This is my first time posting anywhere!!!! And I see I missed spelling starving in the title -but that is my problem, not staving. I am hoping to get some suggestions to control my hunger pangs. I don't seem to have trouble eating anything (except chicken, turkey any dry meat) it gets stuck. I now understand the stuck and yes it does pass. I have been eating between 800 and 1000 calories a day (a few higher) and I am tryiing to exercise 4 to 5 hours a week. What should I expect to lose - a pound a week or slower? any suggestions would be greatly apprecciated.

I have a slim fast in the mornings because of being so tight. I also have found that I can't eat a reg. yogurt in the mornings but I can eat the yoplait light&fluffy kind of yogurt. I enjoy these because they are very light...as I'm not really hungry in the mornings; I'm just eating to break my fast and have something before I head off to the gym.

My advise is to EAT SOLID foods... For breakfast have hot thick oatmeal, with Skim milk, blueberries, crushed walnuts. Yummy, take tiny bites, CHEW well and delicious.

lunch have meat, chicken, FISH 2-3 oz. first, then veggies, then grains.. eat in that order...

When I am tight in the mornings I can't even get tea down or a protien shake, but I can always Eat the Oatmeal...

My advise is to EAT SOLID foods... For breakfast have hot thick oatmeal, with Skim milk, blueberries, crushed walnuts. Yummy, take tiny bites, CHEW well and delicious.

lunch have meat, chicken, FISH 2-3 oz. first, then veggies, then grains.. eat in that order...

When I am tight in the mornings I can't even get tea down or a protien shake, but I can always Eat the Oatmeal...

Peaches,

I guess everyone in different in their tightness in the mornings. I wish I could eat solids that early. As I said before even reg.yogurt is to thick. Having a slim fast in the morning is what my doctor told me to do.

Peaches,

I guess everyone in different in their tightness in the mornings. I wish I could eat solids that early. As I said before even reg.yogurt is to thick. Having a slim fast in the morning is what my doctor told me to do.

Try it one morning, it just might be the trick!~

Peaches,

Yes I did! I can't keep anything down in the morning. I'm taking my doctors advice and staying with the slim fast.

Are selling oat meal or something? Just asking!

Peaches,

Yes I did! I can't keep anything down in the morning. I'm taking my doctors advice and staying with the slim fast.

Are selling oat meal or something? Just asking!

Crazy Cat; sorry to sound like an oatmeal Zealot!!!! I just know what it's like to be so stuck in the a.m.... I am totally empathizing with you that's all.

Good luck with the slimfast:drool:

Thanks Peaches! :crying:

Peaches,

I meant to ask you if you have ever tried the steel cut oats. I make them for my husband every morning; they are really good.

Peaches....I just noticed that you are down to 130! You did it! good for you girl.

Greetings, New! I am in the process of doing all the presurgery tests. Just about finished with them. The next step is to finish the insurance approval process. Most likely will be a couple of months before I can be banded. What is the most difficult thing about being banded?

That hardest thing for me has been to slow down while eating and to chew thoroughly! I have really had a time with that especially when I am with others and am hungry. I have gotten stuck several times because of this and not taking small enough bites al resulting in throwing up. Stress really effcts my band and makes me tight so I really have to be aware of that also.

All that said I wouldn't change the journey for anything! I am down 77lbs and loving it!

Thanks for your reply. I am having second thoughts. I love to eat. I am concerned that I won't be able to do well on the new life style. I have been reading about others who have really had a difficult time. I am psycholgically well, but I sure don't want to give up eating. How difficult will it be to really do this thing? Can you offer any wisdom?

Sandy,

I really like eating also and some days I want to eat more than I can because it just tastes good. But is it really psychologically healthy to have such a "love affair" with food? I know we should enjoy it but its purpose is to help us sustain our bodies. Take a look at why you like to eat so much. You have to get honest with yourself. I ate because there was no one in my life in my opinion that cared, because I lived by myself and because I was bored. I am also an emotional eater. I have let food satisfy my needs. It has been my drug of choice. I certainlly have not been perfect in this journey, but am trying to face these issues. Remember you will always be able to eat, just not as much as you used to! I can eat just about anything with the exception of some breads. I don't know how overweight you are but for me I had tried all the diets and yo yo dieted all my life. My health was becomong an issue. Giving up chips ( which I still eat occasionally) doesn't compare to being noticed again, having more energy, or fitting into smaller clothesl

Is it success that you fear or giving up food? Think about the big picture and let me know what you think!

SANDY,

Where are you reading so many bad things about lap band? Is it on another board? Are you posting on a lap band board?

I believe you have to be motivated to do well with the band. I have been overweight all my life and have read everything I could about lap band ever since it was approved in the US, but I just didn't feel I could do it before. The PA in my surgeon's office told there are 2 kind of people. The first group embraces the lifestyle changes you make with the band and are very successful. The second group expect the band to do all the work and are not willing to make any changes themselves, so they obviously aren't successful. He said sometimes the light dawns on people in the second group and they turn things around and join the first group.

Living the banded life is a big change. In the few short months since I started the liquid fast, then the lap band surgery, I feel like my perspective has changed. I feel like instead of "living to eat", I am moving more toward "eating to live". I never thought I would be in that situation, but it's happening. My PA said I was a "poster child" for doing things right and being successful. I believe if I had had the surgery before I hit rock bottom (with a weight of 312 pounds), I wouldn't have been successful. It hasn't been as hard as I thought and I'm enjoying the changes I'm making. This couch potato even looks forward to an evening walk with my hubby. Now that I've lost 55 pounds, people are really starting to notice and compliment me, which is a nice motivator too. My advice is that if you are just getting a case of nerves, get over it and go for it. But if you don't feel that you are ready to embark on this journey, that you are not willing to follow the lap band rules, maybe you should take some time to do some soul searching before you have surgery. But it is so worth it. You will eventually get to the point where you can occasionally eat all those things you love, you just will be satisfied with a small portion of it. If I can do this and be successful, anyone can! :biggrin2:

Thanks for your reply. I am having second thoughts. I love to eat. I am concerned that I won't be able to do well on the new life style. I have been reading about others who have really had a difficult time. I am psycholgically well, but I sure don't want to give up eating. How difficult will it be to really do this thing? Can you offer any wisdom?

It is wise to focus on your REAL needs here. Why do you NEED the lapband ? Do want to lose weight for LIFE? or do you want a temporary fix so that you can go back and continue to eat the way you have always done?

If I can allay your fears, I'll try.

Preband Breakfast: 2 egg burritos, hash brown, coffee D/D 900 cals

Post band: 1 egg burrito, blk coffee sweetner 300 cals

Lunch: BIg Mac or 1/4 lber with cheese, lrg FRIES, POP = 1100 cals

post band: 1/4lber, w/o bun, No fries, no drink = 250

or I order a Kiddies size burner and eat the bun too = 300 cals

Dinner: Post band: I pick up some 4 ozfish or 3 os. chick grill it, salad w/ dressing and sometimes sweet potatoe or rice 1/4 - 1/2 cup only... VERY full

Eliminate Snacks that are higher than 100 cals per serv. give yourself one of those per day.

PRE banding, I'd snack all night long.

Remember, you tummy will be small, it dosn't say that you can't still enjoy your fav. just that you will eat much less of them!

:thumbup: