Gosh guys... my heart is breaking for all of you that this isn't working for – there are so many of you it seems! I am 3 total weeks post-op last night at 8PM (ha who's counting) and reading everyone's struggles really opens my eyes to the facts of my matter.

When I was doing my pre-op appointments and I met with the nutritionist, she handed me very strict guidelines and basically told me that these guidelines were not to be altered and needed to be followed, PERIOD. She kind of lead me to believe it would be life or death albeit she did NOT use those words. I left there thinking, wow... never again will I be able to eat all of my favorites, like NJ pizza and a bagel with cream cheese, lox, capers and red onion and, (you guys know) the list goes on and on and on - oh, I have to make a notable mention of Mac N Cheese; homemade, from a box, at a cafeteria, with lobster in it or...however it's cooked... <deep breath> Yeah, no more.

And then the realization occurred to me - this is Weight LOSS surgery dummy and she is in the business to make you LOSE weight! Of course you cannot have sugar, and flour and fried foods! weeping!

And as the devil and angel on my shoulders are contesting with each other - Angel saying, "you've eaten all of those foods, enough to last you a life time and look how miserable and depressed they have made you" and the devil saying, "ohhhhh but they feel so good and they taste so wonderful, you don't care that you can't really walk on the beach in a bathing suite b/c your thighs stick together and become raw and you don't care that you don't want to leave the house and see anybody as you hide in your closet all day" ... and they are battling with each other, duking it out in my head.

So 4-5 weeks ago I took the attitude of the beloved angel and shut my eyes and let the surgeon slice me open and stick this foreign object in my body, which by the way seems to be taking FOREVER to heal - I guess I imagined it would be a couple days of discomfort and magic wand - I'd be 20lbs down in two weeks on my way to Onederland and onto Skinnyville, certainly within 6 months!

Well, <finger SNAP> I need to get back to reality and what I know 3 weeks in as opposed to the magic wand idea, is this is work, like EVERY other diet I've been on, unfortunately. This Lapband is a tool, just like that little slide rule they give you in WW so you can calculate your points and just like the little boxes of portioned controlled food they give you at Jenny Craig and just like that needle that I stuck into myself on HCG - the difference here is - with time and following the rigid guidelines that sweet little nutritionist handed to me, I know that I'll get to my goal and become accustom to eating WAY less than I did pre-band and manage my weight at a comfortable size 10 and be proud when I look into the mirror that I made it! And above all get the hell out of my house!

For, now, I am invested - pain and all - to make sure that each day I am making the right choices and will no longer be a prisoner in my own body. That scar, that foreign object that I can feel as I bend to shave my legs - those will be my daily reminders of the choice that I made to be a happier me. And with all that, it does mean - NO SUGAR & NO FLOUR for me! (again weeping ).

I believe in the power of attitude and mind control, eat Protein first, soft veggies next and starch if I really need more, take my time and walk away when I get that hiccup - great cue! And I have to give a thanks to SF Jello, if I feel like I need something, well it's been here for me and my girls LOVE to make it for me too in a great big lasagna pan - ha go figure.

I'm not sure if this helps anyone, but it sure felt good for me to get this out - my true feelings - and I am happy I made the decision to get this band, it's like that little rubber band you put on your pinkie to remind yourself to do something today.

Peace and Love!

I would never recommend going against a Doctor or Nutritionist guidelines however what you are describing here is deprivation. Deprivation is nothing but another diet. I don't know about you but I have lost plenty of weight at various times in my life by dieting and depriving myself only just to gain it all back and then some.

While you are pretty much a new Bandster I would recommend you following the guides they gave you however long term deprivation of your favorite foods is just not a fun way to live.

Living with a band is not about dieting and deprivation. Band is a lifestyle change consisting of portion control and becoming satisfied on less food. Sure you need to make good quality food choices but to rule out ever having your favorite foods again is just a recipe for the same old, same old.

I have eaten pizza, ice cream basically anything I wanted with the exception of a few foods my band does not get along with. For example, I cannot eat a bagel. It is just far too doughy to go through.

Moderation is the big key. So for me in my experience I get satisfied on so little food that the craving to eat all the bad stuff does not exist like it once did. I still once or twice a month go to McDonald's drive thru and get an ice cream cone and I did have a slice a pizza this past Summer but for the most part since I found the sweet spot my head hunger has gone away.

I wish you nothing but success!! Sounds like you're doing fantastic so far!!

i agree with jim.....to not eat something is not how to live...eat to live not live to eat....eat what you want...and def make better choices sometimes..i mean i cant live on dominio's pizza every day and expect to lose weight...

i eat what i want....in my allotted amount

i just now change what i eat....i make better choices...

i eat one meal of whatever i want a week....and love every drop...

life is too short to say i cant have this or that..

one meal of high fat/high calorie wont make one gain 10 pounds

just like meal of veggies wont make one lose 10 pounds...its a ongoing process.

hang in there...

Jim and Carolinagirl - thanks so much for your perspectives - you both seem to have done well with the band and it's nice to hear that you don't deprive yourselves entirely of sugar and flour as I stated in my post... that being said, you both are well on your way of meeting your goals and living healthy and slender and you've been banded for a while now. I'm just out of the gate and I think what I wanted to say was that it's important to be strict with yourself on the front end, to be committed - it takes time for our bodies and stomachs to adjust to a lot less food than we've been used to giving them - hence the problem in the 1st place.

I'm trying to detox myself and get use to small portions of all the basics, which exclude sugar and flour {for now} and all that is made with them - and trying hard to be excited about it with hopes that it will pave the way for a long-term successful journey.

I'm elated to hear that those who are maintaining their goal weight do indulge - I look forward to those days ahead - for me, now, I'm steadfast to doc's orders and hope to find the right balance in the future - once I'm freed of this excess weight.

God knows he didn't put us here to be deprived!!

Thank you both!

I agree with the above posters. I believe the band is about moderation not deprivation. In fact, for me feeling deprived is a quick route to failure. So, if I want pizza I have it. The difference is, I only have one piece rather than a whole pie. If I want a cookie, I have one, just not the whole box. I don't indulge daily or even weekly but when I do I just count the calories towards my daily total and go on with life.

Good luck on your journey!

ccjll,

I have no doubt you got this down. After you've been around a while you get a pretty good feel of who is going to do well and those not so well. I can see you got this. Both your posts are wonderful and spot on in my opinion. Detoxing and being strict with yourself is very important in the beginning and is part of the process of learning that new lifestyle.

I just wanted to make sure all Newbies know that it does not need to be like that for the rest of your life. With anything you learn what works for you as the time goes on. You experience and develop new habits based on how your anatomy works with your band.

Again, I wish you much success and hope to see you here posting often and letting us know how you're doing.

I agree with the above posters. I believe the band is about moderation not deprivation. In fact, for me feeling deprived is a quick route to failure. So, if I want pizza I have it. The difference is, I only have one piece rather than a whole pie. If I want a cookie, I have one, just not the whole box. I don't indulge daily or even weekly but when I do I just count the calories towards my daily total and go on with life.

Good luck on your journey!

God could you imagine trying to eat just an entire small pie now? You'd hurt yourself. LOL. I can remember I used to sit down and eat a large long before I started this journey.

Jim and Carolinagirl - thanks so much for your perspectives - you both seem to have done well with the band and it's nice to hear that you don't deprive yourselves entirely of sugar and flour as I stated in my post... that being said, you both are well on your way of meeting your goals and living healthy and slender and you've been banded for a while now. I'm just out of the gate and I think what I wanted to say was that it's important to be strict with yourself on the front end, to be committed - it takes time for our bodies and stomachs to adjust to a lot less food than we've been used to giving them - hence the problem in the 1st place.

I'm trying to detox myself and get use to small portions of all the basics, which exclude sugar and flour {for now} and all that is made with them - and trying hard to be excited about it with hopes that it will pave the way for a long-term successful journey.

I'm elated to hear that those who are maintaining their goal weight do indulge - I look forward to those days ahead - for me, now, I'm steadfast to doc's orders and hope to find the right balance in the future - once I'm freed of this excess weight.

God knows he didn't put us here to be deprived!!

Thank you both!

yes i am on my way to where ever i am heading and whether yo are just out of the gate as you say or 6 years out like someone else, it boils down to eating good foods, in the allotted amounts and exercising.....3500 calories is a pound, ate or drank.....healthy foods or not so healthy....food is food.....to deprive is not the way to go.

i am very strict and have been since i have been blessed to get the band/plication....i was well on my way to an early grave...i had to be strict and serious..anyone who knows me i am this way for a reason....but i do not do without...if i want something i eat a bit......eat it, enjoy it and move on...

PS, jim, missy or myself did not advise not to listen to the dr.....i am a zillion percent in def listen to your dr.....i do all the way......how i got to where i am right now.