Bear with me here.

mpope · 04-29-2008, 07:51 PM

I haven't attended a seminar yet, so maybe this question will be addressed then, but I have wondered HOW, after the surgery, you suddenly, don't have the DESIRE to eat like you did before the surgery? Is that the purpose of the band? I don't mean to sound idiotic here, but I've worried about that.

Am I going to go to eat like I do now and just get sick and throw up or is the mindset different w/ the band?

I don't feel like I'm making any sense here and I apologize for rambling on, but I think that's my biggest concern at this point. I eat a lot of carbs now...is my desire for carbs going to lessen or will I still eat carbs...just LESS of them?

Bunny · 04-29-2008, 08:07 PM

mpope, i get hungry lile a regular ole person. the difference is, when i eat my protein first, i am fuller longer. when it's time to eat again, i am starvin' just like anyone else...it just takes much, much less to make me full.

carbs imo are the easiest to eat...so if sweets/carbs is your thing then you will have to be very careful with them. you will have to make a conscious effort to eat your protein first...like i do.

so, less of them? hmmm...depending on how restricted you are, you will eat less. but, most carbs are soft and therefore very easy to go down.

TerriDoodle · 04-29-2008, 08:08 PM

The band is a TOOL that restricts the ability to eat large amounts of solid food in one sitting. It will not prevent you from having a gallon of ice cream, however. So there's still a lot of self=discipline involved, but small amounts of food will keep you satisfied longer. I just got back from a dinner out..I had a glass of wine and one 2" crab cake. Uh, in the old days I would have had a plate of lasagne, 3 pieces of bread, a salad and 2 glasses of wine.

Make sense?

plain · 04-29-2008, 09:35 PM

Like TerriDoodle and Bunny said...the band won't stop your desire to eat, per se. What it will do is help you to feel "full" with less food than you would normally take in. If you have a desire to eat even when you feel full (what some people on here call "head hunger", vs. "belly hunger"), the band won't help with that.

The band is all about portion control. You'd still have to do your part and eat healthier food to maximize your weight loss. Personally, that's precisely what I like about my band...it tames my normally huge appetite to where I can eat like a normal person, and I feel better about myself for making good choices.

I think a seminar will give you a lot more info!

MaidMarion · 04-29-2008, 09:39 PM

Actually what I understand there are hormones produced in the stomach and small intestines that contribute to the feeling of hunger and this will be helped by the band also. Not just the constriction but an actual chemical reaction in the body. At least that is what I was led to believe yesterday in a very long all day behavior class I attended.

giveyouthemoon · 04-30-2008, 12:08 AM

The band is what my surgeon calls "surgical behavior modification". You get instant feedback when you eat too much, or the wrong thing, or too big a bite. Over time, your idea of sizes changes.

When I was first banded, I thought "gosh, I'll never be satisfied with just this little bit of food". It wasn't long before I thought "gosh, how did I EVER eat that much food???"

It's a subtle shift that happens with time.

mpope · 04-30-2008, 07:38 AM

Thanks so much for the info. That certainly HELPED.....thanks again.