Just curious if the band has helped any bingers with the urge? I thought I was cured and recently had my band emptied due to inflamation. The second the band was emptied the intense urges have come back. I was wondering if any one else had this problem? I'm beginning to think the urge was not all mental as I believed before. It's not that I can eat now because I still could have binged on ice cream type stuff with the band full, but the urge to stuff was gone and is now back. Trippin me out!!! :thumbup:

Just curious if the band has helped any bingers with the urge? I thought I was cured and recently had my band emptied due to inflamation. The second the band was emptied the intense urges have come back. I was wondering if any one else had this problem? I'm beginning to think the urge was not all mental as I believed before. It's not that I can eat now because I still could have binged on ice cream type stuff with the band full, but the urge to stuff was gone and is now back. Trippin me out!!! :biggrin:

Honestly I was not ever a binger , However I had a total unfill in June and I have NEVER EVER been so hungry in my life.

I was hungry ALL THE TIME . I could eat a FULL meal and 30 mintues later eat ANOTHER ONE . I was always a grazer. But i remember thinking " If this is how i was BEFORE Surgery NO WONDER I GOT FAT " But it has been so long i cant remember.

But i agree w/ you I dont think its all in our heads i think part of this is physical .

Mindy

I too was never a binger...more a high-calorie eater (chocolate being the main culprit). I have never been unfilled but am facing that possibility at the moment so will let you know.

What I cannot understand is how we gain our urges back as although the band has been emptied, we still have the band around our stomach causing a restriction in the flow of food so how can we eat so much straight away? I will never understand the workings of the band the more I read on these boards suffice to say they all seem to have minds of their own

i had always been a compulsive eater but mainly only "binged" at night. now, after my fourth fill, i find i can't binge on as much food, but i still find myself thinking about it and trying once in a while.

i don't think i'll ever be cured, but maybe after my next fill, i'll be in remission. it is my fondest dream...

best of luck to you!

What I cannot understand is how we gain our urges back as although the band has been emptied, we still have the band around our stomach causing a restriction in the flow of food so how can we eat so much straight away?

Well... actually... the very presence of the band does not cause any restriction whatsoever. It is not until there is pressure from the inside lining (filled with saline) that there is any type of restriction. When my band was being placed the surgeon had to fix a hiatal hernia. Therefore the band had zero restriction so as not to compromise the stitches. The surgeon told my husband that I was probably going to be very hungry during the next couple of weeks because the band was so loose around the stomach that it could "spin." The doctor was right.... I am SO hungry on this full liquid diet and am looking forward to at least eating some "mushies."

No.

I'm on maintenance and from time to time I still binge. Of course it's not an entire bag of chips a 2 liter soda and pizza anymore.

It's more like 5 Cookies or 2 handfulls of chips. I binged last week on a bowl of icecream...yeah, an entire bowl!

It took 38 years to get this way, it's gonna take a few years to undo this.

Well... actually... the very presence of the band does not cause any restriction whatsoever. It is not until there is pressure from the inside lining (filled with saline) that there is any type of restriction.

So not true.

There are people who go months without their first fill because there is ambple restricition from simply having the band on their stomachs. It was 6 months for me.

But about binging.

The band puts you more in control of your life and food. Many of the binge feelings go, but they do bubble up when times are emotional needs to vent, at least for me. But a binge now is NOTHING compared to one before. You simply can't put that much food in with out it backing up. I'm saying the mess that causes the feelings are there you just can better manage how you react to them.

Good luck.

So not true.

There are people who go months without their first fill because there is ambple restricition from simply having the band on their stomachs. It was 6 months for me.

So not true for you, perhaps, and not true for some, but according to my surgeon as well as my own personal experience, the band curently has no effect at all on the feeling of satiety at this time. When one has a hiatal hernia the surgeon does not put in the normal 2 cc's of saline at the time of placement. The ample restriction often felt after surgery (again, according to my surgeon) is a result of this small amount of Fluid in the band and not the mere fact of having the band on their stomachs. One of my colleagues had her band placed approximately 8 weeks ago. She had a fair amount of restriction following surgery. However, another friend had the surgery about 4 weeks ago (with hiatal hernia repair) and she has no feeling of restriction, either, because fluid could not be put in the band.

There are no absolutes about how the band is with different people.

My point really is that making sweeping statements is a tricky thing. You even mentioned that out of three people you know one is not like the others.

Many people experience restriction with the band only on their stomach.

I believe you have missed the point of my original (and second) post. I absolutely agree that there are no absolutes with the band. As far as making sweeping statements, I believe I mentioned that myself (and my other friend) both had HIATAL HERNIAS and therefore no saline could be put in the band during the surgery as is customary by many surgeons. Please, please, I was not meaning any harm nor was I trying to make anyone upset with my post... only sharing what my surgeon told me would happen and confirming that what he told me was true: merely having the band does not necessarily cause restriction. I do not understand how that was interpreted as a sweeping comment. However... perhaps we should move on to another topic...

I suppose it was the "whatsoever" that made it a sweeping and absolute statement.

Regardless, I'm not interested in arguing over samantics and you've not offended me particularly. It wasn't my intention to get you riled and I feel bad that this thread about binging got hyjacked by me.

Sorry initial poster!

I was a volume eater that was in the closet lol... with a bit of grazing tendancies. I can say that for me so far my urges are in remission. I don't have the urge to stuff a whole big mac combo super sized with a side of chicken nuggets down my throat anymore..

I can't eat more than 1/2 a cup of food if I take 30 minutes to eat it so I think the restriction was the key for me.

Binge eater but no more since August 25th. It's a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!

I was somewhat of a binger, especially on days when I had high levels of stress going on. I have had to deal with my food issues very head-on, and I decided to pay attention to what it is that makes me want to eat. I have made a conscious decision not to let food control me; when I have an urge to eat something that I shouldn't, I think it through from a logical standpoint, and usually just wait until the urge passes. I'm at a very good level of restriction now, and I'm feeling more in control than ever. It's awesome!

I will say, though, that I've made many lifestyle changes that take a lot of work. I track EVERYTHING I eat, without fail. This helps me logically assess what I should and shouldn't be eating. The emotional part of it has gradually become a different habit. I do something else! I'm really happy!:rolleyes2:

As a former chow hound, I can say that band has probably saved my life. I have the urges to binge, but they are much more short lived. I can't really binge like I did in the past. Even though ice cream goes down pretty easily -- it is not my food of choice. I tried to do it one time but dang it was soo sickly sweet I shutter at the thought now. So, yes I think the band has changed my former binging self to a much more even eater and I believe that over time this is going to be why ultimately I am able to get my weight off.

I was a binge eater and now I very rarely have the desire to do that. As a general rule, food no longer has the hold on me it used to. I'm just not that interested anymore. I supposed it's largely mental, but for me I know there is a physiological aspect as well. I just don't get hungry like I used to. For example, we had a church conference last night and I was in charge of food. I made all kinds of yummy things, but I just wasn't that interested. I had a few bites and that was it. Before the band I would have eaten until I was stuffed. On the occasion when I do forget, the band is there to remind me that I can't eat like that anymore. I have never felt this "normal" about food or this in control. What a blessing!!