I am 4 weeks post op and have not had a fill yet. Right now I am battling the 'head' hunger and the real hunger. I am curious, to those of you that are in the green zone. Do you feel like eating/snacking in between meals still? Do you still (assuming you did before) eat when bored? Or are you satisfied between meals that you aren't feeling compelled to graze and snack? How much does will power play a role in your daily life? Just trying to get a sense what being in the green zone does for you and how it feels compared to before you were banded and before you were in the green zone. Thanks!!!

I very rarely get hungry, and when I do it is different than before being banded...hard to explain, I have no interest in food...my mind tells me I don't need it...I believe it's the band telling my brain I'm full, even though I'm not full, and may not have eaten in over 18 hours......If I am busy, so at work or out traveling around, I forget to eat altogether...my poor wife has to remind me....

Now, because it's winter I spend more time indoors, in front of the TV all day on Saturdays watching sports......I do tend to graze all day on different Snacks, but not because I am hungry.......but when I do do that, I will do not have any meals...the only thing I eat that day is what I have been grazing on.....so it all evens out....

BTW, as far as will power....No..it all comes quite naturally, as a permanent lifestyle

Before banded, I was addicted to food...could not get enough...I would be driving in my car, see a fast food restaurant and go in a get something, whether I needed to or not...I could think about a particular food item, and have to run out and get it.....and this was besides my normal (?) meals....

would also eta a large sandwich or something just before bedtime....

All that is behind me....even if I wanted to, I CANNOT overeat.....

Last cruise we were on, I threw out all the rules...told myself I was going to test this surgery, and eat whatever and whenever I wanted....I Lost 5 lbs!!

The band worked.....did exactly what it does everyday...where I am and what is offered to me makes no difference!

I very rarely get hungry, and when I do it is different than before being banded...hard to explain, I have no interest in food...my mind tells me I don't need it...I believe it's the band telling my brain I'm full, even though I'm not full, and may not have eaten in over 18 hours......If I am busy, so at work or out traveling around, I forget to eat altogether...my poor wife has to remind me....

Now, because it's winter I spend more time indoors, in front of the TV all day on Saturdays watching sports......I do tend to graze all day on different Snacks, but not because I am hungry.......but when I do do that, I will do not have any meals...the only thing I eat that day is what I have been grazing on.....so it all evens out....

BTW, as far as will power....No..it all comes quite naturally, as a permanent lifestyle

Before banded, I was addicted to food...could not get enough...I would be driving in my car, see a fast food restaurant and go in a get something, whether I needed to or not...I could think about a particular food item, and have to run out and get it.....and this was besides my normal (?) meals....

would also eta a large sandwich or something just before bedtime....

All that is behind me....even if I wanted to, I CANNOT overeat.....

Last cruise we were on, I threw out all the rules...told myself I was going to test this surgery, and eat whatever and whenever I wanted....I Lost 5 lbs!!

The band worked.....did exactly what it does everyday...where I am and what is offered to me makes no difference!

Just curious, what is your daily average calorie intake?

Just curious, what is your daily average calorie intake?

I can sooo identify to you how were before the band. All I thought was food! And I am newly banded and still do to some degree. My eating choices have drastically changed of course, still on a soft food diet. And I do stick to that, but I am stuck inside with this awful winter weather and still find myself wanting to graze on food all afternoon. Even when I am not feeling hungry. I really, really want to learn how to control the head hunger vs. the real hunger, but I am having a such a hard time with that.

Just curious, what is your daily average calorie intake?

I have no idea....I don't count calories...I just make good food choices, and a lot less often than what I used to.

When I was in the green zone, I was like B52. I rarely felt hungry, often forgot to eat. I didn't feel any 'connection' with a lot of the 'bad' foods I used to love. When I thought to eat, I would craved good quality food because I could eat so little, I didn't want to waste it on KFC, I wanted something that would make every bite worth it.

I easily maintained for 3 years and then sprung a leak so now experience hunger, which is how I know it was the band that was taking it away for me. I gained weight and now am trying to lose it again but losing when battling hunger is a lot harder. A LOT harder.

But the band did give me long lasting gifts in that I still don't want KFC, or soda or a lot of the bad stuff that I was addicted to.

When I was in the green zone, I was like B52. I rarely felt hungry, often forgot to eat. I didn't feel any 'connection' with a lot of the 'bad' foods I used to love. When I thought to eat, I would craved good quality food because I could eat so little, I didn't want to waste it on KFC, I wanted something that would make every bite worth it.

I easily maintained for 3 years and then sprung a leak so now experience hunger, which is how I know it was the band that was taking it away for me. I gained weight and now am trying to lose it again but losing when battling hunger is a lot harder. A LOT harder.

But the band did give me long lasting gifts in that I still don't want KFC, or soda or a lot of the bad stuff that I was addicted to.

And THAT is how the band works....Too often I read posts where IMO people are selling the band short....but that is their choice.......

just be careful getting tattoos....

just be careful getting tattoos....

ROFL! Yep, do NOT get a tattoo ANYWHERE near your port/tubing when you have no fat left between it and your skin. Bad, BAD idea.

Though they fixed that and I'm still leaking, so I wish that that was all it had been!

I think it depends on what type of eater you are. If you're a grazer or a binge eater, then being in the Green Zone definitely helps because you're simply not hungry. If you're an emotional eater, a stress eater, or a boredom eater than it'll likely be a little harder to overcome.

You have to remember- the band goes around your stomach not your brain. Physical hunger is greatly diminished with the band and as a result ending the pre-occupation with food. But head hunger is still our battle to fight because it has nothing to do with whether or not we're physically hungry.

Best wishes.

In my case, I spent a lot of time working on the head hunger part so maybe that's why when the physical hunger disappeared so did my head hunger. When my physical hunger re-appeared so did my head hunger, but not nearly to the same extent as pre-band.

I had my own methodology of dealing with my head hunger and I'm still using those same methods now for losing without the help of the band. I think you make a good point there Missy, and I think that if you go into this mentally unprepared to do battle against your headspace you will struggle the entire way. I found that in the first half of the year of my leaky band, that I was not in that headspace and my weight gain tells the story on that.

In my case, I spent a lot of time working on the head hunger part so maybe that's why when the physical hunger disappeared so did my head hunger. When my physical hunger re-appeared so did my head hunger, but not nearly to the same extent as pre-band.

I had my own methodology of dealing with my head hunger and I'm still using those same methods now for losing without the help of the band. I think you make a good point there Missy, and I think that if you go into this mentally unprepared to do battle against your headspace you will struggle the entire way. I found that in the first half of the year of my leaky band, that I was not in that headspace and my weight gain tells the story on that.

I agree totally, in fact in some ways, I think the mental preparation is even more important than all the physical preparation.

I'll be honest, if I'd have had Lap Band surgery 2 years before I did, I'd have failed miserably. I was in a horrible place mentally and truly at the mercy of my food addiction. There is no way I could've changed my behavior and eating habits back then. The only reason I've done well now is because I spent over 6 months before surgery getting my head together and dealing with my emotional/psychological issues that led me to food addiction to begin with.

If I could have one major piece of advice for people considering any WLS, it would be to deal with their mental demons before trying to deal with their obesity demons.