I read so much from people who are struggling that they are still hungry - They think that the band will take away their hunger.

For me it hasn't - Yes I am full on a smaller amount of food - I can be physically full but mentally hungry which manifest it's self in to what I consider some times as physical hunger

I just wanted to know from other how the band affected their hunger issues.

For me I say they have banded my tummy & not my head where the real problems lie...

Thanks for your imput..

Wow, when I first saw the results of this, I panicked! But it seems like a lot of you are answering about the "head hunger", which I get. I'm so confused now. I'm praying that the band will take away that empty gnawing hunger pangs shaking feeling that I always get on diets. That's what the LB sites promise, right? I also don't get why people are having to follow "diets" like Atkins? I lost 50 lbs. (twice then gained it back slowly) on Atkins, but is that really healthy long term? I'm prepared to eat a LOT less and deal with all the head hunger...but will I feel like I'm starving like I have on so many other diets?

Band Groupie

Now this is my personal experience - I gotta say that what we consider hunger (physical) is alot of times really head hunger..

Lapband surgery isn't about dieting - it's about making a lifetime lifestyle change in your eating and adding exercise into your life... Diets dont work... Some pple do atkins as that's what works for them - me personally I follow a WW type eating plan - and my doc's rec's - meat first then veggies then carbs if any room...

Once you get proper restriction - the band does make you feel fuller on a smaller amount of food and you will stay full longer - but I am here to tell you that I can be physically full and feel the need to continue to eat.. I just want pple to be prepared for that - so many think that the band is the magical answer to their issues with food - it isn't - the majority of our problems are in our heads.

The band makes the hard job of losing weight easier - but it's just a piece of plastic - it doesn't make your food choices and it doesn't exercise for you.

Being hungry isn't going to kill you - heck it's normal to be hungry - but it's not normal to feed that hunger 24/7 with high fat - high sugar foods..

The band isn't going to stop you from eating 3 candy bars or 1/2 gallon of ice cream - but it will stop you from eating 16 oz steak...

So just be prepared that it's still work - it's not a walk in the park - for me it really doesn't take away what I preceive as my hunger as my mental hunger is still there.. And it takes time to figure out what is real hunger and what's mental hunger..

Again this is my experience.. I love my band - without it's help - I would not have lost 110 lbs - but again I have worked very hard at making this a lifetime lifestyle change by eating healthy and exercising....

Not sure why this thread came up in my user cp where I go to my subscribed threads. Usually, it only comes up if a new post has been added.

So I am adding a new post. My band isn't helping me much right now. I feel like I have no band since I had so much of my fill removed.

I need a band on my brain. I have to dig down deep and find some willpower somewhere.

I know it keeps popping up when there isn't a new post - who know...

Yep I know what you mean - this past weekend even with my restriction I was able to eat stuff I shouldn't have - like candy - but I do gotta say that I am better at stopping than I use to be - not perfect but better - and now if I do eat too much of something - I increase my exercise to compensate - as you know this is a very hard balancing act - some days we are perfect and some days we aren't

It's going take more that a year or 2 to unlearn our lifetime of bad habits :cursing:

Thanks IG55! Good explanation. I'm getting myself prepared for the whole lifestyle change, lots of work, and as much as I can ahead with the head hunger. I've lost mega (50+#) on diets lots of times, so I'm ready for the work this will take. I just wanted to hear I'll be able to eat many of the same healthy foods (yep, I hear the ones I'll have to give up forever) the rest of my family is eating, but in way smaller amounts. I couldn't stay on other diets for a lifetime...because I always felt like I could gnaw my arm off with hunger and because I was always making seperate meals-what a pain, from the rest of the family (which I get may still happen some days). I can make a lifestyle change to exercise and small amounts of healthy food...and lots of work...thanks!

Stomach growling hunger is nothing compared to head hunger. You can feed stomach growling hunger with good Protein like chicken and get rid of it. It's those nasty

cravings in the evenings that get to me.

come 7-8 pm, I am not physically hungry, but my brain starts with the "what can I eat?" If I eat a sf pudding, then I want something else right after. Sometimes I think it's better not to eat anything in the evenings, because once I start, I want to eat all evening long. Head hunger is the pits.

Stomach growling hunger is nothing compared to head hunger. You can feed stomach growling hunger with good Protein like chicken and get rid of it. It's those nasty

cravings in the evenings that get to me.

come 7-8 pm, I am not physically hungry, but my brain starts with the "what can I eat?" If I eat a sf pudding, then I want something else right after. Sometimes I think it's better not to eat anything in the evenings, because once I start, I want to eat all evening long. Head hunger is the pits.

Yep - I totally agree - that's my problem at night once I eat I just want to keep eating - I give my body a little of it's drug of choice and then it wants more...

I think I am going to cut off all eating at 8 pm . That leaves me an after dinner snack and hopefully, I can try to convince myself that I am not allowed to eat past 8 pm.

I really want to do that pouch diet but the first two days are killers. The first two days are just like being on the

post op diet.

I think I am going to cut off all eating at 8 pm . That leaves me an after dinner snack and hopefully, I can try to convince myself that I am not allowed to eat past 8 pm.

I really want to do that pouch diet but the first two days are killers. The first two days are just like being on the

post op diet.

Heck I don't eat dinner till about 8

I won't do the pouch test - I most likely should - but what is is like 2 days liquid - I don't think It would work - but again knock wood I have been maintaining OK - but at this point and what happened to you- I worry that my band could be eroding - etc- problems period - I don't have any signs and don't have any reflux - but again you didn't have any signs..

I feel to damn good to be obese again..

Ah, but I did have signs. I was puking in my sleep. I knew that could just not be normal.

Now I have to try to maintain with barely any restriction. it's hard. they won't give me another fill. They said I have esphageal motility issues, whatever that means.

Ah, but I did have signs. I was puking in my sleep. I knew that could just not be normal.

Now I have to try to maintain with barely any restriction. it's hard. they won't give me another fill. They said I have esphageal motility issues, whatever that means.

Denise - you hadn't been having reflux at night all the time - did it just start - I get a little heartburn sometimes - but I don't wake up throwing up at all.

you know this is our private (well not private really) thread

we are the only 2 who talk here :0)

Yes I betit would be hard to maintain without much restriction that's my fear - My band does stop me from over eating and I really am mindful of eating good foods - No unplanned treats - well last night wanted something sweet at 1 poptart - not 2 just 1.. So that was good - plus it really wasn't that good - not worth the calories...

I probably had been throwing up in my sleep for at least 3 months. The first time I called my dr. the nurse gave me nexium samples. I knew they would not help. It was not heartburn. It was food that I had eaten hours before.

It was happening at least twice a week, sometimes 4-5 times a week. I practically had to scream at the office

"Give me a test! This is not normal!" I saw my dr. for less than a second and told him what was going on and he said "you need an esphagram." Finally. Those office girls just kept putting me off and not letting me get into the dr.

I have not had any trouble since, although I did get stuck on shrimp tonight. I was talking and eating and forgetting I had a band. so it is still working. that was good to know.

I found a do-able snack for the evenings. sf Jello. not the little cups. I made a big bowl of it. I think I can have as much of that as I want. It wasn't bad with a little ff cool whip. I am going to try to give up chocolate. That's what I crave and maybe I can get my body to forget what it tastes like. no chocolate pudding, no sf fudgsicles, nothing chocolate flavored. I'll see how that goes.

Edited January 19, 200917 yr by Oregondaisy

I probably had been throwing up in my sleep for at least 3 months. The first time I called my dr. the nurse gave me nexium samples. I knew they would not help. It was not heartburn. It was food that I had eaten hours before.

It was happening at least twice a week, sometimes 4-5 times a week. I practically had to scream at the office

"Give me a test! This is not normal!" I saw my dr. for less than a second and told him what was going on and he said "you need an esphagram." Finally. Those office girls just kept putting me off and not letting me get into the dr.

I have not had any trouble since, although I did get stuck on shrimp tonight. I was talking and eating and forgetting I had a band. so it is still working. that was good to know.

I found a do-able snack for the evenings. sf Jello. not the little cups. I made a big bowl of it. I think I can have as much of that as I want. It wasn't bad with a little ff cool whip. I am going to try to give up chocolate. That's what I crave and maybe I can get my body to forget what it tastes like. no chocolate pudding, no sf fudgsicles, nothing chocolate flavored. I'll see how that goes.

Oh so you did have a problem for a while... Shame on those nurses - I hope the doctor instructed them to take these types of things a little more seriously...

Ya sometimes - it's best to give us the stuff you love even when it's sf - I know I have to becareful too- I had some sf (splenda) vanilla wafer Cookies - 4 for 110 c - well 4 turned into 6 - 6 turned into 8 - threw the damn things away... They just increased my craving for more and more just like real sugar will do..

I have heard that our bodies treat sf just as if it were sugar. They may have less calories, but it keeps the sugar

cravings going. I guess our brain just thinks "sweet" even if it's sugar free and less calories.

Guess what - My TV Commercial is airing !!! I haven't seen it yet - but one of my bosses just told me he say it..

I am going to have to go home and tivo channel 3 for 24 hrs straight...

I can't wait to see it..

I didn't even know you made a tv commercial!

I didn't even know you made a tv commercial!

I am pretty sure I said something on the 50 thread - but ya my doc was doing a new commercial - 4 of us - 2 banders and 2 bypass pple but you know what - we didn't say what kind of surgery we had

10/1 we filmed - like I said I haven't seen it yet - I have seen the one with the couple (bypass) but not mine - they are suppose to give us dvd of it - when I get it - if I do - I will upload it to facebook...

Going to Vegas this weekend - to meet Peaches from Canada(she post sometime on the 50 thread) she's one of my lucky #7 girls - we met in Minn last summer when we did our mall of america trip - her & her gf me and mine - are going to have a girl's weekend..