I've asked this before but I just seem to can't put my finger on the post, sorry for posting again. How do you know when you are in the green zone or hit your sweet spot? I can go 4 hrs sometimes 5 between meals but usually 4 hrs, nights are my worst while watching tv, cravings I mean and for snacking or wanting to at least. I'm not hungry it is just habit and wanting something, at which time I will eat a piece of fruit, greek yogurt or one string cheest (low fat), not always but sometimes. I think I have 4.5cc's in and I just can't imagine getting anymore put in as I do get stuck, well you all know that as you see me post but a lot of that is too big of bite or not chewing well but I don't want to get to the point of not being able to eat eggs, chicken, Protein like that and now I can. I have a 10cc band and I know everyone is different with fills. I just don't understand or know the triggers of the green zone. For the past 2 1/2 weeks I've been battling bad bronchitis, nasal drainage and severe coughing so it has affected my band and my eating, just now getting over this mess so things are getting back to normal, whew. Please explain the green zone to me again. thx

Donna

The green zone is incredibly subtle and transparent. But it sounds like you're there? I don't know why you're so concerned? Most all of us would like to be where you are. I'm nearly there and was once there. I could use a small fill but I'm not concerned about it. I'm just waiting for the biking season to start. I can eat 3 meals a day and 2 small Snacks and be fine. I sometimes crave something late at night and usually I ignore it but sometimes cave and have an apple or cheese stick.

Jean McMillan said it a few weeks ago: "NO WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY OF ANY DESCRIPTION WILL KILL THE EATING DEMONS IN YOUR HEAD" No truer words were ever said.

There may be a bandster out there who can eat 3 times a day and never experiences head hunger/cravings but I know of not one.

tmf

I don't know of 1 either.I'm afraid this is 1 of those instances where the marketing doesn't match up to reality. In the book I was given I was told to eat 3 times a day , no Snacks and if I wasn't hungry then eating only twice would be fine.

Yeah right, I should be so lucky.

I definitely need 3 meals and 2 , sometimes 3 snacks a day.

I think the problem is that the literature is written by medical people that don't have eating issues or bands. They paint an ideal picture but the reality is far different. Stop chasing some ideal green zone utopia that doesn't exist (except for maybe a very tiny percentage) and work with what you have.

thanks 2much and thanks elcee for the input, greatly appreciated.

The hardest part of all is ignoring that head hunger especially after decades of letting it rule. I'm 6 years out and occasionally it still wins BUT I get back on the BANDwagon

the green zone for me did cure the head chatter about food and I charted the times I wanted to eat for two month and now I plan on a snack at that time. hope that helps soome

My hardest time is also night time so I have a planned snack of a nut/seed/fruit mix and decaf coffee. I measure out 2 oz of the snack and I am finding a lot of times I dont eat it all. Its a nice snack and I eat piece by piece nice and slow.

Donna the greenzone for me personally is not waking up hungry, no interest in food 24/7, no wanting to snack at night time, no cravings, only eat when hungry and that happens about twice a day, I know it's not enough to do that every day so I make sure I eat a piece of fruit either before lunch or between lunch and dinner or after dinner, just when I'm in the mood. Also I go easily 5 to 6 hours between meals before I get a little bit hungry. Also you know how you walk around shopping centers through the food courts in the past I'd float around with all the smells now it doesn't even bother me.

After I've eaten dinner I have no desire to want anything else either so it's taken the night time munchies away. I'm not that restricted that I can't eat anything, and there was a stage about 8 weeks ago I was getting stuck a lot too but I had to take even smaller bites to adjust.

I plan an evening snack every day. Frozen berries take time to munch down. I also do some inane crafts at night. I just finished making my eightenth rope covered "pear". Last week (at 2 am) i thought it would be a great idea to remove the wall paper in my bathroom. Bad idea. I should have eaten a cheese stick.

Kathy - that is hilarious and totally something I would do too!