I am new. I have not got the band yet, but I am seriously considering it. I heard from a friend that some folks find it harder to eat the foods that are good for them, Chicken, Turkey, Steak, Veggies and Fruit, then foods that are bad for them. Does this make any sense?

Help!

The band is not a magic wand. When you have good restriction there are certain things that you can't eat but all of our bands are different.

Yes some bad foods will be easy to eat. Icecream, soda, sugar drinks, chocolate etc can move easily through your band because they are liquid. You need to have will power and motivation with this band for it to work.

Some people even still do diets like weight waters and Atkins etc to help them lose weight. Everyone is different though.

I can eat fruit no problem, eggs, chicken and cheese. It is only when I am overfilled I can't eat these things. I try not to eat bread because I lose weight faster if I dont.

The band goes in a humnan body which means all bets are off because we are all different. I am very near restriction (have limited) and I can eat any food I want. I eat chicken, turkey, fruit, egg whites, pork and red meat if I want it. I believe SOME of the people who have trouble eating certain solid proteins have their bands to tight. Which is BAD for you.

When you say "harder to eat" does that mean it hurts when they eat it or what? If so I would think the band is too tight. Is that right?

I have no problems eating any types of food, and nothing gets stuck. My band is over half way filled. I 100% have to watch what goes in. You can eat anything you want, but you shouldn't because you won't lose weight.

Rainydayz, some people can't get down stuff like bread, scrambled eggs, dry chicken, steak, some fibrous veggies.. it gets stuck in the band and it hurts REALLY bad and they have to puke it out.

Some of it is your body, and some people get their bands adjusted too tightly so they physically can't eat these things.

The bands job is to make you not hungry. I can go 5 hours without eating anything. Some people are looking for the band to stop them from eating, which it will never do.. until you get to the point nothing goes down and you get sick all the time.

This is definitely true. I havent got fill at the moment, when i was restricted, I *could* eat anything - fruit, vegies, breads. But some things were harder than others. Now, I've never been a convert to the high protein/low carb way of eating, so I wasnt comforted by being able to eat meat and other Proteins becuase I personally think they need to be eaten in moderation, but I worried about my intake of wholegrains and fruit and veg. However, looking back, I now realise I was seriously nuts to be thinking that because although i've been very successful in losing over 100lb and keeping it off, what I actually WAS doing was eating Protein in moderation, too few fruit and veg (could eat them, they were just so hard, time consuming and over time as a result I didnt really want them anymore) and lots of slider foods - too much yogurt, Soup and sweet, easy carbs like muffins, cakes and biscuits. I didnt worry about eating things like chocolate either.

Of course, with portion control I wasnt over eating, and I never had any weight regain, its not like I lived on these foods, I just ate them in preference to healthier things becuase I wanted quick, easy and pain free eating. BUT - and that's a big bug - I was too darn tight. I didnt think I was, I didnt often get stuck, never vomited, didnt have any signs of overtightness like reflux and coughing at night. But if you cant eat good, healthy food three times a day, if you're nibbling, grazing and eating slider foods then chances are you are TOO TIGHT. The band simply is not designed to choke you so you cant eat, its meant to be used as a mild appetite control and to keep you satisfied on smaller amounts of food. You may still want to eat, you may want to be stopped completely by your band from eating bread (if that's something you want to avoid) but it just plain doesnt work that way.

In short, keep your restriction at a proper level and you will probably be able to eat well from all food groups. But that will mean you also need some willpower and application to avoid eating when you shouldnt and plenty of exercise. Its not a magic fix. Personally, despite having been diagnosed with another serious illness, I feel incredibly well since unfilling comletely (had to for a surgery). My consumption of fruit and veg etc has increased, I no longer eat crappy carbs like biscuits, I get three or four slices of wholegrain bread or cereals a day and I've actually LOST weight since unfilling! I would never go as tight as I was again.

I have no problems eating any types of food, and nothing gets stuck. My band is over half way filled. I 100% have to watch what goes in. You can eat anything you want, but you shouldn't because you won't lose weight.

Rainydayz, some people can't get down stuff like bread, scrambled eggs, dry chicken, steak, some fibrous veggies.. it gets stuck in the band and it hurts REALLY bad and they have to puke it out.

Some of it is your body, and some people get their bands adjusted too tightly so they physically can't eat these things.

The bands job is to make you not hungry. I can go 5 hours without eating anything. Some people are looking for the band to stop them from eating, which it will never do.. until you get to the point nothing goes down and you get sick all the time.

I see. If you can't eat meat and veggies that would seem to defeat the purpose in my mind. I can see why having it too tight would be a bad thing. Now if they could just invent the band that keeps out chocolate and ice cream I would be all set.

I think it all has to do with who did your band! really! At Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan, when they put the band in place, they take some skin from your stomach, and fold it over the band, and stitch that into place. Reason to avoid any type of Band Slippage. It works! but it feels like someone has grabbed you by the throat, and is putting very tight pressure on it. That is 24 hrs. a day. As a result we are not even suppose to eat salad. When they found out I could eat some, they new I needed a tighter fill. Can't eat Beef or Steak, Bread, Salad, White meat from chicken. Whatever I can have. It has to be soft, and moist.

So sure Ice Cream, Chocolates anything that will turn to liquid will go down.

I do have trouble eating things that are good for me. I've had my band for almost 2 years now, and I've never really progressed out of the mushy phase. meat of any kind makes me throw up about 80% of the time, can't even think of eating things like apples. Bread, Pasta and rice are absolute no-go. What I wouldn't give for a chicken sandwich... I basically live on soup, salad and oatmeal.

They can't quite figure out what the problem is with me. The band isn't too tight and my food isn't getting stuck, it just makes me so nauseated that it sends me running to the sink with the first bite. Some days it's so bad that even liquids make me hurl. It's true though, the crap foods generally will stay down somewhat better than the good foods, and you get to a point where you're so hungry, you eat whatever you can. It's not that I live on pizza and burgers, because no way they would stay down, but the less obvious crap foods like crackers, melba toast , mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, yogurt, gallons of crystal light and other foods which may not scream badness, but really aren't meant to make up the bulk of a diet either. They're not filling foods so I'm always hungry, but the filling foods won't stay down. Then out of the blue, I'll have a day or two where anything goes down in any quantity. On those days I'm almost normal and try to get some Protein into me in the form of chili, meatballs or fish. I still won't tempt fate with trying larger cuts of meat, breads or crunchy veggies as I'm pretty sure they still wouldn't stay down.

Everybody is different and you can't really predict these things before your band goes in. You may luck out and be able to eat anything, or you may end up hypersensitive like me. I will likely end up revising to another WLS, but I'm still glad I went the band route first as the least invasive alternative.

I think it all has to do with who did your band! really! At Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan, when they put the band in place, they take some skin from your stomach, and fold it over the band, and stitch that into place. Reason to avoid any type of Band Slippage. It works! but it feels like someone has grabbed you by the throat, and is putting very tight pressure on it. That is 24 hrs. a day. As a result we are not even suppose to eat salad. When they found out I could eat some, they new I needed a tighter fill. Can't eat Beef or Steak, Bread, Salad, White meat from chicken. Whatever I can have. It has to be soft, and moist.

So sure Ice Cream, Chocolates anything that will turn to liquid will go down.

Wow that just sounds scary. I'm going to make sure and ask if my surgeon does that skin fold thing and if he does, I'm running!

Your very smart !

All the videos I saw on youtube sew a piece of stomach above the band to stomach below. Not sure if that is what you mean by folding. So I don't know if telling you doctor you don't want that is really going to work. If I were you I would look for another surgeon to figure out what has gone wrong. I would think you insurance could cover either replacement or removal. Two years is too long live like you are. I think you have a problem if you are'nt too tight but can still only eat soft sliders.

All the videos I saw on youtube sew a piece of stomach above the band to stomach below. Not sure if that is what you mean by folding. So I don't know if telling you doctor you don't want that is really going to work. If I were you I would look for another surgeon to figure out what has gone wrong. I would think you insurance could cover either replacement or removal. Two years is too long live like you are. I think you have a problem if you are'nt too tight but can still only eat soft sliders.

Working on it. My paperwork is already in to get my band out and to convert to some other surgery.

All the videos I saw on youtube sew a piece of stomach above the band to stomach below. Not sure if that is what you mean by folding. So I don't know if telling you doctor you don't want that is really going to work. If I were you I would look for another surgeon to figure out what has gone wrong. I would think you insurance could cover either replacement or removal. Two years is too long live like you are. I think you have a problem if you are'nt too tight but can still only eat soft sliders.

I know what the pics. and video show. That is a band placed around the upper part of the stomach, and tighten into place.

This Dr. never said he was going to do this, in other words,,, he keeps his successful surgical secrets to himself.

So they take the outer part of that small pouch, pull it down over the band like a flap or sleeve, and stitch that all the way around the band.

Is it uncomfortable??? you bet..With that upper part being pulled down, and stretched, it gives the feeling in the throat that someone has you by the throat, and is squeezing you. Just your not choking, but damned uncomfortable. It's hard to find a surgeon to fix someone else's screw ups. I am looking for a different surgeon. I want this done right way. I was banded 10/31/2006.

Thats a long time to feel this tight. So I am waiting for a call from a different surgeon. I would like to tell him to take out the old band,

and put in a new one. It's got to be better then this.

I do have trouble eating things that are good for me. I've had my band for almost 2 years now, and I've never really progressed out of the mushy phase. meat of any kind makes me throw up about 80% of the time, can't even think of eating things like apples. Bread, Pasta and rice are absolute no-go. What I wouldn't give for a chicken sandwich... I basically live on Soup, salad and oatmeal.

They can't quite figure out what the problem is with me. The band isn't too tight and my food isn't getting stuck, it just makes me so nauseated that it sends me running to the sink with the first bite. Some days it's so bad that even liquids make me hurl. It's true though, the crap foods generally will stay down somewhat better than the good foods, and you get to a point where you're so hungry, you eat whatever you can. It's not that I live on pizza and burgers, because no way they would stay down, but the less obvious crap foods like crackers, melba toast , mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, yogurt, gallons of crystal light and other foods which may not scream badness, but really aren't meant to make up the bulk of a diet either. They're not filling foods so I'm always hungry, but the filling foods won't stay down. Then out of the blue, I'll have a day or two where anything goes down in any quantity. On those days I'm almost normal and try to get some Protein into me in the form of chili, meatballs or fish. I still won't tempt fate with trying larger cuts of meat, breads or crunchy veggies as I'm pretty sure they still wouldn't stay down.

Everybody is different and you can't really predict these things before your band goes in. You may luck out and be able to eat anything, or you may end up hypersensitive like me. I will likely end up revising to another WLS, but I'm still glad I went the band route first as the least invasive alternative.

I have to ask. You have been banded for 2 years and your ticker says you have only lost 18 lbs?