how much can you eat?

[ValleyGirl]

Even 14 months in to this, I'm still trying to figure out how much I should be able to eat. If I eat the way lap-band surgeons recommend (hard protein, then veggies, then MAYBE a starch) I can only get in a couple bites and I am done.

If I eat softer foods (soup, shakes, beans etc) I can eat about a cup of food.

Here is the thing, when I have less fill and I CAN tolerate the hard proteins, I am also able to eat much larger portions...and I do. I'd say I have lost my weight 90% bandpower and 10% will-power. If I had more willpower, I would have done it without surgery. I only stop eating because if I don't, it hurts. Period.

Has anyone found a happy medium with eating?

Sabrina:)

ps-I made and threw away the following this week:

baked salmon, chicken legs, turkey meatballs, pork chop.

Can anybody (successfully losing) eat these things? I just want to eat with my family again. Sigh.

[AngieB]

Even 14 months in to this, I'm still trying to figure out how much I should be able to eat. If I eat the way lap-band surgeons recommend (hard protein, then veggies, then MAYBE a starch) I can only get in a couple bites and I am done.

If I eat softer foods (soup, shakes, beans etc) I can eat about a cup of food.

Here is the thing, when I have less fill and I CAN tolerate the hard proteins, I am also able to eat much larger portions...and I do. I'd say I have lost my weight 90% bandpower and 10% will-power. If I had more willpower, I would have done it without surgery. I only stop eating because if I don't, it hurts. Period.

Has anyone found a happy medium with eating?

Sabrina:)

ps-I made and threw away the following this week:

baked salmon, chicken legs, turkey meatballs, pork chop.

Can anybody (successfully losing) eat these things? I just want to eat with my family again. Sigh.

Sabrina - I can eat anything. I even eat this yummy bread with my family, sandwich thins from Orow Wheat....love love love it! It is a treat and I don't eat bread daily, maybe once a weekish. I eat chicken, meatballs, fish, bread, rice, broccoli, corn, grapes, tortilla, ect. No issues. None. I can even eat breaded chicken nuggets. I do stay away from breading, but only because it fills me up to quickly.

The one thing out of everything I put in my stoma that has felt held up is one of my vitamins. I know...weird...my calcuim give me troubles a couple times a week. So much so that I have had to spit up the drink of water I took thinking I was a-ok. Nope, it's like my pill gets stuck or something. I am bummed. My surgeons office here in the BIG O says to take calcuim carbinate. Okay here is my deal. I have tried sample calcuim carbinate chew tablets....um...gag. They are so chalky and yuck. The "Calcet Citrate" creamy bites....they have lemon and chocolate. I tried the sample of the lemon...only thing is they are 500 mg of Calcuim. My surgeon says 1500 mg a day. That makes the 30 bites a ten day supply....um 30 bucks for 10 days....I am not willing to spend that much. I will say the lemon was good and made me want to eat another one. (could it be becuase the main ingredient is SUGAR!!!! My EVIL BEST FRIEND. Grr! Okay, so after that rant. I am thinking of going back to calcuim carbinate chews. Given we don't have the obsorbtion issues, I am hoping my body will grab what it needs from them. I don't want to take the pills anymore because one of these times it could get stuck stuck and cause me to swell and have an unfill. You know how that goes....Girl me and you are cut from the same cloth. Restriction does matter! LOL I am with you there. O

I would say I can eat 3/4 cup of food to a cup of food. I have no issues eating breakfast. I will say that with breakfast, if it is hard protein, I can eat 1/2 cup or a tad more. If it is soft protein...I can eat as much as I want. Oatmeal and yogurt do not make me feel full. I limit myself to one serving.

Portions are something that I thought alot about up until really now. I do think I am at my sweet spot and I eat what I can, suppliment with shakes and vitamins and let the rest alone.

Hope this helps ya!

[macleay]

I need the 90% band help you're talking about! Can't wait for my first fill.

Sounds like I'm also cut from the same cloth. I need some restriction to help me control my eating better. Sorry I can't answer your question yet, but after my first fill, I'll be happy to!

[SDGIRL]

I have had 3 fills and this last one is tough. Some days I can eat okay, some days I can't. Lately, I have resorted to slider foods as well. Frozen Yogurt is my best friend right now. I'm not eating the same as my family because I can't do the tortillas, bread, or even meat right now. It gets very frustrating. There are some days when I just want to cry because I'm so hungry and just want to eat some "Real Food". Then, I remember, this too shall pass and it does. I agree though. It can be frustrating. Hang in there.

[MyNewLife]

Sabrina!

I too still wonder this. It gets really frustating and I really tend to look at this when I am NOT loosing. This past fill had REALLY tightend on me, as I type this I am stuck on a cracker! I have NEVER had issues with crackers but this past week and half I am getting stuck on EVERYTHING, even my Fraps that I get from time to time are "thick" in the morning....BEFORE this fill I really could eat anything as well, except breads, broc and carrots (raw). NOW, I have to go REALLY slow and I am finding that the things I could eat before I have to stay away from now. I am eating about a cup of food and this too is soft foods. Hard protiens I am staying away from right now because I know I am so tight BUT before I could eat about 3 oz of meat and sometimes a cup of veggies, sometimes not. Sundays after church we go to I-HOP so it is more like lunch time and I can eat one scrambled egg very very soft, one peice of turkey bacon, crunchy and one baby harvest grain pancake. Then I am good and usually dont eat until Dinner time.

This morning I ate a cup of Multi-Grain Cherios and was ok, lunch stuck on a cracker! I myself can not seem to find a happy medium with food, portion size or a fill! You would think as much as we DONT eat that we would be dropping like crazy! This is where I get and stay confused!

[orockz99]

Hey Sabrina, I have had two fills and so far I can still eat almost anything, except bread, if I eat bread it gets stuck and I feel extreme pain, then the food goes down and I can eat anything. I have problems with egg whites when they are cooked hard as well, no beef or red meat goes down at all, tried it lots of pain. As far as prortion size goes I can eat way more than a cup. almost like I was eating before, I try to watch it but I'm not always successful. I go for my third fill n the 26th of Februrary. Hopefully I will reach my sweet sopt.

[bogiesmom]

I can pretty much eat anything. The Oroweat sandwich thins do get stuck after eating half but other then that I am okay although I avoid a lot of foods so I have no idea. What I mean is I avoid eating out all together and when work orders in lunch like 4 times per week I always order the same thing - either a greek salad or egg white veggie omlette with a side of cottage cheese and salsa. Right now I am self regulating and stopping myself after a certain amount but at the same time I try to go for volume vs content.

I have more will power then I really ever gave myself credit for and honestly right now I am running on 90% will power and 10% band. I am okay with that it is just I hope to someday get my money's worth from the band.

I have had 2 fills and I go back to the OCC for a third fill on Monday. I am just trying to focus on enjoying the journey and not get too wrapped up in the end result.

[robbynnoel]

((((((((((((((((((((((((Hugs Sabrina))))))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm so proud of you. Your success has been amazing. You look just beautiful. I had my surgery in May but I should be tighter...I'm not mentally ready to tighten things up to where they should be...yet. I wish I could offer more, but I did want to let you know that I'm just so proud of you, and your success has been a motivator for me.

xo

Even 14 months in to this, I'm still trying to figure out how much I should be able to eat. If I eat the way lap-band surgeons recommend (hard protein, then veggies, then MAYBE a starch) I can only get in a couple bites and I am done.

If I eat softer foods (soup, shakes, beans etc) I can eat about a cup of food.

Here is the thing, when I have less fill and I CAN tolerate the hard proteins, I am also able to eat much larger portions...and I do. I'd say I have lost my weight 90% bandpower and 10% will-power. If I had more willpower, I would have done it without surgery. I only stop eating because if I don't, it hurts. Period.

Has anyone found a happy medium with eating?

Sabrina:)

ps-I made and threw away the following this week:

baked salmon, chicken legs, turkey meatballs, pork chop.

Can anybody (successfully losing) eat these things? I just want to eat with my family again. Sigh.

[ValleyGirl]

Thanks for chiming in everyone. I guess my biggest fear here is that I become malnourished. I FEEL fine eating so little, (in fact I've never been more energetic) but I keep thinking it must be harming me in some way. Am I worrying too much? My size 6 best friend has been eating like this all her life and she has no health problems. It's just so foreign to me to eat so little...I eat less then my kids who are 5 and 6!

Sabrina:)

[Kristi]

Hi Sabrina,

I usually eat about 3/4 - 1 cup of food. I eat boneless chicken, salmon, and love turkey meatballs. Not a whole lot, except chicken.

I worry about malnutrition too, I see the Doc next Thursday and did blood work for vitamins last week, so I am hoping I am ok. I guess I will find out on Thursday. But I do feel great.

Hugs,

Kristi

[MyNewLife]

Sabrina,

I know that you LOVE LOVE reastriction and so do I, but I guess its so hard for me to find that place where I am ok. I feel like I am too tight or not tight enough and I really honestly think it is all in my head. If I eat a entire cup of food with maybe some veggies, I feel like WOW I ate alot. Now that everthing I put in my mouth is getting stuck, I think I am too tight...

Can you give me a couple of days worth of examples of what you are eating...My foods are CRAZY! I can eat a 100 calorie back of almonds for a morning snack, but refried beans at lunch are a banana are "thick" and I have a hard time eating it and this is with the first bite or two.... I know everyone is different but I am ALWAYS curious about this subject....

Thanks!

Carrie

[ValleyGirl]

To answer Carrie's question about what I eat in a day...

Breakfast is always a cup of coffee with fat-free french vanilla creamer then (about an hour later) I will try something soft like a yogurt cup or some oatmeal or a smoothie I make with frozen fruit, yogurt and milk.

Lately lunch has been either french onion soup (if I am home) or something I can take on the road like cheese, crackers, and a turkey peporoni. I can always feel the peperoni sitting in my pouch for hours.

For dinner, I TRY to eat whateber the family is having minus the carbs (some kind of protein and steamed veggies) but I usually only eat a couple bites then later find myself making popcorn or some othe slider food `cause I felt like I didn't eat enough dinner.

I had blood work done recently and it was good except that I was low on iron. Of course, I can't take pills at all (they always get stuck) so I haven't addressed that issue yet.

I don't drink enough water, but do get in a few glasses per day. I ran out of chewable multivitamins and I'm going to go buy some more cause they are not a problem for me.

Perhaps I am over-thinking this. I don't PB anymore, but know I would if I kept eating past the first warning sign.

Sabrina:)

[Red]

Even 14 months in to this, I'm still trying to figure out how much I should be able to eat. If I eat the way lap-band surgeons recommend (hard protein, then veggies, then MAYBE a starch) I can only get in a couple bites and I am done.

If I eat softer foods (soup, shakes, beans etc) I can eat about a cup of food.

Here is the thing, when I have less fill and I CAN tolerate the hard proteins, I am also able to eat much larger portions...and I do. I'd say I have lost my weight 90% bandpower and 10% will-power. If I had more willpower, I would have done it without surgery. I only stop eating because if I don't, it hurts. Period.

Has anyone found a happy medium with eating?

Sabrina:)

ps-I made and threw away the following this week:

baked salmon, chicken legs, turkey meatballs, pork chop.

Can anybody (successfully losing) eat these things? I just want to eat with my family again. Sigh.

Gosh, I can't tell you how much food I've had to toss because I couldn't eat it. But, when there is a food I CAN eat, I can eat way more than a cup of food. I know a lot of people on this forum say they can only eay a couple bites or a cup of food before getting "full". Well, I must be the only one that has NEVER, since being banded, felt full. I still get really hungry and can eat a lot, even though it is a lot less than I used to eat prior to getting banded. So I'm fine with that. I will just continue to lose slower than other people.

[shrty835]

I can eat just about anything also. Bread is my enemy. I love the turkey meatball idea I will try some tonite. I feel that when I had less of a fill I did better, and I am thinking about going and getting some out as I dont get enogh calories because I get full to fast. I dont think that I get a 1/2 a cup of anything in me. And my body thinks im starving. I talked to a nutrisinist and she told me that I have to eat more. So i am going to make an appoiment to get some taken out tomorrow. I will try and keep you posted on it. Bravo to all you brave ladies for posting, this is my worst fear, to fail at this after all the hard work.......

[MyNext30Years]

Sabrina, I haven't been banded yet, but I have already bought some chewable multivitamins. They are the Flintstones Vitamins and also contain iron. My mom was with me when I bought them, chew calcium, & chew gas-x and she told me to try to get the vitamins w/ iron. You might want to try something like that. I think I bought all my stuff at Sams Club, but I was also in Target recently (looking for the fiber gummies - thanks Angie!) and they have a HUGH selection of gummy and chewable pills.

[jhawkchick75]

Red i'm like you. I can eat tons less than I used to but i'm amazed at folks that can just do a few bites and be done. I have had that happen now and again but not on a regular basis. I know I shouldn't go much tighter though b/c most stuff is out at breakfast and depending on the day I get some stuff stuck or get the gurgles really bad at lunch. For the most part dinner goes down OK but if I try to eat too fast I do get sick from time to time.

Each time I get a fill it takes me a while to readjust. But like I said I eat way way less than I used to so i'll take it!

[Red]

Red i'm like you. I can eat tons less than I used to but i'm amazed at folks that can just do a few bites and be done. I have had that happen now and again but not on a regular basis. I know I shouldn't go much tighter though b/c most stuff is out at breakfast and depending on the day I get some stuff stuck or get the gurgles really bad at lunch. For the most part dinner goes down OK but if I try to eat too fast I do get sick from time to time.

Each time I get a fill it takes me a while to readjust. But like I said I eat way way less than I used to so i'll take it!

Yep Jhawk, I pretty much don't eat during the day except every morning around 10AM, I eat some Simply Asian brand rice noodle soup, about 250 calories and low in fat. The rest of my calories are consumed at night. I sometimes can eat a lot of something, but sometimes, like last night when I was trying to eat some fresh Snow Crab and a small amount of salad, it just wouldn't work. I think I was eating too fast, so I got the pain in my chest that just makes me put the fork down immediately. I know that if I drank less wine in the evening, I would probably lose faster, and less carbs, but I don't want to give up EVERYTHING I like. I look fine now, but do want to lose 20 to 30 more pounds. I still have a gut but am into size 10 pants, so I'm feeling pretty good about that, and know that eventually the weight will come off. I'm not going to rush myself. I'm glad I'm not the only one who eats more than a cup of food! Thanks for sharing that!!

[jhawkchick75]

I am exactly like you with the wine! I have made such significant changes but i'm not willing to give up everything. I'll have some wine or crystal light and vodka sometimes and i'm sure if I laid off that i'd lose more, but I still want to have a life. I know if I would reduce my dairy intake I could lose this last bit too but again i've given up bread, rice, beer and a lot of fried foods and so I want my dairy damnit!

I know if I kick up my workout routine it will help. Since my brother's accident in Oct i've been on my own so working out has been just left of impossible. But he comes home this week so no excuses getting back on track! I've got about 10-15 to get to goal and want that off by this summer.

[Red]

I am exactly like you with the wine! I have made such significant changes but i'm not willing to give up everything. I'll have some wine or crystal light and vodka sometimes and i'm sure if I laid off that i'd lose more, but I still want to have a life. I know if I would reduce my dairy intake I could lose this last bit too but again i've given up bread, rice, beer and a lot of fried foods and so I want my dairy damnit!

I know if I kick up my workout routine it will help. Since my brother's accident in Oct i've been on my own so working out has been just left of impossible. But he comes home this week so no excuses getting back on track! I've got about 10-15 to get to goal and want that off by this summer.

LONG LIVE DAIRY...and WINE!! Ha ha!

[ValleyGirl]

After trying to work with this last fill for a month, I decided I am just too tight and had .6 cc's taken out today. Now I only have 1.4 cc's in my band but I feel better already. I lost 15 pounds this month, that is way too fast and I know it.

Sabrina:)

[AngieB]

After trying to work with this last fill for a month, I decided I am just too tight and had .6 cc's taken out today. Now I only have 1.4 cc's in my band but I feel better already. I lost 15 pounds this month, that is way too fast and I know it.

Sabrina:)

Sabrina - glad to hear you went in. It is hard to find that perfect level. Then when we do, it changes. First and foremost is your health and wellness. Glad you took the steps to care for yourself. You are very wise in my eyes and I admire you more now. I think many wait until it is to late or have major issues! My hat goes off to you for making the call.

[MyNewLife]

I agree with Angie, it is hard to make that step! My band has loosend up ALOT since the past couple of week that I have had, just still very weird to me, dont matter how little or how many calories I eat, just cant get that scale to move! Sabrina keep us posted on how things goes with you!

Carrie

[ValleyGirl]

Thanks guys. I just couldn't live with the constant "gurgling" and pressure on my chest...and I don't ever want to end up with a slipped band.

I probably got a little too much out `cause I woke up starving this morning (which never happens to me) but I'm going to stick to the rules and eat three small meals per day- now that I CAN! I have come too far to not make goal now. I'm going to do this, damn it! 156 here I come!

Sabrina:)

[Kristi]

Sabrina,

Good for you going in. You will be at 156 in no time.

Hugs,

Kristi

[Smiley]

Don't be afraid to take iron pills. They are really pretty small, not much bigger than a birth control pill, at least the ones I took weren't. Other ways to boost your iron are to cook in cast iron skillets and eat lots of raw spinach. I started using the raw spinach instead of lettuce and really liked it. A trick I have learned to taking pills is to "bury" them in a spoonful of yogurt or fat free pudding and just swallow. This seemed to help the larger B12 vitamin I was taking go down easier.