Hey Band veterans, I've been wondering about weather or not after you have adjusted to life with your bands if you still enjoy food as well or does it just become "necessary". I love going out for nice meals or preparing them,Is that over?

I can eat any and everything except breads and tortillas.

I love food, I love to cook.. and I can eat anything including bread still. The only thing I seriously miss and only once in a while is being able to chug a full big glass of cold milk or Water.. I can go about two or three glulgs and then I have to stop.

I think I have learned to enjoy some foods more with the band. I eat slower, I savour the food I eat and I eat better food. I don't bother with drive throughs since I don't like them I would rather sit and have something with some nutritional value to it.

And when I say I have anything I mean anything, Prime Rib, Buffalo steak, fondue, chicken in any manner, fajitas, sushi, Pasta, fish etc. I still drink wine and booze. I eat much smaller portions and I take my time, but I still eat it all.

I can't eat red meat anymore. Just isn't enjoyable and too hard to get down. I still haven't fully adjusted to my new way of eating. I still miss it very much. But I keep moving forward.

Red meat is tricky for some people.. I can do ground red meat no problems ever. For other cuts of red meat I need to have it cooked medium rare at the most.

Not to change the subject but congrats on the amazing results there, Heather. Also, it's great to see someone five years into the program and still maintaining weight loss and feeling good about the band. Yeah!

Thanks, the band is amazing as are my surgeons at TLBC. I think anyone can get here, it is work but it is also life altering in so many worth while ways.

I still enjoy most foods. However, my band has slipped and, I have forgotten the days of throwing up and sliming.

The truth of the matter is I shouldn't enjoy food as much as I do....anyone relate? I have a food addiction that is sometimes controllable and sometimes not. The lap-band does not cure this. I can't really binge without sickness but I never really was a binger. However, I can still sneak in Reese's pb cups and stuff. Self control is very hard but I work at it every day!

I've lost 100lbs with the band. I'm happy with my health and damn happy with my looks!:clap2:

More so. Like Jack says, pre op, good food always involved overeating. I was afraid to put the effort into cooking because if I made something good like lasagne, I'd pigout on it. At restaurants I took the opportunity to really hoe in, and go on a diet "tomorrow".

Now, food isnt the enemy, its enjoyable and part of socialising but its just food. I eat as much as it takes to satisfy and that's it. But I enjoy it way more because I"m not afraid of it any longer.

Do you still enjoy food the same?

I don't think she's asking what you can or can't eat.

No, I don't enjoy food the same. I don't put as much value into eating as I used to... I don't fantasize about going out for dinner at ___, and eating all this ____, because it can't happen. I can't eat alot, and alot of the time, for me, if I can't stuff my face (and belly), it's not really worth it. I don't look forward to going to certain places just because of the foods I can get there... I think that's pretty cool. I actually go out with friends to see them, not (just)for the wings!

It makes me sad sometimes, but not nearly as much as it did in the first 6 months. I cried almost daily when I saw people eating the things I wanted to eat, and the way I wanted to... or even worse, my boyfriend doing it right in front of my face. I don't do that anymore either. :mmph:

I second what Mandi said.....I guess I'm still adjusting. I can really relate to the "sad" thing....but I know (hope) that will pass with time. It still frustrates me.

Mind you it may be more paramount in my head right now because I think I'm too tight.....(see Neenagh???? I can admit it!) LOL

I can honestly say I don't miss stuffing myself, I look at the portions people around me eat and sometimes it just kinda turns my stomach thinking of the calories and the amount. I never really missed the food, or experienced the sadness. Once I realized I could eat everything I wanted, the sense of loss left me. It took a few months but before the first year had passed I knew I wasn't missing anything other than quanity of foods.

My friends loving going out with me, since we order an app and an entree but I eat just a enough that they are getting the majority usually the two things feed both of us and leave my friends with left overs or full enough they are worried about dessert.

I agree with Mandi though I do love going out with friends and knowing I am there because I just really want to see them not because I am craving the food we are eating.

I actually enjoy the food more than I did before. Not in the same way that I did before I was banded, though -- but in a distinctly different way.

In retrospect, I have come to realize that I thought I enjoyed eating before the band, but I now realize that I wolfed it down so fast that I never really tasted it.

Now I actually eat 'good foods' -- much healthier foods, natural and organic foods, whole foods -- foods that I would not touch before -- AND I find that I am chewing slowly enough to take my time and actually savor the flavor and enjoy the texture and taste.

I am more discriminating about what I eat these days -- I eat better, much better, and get to taste the real flavor of the foods vs. the processed and artificial tastes of what I used to eat.

I'm not sure if this is the question you were asking...hope so.

very insightful everyone,thanks for taking the time it really helps this week b/c as Feb.7th gets closer I get waves of cold feet,but you all help all us wantabees feel like it's not the end of the world just different......now I can sleep tonight!:scared:

Hey Band veterans, I've been wondering about weather or not after you have adjusted to life with your bands if you still enjoy food as well or does it just become "necessary". I love going out for nice meals or preparing them,Is that over?

Not for me it isn't. In fact I find I enjoy my food much more then I used to. I think there are a couple of reasons for it. One, since I have to chew so much more carefully, I'm actually tasting the food. Enjoying it's texture. Savoring it. Two, I think I used to scarf down as much food as I could, before my guilt at eating it kicked in. Now, I know what I "should" eat and how much, and I can relax and enjoy it. I like the term "mindful eating".