No matter how much I try I can't seem to get past my night time grazing. I had a really good day, went for an hour's walk this morning, had 3 small meals and then went to an aqua aerobics class this evening. Once I settled in for the night, it started. It's 11.30pm and I just ate a piece of cheese on some bread. I had a mango not long before that. It's obvious I'm still not restricted because I can eat anything I want. I'm still doing this with willpower alone and that's only working at certain times of the day. Hopefully all that exercise will have helped but I so desperately want to get the restriction required to lose the weight.

Sades:

I have the same problem with grazing at night time. I try to chose the lowest calorie things I can find, like sugar free popsicles. Sometimes I eat five of them! Sometimes I crush ice in the blender and mix in crystal light and eat it with a spoon.

I think of this as my head-hunger beast. Sometimes I just have to go to bed early, or take a hot shower, or anything that can't involve eating. That's how I tame my beast.

Good luck.

Sue

Thanks Sue. I find it hard to sleep early but you're right, choosing the low fat foods is the way to go. I usually try to do that but I was really hungry and felt I needed something more substantial tonight. I'll have to lock my bedroom door from the outside in future!! :rolleyes2:

I like to "save" some calories for a snack at night. I find if I eat B'fast, I'm hungrier all day long. It seems once I open the flood gates and let food in, I don't want to stop.

I try to hold off B'fast until mid morning and then I have a glass of Isopure Clear and many times that does the trick until lunch time. I can then use the saved b'fast calories for after dinner snack.

I don't have restriction yet either, but I used this method of eating a few years ago and lost 30 pounds (of course, I gained half of it back before getting the band). I always counted my calories and then I saved calories for a bag of microwave popcorn after dinner. I found the chewing satisfying.

Maybe you could save some calories for one or two 100 calorie snack packs, just to fell satisfied before going to bed. The carbs before bed can help us sleep better and I think during menopause, when sleep can be disturbed, there is something comforting about the carbs before bed.

I know we need to reduce the carbs, but calories count, too. So if you keep your Protein high during the day, I don't think a carb snack before bed will hurt.

I hope all of us November bandsters that don;t have restriction, get some soon! My next fill is tomorrow! Will this be the one?

This makes a lot of sense Shortgal. I always have Breakfast at work rather than at home so by the time I have it, it's usually around 10am. I then have lunch at 1pm or so. I will definitely try to keep my cals to a minimum to have that night time snack. What I need to do is split the snack so it lasts for most of the night... hopefully I will lose interest or fall asleep before I finish it. I will experiment with it in the next few days.

I will be calling my doctor's office today to book some time for another fill... hopefully 6-7cc will be my sweet spot. I think we'll jump with joy when that finally happens for all us Nov bandsters!

It's still such a battle, isn't it? I would like some restriction, so I can just relax a bit about feeling hungry and trying not to think about food. A feeling of fullness for several hours after a meal would be really nice about now!

My fear of being stuck and eating certain foods has carried me since surgery, but my fear is lessening. In the past few days, I've tried apples, salad and popcorn, all things I was nervous about trying before. All went down without a problem! I did manage to stay within my usual calorie count while having these things but how long before I start adding one or two things too many?

Fingers crossed for appt tomorrow, but I think I'll only be at around 5 cc's and I believe it's going to take another fill after that to get some restriction! And another two weeks of waiting!

It is hard for sure. I wish I never tried eating some of the stuff I can eat because now nothing scares me. I could eat a horse as long as I could drink apple juice to help it slide down if it gets stuck... wow that image could put me off food for life... all that meat!! :rolleyes2:

I'm at 5cc at the moment. Started off thinking that I had restriction but that didn't last for long. The impression I get from some posts is that 6.5cc seems to do the trick... here's hoping! Good luck with your fill.

Well other than the popcorn, which went down fine, the one other thing I have feared and still haven't tried is licorice... Twizzlers to be exact. They were a favorite treat, but I just picture them like lead sitting in my pouch and I know there is no value in them.

At least the apple, salad and popcorn I could justify. The popcorn less so, but it has fiber!

Oh, and I forgot pizza, still haven't gone to that extreme, YET!

6.5 cc could take me several more fills. I am going to have to talk to the Dr's office about this wasted time!

I'm sad to say that I have eaten pizza and licorice without any problem... not lately but when I was going crazy over the holidays. I love licorice, especially the really soft stuff.

My doc put 3cc last fill so I'm sure he would put another 1.5cc next time around. If not, I would be happy with another 1cc. In the meantime, I will continue to watch what I eat and keep up with the exercise.

i keep hard candy around for that reason. since purchasing the candy i havent grazed one bit. also, even lb I lose is a lb i dont want to gain back so I make sever mental notes about not eating what I am not supposed to- no matter how easy it is.

I work at a bar, and have a hard time staying away from the extra frenchfries in the kitchen. so hard. but the hard candy is keeping that habit at bay.

good luck

Sades:

I have the same problem with grazing at night time. I try to chose the lowest calorie things I can find, like sugar free popsicles. Sometimes I eat five of them! Sometimes I crush ice in the blender and mix in crystal light and eat it with a spoon.

I think of this as my head-hunger beast. Sometimes I just have to go to bed early, or take a hot shower, or anything that can't involve eating. That's how I tame my beast.

Good luck.

Sue

Try making popsicles out of the fruit flavored Protein drinks (CytoSport, ProteinSLAM, Isopure)... really good way to get in a little extra protein each day.

I usually dilute them a little with Water before pouring them into the popsicle molds so they do not melt as fast :rolleyes2:

Thanks for your suggestions. Hard lollies could work for sure... definitely take longer to eat than any of the food I snack on. Popcicles made out of Protein drinks, now that's a great idea, especially since I'm not a big meat eater. Will try both.

PS: I still took off 1 lb overnight so imagine how much I can lose if I stop the extras. The exercise I did yesterday definitely paid off. :rolleyes2:

Sades: I wish you hadn't told me that licorice went down ok!!! I'm afraid I'll get brave and try it.

I'm controlling the food but not exercising, you're having problems with the food but doing well with exercise, if we could become one person, we'd be to goal by now.

I hoping I'm down one pound for Thurs Challenge weigh in. With my fill tomorrow, I'll be on full liquids, so that should help.

Like you, I'm getting frustrated that the weight loss could be better, if I just had some restriction.

I'll be sure to post on how my fill goes.

I've had my band long enough that I know what naughty things get past and what doesn't (it seems for me, the most unhealthy things slide right thru, no problem!)

SO, although i got pregnant right after i got my band, I did excellent with it through the pregancy, and shortly after.

THEN in September or so last year, after putting new baby to bed, I could "relax" because all the heavy stress of the day was over, and that's how I started.

First it was small, but I built up to eating sometimes 3 times the calories after 7 pm as I did before. In 4 months I gained back 30 pounds I WORKED SO HARD to lose.

I finally got honest with myself after Christmas. I see I was eating to reward myself, eating to numb tiredness/anxiety, eating to deal with frustration-anger-happiness-you name it. Eating for every reason under the sun except hunger.

(Just like before, just more carefully and creatively).

I got it together in beginning of January. My solution was to eat whatever i needed to eat before 7, and nothing after, NO MATTER WHAT. That is my answer, I have lost a little over 10 pounds. It hurts REALLY bad to have to lose this again, but I'm staying positive. Failure is only when you quit trying, right?

Night-eating was my #1 problem, probably well before my daughter, it was just more noticable when she came in the picture.

And it is really hard yet.

Not eating after 7, I've had more than a few nights of bargaining (with inner food junkie?) miserableness, desperation, but the night I had clarity, when I was like, "Am I really feeling this bad because I can't eat?!? Was I this bad into overeating? To cover and numb life?"

(I've had several addictions, none seemed as difficult to overcome as overeating). My girlfriend(who is recovering from perscription painkiller adiction) gave me quote, "I have all the tools around me for true happiness."

And it is so. My beautiful daughter, my husband, my great oppertunity to lose excess weight, once and for all.

Sorry, this a long write. I just wanted you to know, that wherever you are, suffering "the Starving" at night, I am here too, suffering also, and we will overcome.

I've had my band long enough that I know what naughty things get past and what doesn't (it seems for me, the most unhealthy things slide right thru, no problem!)

SO, although i got pregnant right after i got my band, I did excellent with it through the pregancy, and shortly after.

THEN in September or so last year, after putting new baby to bed, I could "relax" because all the heavy stress of the day was over, and that's how I started.

First it was small, but I built up to eating sometimes 3 times the calories after 7 pm as I did before.

This is exactly what happened to me too. I graze during my son's nap and when I put him to bed. i did it before the band and now I'm doing it after the band.

I have almost zip for restriction. I have 5 cc's in and he is only doing .5 cc's per month from now on. So I think I'm going to have zip for restriction for a looooonnnggg time. bwaaaaaa!

I've basically brought back all my bad habits. The only difference is I don't eat the quantity I used to. That is my saving grace. Thank GAWD for the band. I eat like shite but not as much so at least I'm not gaining. And on the good days/weeks, I do manage to lose one or two.

So, I understand how you feel, Sades!

I love the idea of ice and crystal in the blender. I am going to get a blender tomorrow. I am always looking for low cal grazing foods. lol Donna