i know everyone's band is different, but....

Cataholic - how often do you eat? Do you do it as I do? Like you I can't eat until mid morning but after that i eat as I need to on that day. So some days I will have what amounts to 4 or 5 meals (by meal i mean something more than a snack, over bout 200 calories). For me hunger is my enemy. If i get hungry I start to obsess about food. So for me it is much better to ahve lost of small meals, then even if hunger strikes early, there are only about 2 1/2 hours between meals. Say (approximations!)

10 a.m.   200 cals
12.30,     250 cals
3,             200 cals  
5.30        350 cals
7              100 cals

kate

Hi Kate,

I eat about every two-three hours.  When I'm doing well, I can keep my calories around 1200, but since I've been going to the gym I've kicked that up to about 1500.  Like you I don't track, but I've dieted the majority of my life and I pretty much know the calorie count of most of the foods I eat through experience. 

My weight loss has been stalled the last several months due to my own fault - not the bands, but I'm hoping to change that this year.  I joined a gym in Dec. and have been going, although I've had bronchitis for a week and have not gone at all.  Fortunately, I haven't been eating that much and have lost a few pounds.  My biggest fear has been all the coughing - terrified of slipping my band from the coughing.  But so far everything seems okay.

cat

Cat-- you are so right! After over a year out I still feel like a newbie somedays -- learning something new about my band.

Trixie

edited to add lnk at end

i am very lucky - i got restricition with my first fill. This was part luck and partly my docs's philosophy that bandsters do best if they are encouraged by early restriction. His view is that as long as the bandster is careful, then early fills do not need to be over conservative. i know this is controversial! But on the other hand, he has had an almost zero complication rate with his patients and we once had a thread about this and quite a few people who don't post much came on and said their docs were the same.

I currently have just under 3cc in a 4cc band. I wanted restriction right away! But for me restriction is not being fully restricted! Have you seen that brilliant article Lisa O posts?

For me, if I eat dense protein and then veggies, eating slowly and making sure i stop for a few mintues after a reasonable amount, I then feel fully satisfied. But I have to wait those few minutes. If i just carry on, I will overeat. And if I stay at the table, I will start to eat again! I am then free from physical hunger for 3-4 hours but head hunger often creeps in after an hour or so! I know it is head hunger because if I am busy, i don't get it!

Article LisaO posts has been posted by tetrarose in this thread.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/4309492/restrictio n/#35515422