This goes out to anyone who has lost a hundred pounds or so. Can you give us all an idea of what you eat every day? Today is my first day on real food. I'm instructed to have one protein shake plus 2 real meals every day. I had my shake for breakfast. For lunch 1/3 burrito with a couple chips & salsa. Dinner will be about the same as lunch. It's all so baffling when I read about people who are not losing weight. I could have eaten more of my burrito. How long before I can tell the difference between being full or hungry vs. the tightness and oddness of the way the band feels in my belly? Does that make sense?

I hope you don't mind my answering--I'm only halfway to qualifying as an "expert." But I remember so clearly being as confused as you are right now, so here's what I can tell you.

Things will really change for you over time. Right now you're just reintroducing solid food, and you'll find that over the next few weeks you'll be able to eat almost as normally as you did before surgery. That may sound surprising, but it's true. Hunger will return and you'll recognize it, because the "oddness" you feel now will recede into the background as your body heals and you get used to the feelings that have changed.

How long will it take? No one can say, for you. I know that by the time of my first fill, two months after banding, I was barely aware the band was there. All of the strange feelings were gone. But then, post-fill, restriction returned and suddenly I was back to square one with regard to discovering how much I could eat. Learning the feelings related to hunger, having the munchies, eating with the proper caution, being full, and being over-full does take some time and there are likely to be some errors along the way.

By the holidays last year, four months post-surgery, I remember eating and truly being satisfied with a relatively tiny plateful. Not pissed off because everyone else was pigging out; not mad because something got stuck in my throat; just pleasantly full and satisfied on a very small amount of food. So for me, I guess the answer is four months. Your mileage may vary.

hey delarla

when i was where you are well 1 month out (almost) i could eat almost as much as pre-band. things didnt change for me till i got restriction.

i went through several fills and got close to restriction then i had a fill (11-03) where the Fluid got stuck in a pocket in the port and i had semi restriction for good 4 months but no where near truly restricted i kept getting filled and could never get to my sweet spot i had to use self control to not lose it.

once i got everything fixed and truly had restriction i quit having much head hunger because when you truly cant take another bite whats the sense in obcessing? before the head hunget was coming from knowing i could eat more. now when i am full i full, for hours, i hardly even snack because i am so busy drinking. i physically cant eat anymore.

i dont ever get mad either that i cant eat i feel like i have had my fair share of high calorie, high fat, high carb foods. now its my turn to take in the healthy ones to balance things out. when i get to 200 pounds i'll have to find a healthy balance of high calorie days and healthy days.

now when i see a certain foods there are times i wish i could eat them (footlong sub mainly) there will be a time when i get unfilled (when i am prego) and then i'll be getting me a 6" sub just the way i like it!

i am following the atkins diet now so i eat off of this list http://atkins.com/Archive/2001/12/15-464579.html

typically i eat

drink 32 oz Water 6:30 am - 9:30 am

breakfast @ 9:30- 1 scrambled egg with cheese

drink 32 oz water 10:30 am - 2:00 pm

lunch 1/3 chicken breast 1/3 cup low carb mac and cheese (i only eat the low carb Pasta once a week sometimes twice)

drink 32 oz water 3:00-6:00 pm

dinner- (i'll do lastnights dinner) 3 oz nys steak 1/3 cup sauteed zuchinni, red peppers with a cilantro sauce

i can eat 1/2 - 3/4 cup of any food, any meat (chicken breast boneless skinnless, nys steak, pork chop, ribs etc). salads i can eat 1 cup or because they are mostly water they break down easy.

there are lots of ways to 'work' your tool. some people are THROUGH with diets and make healthy food choices and let the restriction work for them, some people diet atkins, south beach, the zone, sugar busters etc. some people lean toward a mushy diet and are super restricted.

i personally want to get off 3/4 (150 pounds) of my weight that will put me at 200 pounds. when i get there i will figure out a plan just for me! (similiar to sugar busters- whole grains, fruits veggies and lean meats) i will not ever eat like i did pre band. thats what got me to 350 and i dont ever want to go back there!

sorry for the book!

I feel like I'm hiding the worst secret from my band buddies and I really need help right now. I was doing great, then last night my old inner monster took over and I ate 2/3 of a huge burrito at 9pm. I ate really slow and chewed really well while knowing how wrong I was. I felt a full gassy feeling in my throat, but I was able to eat the whole thing. I went to bed feeling uncomfortable in my sternum. I'm not sure where my stomach is. I actually feel full around my port. My port still hasn't healed, so when I eat, the food presses against my port incision, and that's where I feel full. I woke up uncomfy in the middle of the night, but keep in mind I used to go to bed sick to my stomach every night. I still didn't eat as much as I'd usually eat, but I really need help so I never, ever, ever do that again. I could use phone numbers to call people during my danger-hours. My danger zone is after 8:00 p.m. (Nevada time.) I go to bed at 10:00, and you'd think 2 hours without eating is no problem, but I can eat more in those hours than most people eat in 2 days. Did you guys screw up when your band was less than a month old? And how come I didn't have a PB? Why does my body allow me to abuse it like this while others throw up? I'm so horrified about this. If I don't grab hold of reality, I'm doomed.

First of all don't beat yourself up!

You already know what you did wasn't ok for right now so now all you have to do is move on.

My suggestions are:

Yes, call someone at that time.

Maybe go out for a power walk

Take a hot shower AND brush your teeth

Drink an outrageous amount of Water

Have a hot drink,decaf coffee or tea

Have a healthy snack

Have a Protein drink

re-organise something,cupboards,picture albums,clothes closet ect.

Instead of watching tv throw on a CD and dance like a crazy woman

I totally understand how you felt and why you did it.I ate a toasted hot dog in my second week and was horrified.(and i don't even like hot dogs...that's all we had in the house!)I didn't have this resource then either and could not believe after everything i'd went through to get the band i would break down not two weeks later.

You didn't throw up cuz you are not restricted yet.

Take care and forget about it or take it as a lesson learned type of deal!!

Chantal XXOO

P.S You can call me anytime if you don't mind calling loooooooong distance...let me know:)I am in Ottawa Canada

OOOOH DELARLA!!!

your band isnt tightened and is offering you NOTHING!!! thats why they say anything lost pre-band is a bonus!!! i lost 18 initally but gained back 7 for a loss of 11 pre-fill.

you need to read this it is from another board from a girl who was in the FDA trials she has been banded 3 years has lost 140 pounds...

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This is a recurrent theme on all lists, so let's just address it.

The Lapband was designed with a purpose. To be emptied if we ever needed to be able to eat fairly normally again. I say "fairly" normally because even with no Fluid it usually cuts our portions at least some. But mostly this is because we haven't been forced to superchew our food yet. Now, we understand this purpose when we go into it. But it doesn't really SINK IN until we're actually healed from our liquid phase (or even before that) and we decide to TEST THE BAND. And we can STILL eat!!! And we PANIC! And we convince ourselves we're doomed to fail! And we stress out and eat more. And maybe gain back some of the weight we lost during the liquid phase.

We're convinced the band that seems to have worked for thousands of others isn't going to work for us. That we're some freak of nature that is going to be fat for all eternity. It's normal to feel this way. Really. You're coming down from the drama and high of the surgery into the day to day boring liquids and you expect to start really losing some weight. I mean, you had surgery didn't you???? Well don't expect much until you're restricted. Use this time to HEAL. See ANY weight loss before your first really good fill as a BONUS and NOT a given, okay???? If you're lost weight, consider yourself that far ahead.

There are some lucky ones who experience great restriction out the door. Most are in between and some experience none (like me). You're NOT GOING TO FAIL. Your tummy is healing. It's anchoring that band in place so that it won't slip. If you've had one fill and you need another, make it your priority to get one. Otherwise you're just spinning your wheels. I've had my band so tight that a couple of sips of coffee and ONE bite of a strawberry make me so full I'm on the verge of barfing for hours. I've had it so tight that chewing gum was too much for me because swallowing all that saliva was causing it to back up.

Right now I'm kind of at a happy medium. When you get your band to that "just right" spot a switch goes off in your brain about food. You stop caring about it. I'm serious. Suddenly you have to come to grips with the fact that you just CANNOT eat like you once did. And that has a lot of issues unto itself but it comes with the reward of weight loss so it doesn't leave you feeling as vulnerable and schitzy as the prefill stage does.

If you're still healing and haven't lost much weight--please try to just get through this time and preoccupy yourself with other things.Did you know that Dr. Fox in Seattle prescribes his band patients diet pills to take during the prefill stage? Why? He understands the difficulty. He feels it's better to kill the appetite chemically while the band heals that subject his patients to all that stress. And he happens to have one of the highest band success rates in the country.

And as always, it's better to ADD to your habits then to try to take away. Add more Water, more Vitamins, more exercise. But don't try to take away food because it throws you into dieting mentality. Adding will naturally balance out the other problem.Just my thought for the night and now I'm finally going to bed. It's a good thing I type 100+ words a minute

robin

this is a reply from robin:

And it is my pleasure to try to reassure you all. I remember 2 things from my prefill stage--how utterly depressed I was thinking the band wasn't going to work and how totally alone I believed I was in my experience. The last 2 years has proven to me that I was more the "norm" that I possibly could have imagined and had my doctor or SOMEONE let me know this from the getgo I would have felt like it was just a neccessary part of the process and would have gotten through it with a more realistic outlook.

Let's just say I wouldn't have beaten myself up the way I did.

Robin

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i hope this helps! michelle

DeLarla -

Here's some info from when I went through counseling for my compulsive overeating. Some of it may seem/sound hokey, but I have to tell you it made 1000% difference in my self-esteem.

http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=434

Am I cured? Not by a long shot. But I have the tools now to help me when I'm falling down. Like this week. Which I was going to make a separate post about.

Anyway... One of the miracles (for me) about this band thing, is that I CANNOT GIVE UP!!! Seriously - there is no giving up. Remember how when we dieted, we were "good" for as long as possible, and then we'd have a huge lapse in judgment, and before we knew it we'd eaten everything in the house and polished off all the take-out we followed-up with? And then... well... what was the point of going back on the diet after such a major break? We tried, but it was half-hearted. Well, NOW... NOW there is no "what's the point" - because we are STILL banded. Our "diet" (tool) is "permanent" - so no matter what we do today, tomorrow, this week, this month - our tool is always there, helping us get back on our feet.

So breathe, be good to yourself. Know that you are not alone in any of your struggles.

Once you start getting fills you will have more help with your hunger, and certainly more help with your quantity.

Smile, girl!!! You're BANDED!!! :D

Delarla you can call me anytime. I love talking to people and have always noticed you because you got banded three days before me by the same doctor. I would love someone to chat with who is in the same boat I am at the same time. I haven't figured the whole system out either but I must have some restriction. Everytime I don't think I do I'll find the one food that will make me throw up. I don't think I have had more than a 1/2 cup of anything since before surgery and even 1 or 2 tiny bites of the wrong thing can make me sick. I also started out at 362 lbs so we are both in for the long haul. My email is hagerteresa@hotmail.com so if you want my number email me and I'll send it back to you. Best wishes, Teresa

Originally posted by DeLarla

I feel like I'm hiding the worst secret from my band buddies and I really need help right now. I was doing great, then last night my old inner monster took over and I ate 2/3 of a huge burrito at 9pm. ... Did you guys screw up when your band was less than a month old? And how come I didn't have a PB? Why does my body allow me to abuse it like this while others throw up? I'm so horrified about this. If I don't grab hold of reality, I'm doomed.

If I may repeat what I said above: ...you'll find that over the next few weeks you'll be able to eat almost as normally as you did before surgery.

Without restriction you have no more ability to resist your demons than you did before banding. Don't beat yourself up about it!! With time you will learn when enough is enough, and if you're like most people you will accept what you have to do to avoid pain. But this comes only AFTER you have restriction.

PLEASE don't torment yourself with thoughts of "being bad" at this point. There's nothing to be gained except mental anguish. Just take care of your healing self!

I'm so worried for band babies who don' t know these boards. Once again you people leave me in tears. Shelly, it's like you crawled inside my head and stole my words; where did you find that entry? Was that Robin writing? If so, I've chatted with her before, and she's incredible. Shelly, those are the exact words I needed to hear at the exact moment. When I read your reply I felt the noose around my neck slide to the floor. Fox sounds brilliant. You also helped the other day by giving me links to a fill video but my puter wouldn't let me view it. Your info is just the stuff I need. I was devastated yesterday because I tried replying for 2 hours but something awful suddenly happened to my puter, and it said this site no longer existed. Talk about freaking out! I felt like I was stranded on an island watching the rescue plane fly by. I thought the site went away, but it's a new morning and the site is working fine so I'm breathing again.

Alex, do I mind you answering? Are you nuts? You've been nothing but helpful, wonderful, wise, supportive, amazing. I feel privileged every time you respond. Please never stop.

Donali, give me your hand so I may have the honor of kissing your ring. You answered my worst fear of not being able to get back on track. You're right, for some reason it's different with the band and I didn't spend the next day in a downward spiral at the nearest buffet. I can't get to the link you offered, but I always cry when you write. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of those sappy romantics that love a good cry, and these are all really good cries!

C, I read every word and drank as much Water as possible yesterday. I've also taken steps to occupy my nights instead of watching TV to distract from eating. Staying occupied on my home puter instead of the TV always works, but my puter takes an hour to read a couple posts. I asked hubby to wire this room for cable, which he'll do this weekend. I'm ordering cable to eliminate the frustration and use my puter instead of food. I also picked up my guitar that I bought 20 years ago but never really learned. I found my Eagles book and can already do a really bad intro to Tequila Sunrise, which drives my husband nuts so it's dual purpose (paybacks for his blaring sports.)

Theresa, thank you, thank you. I'll be calling you this weekend. I paid cash (ha ha, I mean credit) for my surgery, so what's another couple hundred in long distance bills? I call my band buddies religiously and it helps enormously.

I learned long ago that "you're only as sick as your secrets" so even though it made me sick to my stomach to tell you guys how I ate, within minutes you were all there to fix me right up.

I owe you all the world because yesterday I barely ate. I never got hungry but ate a small amount of tuna twice because my bod needs the Protein. My incision can't heal without it.

Thank you all from the center of my heart, which is now two sizes bigger.

Hi DeLarla,

I am glad you were able to get the advice you needed from everybody. I too am the sappy romantic type:) I am going to just post my phone number and that way anyone who ever feels the need can give me a call. It is 541-302-6345. I live in Oregon. For the best long distance rates I find the $20 phone cards at costco or Sam's Club are the greatest. Its like 2 cents a minute or something. I get one and the 800 minutes lasts at least a few months between all of my family members and I (we all share the same card) and it is easily rechargeable at the same great rate. I don't know how people that don't know about this forum do it either. I find it so helpful to chat with other people in the same situation. Best of luck and call anytime, Teresa

P.S. My husband works during the evenings so I am the lonely little wife in the evenings anyway. T

I wrote down your number Teresa. I've been too busy this weekend to call anyone since my sister's in town. I'm doing better today. I even went to the gym for a good workout then grabbed my dogs and took them for a walk, then my feet fell off, but at least I earned some laying around time. I just got back from a buffet and did extremely well. I used to eat 2-3 heaping plates plus several desserts. Today I lightly loaded one plate. I ate a few bites of everthing including shrimp dipped in coctail sauce with extra horseradish, oh yum. My sister offered to share her plate of desserts so I had little bites of her stuff. I didn't allow myself to get full. I notice that no matter how slow I eat, a half-hour after I'm done eating I get even fuller. So I watched them take my leftovers away and wasn't nearly as devastated as I thought I'd be. It's interesting that my choices were all protein, so apparently that's what my body needs now. I usually pile high with carbs, veggies, etc. Today I just needed MEAT. GIVE ME MEAT. Now I'm craving a Caesar's Salad for dinner, so that's what I'll have with bits of chicken. And I'm craving tomatoes.

My band was my friend today! Very nice.

You guys are all so helpful and I know that we all have felt like DeLarla there's not much I can add except one of you pointed out to me that this is a way of life and for the first time that actually sunk in my head that it will take me alittle while to get my weight down but it will come and it is so amazing the reief that comes after reading a thread like this one that encourages each other and gives us hope thanks ladies for your time and love. Ginny

299/275/130

4/19/04

hey delarla!

yes that was a post i copied and pasted from the infamous Robin AKA Coffeewench!

i know that when i struggled to get restrction i just kept reading and rereading that post and saying "OK this girl is at GOAL she knows what she's talking about!" and eventually i found it all to be true for me to!

Shelly, thanks for finding that post from Coffeewench. I chatted with her once and she is amazing. If you didn't copy that for me, I'd still be a wreck. Thanks! Hey, I looked at your new pics but I've never seen a "before" one. You look great now though!

this is directly yo the befores...http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=4122824&uid=2121202

the last one at the very bottom is the last photo i had before surgery.

http://www.picturetrail.com/southernbandgirl thats the general area i put pics of my transistion in there under each album.

coffewench is my idol!!! i wonder if she knows she has such a fan club!!!

michelle