Are you happy with the amount of food you can eat after receiving the right fill amount? What is a normal diet like? I know the rule is three small meals a day, does the band make it so three small meals satisfy you completely? P.S. three small meals consisting of just ½ cup food each meal?

Yes, yes, and yes!! For example, I had a small sausage patty for Breakfast today and I was just stuffed, believe me!!

lunch was 1/2 cup of chicken with noodles and dinner was a small chicken thigh and some Beans. Each time, Christi, I ate until I was feeling like I could not take another bite!

Now I have had four fills and I am at a super good restriction--but not to the point of getting stuck every time I eat!

This is just awesome--you simply must try it!!! :tongue_smilie:

With good restriction 1/2 cup is about right. I can typically get in 1-2 oz of protein and a few bites of vegies.

I am 11 weeks out and have only had 1 fill. I can eat much more than 1/2 cup at a meal. I am trying to change my behaviors so I plan my meals the day before and limit myself to 900 calories a day. I am still hungry but I realize I need more fills. I perhaps feel differently than most and want to take my fills very slow. I kind of want to back my way up to restriction. For example I am going to ask for only .5cc with my next fill. I want to be just this side of not being able to eat bread or pizza or pasta. If it gets to the point that my weight loss stalls then I may need to be more agressive. I am down 38 lbs. in 11 weeks. It is not easy but it is the best decision I have made in a long time. The band will help you, but you have to be willing to make other changes in your exercise and how you relate to food. I figure if I can deal with 900 cals with little restriction when I get to adequate restriction it should be a piece of cake. I only have good things to say about my band. Good luck

Yes I am. I'm really pleased that I can still eat bread particularly.

I can fall into the trap of eating around my band which means avoiding hard foods like bread and eating yogurt or Soup or whatever instead for lunch, skipping breakfast rather than trying to get through a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of toast.

What I find happens to me when I do that is my calorie intake actually increases (I eat more crap because I'm not satisfied) and my energy levels plummet (sugar doesnt give you energy for very long). I go for a run and feel like I'm running through Water. I've just had a month of eating very poorly for a variety of reasons.

I'm doing a 14km run on Sunday and I knew I had to eat well this week to fuel myself, and most long distance runners to appreciate the benefits of carbo loading. So I have been making a real effort to get my carbs in (oh, the horror!) - this morning I had wholegrain raisin toast for breakfast, and am about to tackle a tuna sandwich on wholegrain bread for lunch.

Seriously, when I eat like that, it seems like MOUNTAINS of food but it really isnt, and it keeps me absolutely satisfied, NO cravings, NO temptation for a bit of a nibble on something, NO desire for sugary carbs. What's happened this week is suddenly I feel fantastic again, I have energy to burn and I've lost weight.

I need to keep my band loose enough to eat this way and thankfully I have not been "sensitive" to the band, have not struggled with over restriction and under restriction, for me as long as I include plenty of wholegrain carbs, those really bulk out my meals, fill me up, keep me satisfied but I also have room when I do go out to enjoy myself a little.

Perfect for me.

That's the beauty of the band though, you can adopt whatever eating style/nutritional theory that you find works for you, and as long as you're not someone who cant tolerate fills well or has other mechanical and physical band problems, you can pretty much have your band as tight as YOU need it.

Other people do brilliantly on small servings, high Protein, low carb. I feel like I've had my entire innards sucked out of my navel when I do that, like a limp dish rag, I have no energy and cant do anything.

I am more than happy with the amount I eat, although I don't concentrate on quantity, I just make sure I eat right (protein, lots of veggies and a few complex carbs if I have room)

Personally, I don't buy the 1/2 cup theory. I always ate way more than that, and lost just fine. Provided you are eating right, and exercising, losing weight on more than half a cup is totally possible.

I agree, although I am jealous. I see people all the time able to eat 1 cup of food and lose. If that is you, go for it!

I am more than happy with the amount I eat, although I don't concentrate on quantity, I just make sure I eat right (protein, lots of veggies and a few complex carbs if I have room)

Personally, I don't buy the 1/2 cup theory. I always ate way more than that, and lost just fine. Provided you are eating right, and exercising, losing weight on more than half a cup is totally possible.

Chickie

I am with you - for me mentally I have to be able to eat more than 1/2 cup of food per meal - Breakfast varies - form yogurt - to eggs - to oatmel - lunch is usually 1 cup of Protein & veggies - dinner 4 oz fish - 1/2 to 1 cup veggies & 1/2 cup rice - and some popcorn for my nighttime snack - when I was so tight that I could barely eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup per meal and had too take super baby sips of Water - i thought I would go out of my mind - I really don't know why anyone would want to be that tight - to me it's not healthy but forced starvation -

I agree, although I am jealous. I see people all the time able to eat 1 cup of food and lose. If that is you, go for it!

It depends on what you fill that half cup with. If it's a less than stellar choice, yep, you are only going to be able to eat a half a cup.

But if it's veggies, fruit and lean Proteins, you are going to get more bang for your buck, and be able to eat more than the 1/2 cup.

It comes down to choice. Some people like to be able to eat a half cup of pizza / burger / chocolate / chips /whatever. Some other people like to be able to eat the likes of fruit and veg freely.

I picked the second option, and it worked well for me. Granted, I also exercise, so maybe that has something to do with it too, but all in all, I still don't buy that you HAVE TO eat only a half a cup. If good choices are made, more than half a cup can be consumed.

I know that's not a popular opinion, but its mine (and since when was anything I said popular! LMAO)

Edited March 28, 200818 yr by Chickie
edited to add quote

It depends on what you fill that half cup with. If it's a less than stellar choice, yep, you are only going to be able to eat a half a cup.

But if it's veggies, fruit and lean Proteins, you are going to get more bang for your buck, and be able to eat more than the 1/2 cup.

It comes down to choice. Some people like to be able to eat a half cup of pizza / burger / chocolate / chips /whatever. Some other people like to be able to eat the likes of fruit and veg freely.

I picked the second option, and it worked well for me. Granted, I also exercise, so maybe that has something to do with it too, but all in all, I still don't buy that you HAVE TO eat only a half a cup. If good choices are made, more than half a cup can be consumed.

I know that's not a popular opinion, but its mine (and since when was anything I said popular! LMAO)

I agree again - I am still what I consider a volume eater but now my food choices are healthy ones and I too exercise 3-4 days a week - I truly follow a WW eating plan - the most amount a food for the least amount of calories - I have done quite well myself (imho) on my weight loss - but it's been all about what I chose to put in my mouth and how often I go to the gym..

Your opinions are yours and that's your right and privledge and if others don't always agree that's their right too - we are all individual (key word and reason we all have diff opinions) we all aren't going to agree - but who wants to live in robot world - not me...

I just made a post on another thread - where I don't think I am going to be popular - but who cares - I don't - I am going to be successful in this journey and it does take willpower - it's not all about the band - but that's just mho :tongue_smilie:

I think most people are designed to be volume eaters.

The trouble is, when we eat massive amounts of totally processed junk, there are just way too many calories in there for our bodies to use.

But when we eat good whole nutritious foods, our bodies are fed the volume they crave, along with the nutrition they need.

It might sound like I am over simplifying it, but basically you can eat more broccoli than you can chocolate without gaining weight.

Its true. Even carb lover that I am, I get the guilts at thinking Cereal for Breakfast, sandwich for lunch, a piece of fruit mid morning and mid afternoon and then meat and 3 veg for dinner. But you add it up and I struggle to get it all in and make 1500 calories. Because whilst I dont stick to just half a cup, its not large quanities and I usually cant finish a *whole* sandwich, the cereal really is the 1/2 cup serving recommended on the box, fruit takes me a good half hour to eat etc.

Add up a huge latte or two (skim milk of course), half a packet of tim tams, a big bowl of Soup, bits and pieces of stuff like nuts, cheese and biscuits, sultanas etc during the day, a glass of wine or even two at night and half the dinner that I cant eat anyway because I was picking all afternoon, only to get hungry and eat something at 9 pm and WHOA, before I know it, its over 2000 calories. All done in little tiny quanities.

Half a cup really means very little. Its what you eat that really counts, if you eat GOOD food in reasonable portions you'll lose - although for some "reasonable" does mean half a cup. That's perhaps where the band isnt as good as other surgeries unless you're a burger and pizza addict, if you like Cookies and chips, you wont even have to TRY to fit those in ,they go down a dream and look out if your drug of choice is ice cream or chocolate.

Chickie - I read somewhere on another thread you went vegetarian. You mind saying when/at what point being banded did you go that route? Do you do dairy / fish?

I must say not being here all that long that I really love you and Jaquis' view on food and exercise. I'm not sure if it's a "twist" on Western Doc vs those Down Under - but my husband just got back from Aust/NZ on business an ran into a collegaue who is banded as is he....DH was like they think of food as fuel....Dieting is not a word used, but healthy eating & exercise is SO prevalent.

I love your take on the process -

I am so used to snacking between meals and I wanted to know if the band make it so three small meals satisfy you, or most need more.

I love to hear what people eat in a day, a half of cup of heathy food leaves too much to my imagination. So please let me know what fuel gets you through your day.

I am so used to snacking between meals and I wanted to know if the band make it so three small meals satisfy you, or most need more.

My doc allows healthy Snacks - low fat string cheese - sf yogurt - sf fudgecicles - fruit - sf popcicles -

Hasn't your doc given you a meal plan with food to eat and avoid - I met with a nutristionist prior to being banded - the gave me list of allt he foods I should eat and foods to stay away from... I am too tired - it's 9:12 and 5 comes early - I am going to bed - so check out the food thread you will find healthy food choices there...

Sorry - but worked out with trainer today and i am beat...