What does the "green zone" feel like?

[Lola O 8]

I was banded on June 29, 2014, have had four adjustments and am certain I am not in the "GREEN ZONE" yet. I am becoming very frustrated and discouraged as I have not lost any weight yet. I started at about 190 and this is where I am today.

What were your signs and signals that you were there?

Thanks for any feedback you can provide!

[Kitt3000 757]

First thought is, what does your diet look like? Are you measuring? It's not uncommon to not loose while your body is healing. I'm guessing here, are you speaking with a nutritionist? Are you feeling any changes in your eating at all? A few peeps here call this banidsters hell. You don't indicate the frequency or amount of your fills. Have you expressed all of your post to your doc? What does he/she say? There is a time between fills, when you should be paying close attention to quantity, quality, no snacking, calories including drinks, size of bites, length of meal time. Some form of exercise, walking is a good place to start. I know this must fell so frustrating for you, but if you are doing everything your doc says, then trust the process, it will happen for you too. It is by no means instant gratification. The band shows up everyday, you have to partner with it, and the weight will begin to drop. Hang in there!

[labwalker 1,177]

When you can eat food following the advice given by your provider, and not feel any discomfort, while being able to lose a pound or two a week.

If you are in the green zone, you will feel full for at least 4 hours between meals. That requires having enough Protein at each meal, and watching your portion sizes to avoid extra calories.

The band should let you know when you don't NEED to take an extra bite of food, and you shouldn't feel an urge to clean your plate because food is still left on it.

The band is a tool, and it will not doing anything magical except to let you know when you have had enough to eat.

If it is too loose, you will eat more than you need at a sitting.

If it is too tight, you will have episodes of being stuck, or experience PB; all of which leads to eating slider foods and no weight loss.

That's how it works for me... you will see others who are living with very restrictive bands, and who are doing well. Others, like me, are able to make do with a band that is comfortable, yet still does its job.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

What @@labwalker said. If I eat Protein first and moderate portions and slowly and chewed well and I obey the stop signals I get I lose weight. I also stay unhungry for 4 hours. I don't snack. I'm at green now. Any tighter and I'll be getting stuck on the above. As it is now I only get stuck if I break those rules. If I eat carbs or anything other than Protein first, I stop losing.

The band is a helper. I have to do the work. I've had four fills.

Edited October 15, 2014 by JustWatchMe

[2muchfun 8,928]

I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks post op and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Starting with my 3rd fill I finally started to feel enough restriction to eat less food which inspired me to eat healthier foods. I could easily have gained that 12 lbs back those first 4 months if not for exercise and eating healthy foods.

Like Kitt asked, what and how much are you eating? The band won't work it's magic if you're eating slider foods so stay away from them. Many patients take up to 6-8 fills before they feel enough satiety/restriction to not be hungry for up to 4 hours.

tmf

[Kari D 27]

Hi Lola,

I was banded 10 days before you on June 19th. I too have had 4 fills and am going in for a fifth tomorrow. So far, I'm at 8cc on a 14cc band. I completely understand what you're going through. About a week ago, I was feeling as though I was getting close to the green zone. The signs indicated that I needed to eat slowly, small portions, and was not feeling hungry in between meals. A few days ago that started to change and this indicates to me that I will be ready for another cc or two at my next fill appointment. Suddenly, I'm able to eat a bit larger portions, and am not feeling full between meals. I have also been dying to know "what does green feel like?!" I know that I'm getting closer to this place, but have to believe my intuition that I'm not fully there yet. I start to think that it'll never work and somehow I'll be the one that slips through the cracks. But, I know how dramatic I can be when things don't go my way. I keep reminding myself that the beginning is going to be a shit show. Let's keep in mind that we are both so early in this process. Don't lose hope!

[Lola O 8]

Thanks for the replies.

Kari, I will not lose hope, some days are just very difficult. To say I have no patience is an extreme understatement. Good luck to you tomorrow! I have my next adjustment in a few weeks. Let's keep in touch and share our very similar journeys.

Have a good evening.

[2muchfun 8,928]

For those of you who are newly banded, don't expect the band to erase all feelings of hunger. For a very few this is the case and let's hope you're one of them, but for most of us, the hunger goes away but the head hunger, the mental cravings, never leave.

Three times a week I skip Breakfast and don't eat lunch till about 2 pm. I fast from 7 pm one night to 2 pm the next day. That's a 19 hour fast. I do get hungry and it's true hunger. I can tell the difference between physiological hunger and psychological hunger now. Just remember when you were on a liquid diet and carry that feeling with you.

Remember, you still have a complete stomach below the band. You can still eat till the cows come home if you want. Hopefully the band has curbed your appetite. That's pretty much all it will ever do.

tmf

[blacktxbelle 99]

I work nights so I can tell you guys head hunger is a big part of our journey. I sit at a desk and listen to my customers ramble and sometimes find myself thinking about something to eat. I have to think about it though. On my days off hunger, real hunger feels way different from that feeling I am having at that desk. Don't get me wrong I don't starve or anything like that but I honestly wait for my body to tell me it is ready to eat not the other way around. I get tripped up sometimes but I pay for it later usually in the way of a gassy bloated gut. There's nothing like a little discomfort to get you back in line. I am in the green zone at the moment. I can eat at 12-1 am on my shift and not be hungry again till maybe 1-3pm...It's wonderful let me tell you.

Edited October 17, 2014 by blacktxbelle

[Bandista 7,466]

To me the green zone means I am not looking for food. My surgeon describes being full on a tennis ball sized portion of food and not hungry again for four to five hours. I am not hungry in the morning so I don't eat. I really try to eat only when I'm hungry, not for recreation. A guy here calls this "sport eating" -- got to love that term. I still love food, just in very small portions at appropriate intervals. When I have my brunch or lunch -- whatever you want to call it -- I try to make it very intentional so I'm starting off my day in the listening mode. The band is there so I get a signal of satiety and I enjoy that feeling. It took me several fills to get to the green zone but each time I felt a little closer, like there was more to listen to if you know what I mean. I'd have the satiety from the portion size but not the duration -- I was getting hungry again a couple or few hours later. So we kept going. At one point I had to have a tiny unfill -- I could just tell I was too tight, stuck episodes, etc. Last night we had a dinner and I felt like I was able to eat too much food. This morning I got on the scale which I haven't done for a while. I feel like I've been hungry more frequently and I was sure I had gained. Nope. Down a little from last week. It can be a little at a time but over time it adds up significantly. Best not to weigh too often and get discouraged. You will get there! No sliders -- got to chew, chew, chew -- those esophogeal squeezes are what signal the brain for satiety. I have a couple of links below in my signature for things that have helped me with the head part. Best wishes!

[Kari D 27]

Hey Bandista,

I looked at the content from both of those links. Excellent information. My take away was powerful, especially considering I'm going in for my fifth adjustment today. It made me reconsider why we get adjustments. The doctor in the videos explained that we don't get adjustments for restriction, we get them for hunger suppression. He said many people come in looking for an adjustment because the restriction of a freshly adjusted band helps determine how much food to eat. On the contrary, we should not be using the band for restriction, but to tide us over between meals. This helped me for my appointment today and to be able to explain to my surgeon what my needs are. Truthfully, I'm fine when it comes to the "restrictive" aspect of the band, but I'm not being held between meals. This makes so much sense and leads me to believe I was correct in knowing I'm ready for another adjustment and have not yet reached my "green zone". Thanks again for the resources.

[B-52 7,113]

What does the Green Zone Feel like???

It does not feel like anything....I simply do not care to eat, have no hunger, cravings, and not even think about food...

I'm sitting here catching up on reports, have not had anything to eat since 11am....it's now 5pm, and frankly I could finish the day and go to bed tonight without another meal if I wanted to ....but I know I have not gotten my daily Protein requirement, so I will look for something later....

Choosing and planning what to eat can be very difficult when you're not hungry or have any interest.

But for me, being in the green zone is not a feeling...it's a state of mind....it's not a physical feeling as much as it is a mental thing....I feel as though my band is always telling my brain I'm full, I just ate, etc,...whether I have or haven't...

I used to use the term restriction also...not anymore, especially when I realized I can do things many other banded people cannot do....

But then there are things other banded people do that I can't...so go figure.

Edited October 16, 2014 by B-52