Recently I talked to a co-worker about her LapBand experience and diet. She looks AMAZING at 4 years out. I am almost 1 year out and have had 5 fills at this point. I have not gone back to the doctor since October because I felt like if I got filled any more I would not be able to eat the healthy foods I love. Well, after my chat with my co-worker, I feel like I'm completely overeating at least compared to her.

So I wanted to reach out to you successful bandsters and ask your opinion on my menu. Here is what I eat everyday. Do you think it is too much volume of food? Does it look like I might need a fill if I can easily eat all this food? Calories are about 880-900 a day.

Breakfast

1 egg scrambled (70 cal)

3 asparagus spears (10 cal)

1 slice bread (80 cal)

Snack

1 oz (~15) almonds (160 cal)

1 tbsp dark chocolate chips (70 cal)

lunch

1 ½ cup raw salad greens (15 cal)

3 oz. chicken breast (145 cal)

½ cup raw veggie mix (15 cal)

2 tblsp Lite Salad Dressing (60 cal)

dinner

3 oz chicken breast (145 cal)

½ -1 cup cooked greens (collards , kale, spinach) (18-36 cal)

Snack (if hungry)

½ cup yogurt (76 cal)

½ tablespoon honey (30 cal)

I don't think that is a lot of food. You need to be able to eat from a variety of food groups to get all your nutrition.

I would say that if you can stick to these amounts and be satisfied inbetween then you are doing well. If you really wanted to cut back on caolries without noticing then the easiest way would be to lose the nuts, choc chips and honey.However nuts are good for you and so long as you are measuring your portion and not going over that then it is fine. if the little bit of chocolate keeps you on track and sane then again I do not see this as a big issue.

Having a band is not about being on some insane strict diet. It should be about eating smaller portions of healthy food and you should be able to stick with this for life.

sounds like healthy eating to me.. but depends on your activity level too.. if youre satisfied with the rate of weight you are losing at.. youre ok.. don't compare yourself to anyone.. each persons journey is their own.. good luck

Doesn't seem like a lot of food but if you are concerned, one place to look at is your activity level. Are you exercising? Weight does come off a little faster if you are.

I eat more than this. I also work out a lot. If its working and your not hungry you should be fine.

Kat

Thanks for the feedback everybody. I am currently exercising about 6 days a week for 30min - 1hr. I do still get hungry between meals, even with my snacks so I'm thinking I could use a bit more fill. I don't always eat everything on the menu, sometimes I am not as hungry and other times I eat more, it just depends. I am afraid that if I can't eat as much I'll be forced to eat less healthy but I'm sure I can figure something out that I can both tolerate physically and that is healthy.

your food looks good. your weight loss is fabulous!! CONGRATS!

I would maybe up your protein as your snacks don't have much protein. I tend to eat 60-90g's of protein a day. I am on a high protein diet and work out 4-5 days/week for 40 mins 3 x wk & 1.5 2x/wk. Better to have a slow and steady loss. Don't get frustrated keep on going, keep up the great work!

K

I won't lie. When I was well restricted, I ate less than what you described. Quite a lot less. What you're describing is probably what I eat now when I have no restriction (and to maintain my weight)

And I didn't feel hungry between meals. I rarely had breakfast beyond a cup of tea, and then if one of my team didn't remind me to have lunch, I'd often forget that too. So I would say you could probably use a little more fill if you're eating all that and are still hungry. You can still eat healthy (I couldn't eat chicken breast but I could eat well cooked, softer chicken thighs) even while well restricted. You just learn to eat differently.