In the beginning, I had no choice but to follow a standard diet plan....count calories, measure portions, just as I did before the surgery....because the band was simply installed...not doing anything for me, yet.

As the band gets adjusted, (along with adjusting my own psychie) the band then began to take control and then I had to determine for myself what is tolerable or not to eat.....

Once that happened...Green Zone....and portions were controlled and held to a minimum automatically, and my eating has become so little per day, it was my best interest to choose the healthiest foods I can, not wasting the limited food intake on garbage....

Also, when that phase began, I totally stopped worrying about calories...other than what I burned at the gym...and concentrated on nutritious foods....

Some people do not like the term "Deprivation"...to me, it has everything to do with being deprived.

It's funny, all of the foods my band deprives me of, are not all that good for me in the first place...so why force it....

I used to eat an entire large pizza all by myself, with numerous toppings, every friday night...used to have a salad along with it to say I was eating healthy...and wash it all down with a beer or two....NOW, the band deprives me of doing such things...overeating, setting portion sizes and eliminating certain troublesome foods...so I can no longer get through a single slice....so I gave up pizza altogether....I've been deprived...too bad?

The band has Deprived me of doing many other stupid things I used to do....

Could eat a dozen do-nuts - now cannot eat 2 bites = deprivation

Entire box of Cookies - now 2-3 and I'm done! = deprivation

Entire container of ice cream - now, a scoop, maybe 2 = deprivation ( and this is a slider?)

Anything in the house in the way of food was not safe, I would finish it off....

The list goes on and on...that is what the band has done for me....taken away all the bad habits, overeating of the bad foods, and FORCED me to eat less, a LOT less, and to eat healthy....add to that the fact my hunger is held in check 24 hours a day, and I add exercise on top of it to burn stored fat/calories, and you have my recipe for success.

You can also see why I will not call my band a tool....I have no control over it or my weight loss, I have been surgically altered...only control I have is to determine to get a fill or some taken out....but even then I have to convince my Dr...and once he talked me out of getting Fluid taken out...thank God he did or I would have regretted it...

Oh well, it's 5 am...off to the gym....

B-52

Thank you for all you share. The last fill I had, really took me over the top. I had no choice but to go back two days later and get some fluid taken out. However, I still feel a lot of restriction and I understand completely where you are coming from. I could barely eat, especially foods like bread and rice. Thank God for that because that was my weakness. I remember reading something you wrote about being tight for about two weeks and riding it out. I took that advice because the previous fill was tight and after two or three weeks, I could still eat a horse, lol! The point is that I think some bandsters still want to be able to eat everything they could before being banded, and that shouldn't be an option. Again, thanks for sharing your experience with us. I truly appreciate it and good luck with everything!

B-52, I must tell you I have been SECRETLY admiring you for months on this forum. I love your posts- each and every one of them. You have a way with words.... And I love that you are always so B-52!!!

XOXOXOXO

Thanks so much for your posts, they are very motivated help a lot with my decision of lapband , surgery is november 6.

Thank you for your post. I to am riding out my last fill because of your post. I can eat and drink and my problems are small so it's not that I wouldn't have an infill if I needed to, but you do put a different spin on things. I don't miss the pizza, bread or chips I love that the band takes care of those things, and I love for the first time in my life I am a small eater, was at a function recently and could not believe what people put on their plate because it's free, please GOD that is never me again because the price you pay for over eating is so great.

Thank you for your post. I to am riding out my last fill because of your post. I can eat and drink and my problems are small so it's not that I wouldn't have an infill if I needed to, but you do put a different spin on things. I don't miss the pizza, bread or chips I love that the band takes care of those things, and I love for the first time in my life I am a small eater, was at a function recently and could not believe what people put on their plate because it's free, please GOD that is never me again because the price you pay for over eating is so great.

PLEASE do not do anything because of me....one of my pet peeves is people on this forum telling other people what they should or should not do...and there are plenty of the pseudo experts to go around....first and foremost all is between you and your Dr.....

Everyone else should simply shre their own experiences.

In the beginning' date=' I had no choice but to follow a standard diet plan....count calories, measure portions, just as I did before the surgery....because the band was simply installed...not doing anything for me, yet.

As the band gets adjusted, (along with adjusting my own psychie) the band then began to take control and then I had to determine for myself what is tolerable or not to eat.....

Once that happened...Green Zone....and portions were controlled and held to a minimum automatically, and my eating has become so little per day, it was my best interest to choose the healthiest foods I can, not wasting the limited food intake on garbage....

Also, when that phase began, I totally stopped worrying about calories...other than what I burned at the gym...and concentrated on nutritious foods....

Some people do not like the term "Deprivation"...to me, it has everything to do with being deprived.

It's funny, all of the foods my band deprives me of, are not all that good for me in the first place...so why force it....

I used to eat an entire large pizza all by myself, with numerous toppings, every friday night...used to have a salad along with it to say I was eating healthy...and wash it all down with a beer or two....NOW, the band deprives me of doing such things...overeating, setting portion sizes and eliminating certain troublesome foods...so I can no longer get through a single slice....so I gave up pizza altogether....I've been deprived...too bad?

The band has Deprived me of doing many other stupid things I used to do....

Could eat a dozen do-nuts - now cannot eat 2 bites = deprivation

Entire box of Cookies - now 2-3 and I'm done! = deprivation

Entire container of ice cream - now, a scoop, maybe 2 = deprivation ( and this is a slider?)

Anything in the house in the way of food was not safe, I would finish it off....

The list goes on and on...that is what the band has done for me....taken away all the bad habits, overeating of the bad foods, and FORCED me to eat less, a LOT less, and to eat healthy....add to that the fact my hunger is held in check 24 hours a day, and I add exercise on top of it to burn stored fat/calories, and you have my recipe for success.

You can also see why I will not call my band a tool....I have no control over it or my weight loss, I have been surgically altered...only control I have is to determine to get a fill or some taken out....but even then I have to convince my Dr...and once he talked me out of getting Fluid taken out...thank God he did or I would have regretted it...

Oh well, it's 5 am...off to the gym....[/quote']

I love this post! I couldn't agree with you more. Everything you said is true. Congrats, on all your success with the weight loss.

I have had my band since August of 2012. The best choice I have ever made. I do miss pizza from time to time and yes once in awhile I have a bite of my kids or my husbands. But can NOT eat more than that. It gets me over the crave of it though. Breads are not good for me nor is rice or Pasta. Every time I try to eat any of it I end up throwing it back up. So I don't but once in awhile I am still stupid and try a bite or two! Think I would learn!! I have lost 83 lbs and am very happy with the band. Its a great tool to help me. I do have a hard time eating any kind of fruit or veggies and beer or pork. I eat a lot of fish and chicken. If we go out to eat with friends I usually just get nacho's. It something I know will not make me sick. Not the healthiest thing to eat. But I do not like to be sick nor do I want to get sick with friends! I wish you all the best of luck with your band!