Meat, Fish, Chicken, Carbs....what can I expect with the band?

Fish · 09-30-2007, 05:19 PM

Hello all!

I am a steak and chicken person as of now (not banded). I have a fear that I will never eat steak or chicken due to the band. I am also a big pizza person, but I know that has to change.

My question to you all is....After you switch to the solid food stage, are you able to eat some what normal, or can you not tolerate certain foods.

Some state that they can NEVER have meat or chicken...or both. some say fish (tuna, sushi) they can't eat. I would just eat the raw fish and no rice...or very little rice if possible.

I guess I am just normal having a concern as to the diet...way of life that will happen once I am banned. I don't want to be that, "special" diet man the rest of my life.

I would like to eat normal foods with limitation. Have a drink or three (lol) after dinner (a half our that is)

Go to a BBQ and have some alternatives and not bring my food.

You know what I mean...it is a concern of mine, but I am sure you have more experience than me....I am not banned yet.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike (Fish)

Jachut · 09-30-2007, 05:49 PM

I eat totally normally. Nobody would comment that I am dieting and would just think that I have a small appetite.

Its up to each individual what they want to eat but personally, I eat carbs, I dont do high protein or even protein first. I eat cereal such as muesli or oatmeal most mornings for breakfast and I usually have either a sandwich or something on crackers for lunch (tuna, cheese). Dinner is usually meat and 3 veg but we do eat pasta occasionally. I generally leave the rice or potatoes off my plate though since I do think I've had enough carbs during the day and I cant fit them in anyway with dinner.

I've been very very lucky though, no foods I cant tolerate.

**FairyFacade** · 09-30-2007, 07:04 PM

Jachut- love the new avie! WOOOWOO!! ;)

For the first 5 months after banding I ate everything I ate pre-band with no problems just smaller amounts. Now I'm pretty restricted and I can eat most things, but random things get stuck. I made short ribs slow cooked last night, went down fine.. a few days ago I ate a slice of extra-thin sliced turkey deli meat.. and it got stuck and made me slime.
Chicken goes down most the time if I make sure to chew chew chew...and it's not super dry plain chicken. I eat it in chicken salad or with sauce on it.

And as scary as it seems, that you're going into a surgery that will make it potentially IMPOSSIBLE TO EAT YOUR FAVORITE FOODS!!! (OH NOOOOOS)
You really don't miss it like that. Things I can't have right now.. bagels.. and until last week I had a bagel a couple times a week for b'fast.. and I love bagels!! But I can't eat all that bread right now, and I'm ok with that. 2 pieces of bacon or a glass of milk get me by :)
I don't worry about 'tasting' my 'favorite foods'.. I just eat what fills me up and go about my day. It makes more sense on the other side :)

catzintj · 10-03-2007, 02:06 AM

i cant eat steak. i crave steak. i dream about steak. oh well. why is it every date i go on we end up at a steak house for dinner . im always ordering the ceaser salad while i watch my date eat a big steak. if anyone banded can eat steak , i say you are lucky. i eat chicken in my salad , but it cant be dry..... i never eat bread or pizza, but i love edamame. i buy it frozen and it is a great food if you get the munchies.......... finger food. high i protein and fiber...... tastes so good. you must try it. i buy big bag at sams club. it is cheap. it is like eating junk food but healthy...........

WASaBubbleButt · 10-03-2007, 06:39 PM

The thing about the band is that after a few months of banding you really don't care about food. It no longer matters what you are eating vs. what others are eating.

Look at the new threads of newbies, they are all about what can I eat, how much can I eat, when can I eat it? After you have been banded the obsession with foods dies down and you begin eating to live, or when you remember. ;)

That would have been impossible for me to comprehend in the beginning. I would have thought that would never happen. But it has. I do admit to being a little annoyed this week because I am on a seriously strict diet until Saturday but then I'm back to my usual foods.

Today the only thing I'm bored with is people commenting on my portion size. I cover it up a bit and move food around my plate so it looks like I ate more than I did, but I do get sick of people questioning why I eat such small amounts but I suspect that will happen for the rest of my life. I guess my point is that my focus has shifted from what I will eat to how I explain portion sizes to others who are nosey.

No way to tell what you will be able to eat or how much of it. You won't know that until you get there. Seems as though food choices expand a bit after you have a lot of practice with the band but in the end you'll find that you just don't care.

Doxielover · 10-03-2007, 06:54 PM

I have only had one fill, so I am not an expert, but I don't think I am going to get another one just yet. I can eat everything and am loosing 2 lbs a week. I could probably loose more if I get a little tighter, but as long as the scale is going the right way I would rather loose at a good pace and eat a little bit of everything.

Like Wasa said, it's only been two months for me, and already, I don't really care about food like I used to. I still oooh and ahhhh over somethings, but I truly don't crave carbs. I don't miss pizza, pasta, potatoes etc. If you would have told me that 3 months ago I wouldn't have believed it.

**Wheetsin** · 10-03-2007, 10:04 PM

I am a steak and chicken person as of now (not banded). I have a fear that I will never eat steak or chicken due to the band. I am also a big pizza person, but I know that has to change. I've removed red meat from my diet, but I can eat steak. I often eat chicken. I eat pizza when I want it.

My question to you all is....After you switch to the solid food stage, are you able to eat some what normal, or can you not tolerate certain foods. Some people find there are things they can't tolerate. Some find that as long as they're chewing, monitoring bites, and swallowing bandster style, they can eat anything. (this is me)

Some state that they can NEVER have meat or chicken...or both. some say fish (tuna, sushi) they can't eat. I would just eat the raw fish and no rice...or very little rice if possible. It's completely individual, and often seems to change. E.g. I know a LOT of people who could eat chiken in the beginning, but can't get it down now.

I guess I am just normal having a concern as to the diet...way of life that will happen once I am banned. I don't want to be that, "special" diet man the rest of my life. I would guess that more bandsters than not find that they eat regular, well-balanced meals - just small ones. Which is a heckuva good approach, IMO.

I would like to eat normal foods with limitation. Have a drink or three (lol) after dinner (a half our that is) The band does nothing to prevent drinking, unless you're clogged. That's one of the nice things about it, vs. some other WLS options (not that you can still drink, but that in and of itself, it doesn't exclude anything).

You know what I mean...it is a concern of mine, but I am sure you have more experience than me....I am not banned yet. Just behave and we won't ban you. ;) j/k - banned, banded, har har. It's completely individual. I had dinner with 4 other bandsters, and we all ordered something different based on 1) what we CARED to tolerate, and 2) what we COULD tolerate.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated.