Good morning all --

I'm scared: one of the main reason I am choosing the band is that all the literature and studyies I've read and medical types (doctors, nurses, nutritionists, etc) say that after the band, you are not hungry for 1-2 years. (which gives you time to form new habits, etc etc). But as I am looking at the threads here, I see a number of people who are post-op/banded within the last x weeks talking about how hungry they are. Have I been lied to???

Band date 8/14

Well. I still get hungry. I don't know what to tell ya.

OK,,here's MY take on it:

I'm intelligent and I read up on every aspect of the surgery and the aftercare. I read posts on this site and others,,listening to the problems of others. Nah,,I wont have any problem controlling my eating, because,,hey,,I'm smart,,I've been preparing for this mentally for months and I'm a self pay,,lol. If almost 20 thousand dollars doesnt encourage me to stick with it nothing will. WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL,,,

1) THE BAND IS A TOOL. Could you build a bookcase without a hammer? I can't control what I eat without my 'tool' either. If I'd wanted to give up total control I'd have done the roux-n-y, eatten whatever I wanted and watch it go in one hole and shoot right out the other. My band helps restrict the portion size of what I eat. It does NOT restrict the KINDS of foods. Malts and chocolate syrup can still go down that small hole.

2)IF NOTHING CHANGES,,NOTHING CHANGES. You can't keep on doing the same ole things and expect to get different results. I still have to NOT eat candy, cake, white flour, fizzy drinks and sugar. I DO have to eat Protein, veggies and carbs,,in that order and in the amounts specified by my surgeon. Expect tough love from somer bandsters and your surgeon. While we can empathize with you,,we can't take the steps for you.

Having said all that,,hahahaha,,I STILL fall prey to fatigue, not being prepared, rebellion and lots of other emotions. It's essential for ME to realize that I am not perfect but I can damn well do my best to comply with the aftercare plan laid out in black and white by my surgeon and dietician. That includes taking time to analyze why I overeat. Identifying emotions that lead to eating crap. It may mean that sometimes I feel 'head hunger' and I need to learn how to deal with those emotions that lead me to make bad choices.

SO,,,my advice is,,,sit down and really think about your decision. Truely understand on an intellectual and emotional basis that the band is not a magic cure. Eveyone's experiences are different. I honestly believe that if I do what I know to be right, the results I seek will be realized. Would I have still done the lap band, knowing that it would still require some self control on my part? You're damned right I would. In a heartbeat. Know that you have an enormous community of people who have walked the path before you and are here to share their experiences. You are not alone in your journey.

(man,,when i get on a tear i can't stop,,hahaha)

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

OK,,here's MY take on it:

I'm intelligent and I read up on every aspect of the surgery and the aftercare. I read posts on this site and others,,listening to the problems of others. Nah,,I wont have any problem controlling my eating, because,,hey,,I'm smart,,I've been preparing for this mentally for months and I'm a self pay,,lol. If almost 20 thousand dollars doesnt encourage me to stick with it nothing will. WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL,,,

1) THE BAND IS A TOOL. Could you build a bookcase without a hammer? I can't control what I eat without my 'tool' either. If I'd wanted to give up total control I'd have done the roux-n-y, eatten whatever I wanted and watch it go in one hole and shoot right out the other. My band helps restrict the portion size of what I eat. It does NOT restrict the KINDS of foods. Malts and chocolate syrup can still go down that small hole.

2)IF NOTHING CHANGES,,NOTHING CHANGES. You can't keep on doing the same ole things and expect to get different results. I still have to NOT eat candy, cake, white flour, fizzy drinks and sugar. I DO have to eat Protein, veggies and carbs,,in that order and in the amounts specified by my surgeon. Expect tough love from somer bandsters and your surgeon. While we can empathize with you,,we can't take the steps for you.

Having said all that,,hahahaha,,I STILL fall prey to fatigue, not being prepared, rebellion and lots of other emotions. It's essential for ME to realize that I am not perfect but I can damn well do my best to comply with the aftercare plan laid out in black and white by my surgeon and dietician. That includes taking time to analyze why I overeat. Identifying emotions that lead to eating crap. It may mean that sometimes I feel 'head hunger' and I need to learn how to deal with those emotions that lead me to make bad choices.

SO,,,my advice is,,,sit down and really think about your decision. Truely understand on an intellectual and emotional basis that the band is not a magic cure. Eveyone's experiences are different. I honestly believe that if I do what I know to be right, the results I seek will be realized. Would I have still done the lap band, knowing that it would still require some self control on my part? You're damned right I would. In a heartbeat. Know that you have an enormous community of people who have walked the path before you and are here to share their experiences. You are not alone in your journey.

(man,,when i get on a tear i can't stop,,hahaha)

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

wow. thank you for that. i needed to hear it straight and direct.

--hoping to be banded very soon and trying to stay on the positive but realistic side of things. i can do this BUT, yeah, it's going to take effort. "there's no free lunch"--excuse the bad pun.

thanks for the reminder.

To go back to the hunger issue.....when you have the right restriction level the hunger does dissipate.

I still get hungry just like I always did, and as often as I always did.

I never really had a problem with hunger per se, I cant relate to what people say about always being hungry before banding, becuase I just wasnt inappopriately hungry. I had a problem with portion sizes and not feeling any stop signals.

So yeah, I get hungry. When I get hungry I eat. That's what normal people do. What I do that's different is that I eat less and I have trained myself to do away with the bad foods. But its sure MUCH easier when you get full very quickly.

For me, no amount of fill has disippated my normal hunger, although I did get 12 weeks after surgery where I felt as if I were taking strong appetite suppressants, just not interested in food at all. That was great - I lost tons in that period.

Just reading the posts and find it sad that some of us get on our "high horses" to those who have questions dumb or not!!!

:biggrin1:(No one in particular either just in general!!!)We are still just learning and I m sure we have all been through that stage. I for one will be there to answer any questions silly or not when i have got the knowledge behind me. I am not yet banded and am in the process of doing so. I do want to thank those of you that have really truly helped me make the decision with your experiences which is all i have to go on. No doctor who hasnt had the band no matter how many they have done can tell me the true side of it only you can those of you who live with it everyday,!! hence why im on this website. Even when i may of asked what has seemed like stupid questions at times. You guys were there to answer them and make me feel like that this journey is one that i must take but not alone.<img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/happy.gif" border="0" alt="" title="" smilieid="60" class="inlineimg" /> <br /> so THANKS:rolleyes::car::p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

I hope no one takes my above post as me thinking I'm 'high and mighty' or an authority or anything other than a garden variety, middle-aged obese woman trying to learn and share my experiences. I guess sometimes when I post, it's almost like I'm writing to myself. Kinda of like a kick in my own bum! We learn things by repetition and I try to repeat positive things in my head and aloud. I like brutal honesty from others and I tend to be the same way when share my thoughts and experiences here. Never in a million years would I ever talk down in a demeaning way to anyone new. If I came across that way,,,please accept my sincere apology.

(and if it was just my paranoid personality thinking it was me,,ignore this post,,hahahaha)

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

I hope no one takes my above post as me thinking I'm 'high and mighty' or an authority or anything other than a garden variety, middle-aged obese woman trying to learn and share my experiences. I guess sometimes when I post, it's almost like I'm writing to myself. Kinda of like a kick in my own bum! We learn things by repetition and I try to repeat positive things in my head and aloud. I like brutal honesty from others and I tend to be the same way when share my thoughts and experiences here. Never in a million years would I ever talk down in a demeaning way to anyone new. If I came across that way,,,please accept my sincere apology.

(and if it was just my paranoid personality thinking it was me,,ignore this post,,hahahaha)

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

it sounded to me like your post came right from your heart and was very inspiring to me. if there was an easy way out, good lord, this country wouldn't have the obesity rate that it has. i'm not sure if you're paranoid...but, i think i might be..??# nah, we're okay:) ya think?um..JUST KIDDING:kiss2:

I was banded on July 13th and lost 16 lbs already... I cannot understand why I am hungry all of a sudden and it is an INTENSIVE roar coming from my stomach. People can hear it around me! I am drinking Ensure with Protein in the mornings and trying to eat some type of cream soup in the afternoon (strained) and now it seems that every two hours I have that rumble?! Does anyone know why? The doctor said I cannot have the band adjusted until Aug 20! Any ideas?

What you are experiencing is normal. You are on liquids so I would say that you should be hungry every 2 hours or so. You will get help with this when you get a fill on 8/20. Good luck.

I was told that if you are drinking liquids and soups, that it is just going right through your band and that you are not going to feel satisfied. I was told that you are to eat solid food, of course chew it up very good and do not drink for an hour after you eat. This will cause you to feel fuller longer. Try this and see what happens. Good luck.

Amber what you have been told is true, however, she is not able to eat the solid foods yet, she is in the healing phase.

When you are banded, they bring the lower part of your stomach up and stitch it over the band, holding the band in place, so to say. Scar tissue begins to form, which will be the actual anchor. So we are on a strict post op diet, while the stitches INSIDE heal, and the scar tissue begins to develop. When you eat your stomach churns and kneads, to digest, and pass the food, this interupts the healing process.

Many of us felt some restriction simply from the empty (or near empty) band being put on. I went for a couple of weeks without feeling any hunger right out of surgery. Then after the 2 weeks, while I was still drinking, full liquids, I did get hungry! They refer to that time period as Bandster Hell. It is a common time for everyone here to complain and compare how they are surviving it! But we do survive it!!!

Then you begin 2 things.....you can start to eat hard Protein which allows as Amber mentioned you to feel full longer on low fat, low sugar foods. And #2 you can start the fill process sometime in this range. There is no guaging how many fills it will take anyone to reach a good point of restriction. Slow and steady, and avoiding overfills is the goal.

When I had my first fill, it did not eliminate hunger completely, it did ease it considerably tho. I was forced to slow back down and eat by the bandster rules I had been told of!

With my 2nd fill, hunger has changed. I do not get the stomach rumbling, eat anything and everything in sight kind of hunger anymore. I sometimes realize I feel empty....and remember I NEED to eat! But when you are not hungry all the time, it is much easier to make wise decisions about WHAT you are eating. It used to be I'd come in from a busy day and I was famished, and I grabbed the quickest, easiest thing to stuff in my mouth---a bag of chips, or a package of Cookies...or both! Now I take the time to throw a small salad together, or slice me some cheese....the RUSH to feed myself is gone.

As was pointed out, I can (and occasionally do) eat the chips and cookies still, they go down very, very easy! BUT without the jarring hunger, I do not lose my head, and binge, without thought. I USE my band, and make better choices.

I have been very lucky in the second fill I had---it was over a year ago, and I still have restriction from it, and keep cruising along with it. It has not always been easy. It has always been worth the effort though....the band made it doable. It put me back in control of the hunger, instead of it controlling me. If you put your head into it, and commit to working the band, it is a totally amazing tool to help you---but no it cannot do it, without YOU making the right choices.

Kat

Oh yes, I should clarify - I get hungry like I did before, it gets to meal time, my tummy starts growling, I realise I'm STARVING, but I get the same level of hunger as I did on previously 3 x as much food. Prebanding, if I ate what I eat now, I would be absolutely starving, much much hungrier than I am now, if that makes sense.

But hunger, yes I still feel it. Not problematic hunger though.

What you are experiencing is normal. You are on liquids so I would say that you should be hungry every 2 hours or so. You will get help with this when you get a fill on 8/20. Good luck.

Thanks a bunch for the post! I guess that means the swelling is down (which is why the liquids are passing through so quickly) and I am ready to move onto smaller more filling foods!

I appreciate the info. I have heard so many people say "they weren't hungry at all for the first 3 weeks" so I thought I might have a problem!

Appology accepted!!! :confused: I think i can learn from you and others as long as the dumb questions that I ask are also accepted. Its a scary process that I guess we all go through at some point "to band or not to band" so those of us in this stage need to know as much as we can. Sometimes the infomation is scrambled cos some can eat certain things and some cant it gets a little confusing at times. It wasnt just you I was refering to but i really appreciate your nice appology I hope in future I can learn from your experiences with the band.:grouphug: