I'm confused. A lot of things I've read about lap band have bandsters eating 3 meals per day with no snacks, but the sample guidelines my dieticians gave me post-op have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. Of course, I want to do whatever is best to maximize my weight loss. What do YOU all do about meals/snacks?

In the beginning I only ate my 3 meals each day. Recently I've become addicted to popcorn and eat it as an evening snack. My weight loss has slowed down since starting popcorn so I'm gonna have to give it up soon.

There are varying opinions on this subject. I think you should try to go without your Snacks if you can. If you find you can't, you may have to add them back in. I find I'm usually fine for about 3-4 hours between meals so no real need to snack on my part.

I know I haven't been much help here.

Donna

I think it depends on your body. I can snack all day and still lose weight. I make sure I get plenty of protien though.

Most days i can manage breakfast to lunch without a snack as there is roughly a 4 hr gap in between. However if I eat luch at around 12 there is no way I can make it until 7 which is when we normally eat dinner so I do have a snack in the afternoon.

I also sometimes eat fruit and yogurt in the evening - at least that way I get some fruit in.

I'm kind of with elcee--I typically eat breakfast, lunch, a snack, dinner, and sometimes another snack.

Today I had a snack, lunch, dinner, and dinner take 2 :thumbup:

I think it's most important to pay attention to what your body is telling you. Some people have to eat every three hour four hours, even when they're at "perfect restriction." Some people can stick to three meals a day.

If you're concerned, my advice is always to talk with your doctor!

I do much better with no Snacks, once I start, I tend to keep picking.

Weight loss is really only about calories in/calories out. Mentally, I cope a lot better with eating a good meal and then just knowing more food is off limits till the next one. But it makes little difference really, despite all that is written about it, if you spread the same intake over five smaller meals. You just do what is right for you.

For those of you that have an afternoon snack, what and how much would this typically be?

Thanks!

Here's what I was told to do. Eat a meal of 3 oz of Protein, a vegetable serving and a serving of whole grain carb (that's 15 grams). I was told that if I got hungry in less than 4 hours to eat a snack of PROTEIN ONLY....a little low fat cottage cheese, a boiled egg or an ounce of low fat cheese are what I usually choose.

Once you are in the green zone, you will likely not get hungry in less than four hours .... that is a goal. I was told that if I knew I had to go as long as 6 or even 7 hours between meals (which does happen to me between lunch and dinner fairly often since I have a fairly long commute home and I don't leave work until 5:30), then have that small protein snack...to keep me from eating whatever I pick up when I get into the kitchen.

Basically it's 3 meals a day, but the post-op diet I was given for the 1st month after surgery did have 3 meals and 3 snacks. After you're on regular foods, it went to 3 meals.