I've only had two fills... I had restriction for a few days, but then it was gone, then it was back, then it went away again... you get the idea.

Well, it definitely seems to be kicking in whenever I eat outside of my house. For instance... went to my little cousin's 13th b'day party yesterday. I had one slice normal triangular slice of pizza (minus the fat crust) eaten in peanut sized bites, had 3 small nacho chips with 7 layer dip, 2 Hershey miniature bars (mmmmm chocolate), a slice of cake and some vanilla ice cream. The cake was a big 2x2 slice and didn't really want to go down. I managed to enjoy my favorite part... the icing and threw the rest away. Now what's great about this is pre-band I would have grazed the entire time I was there, had 3-4 slices of pizza (including the crust) much more candy and eaten all of my cake and ice cream. The food eaten above happened in a 5 hour time frame... and was the end of what I ate for the day.

Move on to today... we go to a big birthday lunch at BD's Mongolian BBQ. It's a stir-fry place where you pick your own meats/veggies/starches and sauces and have them grilled up for you and then you eat it with rice and flour tortillas. When we got there I explained to the manager that I'd had stomach surgery and couldn't eat a lot would it be ok for me to pay for a child's bowl. They were awesome and said yes so away I go. I put some shrimp, sausage, a few pieces of Pasta, edemame and onions in my bowl. I make sure to keep it "child" size and I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't have said anything and just gotten a normal bowl because I'm so hungry. Well, regardless I pick my sauce have my food cooked and go sit down. 3 bites of shrimp, 6 edemame and 1 piece of sausage in and I get that ache in my chest feeling. So I slow down and let it go away, try another bite and the feeling is back. I feel like I have to burp it out so I know then that I should just stop eating. Several minutes later I'm feeling better and dessert is brought out. 2 bites of ice cream later and that's it... I'm feeling like I might just puke. I get up go to the ladies room hoping I won't PB (I didn't) and then I feel fine. Before the band I would have had two heaping bowls of stir-fry at roughly 1200 calories a bowl... not including the rice and tortillas.

Ok, so we spend the day out and since it's a gorgeous pre-spring day I get in well over an hour of walking and I'm starving but not feeling like cooking. So we decide to order pizza with our neighbors and I'm starving. I decide to just take 3 pieces (these are 2"x1" party cut slices) I eat the pepperoni off of one of them and realize I'll be lucky to eat two of these pieces. Put one back and spend the better part of the next hour eating the two small pieces on my plate. 2 SMALL PIECES OF PIZZA????????????? UNHEARD OF!!!!

That was my dinner... my head of course feels deprived, but my body is satiated. It's still shocking to me when things like this happen because in my head I thought I'd need a huge bowl of food at lunch to feel full, I thought I'd need at least 5 pieces of that pizza for dinner. I have never had meals this small in my life.

I love it. I just wish my restriction would stick around more often. I especially need it at times like this when I'm eating out of my normal comfort zone and in situations where it'd be real easy to eat more than my 1200 calories each day.

Just thought I'd share my experiences... it might help explain that elusive restriction feeling so many of us wonder about.

Your post is so encouraging! I am still waiting for my first fill in a few weeks and even though I know in my head that things will get easier soon, it is great to hear it from someone else :thumbup:

Heather- now this is just what I wanted to hear about! I know I will eat chocolate occasionally and I want the band to slow me down.

I am being banded tomorrow-March 3rd and I am so glad I read your post. I know I can lose weight - what I didn't know is how to keep weight off. The band sounds like just the trick to me!

Smaller portions of stuff I like is what I wanted to hear about. I'll eat healthy the majority of the time but i want to hear that I could eat a little of my former foods.

Thanks!

Sadie

6 daya post op with no fill and i get thru bout a child size bowl of weet bix and im stuffed i feel this feeling in my chest and its like im gana thro up my tummy says im full but my head says WAT U ONLY HAD 1 N HALF WEET BIX ( weet bix is a breakfast ceral mushy for those that dont know ) its just weird cause i stop n dont go have more but normally id have a full bowl plus maybe 2 toast n a glass of choc milk now its a child size bowl n i feel full... so i know were ur all coming from

I have had 4 fills and am at 7cc in a 10cc band but must say my restriction level is still not the best. I can pretty much eat anything I want and in some cases can eat a lot of food. Some people feel restriction long before others but looks like I'm not one of them. I'm fine most of the day but started grazing at night again in the last 3 days. Definitely head hunger. I will go for my 5th fill in about 2-3 weeks and hope another .5cc will do the trick.

Your post is so encouraging! I am still waiting for my first fill in a few weeks and even though I know in my head that things will get easier soon, it is great to hear it from someone else :thumbup:

I'm glad I could help you with my post. It's amazing to me too... and it quite literally sneaks up on me. Now that I know what it's like, I'll also be able to tell when I don't have it down the line and be able to get a fill to help me stay in check. I know this fill probably won't last and it's sparodic at best, but it kicked in when I needed it... :-)

Heather- now this is just what I wanted to hear about! I know I will eat chocolate occasionally and I want the band to slow me down.

I am being banded tomorrow-March 3rd and I am so glad I read your post. I know I can lose weight - what I didn't know is how to keep weight off. The band sounds like just the trick to me!

Smaller portions of stuff I like is what I wanted to hear about. I'll eat healthy the majority of the time but i want to hear that I could eat a little of my former foods.

Thanks!

Sadie

Exactly! In the beginning I doubted that this band would really be able to stop me... my head hunger was so strong during post-op that I even played with the idea of not getting a fill for a long time so I could eat what I wanted. Luckily my brain kicked in and I got my fills as scheduled and I'm so fascinated by the restriction, when I have it, that I want to stay in this mode :-) LOL

Good luck today! I'll be thinking of you!!!

6 daya post op with no fill and i get thru bout a child size bowl of weet bix and im stuffed i feel this feeling in my chest and its like im gana thro up my tummy says im full but my head says WAT U ONLY HAD 1 N HALF WEET BIX ( weet bix is a breakfast ceral mushy for those that dont know ) its just weird cause i stop n dont go have more but normally id have a full bowl plus maybe 2 toast n a glass of choc milk now its a child size bowl n i feel full... so i know were ur all coming from

Remember this feeling! It might go away before your first fill and you'll have to do the work on your own. If it does, just stay the course and make sure you get your fills on schedule :-)

Congrats on your surgery!

I have had 4 fills and am at 7cc in a 10cc band but must say my restriction level is still not the best. I can pretty much eat anything I want and in some cases can eat a lot of food. Some people feel restriction long before others but looks like I'm not one of them. I'm fine most of the day but started grazing at night again in the last 3 days. Definitely head hunger. I will go for my 5th fill in about 2-3 weeks and hope another .5cc will do the trick.

Are you eating foods that are easy to get down? Could that be why you don't have much restriction? I know that I can get soft/mushie foods down a lot easier than I can solid foods like shrimp/chicken etc... I try to limit my liquid calories such as smoothies (my current addiction) and Protein shakes to once a day. It's the more solid foods that I feel the restriction with. I have very little problems with foods such as candy and Cookies which is what I tend to want to snack on at night. If I eat a meal like my pizza last night, and I have restriction with it, it actually makes me so full that I have no interest in further eating so it keeps me from nighttime snacking.

Just my thoughts and experiences so far. I hope you get restriction with your next fill. It's such an elusive thing, but so nice when it does show itself :-)

Thanks for your response Heather. I do eat lots of foods which go down easily but even things which I should have problems with seem to do the same. Some things get stuck but once it passes, then everything slides down after that. I can eat bread, apples, chicken etc with no problems. I can't believe how much I can get down if I allow myself. I walk every day to help keep the weight off. I don't get hungry for long periods of time with this fill so if I use willpower I'm fine but once I start eating I can't seem to get enough. I know for me there's a psychological aspect... as soon as I start losing again, I sabotage myself so I don't lose any more... I am at my comfort zone and anything less is too scarey right now. I have to work through that soon because I want to get a lot more weight off before my niece's 21st birthday party in June and my brother's 40th birthday party in July.

Heather- now this is just what I wanted to hear about! I know I will eat chocolate occasionally and I want the band to slow me down.

I am being banded tomorrow-March 3rd and I am so glad I read your post. I know I can lose weight - what I didn't know is how to keep weight off. The band sounds like just the trick to me!

Smaller portions of stuff I like is what I wanted to hear about. I'll eat healthy the majority of the time but i want to hear that I could eat a little of my former foods.

Thanks!

Sadie

Good luck tomorrow, Sadie! Take care of yourself

Thanks for the detailed post, Heather. I'm also waiting for my band. It's just good to hear the every day normal stuff.

Good luck on your surgery Sadie.

ok...so first...please PLEASE please don't take offense to this or hate me. You should be very proud of your weight loss and accomplishments. This is a struggle...and that's my gripe...is the problem I'm having with my weight loss struggles...

Like I said don't hate me....

I had surgery a day after you...I am down less weight than you...and I'm confused. I have not allowed myself anything as unhealthy as you described...I am eating a healthy 1000 calories a day...I'm working out two times a day...what am I doing wrong? Shouldn't I be losing more...if I'm not allowing myself pizza or birthday cake?

I'm going nuts here...and again...PLEASE don't take this wrong...I just want to know why I'm not losing more. I read about people that are eating not so healthy foods...or not excercising...and their still losing!

PLEASE HELP

My goodness Jowjow, You lost 35# since Dec! Thats a great loss. I don't think it would be good for you to lose faster than that!

Jowjow, first of all, you have to stop comparing yourself to others.

If you'll look at the OP's stats, she was at a higher weight to start with, and had a higher BMI. You started at almost 70 lbs lower than she did. Typically, those with less to lose will lose weight slower than those with more to lose.

And remember, everyone is different, and you shouldn't try to compare yourself to anyone else. AND if I had to guess, I'd bet that the meals that she's describing here are not what she'd typically eat on any given day.

ok...so first...please PLEASE please don't take offense to this or hate me. You should be very proud of your weight loss and accomplishments. This is a struggle...and that's my gripe...is the problem I'm having with my weight loss struggles...

Like I said don't hate me....

I had surgery a day after you...I am down less weight than you...and I'm confused. I have not allowed myself anything as unhealthy as you described...I am eating a healthy 1000 calories a day...I'm working out two times a day...what am I doing wrong? Shouldn't I be losing more...if I'm not allowing myself pizza or birthday cake?

I'm going nuts here...and again...PLEASE don't take this wrong...I just want to know why I'm not losing more. I read about people that are eating not so healthy foods...or not excercising...and their still losing!

PLEASE HELP

I don't hate you. :-) Mind you, what I shared is not my normal diet. That's why I was so thrilled that restriction saved me.

First of all, I have to live my life. I am NOT going to restrict what I eat to the extent that I don't feel like a normal person. If everyone is eating pizza at a party, I'm not going to sit there and not have a slice. If I go out to dinner, I'm going to try to order something healthy, but also something I like. The quickest way for me to fail at this is to tell myself I can't have something. What I do instead is work it into my daily calories. I plan ahead. I walk an extra 1/2 hour or at extra intensity to burn extra calories if I know that I'm going to be indulging in something like cake. I am trying to train myself to think and act as a thin person does. I've been studying my thin family members and trying to emulate the best of them.

Just so we're straight, I'm eating 1200 calories a day (on average) and I'm eating 60+ grams of Protein, less than 50g of fat, between 100-150g of carbs and trying to get at least 20g of Fiber in each day. I take my Multivitamin and I walk at least 20 minutes (usually 30+) each day... 7 days a week. I lose very slowly... my average is probably less than 2 pounds a week. I'm in this for the long haul and I truly want to change my relationship with food for life.

My thoughts with what you wrote is that you might be eating too little for the amount you are exercising. I'm not sure what you're doing in your 2 sessions, but 1000 calories may be way too little.

I was talking with my aunt this weekend, she's a nutritionist for the state of Ohio. I told her what I'd been doing diet/exercise wise. She thought my breakdown was fine, but that my calories were too low for someone my weight. She actually thought I'd be better around 1600 calories a day.

However, since I've got energy and I'm feeling fine she said it'd be ok to continue at that number of calories. We went over my "average" food day and her advice to me was just to beef up the veggies where I could to make up for any shortcomings the Vitamin might have.

I say just play with your calories (I started losing when I increased from 1000 to 1200 calories and added my walking) and make sure to shake up your diet every couple of days. During my WW days I learned that my body was smart and would stall out the weight loss if I ate the same things day after day.

Good luck to you!

BTW... you're doing amazing! You should be so proud of yourself!

:rolleyes2:That indeed is very encouraging. I had my surgery one month ago and am going tomorrow a.m. for my first fill. I have not been having 2nds when I eat (or 3rds) but still am eating a full plate. I am looking forward to that "full - not hungry" feeling with this fill. I hope that I get that!!!!

Thanks for your response Heather. I do eat lots of foods which go down easily but even things which I should have problems with seem to do the same. Some things get stuck but once it passes, then everything slides down after that. I can eat bread, apples, chicken etc with no problems. I can't believe how much I can get down if I allow myself. I walk every day to help keep the weight off. I don't get hungry for long periods of time with this fill so if I use willpower I'm fine but once I start eating I can't seem to get enough. I know for me there's a psychological aspect... as soon as I start losing again, I sabotage myself so I don't lose any more... I am at my comfort zone and anything less is too scarey right now. I have to work through that soon because I want to get a lot more weight off before my niece's 21st birthday party in June and my brother's 40th birthday party in July.

Definitely sounds like a little more fill is in order. Right now I can't eat a lot even if I wanted to. The only thing would be if I was eating lots of shakes and things like that... solid food definitely has its limits. I hope this restriction stays, but I know it probably won't.

Stay in touch... I'll be rooting for you!!!

Thanks for the detailed post, Heather. I'm also waiting for my band. It's just good to hear the every day normal stuff.

You're welcome. :-)

Jowjow, first of all, you have to stop comparing yourself to others.

If you'll look at the OP's stats, she was at a higher weight to start with, and had a higher BMI. You started at almost 70 lbs lower than she did. Typically, those with less to lose will lose weight slower than those with more to lose.

And remember, everyone is different, and you shouldn't try to compare yourself to anyone else. AND if I had to guess, I'd bet that the meals that she's describing here are not what she'd typically eat on any given day.

Absolutely. Also, my weight loss includes pre-op as well as post-op. JowJow doesn't state if hers is all post-band. If it is, then she's way ahead of my game :-)