:confused:I was banded 12/22/08 and things were going well. Have lost 30 #'s. I had my first fill 2/18/09 but really did not feel any physical changes. Last night I had a real scare. I found myself binge eating without any physical effects. I did not know with the band that I would be able to consume so much food. I couldn't stop and had no where to turn for help. I know I have to figure out what triggered it but what I need help with here is to know why I felt no restriction. Is it because the band is so new? Any Ideas? Please help. Thanks, Nancy

First off congrats on your weight loss thus far. It all depends on what you were eating. If you were eating slider foods like ice cream, chocolate bars, chips etc then thats why you could eat a lot. If you where eating meats like chicken, fish and beef (dense foods) you would get full rather quickly. If food just passes through your pouch you will feel full when your stomach gets full. I had very little restriction after my first fill. Go back to measuring all of your meals and if you are consuming more than 5oz every 3 hours you might need another fill. I had my second fill rather quickly after my first. Good luck and get back on that wagon.:w00t:

Thank BearBandit... it was all slider foods so what you say makes sense. I started working a new shift (3-11) and it's thrown me off. I'll go back to measuring and writing everything down til I adjust to new schedule. Thanks Again!

I did not reallt start to feel rerstriction until after my 3rd fill and I have heard this is common for a lot of people. You will not be able to even go on a binge once you are more restricted because you will probably puke if you try. I think you should try to get into touch with what is making you feel like binging. I still have that uneasy feeling sometiome that I want to binge and it is unially stress related. Hang in there! It will be much easier once you have proper restriction.

BearBandit, you have lost an incredible amount of weight in a short period of time. Can you give us some tips? I was banded a month before you and I have lost only 1/2 the weight you have. I need to get my water intake up and I am now doing cardio 7 days a week come hell or high water. I would really appreciate any advice, insight, etc. Thanks in advance.

I too fear the dreaded Bing. I have lost weight before using my Bowflex, but sooner or later the bing seems to always undo all the good work I've done. I talked this with my doctor and told him it was my number 1 problem. Having said that we decided on the Realize band. When I get restriction I hope to have some bing security with my band in place.

How do other, more experience people get over the bing bad habit? How much of a deterant does the band make?

As of now, I've been pretty darn good, but my life has been pretty stable. For me, its those big suprises that trigger the bing. I hope my band will be a help to me next time I fall.

shocking isn't it.....I remember the first time I realized how many tortilla chips w guacomole dip I could eat..wasn't even paying attention watching tv and thinking that I would stop when full..It was scary.......and I had restriction.

I am an emotional eater so I am now trying to find other ways to deal with it because I don't ever remember reaching for solid Protein when I would go on a binge it was always slider foods...... I soon realized that just getting the band wasn't going to fix 30+ years of emotional binge eating......

so take it one day at a time, don't beat yourself up about it, move on, realize that the band will not stop you, try to eliminate slider foods from the house, get up and move away......do anything you can but binge and just know that for some reason it will get easier.... just having the band keeps me in check.....I don't want to stretch out my pouch or hurt my band so even if I do slip up it is never to the point I used to be........

Thanks to "to be free" and "bearbandit" I have a better understanding of slider foods and restriction. I am so afraid of stretching out my pouch and since 12/12/08 (10 days prior to banding) I have been so focused and not binged. Now I know it can happen and I must be aware and be careful. I am greatful for this site and to all the support!

I dont think until you have proper restriction you will have much limit to what you eat. I still can eat more than a lot here say they eat at a time.

Iv had 3 fills and as tight as they will allow me to be. I only have real trouble if I eat fruit. Different people will have trouble with different foods getting stuck once you are tight.

If you were banded that recently, Im just guessing you cant be totally restricted yet, so yes, you can eat as much as you want. Im not a binger, but I can put away a full meal on a cruise at dinner. Thats sure more than some here say they eat. The band may slow you down, but its not going to totally ever stop you from eating more. I get up and walk around until I burp a little and the feeling passes and then I can eat more.

I was banded 12/11/08. Up until last week, I have been that extremely LUCKY one that had never felt hunger since banded. On 1/19/09 I had my 1st fill 2.5 cc in a max 4.0 cc band. I know my eyes want more than I need so measuring is a must 1/2 cup per meal is what I eat. Since 1/22/09 I caught a case of whooping cough...turned into bronchial inflamation... 4 trips to GP 2 antibiotics, then Prednisone(10 days) and steroid inhalers... This past week I have been STARVING. My meals aren't doing a thing for me ... thank heaven for work ... I can't get to food and my DH is trying to help by distracting me... when I can't take it anymore I get a prepackaged piece of string cheese or some type of protein. It hasn't helped my mental state that the scale keeps going up ...6 lbs this week. I'm trying hard to stay on the program and I feel I'm not that far off. I did call and talked to my support bariatric nurse today. She said it is the result of the Prednisone and I still have as many days as I was ON Prednisone that I will be feeling the side effects that many days OFF and could continue to gain. Encouraging ...yuck. She encouraged me to keep doing what I'm doing...if I have to stick with the solid protein...Once the Prednisone is out of my system my body will turn lose of everything it was hanging on to.

All this said I still have the urge to eat everything and the kitchen sink! I want to scream, rant and rave. So thanks for keeping me at the keyboard right now...It is so nice to have all of you that understand and help me out.

I keep telling myself this is only a short term situation and it will get better... I guess I kind of got spoiled with the no hunger thing! Anyway thanks for letting me spout off.

Deb

Highest lifetime wt. 386

1st visit to dr. 376

Surgery 343

Today 315

DebbieGail,

You weight loss is fantastic. Hang in there. Reading your story makes me want to try harder.

Hi mlafentres, Thanks for responding ... again you are keeping me here and not wandering toward kitchen...My DH is not quite understanding my obsession with this site. Although a perfect angel and very supportive...I need to talk, share, listen, and learn from those that are walking in my shoes and understand my thoughts and feelings. I'm the first person I personally now that has had this done...so lots of my community are watching my progress and are asking me lots of questions and giving support but it is not the same as talking with those that are living it. Anyway it looks like we are close (December Bandings) to have lots in common! Like why on earth did we chose to do this right before the holidays! Mine was what better present could I give myself and get a head start on the New Year's Lifestyle Change!

Deb

Edited February 25, 200917 yr by DebbieGail
Oops, I was looking at chart 12-1-08 not signature...well we are close anyway.

Debbie, I know this isnt the same reason, but I took a cruise the end of January and got indigestion ...BAD. I started having a ice cream cone every time the gas got bad. Burning gas and I gained 5 lbs in 5 days and got home and still had the gas. Wound up doing 3 kinds of stuff for the gas for the next 3 - 4 weeks and finally got it back under control.

.... meanwhile I had to force myself to start walking again, I was lazy during my cruise. Start walking to get the weight back off. When I first started to walk, I wasnt sure I could, so I walked around the building, then the complex, finally around a short block, then a bigger block. Im now doing over 3 miles twice a day, but I started small.

People on another board, one say "you lose weight easy" and another "you are lucky to lose so easy". Yea so easy, I just love pushing myself out the door and walking 7 - 10 miles a day. Im 58 and no one my age loses easy if you ask me. The trick when you gain suddenly is to get right back after it and it will come off easier than new weight loss in new territory.

Again, thanks flowers, I think you're right I need exercise, right now my bike it out ... I can't go 1 minute on it without going into a coughing fit...but maybe a slow walk ... one that doesn't speed up my breathing (which stimulates the cough) might help if nothing else my state of mind and sense of control. I feel so helpless. It also hasn't helped that my DH and grandson have now come down with this same virus and I feel responsible for passing it on to them. Anyway the topic is binging and we all have to deal with it... Exercise, tomorrow during my plan time and the kid's recess I will stroll up and down the halls for at least 10 minutes each time. I go to my first support group meeting tomorrow night and I'm hoping that will also help get me out of this funk...I'm also thinking I'm not going to get on the scale until my 10 days off Prednisone is over ... why torture myself until I can really do something about it. It's 9:49 and I have not snacked at all today and when I'm done here it's right to bed...Thanks for helping me think through a plan.

Deb