I am wondering if anyone else has noticed the many different

diets

lapband patients are told to follow after surgery.

My doctor took the gastric bypass approach and gave me the exact same plan to follow. (You know, high Protein through shakes, bars, etc)

I know this because my best friend and I went to the same doctor (she got her GP about 7 months after me) ... she got the GP, and I got the LB. (She is down almost 140 pounds) ...

Our diets are identical. Of course it is easier for her to stick to this ridged plan because when she has too many bad carbs she gets very ill. She has admitted this too.

For me some of those carbs just slide down so easy (i.e. candy, popcorn, ect). And anytime I eat anything that isn't 'plan' I feel so guilty. IT FEELS JUST LIKE A REALLY BAD DIET.

Now my brother, a physician, got the LB in July of this year. His doctor told him to eat whatever he wanted. The idea behind this was to let the LB do the work,

as it was intended.

And it was to take the food obsession out of the picture ...( btw, He lost 50 pounds in the first 2 months.) And lets face it we didn't get this heavy without food issues.

I think by making my plan so strict, I have done nothing

BUT

obsess over food.:thumbup: From the mouth of my brother,

"if I thought this was just another diet, I wouldn't have gotten the LB. I could not follow your strict plan."

Thoughts?

My doctor wants to avoid substituting one food obsession with another. I'm to eat normally as I can. I want to be normal. That's why I did this. I'm not allowed to eat bars or shakes. I'm only allowed shakes if I'm sick or for the two days after a fill. I'm to eat real meat, veggies, fruit, etc. Eating a variety of food is what helps keep you healthy. I wouldn't have done this if I had to limit my food choices and "diet" for the rest of my life. That's not quality of life in my opinion. I chose my doctor because his philosophy was the same as mine. We're approaching this in the same way. I'm happier that way and more apt to stick to this. I watch what I eat, and make sound food choices most of the time. If a special occasion comes up, I enjoy it like everyone else. The freedom to do so keeps me happy.

Yes every doctor is different. No I don't obsess over what I put in my mouth. I think for me though the LB was the best decision because I am a volume eater. I never was a sweet eater and such so I think it's different for different type of eaters.

I do log my food at dailyplate.com so I can see whats working and whats not when I am eating. If I do eat something bad oh well I log it. I still lose anyway.

When were you banded? If you are suffering through a post op diet, that's one thing. Once you've healed and are getting fills, that's something else. If you've healed and are more than 6 weeks post op, try going to a different support group meeting. If your brother is in the same city, can you go to one of his? Why did you pick the surgeon you did? Do you trust him? Have you talked to him about your concerns?

You have to decide what's right for you.

I will say personally I'm with the bandsters who want to QUIT thinking about food. I don't weigh and count and journal and fret. That would drive me (and did drive me!) nuts. I plan to eat way way less of "normal" food.

[quote=Brandy~;1059499 I think for me though the LB was the best decision because I am a volume eater. I never was a sweet eater and such so I think it's different for different type of eaters.

I do log my food at dailyplate.com so I can see whats working and whats not when I am eating. If I do eat something bad oh well I log it. I still lose anyway.

same here, i was a volume eater. i don't have a sweet tooth - didn't do fast food.., i just ate too much of the good food in front of me (fork issues - trouble putting it down).

i self imposed rules on myself in the beginning - to wean myself off the salty carbs ; because my DR has no "rules" - well those that i read here. that was for my benefit to get off the Pasta / bread / chip cravings & it worked.

i crave healthy food now - and it's easy to make those choices. i still journal my food & exercise because it keeps me sane.

i have NEVER been a detailed person in my life; off the cuff individual - but i just took this journey a bit serious & haven't let up. afraid if i stop; ooooh a bag of chips might have a date w/me:tongue:

It seems like you all have had very sensible doctor advice. I think my doctor just can't get away from his GP success and he is big on his statistics. So if I 'fail' in his words, that makes him look bad.

Screw him. This is my body and my life. I joined WW to get on a normal sort of eating pattern and get the guilt of eating real food out of my head. I'm having success so I'll stay there for now.

I picked this surgeon because he was this best surgeon in the area. I had 13 previous operations on my abdomen and I had to pick an experienced doctor. Never thought the after care would be such a big deal.

Thanks for your help... you have no idea how much it means to get this sort of feed back.

For me it's really the after care that mattered.

Just wanted to respond that I do not subscribe to the 'eat only certain things' mentality. I don't shoot for a certain amount of protein or fat per day, or anything like that. I had food obsessions and no longer worry about food. I actually forgot to make dinner tonight (I have a FAMILY that I have to cook for, LOL!). I eat what I want, and when I am full, I am done. I make sure that I am not eating slider foods, and not drinking while eating, but besides that, there are no rules. For some, it doesn't work that easily, but it has been GREAT for me.

I'm with kgloverii. My surgeon has no 'rules' for eating. I am not supposed to do Protein shakes (except after a fill) unless to not do so would mean skipping a meal of regular foods.

He wants me eating a wide variety of foods and to learn how to eat and what works for me.

There seem to be as many post-op eating plans out there as there are doctors.

I chose to get banded because it doesn't carry the restrictions that bypass does. I wanted the freedom to eat foods I love, just less of them.

So far...so good, for me.

Denise