!!!

Last night, the guys ordered pizza. I had ONE piece and left the dough, eating the top of the crispy crust only. Normally, I am eating tuna salad, deli meats, greek yogurt and blueberries...but I love to enjoy the goodies and eat like a thin person.

I eat what I want.. but I now want healthier foods. I still love fried things, but I don't eat them routinely now, but I will "sample" them. For example, DH and I go out to eat, he orders fried shrimp. I'll have one off of his plate.

I know another very successful bandster and she says she allows herself 3 (tiny) bites of anything. If she can't stop at 3, she doesn't get to eat it next time.

very interesting topic...

for me, I enjoy what food I do eat, I don't eat anything that I don't enjoy. that being said, I like a lot of junk food and don't touch it, not even in smaller portions. number one, I was a food addict, not all bandsters were, but I was and still am in some ways, but now I'm in recovery.

around halloween I ate a small bag of m&m's and though it was great that I didn't eat more, thought maybe I was "cured". well, a few days later I was having a down day, I ate one small bag, felt like a loser for turning to food and ate about 6 more...I'm still learning as I go along. there are some foods (mostly sugars and carbs) that don't work well with me. so no fast food, bread, pizza, chips, ice cream, blah blah blah. they don't help me in any way.

to return to my first sentence...I enjoy what foods I do eat...I'm referring to healthy and high quality protiens, veggies, fats, and minimal carbs, but that's just me.

Rebecca

Right now I am choosing to not "want" foods that are bad for me. I know I could eat them if I wanted and hope that one day I will do so again but in moderation. Right now I feel that I need to train myself to adopt new eating habits. My pre-lapband foods were incredibly unhealthy. With the band, I need to focus on getting nutrient-rich foods into my body as I am not eating very much.

I am another believer in eating what you want....and that's how I lost 175 lbs.

I use my head and try to eat reasonably, but I still have my treats. I'm sure that it did take me a little longer, because I sometimes eat junk, but eating like a normal person kept me going. Many times in my dieting career, I had the feeling that I was either "on the diet" or "off the diet" I can't look at the lapband that way. I look at it as a chance to be normal. The diet mentality doesn't work for me. I do lose weight, but at some point I rebel against the rules and I gain it all back. For me, it's no way to live. I know different styles work for different people, but you don't have to follow some ridiculously restrictive diet to be successful with the lapband.

Cindy

I am another believer in eating what you want....and that's how I lost 175 lbs.

I use my head and try to eat reasonably, but I still have my treats. I'm sure that it did take me a little longer, because I sometimes eat junk, but eating like a normal person kept me going. Many times in my dieting career, I had the feeling that I was either "on the diet" or "off the diet" I can't look at the lapband that way. I look at it as a chance to be normal. The diet mentality doesn't work for me. I do lose weight, but at some point I rebel against the rules and I gain it all back. For me, it's no way to live. I know different styles work for different people, but you don't have to follow some ridiculously restrictive diet to be successful with the lapband.

Cindy

I am with you all the way Cindy. I got to be a yo-yo dieter for 40 years because I went from one diet to another diet, losing 50 pds and gaining 60 back when the diet was done. The band is NOT a diet, this is a life change and I reaize where I have gone wrong all these years. Telling me I cannot have a few chips or a piece of cake forever, does not work. I need to know I can always have a bite or taste of something "forbidden" and go back to basics the next day works very well for me. I have been banded for 2 years this 12/20/10 and down 90 pds and love every single day being banded. The key is to never say you cannot have something because you will want it all the more. We are addicts and that is how the mind works, I tell myself I can have anything to eat I want but choose not to have the high fat, sugar and bread items that got me fat to begin with. This seems to be the answer to my prayers and the band has made me realize and accept the fact that I need to keep focused every day because I am a food addict.

Glad to read this topic because I have been getting real confused. I have not been banded yet but will be soon. I have read that people can't eat steak, hamburger, white chicken, pork..... and I am thinking well what the heck can you eat? I was hoping to be able to eat normal but just in small amounts. Sometimes it sounds like I will be eating soup forever. I will be looking here for meal suggestions for sure !!!

Grumpys Wife, while I am not at "perfect restriction" yet I can eat things that many on here have said they cant: scrambled eggs, chicken breat (my main source of protein), yoghurt, hamburger, bread and pasta (though I don't eat it often because of the carbs), apples with skins. I also focus on taking small bites but not anywhere near the "pencil eraser" size that is mentioned. You also read a lot of posts about eating miniscule amounts, or going out to eat and eating only a couple bites. In my last meeting with the Nut she said I should be eating 3 oz of protein and a cup of veggies. To me that's not a miniscule amount. Less then I ate presurgery but not miniscule.

Grumpys Wife, while I am not at "perfect restriction" yet I can eat things that many on here have said they cant: scrambled eggs, chicken breat (my main source of protein), yoghurt, hamburger, bread and Pasta (though I don't eat it often because of the carbs), apples with skins. I also focus on taking small bites but not anywhere near the "pencil eraser" size that is mentioned. You also read a lot of posts about eating miniscule amounts, or going out to eat and eating only a couple bites. In my last meeting with the Nut she said I should be eating 3 oz of Protein and a cup of veggies. To me that's not a miniscule amount. Less then I ate presurgery but not miniscule.

My dr. told me the purpose of the band isnt to starve yourself by restricting food intake to very small amounts. She told me I actually need to eat more because I rarely eat Breakfast because of my schedule. I bought protien bars which I usually eat for breakfast, they have 20gr protien, 3 grams sugar and 180 calories(taste great also). I thought I gained 5-10# before my last fill but I actually lost 6# basically by eating more. Im at 294, the first time under 300# in about 8-10 yrs. I was surprized when she told me to eat more but she was right

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