Be honest, this seems like a diet to me. Yes, I knew I'd have to not eat or avoid eating fattening foods, but I'm feeling this as more of a diet, than a surgery that prevents me from overeating.

Not at all,

I eat anything I want as far as fattening or not but when you can only eat 1/2 cup to a cup you still loose weight. I guess to it's in the fill being perfect and some days I eat once because I just don't get hungry. I firmly believe it's all in effective fills because I went 3 months without losing a pound and now 1 to 2 pounds per week but the fills perfect and I just don't get hungry very much. Hope things are going good for you and you will loose. I thought I would be at goal in 9 months to a year and it's been 12 months and I've only lost 80 pounds and need to loose 30 more so it's going to take longer than I thought but the 3 month delay didn't help matters any so I say just go with it and give it time. It will happen.

Hugs,

Sherri Jo

I eat whatever I want (within reason) and don't consider myself to be dieting at all. I am simply eating much less. I just had a quesadilla for lunch! ... well 1/3 of one anyway!

Be honest, this seems like a diet to me. Yes, I knew I'd have to not eat or avoid eating fattening foods, but I'm feeling this as more of a diet, than a surgery that prevents me from overeating.

It varies from person to person. Some count calories, etc. Some don't.

Dieting without a band is something most of us can't do long term. Oh, some get it off but they don't keep it off, thus the band.

While the band is still quite hard it is the kind of hard folks like us can do. Big difference from pre-band.

It's not a diet to me. My eating has gotten a lot better, but I don't really restrict myself.

Losing the weight is a diet to me, except it's a diet I can actually FOLLOW this time. I can actually count calories and stay within my goals with the band. Maintaining, however, is not a diet. I can eat anything I want with the band (ok, within reason -- I can't live on ice cream) and not gain weight. That was the miracle of the band for me. but yes, I do think you have to diet to get all of the weight off. (You might not have to diet at all to get a good bit off, which is a miracle in itself).

I know that I can eat whatever I want (that will stay down) but I choose to make healthier choices (most of the time). If I'm only going to get these tiny portions, then I need to make sure my body is getting nourishment. I have really gotten addicted to Fitday.com to check all of my nutrients for the day along with my ratio of protein/carb/fat.

Sure there are days that I have queso or a taco or the forbidden ice cream. I loved salad and chicken before the band, it just wasn't doing any good as far as weight loss. Now, I can lose 1-2 pounds a week eating the same things but far less.

Hugs!

Hi Chrissi - Are you newly banded and without a fill yet? I felt just like you about four weeks after my surgery. I kept thinking that I had made a mistake getting this done because I was having to "diet". I would be hungry all day long and what little I was eating was not filling me up. Well, that all changed after my second fill. Right now I've got pretty good restriction. I eat whatever I want but in moderation. And that's WHATEVER I want and I am consistently losing. I can eat about half a cup of food for Breakfast, half a cup for lunch and a full cup for dinner. Less restricted in the evening. Now, I do try to make a conscious effort to try to make good choices about the food that I'm eating. If I know I can only have 1/2 cup of food for breakfast I'm going to try to have something that is good for my body. I would have never ever made that choice pre-band. There was no need to. I could eat sugary Cereal, bacon/egg/cheese biscuits, pancakes and still be able to fit in a piece of fruit or some cottage cheese. No so anymore. I know that whatever little bit I'm eating in the morning is all I'm able to fit in until at least 1 pm.

So, to me, this is definetly NOT a diet. Thank God for that because I've always failed at diets...

I always so no, but that's not completely honest - early on it was. It was easier than any diet I've ever done, but I had high motivation and I stayed well away from all the foods I shouldnt eat - Cookies, cakes, donuts, chips etc. I lost weight fast, steadily and easily.

Once I hit a normal weight I kind of stopped and began to eat for maintenance. I eat better than I did before banding, but I wasnt a terribly bad eater before hand, but now, I'll have a little of anything, I just eat what I want, when I want and most of the time that's good. I dont want to obsess over having to have takeaway for dinner, or eating a piece of cake.

So... I've maintained, easily. I'm well nourished. But I'd like to get a little bit more off, I want to be at the lower end of my healthy weight range and so my DH and I are doing a home delivered fresh meals kind of thing called Lite N Easy that we have here in Australia. I struggle to eat the day's food, lol, I cant eat a whole dinner. But surprise surprise, reduce the calories, cut out the extras and I'm losing again. But it doesnt feel like a diet AT ALL. It feels like a mountain of really yummy, fresh, healthy food, it feels like I am really TREATING myself. Whereas before banding Lite n Easy felt liek deprivation, pure and simple.

For me, it hasnt had to be too difficult because I exercise a lot, which makes up for all sorts of dietary indiscretions.

It really depends on how you look at it... I tend to look at it as a LIFESTYLE change... To portion control and healthy eating... The healthy eatin you have to do yourself the band helps with portions... So the bands my friend... if i do things to help myself it will help me...

Interesting thread............ I guess for me.. I am in diet mode because the pounds are coming off and I LOVE... and I mean LOVE the feeling of going down in sizes in my closet..... it is almost orgasmic... I like so many here am an expert dieter.. I know what works for my body I just have to do it...... the band helps me............ plus the best thing is that if I do go off plan and have a chip, a cookie or a blizzard from dairy queen.. I can no longer eat much of it...... or wake up the next morning with an empty twinkie box at my feet

Tonight I fixed brats I was able to eat MAYBE half of one cut up in tiny pcs.......... then df fixed a frozen pizza.. and it looked and smelled sooo good.. the crust looked thin enough so I had a little bite........... then a little more........ then THE PAIN THE PAIN THE PAIN..... I had to walk around the house with my arms up in the air until I felt it actually dissolve and move through my band......... the morale........ IT IS NOT WORTH IT! and because I couldn't devour the ENTIRE thing.. my size 14 jeans are a mere weeks away!

I am SOOOOOOO glad I checked ot this thread. I was reading the lower bandsters thread and everyone seemed to be talking calories. What I want from te band (hopefully getting it very soon) is that really full feeling that I RARELY ever have. EVen when I do feel really full, that feeling is gone in an hour or so and there I am eating again. I told my dr that I want to have that full feeling and that will case me to figure out what to do about my emotions and boredom. It will force me to face my feelings or find something do to other than eat! I swear, eating is my #1 hobby. BUT I plan to change that as I get slimmer and haopefully have more enegy to exercise. I have even toyed around with the idea of running which is sch a foreign concept.

So - thanks kto all of you who responded to the original question. Your honesty and encouragement really is helpful!

OK - sorry about all the typos. It's nearly 1:30 am, tired but can't sleep.

The band will help you lose weight to a point.. you will have to diet off the rest... my band helped me lose 45lbs and now I have to work at loosing the rest. The big difference with the band is that I haven't gained back the weight!!.... and that is a huge thing!!

Bandster since 4/6/05

Kathy:whoo:

That is so true, I"m realising that. The band took me to a normal healthy weight with portion control and exercise. But I'm of a build that I really need to be low in my healthy weight range, not at the top. I'm 5ft 10 and about 167 lb now, but I've still got a tad over 30% body fat, despite running an hour five times a week and doing weight training. I'm still just a bit pudgy for my frame, pure and simple - I need to weigh around 150lb. But I dont lose anymore unless I really make an effort to do so and that means dieting. Which I have absolutely refused to do all along. But I've started now and its so much easier, it doesnt feel like dieting anymore, its just cutting out the extras. I dont starve and I dont feel deprived.

I am a new bander and don't have a fill yet (9/5 my next appt w/Dr).

Right now i feel like i am dieting but this is a tricky question.. I am only eating "diet foods" baked fish - veggies - watermelon (no sweets low calorie foods). to me non diet foods = pizza - tacos - enchallidas - Beans - tamale cassarole - sandwiches - chinnesse food... I haven't done any of those non-diet foods which i consider regualr food - but these foods including portion control is what got me where i am at "FAT"

I had 1 cup oatmeal for bf - 1 oz turkey (lunch meat) and cup of mushy squash & brussel sprouts for lunch at Noon - 2 - - Clear Protein drink this afternoon and i am starving - just had 1/2 can of oysters and still hungry. I do get full on 1 -2 cups of my meals (usually fish & mushy veggies) but am hungry about and hour later..

I made navy bean Soup earlier in the week and had that for lunch most of this week (little less that 2 cups) and only lost 1 lbs this week.- So I feel that my calories are too high even at just about 850 to 1000 a day.

I guess i need to go out and eat - order what i use to and see how much of it i can eat..

I don't know - too early to tell - sounds like even though i do have some restriction - once you get a fill it helps.

What i am having a hard time with is that i am eating correctly and small amount nd only loosing 1 lbs - i figured at least 2 - it seems that i am eating so much less than before and i have gone to the gym and walked about 5 miles this week - where as before - total couch potato and ate what every i damn well pleased to eat.

I just want to loose this weigh and i don't thnk it can be done eating high fat - high surgar - high carb meals even in smaller portions..

I think that if i wish to loose weight - I will have to eat healthy period and to us "overweight people" that means dieting, lifestyle change whatever title you want to put on it - the days of eating like we use to are over - fried chicken mash potatoes & gravy - salad dripping in ranch dressing - baked potatoe with the works - steak including the fat- brownies - cakes Cookies are gone - imho