Life with the Band -- What's it Like?

Alexandra · November 9, 2003

While I was doing my research, it was easy to find out technical and medical information but less easy to get a picture of what daily life is really like with the band. And that's what I wanted to know. So this thread is for post-band people to paint a picture of their normal life for the benefit of prebanders thinking about taking this important step. What's changed?

For me, post-band life is very much normal life except with regard to food. I know that sounds like a truism, but here's what I mean: Now when I'm faced with a decision about food -- how much to buy, cook, serve, order at a restaurant, put on my plate -- I now have to remember that EVERYTHING has changed.

I'm eating perhaps 1/4 of what I ate before, sometimes less. So it's now possible for my husband and me to share one meal at a restaurant instead of each getting an appetizer, main course, and dessert. A normal Pasta dinner at our house used to involve cooking at least a whole pound of Pasta, and now it's more like 6 ounces. I have to remember that if I eat a snack while shopping at the mall, that will very likely mean I'm not hungry for dinner! So I have to be mindful of what I'm eating, because that's ALL I'm going to be eating for the next several hours.

This learning curve results in a good bit of leftover food. A good thing to buy is lots of small plastic containers for the fridge. What I used to toss as not worth saving -- a half a sausage, two ravioli -- is now a full meal the next day. Cool!

I know in a while this will start to be second nature. For now it's just a weird thing to be totally changing the way I mentally measure my consumption, and it's surprising to me how many times it comes up in daily life. I guess my point is that for me, the threat of PBing or something getting stuck is not the biggest effect of banding. I find myself occupied more often with figuring out what and how much I'll be eating and what to do with the leftovers. And this wasn't something I'd thought about before banding.

What came as a surprise to you?

IAMOMX6 · November 10, 2003

Hi Alexandra,

These are some good questions.

I think the hardest thing at first, was being hungry all the time. I thought the band was going to cure the head hunger. That has gotten a lot better, because I too find that if I have a snack, then I'm too full to eat dinner.

I also have a hard time remembering when I'm really hungry to slow down, and to save room for the stuff I really want. Last night at my husbands company dinner, I ordered shrimp, while we were waiting for our dinner, we were served salad and bread. Because I was so hungry, I started chowing down on this. About half way through, I realized that I was going to be too full to eat my shrimp.

I never realized how much this was going to change everything about the way I see food. We are on a total fast food free diet. The whole family. I want to send the message to my children that food can be good and fun, without the junk. I don't want to become obsessed and start to make life miserable for everyone.

It kinda reminds me when I tried to go all Kosher a few years ago. Living in Iowa it's a real hard thing to do. But it did teach me to appreciate the things I could have and to let go of the things I couldn't.

alicia · November 10, 2003

Hey, Alexandra. After having my second fill only 3 days ago, I am now finally experiencing what good restriction is. And you have some good tips to think about/follow. IAMOMX6, I am right with you on the shrimp dinner experience....can't eat it all! But as far as physically - what is life with the band like? Fine, no problems... it's the emotional/mental part that's got me. For example:

A week ago, I would have told you I was a failure; I've only lost 19 pounds since July 24 and that's with one fill in October. I beat my self up miserably. I finally talked it over with a friend who actually got me out of the depression.

Then I got my second fill 3 days ago.

Right now I am a little upset with the fact that I can't eat as much as I used to. For some reason this really bothers me, I guess because I am finally accepting/realizing that I am mentally/emotionally dependent on food more than I should be. I mean, for 30 years I used food as a drug, so it's a little hard to break. I do feel good about the fact that weight loss is the end result so it lifts my spirits. I must have hope that I will get to 200 pounds one day. Maybe not in 6 months, maybe not in a year, but one day I will.

Don't know if that's what you were looking for, Alexandra, but that is how I feel. Thanks for caring!

BandAid · November 10, 2003

Alexandra,

One of the biggest surprises for me is how my focus has shifted. I just don't think about food like I did before. It's a very liberating feeling.

Tonia

leo · November 10, 2003

Originally posted by BandAid
Alexandra,

One of the biggest surprises for me is how my focus has shifted. I just don't think about food like I did before. It's a very liberating feeling.

Tonia

I had the same revelation

food isn't on my mind anymore.