Out of sheer curiosity -- what sort of calories is a person consuming AFTER lab band?

And is how your body sees those calories any different than if you just decided to eat less without the surgery?

For example - I know I tried the 6wk Body Make Over diet, I made it to day 3 and felt ill. I counted up the calories and it was 600 to 800 for those 3 days. Well, no wonder I felt like crap. I went from 3000 to 4000 calories to 600!!! That was a few years ago, now I have prediabetes symptoms of hypoglycemia. I get shakey if I don't eat and I have to eat Protein.

How would I feel different w a band verse just eating less?

If we could just "decide to eat less without the surgery" we would all have done it and wouldn't have had the band implanted.

I have been banded three months and usually eat 1100-1200 calories a day. I can lose weight with that. So I'm not feeling shaky or weak. I avoid sugar and white starches pretty much, which I did prior to banding.

Your body isn't going to react differently to the food you eat, other than specifically the stomach and the band. That feels a lot different, because you can't eat large portions or eat too quickly without running into pain and anguish with the band. The band will help you feel full--but again it isn't a normal "my stomach is stuffed to the breaking point" full; it's a tightness and discomfort above the band for me, but others perceive it differently. Imagine really tight jeans, but up higher around your stomach, so tight that the food can't go down and comes back up if you eat too much or too fast. That might give you an idea of what it's like for me. Hope this is what you were asking!

I actually eat mostly the exact same foods I did pre-band. I don't eat out very often anymore , just because i'm trying to save money, was self pay. The only difference is that now I eat about 1/3 of my meal. I choose quality over quantity....like i'd rather have 2 pieces of fish than 2 pieces of bread.

I have never really been a bad eater just ate HUGE quantities of food. My goal for every meal was "what can i eat that will give me the MOST food with the least calories?" Now, i eat less no matter what it is.

Out of sheer curiosity -- what sort of calories is a person consuming AFTER lab band?

And is how your body sees those calories any different than if you just decided to eat less without the surgery?

For example - I know I tried the 6wk Body Make Over diet, I made it to day 3 and felt ill. I counted up the calories and it was 600 to 800 for those 3 days. Well, no wonder I felt like crap. I went from 3000 to 4000 calories to 600!!! That was a few years ago, now I have prediabetes symptoms of hypoglycemia. I get shakey if I don't eat and I have to eat Protein.

How would I feel different w a band verse just eating less?

Usually people with hypoglycemia are carb lovers. They eat farrrr too many carbs and your body goes in a cycle, you eat carbs, crave more. Your pancreas kinda adapts to this and is always pumping out insulin. When you drastically cut calories you can get kind of jittery. It goes away with time.

With banding your diet improves, your carb intake is drastically lowered and the symptoms usually go away.

During weight loss I kept calories at about 600 daily.

Mine range anywhere from 600-900 depending on the day

I average just under 800 on most days. I'm on the higher end when I eat whatever I want (just small portions). I'm on the lower end when I'm eating healthy and making good choices.

Usually people with hypoglycemia are carb lovers. They eat farrrr too many carbs and your body goes in a cycle, you eat carbs, crave more. Your pancreas kinda adapts to this and is always pumping out insulin. When you drastically cut calories you can get kind of jittery. It goes away with time.

With banding your diet improves, your carb intake is drastically lowered and the symptoms usually go away.

During weight loss I kept calories at about 600 daily.

Wasa,

I have hypoglycemia as well which is why I pretty much call myself a breaditarian. LOL. I tried to stop eating bread a while back and felt sick and was shaking really bad and ate some grapes, which helped and then went back to the bread. Do people start having like delirium tremmons and stuff when they cut bread out completely? This is my only concern with being banded.

I seem to do the best on no more than 1200. I do lose better if I do 1k. I believe a lapband diet is around 800-1k a day.

Wasa,

I have hypoglycemia as well which is why I pretty much call myself a breaditarian. LOL. I tried to stop eating bread a while back and felt sick and was shaking really bad and ate some grapes, which helped and then went back to the bread. Do people start having like delirium tremmons and stuff when they cut bread out completely? This is my only concern with being banded.

Lots of obese people have hypoglycemia, it's caused by our horrible diet. Cut out bad carbs, get used to Protein instead and it will take a few days but you will stop the blood sugar cycles. Nope, it doesn't cause DTs.

When you start getting sick and shaking the LAST thing you should eat are carbs (such as grapes or bread), you should be eating protein to stop the cycle. Carbs promote the cycle.

Lots of obese people have hypoglycemia, it's caused by our horrible diet. Cut out bad carbs, get used to Protein instead and it will take a few days but you will stop the blood sugar cycles. Nope, it doesn't cause DTs.

When you start getting sick and shaking the LAST thing you should eat are carbs (such as grapes or bread), you should be eating protein to stop the cycle. Carbs promote the cycle.

Thank you!

Curious, I think Peanuts are loaded with protein, right? I've been eating a lot of these lately when I crave bread. Do you feel this is a good idea to help me get over the carb issue? I don't know why, but the peanuts sort of help with the cravings.

Almonds do the same thing for me and they are really good for you!

Thank you!

Curious, I think Peanuts are loaded with Protein, right? I've been eating a lot of these lately when I crave bread. Do you feel this is a good idea to help me get over the carb issue? I don't know why, but the peanuts sort of help with the cravings.

Peanuts are perfect! A tablespoon of peanutbutter is good, a little bit of chicken breast, some refried Beans, a Protein shake, any kind of quality protein.

When you eat carbs it turns into a sugar, the sugar makes your blood sugar increase. When your blood sugar increases your pancreas dumps out insulin. Your blood sugar goes down, for hypoglycemics it goes down too far. That signals your body to tell you that you are hungry. Then you eat more carbs, more insulin, lower blood sugar, etc. It's a cycle that you have to break. You can do that with protein vs. carbs.

Over time I've learned to eat Protein when I want something sweet. But I'm still as large as ever. I gained all my weight in pregnancies and despite long term bfing, never lost all of it and kept adding to it w each baby. I eat a mostly organic, low carb diet rich in grass fed or pastured meat products, eggs, veggies, some fruits and Water. My down fall is if I happen to pick up or bake something like Cookies, so I just try not to. I developed a thyroid problem in my last pregnancy and it's been difficult to loose any weight even on medication for my thyroid.

I can eat low calorie, I've done it before many times over, it just is not sustainable for a life time in our society or at least I fall prey to the larger portions and higher carb foods and then have to wean myself off again.

But what I'm reading is that the band is temporary and when it's out, weight loss becomes a struggle again. So, I have to wonder why the Lap Band is becoming so popular over something like a Deonuel Switch or vertical gastoetomy both of which are not super popular but seem to have some very good qualities about them long term and fewer malnutrition risk compared to standard Gastric Bypass.

But what I'm reading is that the band is temporary and when it's out, weight loss becomes a struggle again. So, I have to wonder why the Lap Band is becoming so popular over something like a Deonuel Switch or vertical gastoetomy both of which are not super popular but seem to have some very good qualities about them long term and fewer malnutrition risk compared to standard Gastric Bypass.

Banding is not designed to be removed, it's for life. The question is if it will last for life. Theoretically it should, but in all honesty we are the lap band lab rats. Longest anyone has been banded is 20 years. So point being, the idea is not to lose weight and remove the band. The idea is to keep the band for life.

DS is simply dangerous. If you don't believe me go to a DS forum and watch those folks. To be perfectly blunt, I think their brains aren't getting enough nutrition. No clue why they behave as they do. :smile::confused: Most of the better surgeons refuse to do DS anymore, it has a very high rate of malnutrition and various complications. But to talk to a DS patient - some even claim they eat bad food lacking in nutrition and their surgery type turns it into good nutritious food. Bizarre... I know.

Sleeves... that's something that if I had everything to do over again I would get a sleeve. It makes sense, long term there are fewer complications, it's cheaper long term, no port pain, port infections, band infections, erosion, slips, fills, unfills, restriction issues, etc.

Many of us chose banding because it is reversible. Quite frankly, the only reason I have ever heard anyone having it removed was due to actual band problems. Erosion, severe slip, that kind of thing. I suppose stomach cancer would be a medical reason 'non band' related to have it removed but that would be an issue regardless of surgery type. I think as newbies we are not fully sure banding will work and we have it in the backs of our minds that when it does not work, we can just have it removed. It does work, and it works quite well.

Nutrition... many will say the reason for a band over any other WLS is if we were to get sick, whatever... we could have the band opened and get extra nutrition. To be honest, those that need extra nutrition need it because they aren't getting any nutrition at all. End stage cancer patients, elderly people. Those kinds of patients. You can get all the nutrition you need eating normal portions of food.

It's a big decision and something you have to decide what is right for you. Banding is right for some people, sleeves are for others. RNY for others. DS... for the deranged. MGB... another insane procedure full of complications and problems.

Most quality surgeons will not even do MGB or DS. They are just too risky and life is far too hard with the complications they present in a great number of people.

On the hypoglycemia issue, I am a diabetic that has hypoglycemia as well. I worried about how I would do also. I am so happy to see all the posts on this, because since I have been doing the supervised diet for insurance, and eating alot more protien and alot less carbs, I have had no issues with my hypoglycemia. And the nuts work for me as well. If I know I won't be eating anytime soon due to schedule, work, whatever, I eat some nuts and never have my blood sugar crash. I was just thinking about it yesterday. It was like, "hey, what happened to my crashing (shaky and sick to the stomach)." I am so glad, because I was really worried about what would happen post surgery with it. Thanks.

Sleeves... that's something that if I had everything to do over again I would get a sleeve. It makes sense, long term there are fewer complications, it's cheaper long term, no port pain, port infections, band infections, erosion, slips, fills, unfills, restriction issues, etc.

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I agree with you on this. I actually would like the sleeve as well, but my insurance doesn't cover it. It really only covers the bypass and the band. And, there's no way in heck I'm getting the bypass.

As for the peanuts.. I shall continue eating them. And almonds too :-) I think they are the only things that will help me get through the cravings. If I ever get banded.. damn, I'm so tired of waiting for approval. and nervous...

I agree too...would like to have sleeve but ins. only covers banding and rny so of the two choices, I chose banding and I plan to make it work. If I do end up with problems with the band that I can't live with, I may end up doing self pay for the sleeve but my hope is that I will be able to make the band work for me without medical issues such as erosion, port pain, etc.