I love my band but boy is it confusing sometimes! I have worked so hard for so long at losing weight that it's difficult for me to give up the idea of dieting. In my mind, I'm no longer dieting- I'm simply watching what I eat. No point in having a band if I'm going to eat garbage that slides right through it or things that impede weight loss, right? So when I saw my surgeon this week, he suggested I "stop being so controlling and let the band do the work". His point was not so much to stop watching WHAT I eat but more one of making good choices and then letting the band control the quantity. He says I am close enough to proper restriction that it's time to give up that control so that we both have a better understanding of what really needs to be done as far as adjustment and I understand that. However, I really haven't done that to this point because I kind of got stuck on the idea that until the band is properly adjusted, it's just another diet. Now I'm having a hard time giving up that control. How crazy is that? Anyway...I wanted to ask, for those of you who are properly adjusted and in the green, how many times do you eat each day? I ask because my band is pretty tight now after having another fill this week and I'm at the point where if I don't eat really slow and stop when I'm no longer hungry but not really full, I end up over-doing it and sliming a bit until some of it passes through. If I pay attention to those signals and stop before I get to that point, I feel good but then I am hungry about 4 hrs later no matter what I eat. I end up eating about 4 times a day. Any thoughts? Suggestions? Is this how it's supposed to be?

First off, you say you are hungry about 4 hours later no matter what you eat and that means the band is working. My surgeon says 3 to 4 hours is as long as you should go between meals. I have 3 meals and a snack which is either protein shake or Greek lite yogurt or popcorn or something. Depends on my protein needs. If you go too long your body reacts to the hunger and secretes hunger hormone which stimulates insulin which stores fat. Try to focus on eating good protein, it stays in the body better and keeps insulin levels down.

Thanks guys this good information. Banded 9 days

Most people do the same thing you have done - seriously diet after getting banded and are in the losing phase, so don't worry, everything you are saying makes sense! That being said, I haven't "dieted" in the traditional sense since being banded. I hate counting calories and weighing food all that stuff and I don't ever want to have to do that. I want to live a healthy lifestyle, not be on a diet the rest of my life, ya know?

I have only been banded 2 months, but I've been doing a lot of soul searching and trying to pay attention to my signals as well because I couldn't tell if I was full until I was too full, like you mentioned. I write a blog and I've covered some of these topics, so I just wanted to give you the links in case you wanted to read my thoughts on it all. Hope it helps

My post on dieting: http://blissfullybanded.wordpress.com/2014/03/29/how-i-diet/

My post on being "done", not "full": http://blissfullybanded.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/im-done-and-a-weigh-in/

I have been a restricter for so long that it is hard for me to let that go -- but what a relief. I don't "diet" now but I am still very mindful. I make good choices, try to focus on Protein, etc. Today is Easter and we had a big brunch. I let myself nibble on cheeses and olives and have a few Mimosas. I had a custom made teeny tiny omelet, skipped everything else not because I wasn't letting myself have it but because I didn't want it. I wanted that cheese!

My surgeon's rule of thumb is full for 4-5 hours and I am experiencing that. I am not a Breakfast eater so my midday meal is my first of the day. If I'm hungry later I grab almonds -- four of them. Or I might have one of those 100 calorie Greek yogurts with some chia seeds and a little bit of gluten free Cereal in it. This might be a meal or it might be a snack, depending on whether I'm hungry. Likewise with dinner I might have a real dinner (small, high protein) or just do something like that yogurt. Once in a while I do a shakes day -- will do that tomorrow to tone up my band and brain after a weekend of socializing. I look forward to the shake days -- but that's because of that old restrictive behavior which I'm still shaking off.

I'm the same way. I watch everything I eat. My surgeon would always tell me to stop counting calories. But even tho I've let myself eat things I shouldn't, they are still part of my calories for the day. I eat 3 times a day and sometimes will have a snack at night depending on if I ate before it after my workout. I usually consume around 800 calories a day and then work off a good chunk of them. I have a very hard time getting my calories in everyday. But I can say I'm def in the green and happy where I am.