Food Funeral...is there such a thing?

This past week I feel like I am in mourning for the foods I know I won't be able to eat after I am banded. Is that crazy or what? Does that mean I am truly a food addict or just prepairing myself for the changes I need to make? So today I thought about the Bread sticks at Olive Garden as I polished down two that will probably be my last. Yesterday, I thought about Cinnabuns (and I haven't even had one in years) but the mere idea they will be off the list made me crave one. I think the biggest one has been my Diet Coke, I have been sucking them down at a faster rate these past few days. I feel like the prisoner getting ready for the lethal injection and the Warden asking what I want for my final meal!!! I think this is probably pretty typical of what others may feel as well. I will start my modified liquid diet on Sept 1st so I have a few more weeks to process all of this and prepare for my life changing event. I will try not to think of it as the ending of me enjoying food but to the beginning of a new, healthier me.

I felt the same way so I actually lost weight on the preop diet and then regained the last week because I decided I better get it out of my system. I think that is why I haven't had too much trouble missing foods postop.

food Funeral...is there such a thing?

This past week I feel like I am in mourning for the foods I know I won't be able to eat after I am banded. Is that crazy or what? Does that mean I am truly a food addict or just prepairing myself for the changes I need to make? So today I thought about the Bread sticks at Olive Garden as I polished down two that will probably be my last. Yesterday, I thought about Cinnabuns (and I haven't even had one in years) but the mere idea they will be off the list made me crave one. I think the biggest one has been my Diet Coke, I have been sucking them down at a faster rate these past few days. I feel like the prisoner getting ready for the lethal injection and the Warden asking what I want for my final meal!!! I think this is probably pretty typical of what others may feel as well. I will start my modified liquid diet on Sept 1st so I have a few more weeks to process all of this and prepare for my life changing event. I will try not to think of it as the ending of me enjoying food but to the beginning of a new, healthier me.

It's normal. Totally normal. Enjoy yourself, and watch what will happen: You'll get tired of the process within a few days, and you'll stop being so focused on eating everything in sight.

Bandsters tend to mourn the foods they know they won't be eating much of post-op. Note that I said "much of." Once you're banded, you'll learn what you can eat, what you can't and won't want to eat, and you can focus on eating in a way that works for you. After you've achieved a bit of weight loss, you'll be ready for a bit of "good behavior" reward. If you want something "off limits," plan for it. Make it part of your day's eating plan, have some of it, and move on. The band can be pretty forgiving, in terms of what it allows you to eat. It's about moderation.

And just for the record, I eat at Olive Garden a couple of times a month. I usually have their Steak Toscano with extra steamed vegetables substituted for the potatoes. A third of that 12 ounce steak and part of the steamed veggies makes a good meal. I take the rest home, and have two more meals from it. While I'm at it, I have part of a bowl of Zuppa Toscana Soup, and I also munch on a breadstick or two. If I take small bites of the breadstick, taking my time between bites, and chewing it thoroughly, it goes down for me just fine. Just because you're banded doesn't mean you can't enjoy a nice meal once in awhile. You just shouldn't overdo it every day.

Good luck with your journey!

Dave

After you are banded you will have a whole new aspect when it comes to food. I honestly didn't know how I would live without Diet Coke but, I honestly can say I don't miss it. I also don't miss the 91 lbs. I have lost. Now, I would much rather eat fish or fresh veggies and I never thought I would say that! But what you are feeling is completely normal. I think I had a 64 ounce Diet Coke the day before surgery.

You don't necessarily have to quit eating your favorite things. Like the poster above, I occasionally also go to Olive Garden. In fact, I went this past Monday nite for my fiances birthday. I had seafood alfredo. And chicken gnocchi soup. I ate about 4 bites of each, about 1/2 of a breadstick and the rest is still in my frig. I* can eat whatever I want - just in much smaller quantities. And I love that about the band. If I could eat a perfect diet, I wouldn't have needed the band to begin with!

You're totally normal. The night before my surgery (I didn't have to be on a pre op diet at all) I went to Outback and had ribs - thinking I would never eat them again. I ate about 1/2 a rib just last weekend at a bbq. Something weird happened tho recently - yogurt started tasting better than ice cream!!!

Good luck!

Marci

4 bites of food is not normal.

4 bites of food is not normal.

Agreed. But she had ABOUT four bites of seafood alfredo, ABOUT four bites of gnocchi soup, and ABOUT half a breadstick. That would fill up any bandster for awhile. Note that she doesn't say how BIG those four bites were, right?

Dave

They are all right! ***** 5 star rating all the way.

You will look at food differently, and find your self saying No, I really don't want that. I might have this instead. I do that all the time.

Your taste buds will change (possibly) So you might find things that you would love to have, just might not really interest you anymore.

That is not uncommon at all.

I also read a saying on here once, and it was something like this.

Nothing tastes as sweet as skinny.

That is so true ! ! ! Once you see the weight coming off, and you realise that this is possible... Nothing will stand in your way, when it comes to losing weight.

Shirley.

Thanks everyone for the replies. It is very helpful to hear from people who have been through it and able to share their experience.

FYI my doctor wants you to eat most foods just to eat less of them. After reading this site for 7 months I went to Not Your Average Joes to have their Onion bread with Romano cheese/olive oil dip thinking I would never be able to eat it again. I am at restriction and I can still eat it; though I tend to just eat the crust and leave the bready part.

Wow, we all have so much in common. I love the Olive Garden and I knew I would miss the bread sticks the most, but we will meet again later on down the road. I also went to Outback, for the first time actually, to have a farewell slab of ribs. And my last meal (at least that's how I felt at the time) salmon stuffed with crab imperial, shrimp and scallop. I ate so much it made me sick. I over did it in my final days pre band because I never thought I would enjoy food again. However, in my 1 week of banding Ive learned that when you are feeling tight and full there is no desire for those foods and you do learn how to appreciate the small stuff. Cream of Wheat was on my list of Full Liquids, but I was advised that it had to be watery. I grimaced at the thought because since I was 4 years old the best part of it for me has been the lumps. I could damn near eat it with a fork it would be so thick. I also used sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, and sugar for the sweetest creamiest treat you can have in the winter (Don't judge me, that's why I had to get banded). So imagine the horror when I had to replace all that goodness with 1% milk and 2 packs of splenda so thin I could barely taste a grain. BUT... when I tasted it, it was the same to be as before and I didnt want to stop, except I was full at 1/4 cup. The point is that you will be surprised at how quickly you begin to see food differently.

Sometimes I can only eat 4 bites of food, depends on the day. Other times I feel like a burger and go get one, I cant eat the whole thing but the few bites satisfies my craving. I can still eat everything, Pasta, rice, bread, some cant some can. It depends on your body. Some days I can eat a lot and it blows me away!

Enjoy your pre band days, but after the band food tastes sooo much better.

I felt the same way so I actually lost weight on the preop diet and then regained the last week because I decided I better get it out of my system. I think that is why I haven't had too much trouble missing foods postop.

Haha that was me too! My husband joked that I had a " bucket list" of foods. I'm so glad I did cause to me it was bye bye and get it outta my system. Burger m fries at my favorite joint, outback blooming onion, and nothing says goodbye to rice better than Chinese food lol all eaten and I'm done with eating fried, fatty foods like that again. Sounds weird but I know what u mean about food funeral lil best of luck!!!!

Hey stranger!!

I did the "goodbye" meals before surgery. Managed to pack on an additional pound, too. I can't say that I planned a "last" meal, but I started getting rid of the bad stuff a few weeks prior. I don't remember my last soda, but I don't miss it. Now I marinate/cook my meats in Diet Dr. Pepper so I still taste it

You'll only see what we mean after surgery. When you're pre-op, you feel like so many foods are going to be on the no-no list. But really you can have them after. Once you look at 1,000 calories for the day, you really question if you want a Snickers, because it hogs up the calories and you end up hungrier after eating junk. You'll see...promise.

The strange thing was....when I knew I was eating something for what I thought was the last time, I couldn't eat the same quantity. It actually made me kind of sick feeling. I could easily mow down 3-4 pieces of pizza Hut pizza.....but when the whole thing was sitting in front of me, I only ate two. It was bizarre. You'll probably also notice (once closer to surgery), how emotional the whole Lap Band thing is.

Amy

food Funeral...is there such a thing?

This past week I feel like I am in mourning for the foods I know I won't be able to eat after I am banded. Is that crazy or what? Does that mean I am truly a food addict or just prepairing myself for the changes I need to make? So today I thought about the Bread sticks at Olive Garden as I polished down two that will probably be my last. Yesterday, I thought about Cinnabuns (and I haven't even had one in years) but the mere idea they will be off the list made me crave one. I think the biggest one has been my Diet Coke, I have been sucking them down at a faster rate these past few days. I feel like the prisoner getting ready for the lethal injection and the Warden asking what I want for my final meal!!! I think this is probably pretty typical of what others may feel as well. I will start my modified liquid diet on Sept 1st so I have a few more weeks to process all of this and prepare for my life changing event. I will try not to think of it as the ending of me enjoying food but to the beginning of a new, healthier me.

I did really well in my two week pre-op diet, but the day before my surgery, I definitely splurged. I went to Wendys, had a DOUBLE Baconator, large fries and large Diet Coke...and I did not regret one bite!

After your initial recovery, you can still eat the foods you enjoy, you just have to watch yourself. If I want a sandwich or burger, I have it wrapped in lettuce. For Pasta, I can't do long noodles (ie-spaghetti, fettucini, linguini), I have to eat bite-sized pasta-like penne or farfalle. pizza has to be thin crust and I eat it with a fork.

You just have to learn to be smart, watch your portions, take small bites (especially with bread products), and chew chew chew!