Question:
HELP!!!! I want to eat unhealthy food

Hi, I had lapband on 12/11/2007 and had my first fill on Jan 9th. I am tring sooo hard to stay away from unhealthy food. But sometimes I just can't resist. What does everyone else do to stay away from unhealthy food? I know my band it just a tool and I need to stay strong and resist. But I have very little saline in my band and it's just so hard. I pretty much eat what I want and it doesn't bother me yet.    — willish (posted on January 16, 2008)

January 15, 2008
will power is a big part of making your surgery successful!!! what type of unhealthy foods are you talking about? instead of just not eating something try to put a healthy twist on it- for example if you want a candy bar, instead eat a peice of russell stover's sugar free candy or if you want a taco eat it with chicken and leave off the cheese and sour cream unless you make it at home then use fat free cheese and sour cream. if you want ice cream- eat the no sugar added low fat icecream. you can eat things you want, just modify them and always concentrate on the portion size. i know you can do it... it just takes hard work. good luck and i hope this helps...Holly
   — RNlvnCARSON

January 15, 2008
I'm having similar issues. I'm eating very healthy but feel like I am eating way too much? What I've done is to clean out entire pantry and frig and only have healthy foods available. I don't eat out at all at this point, in order to avoid those temptations. It is a struggle at times to resist those unhealthy foods and not fall back into the old eating habits. Good luck to you on your journey. gg
   — LOOKINTOLOSE

January 15, 2008
The most important thing is to get to a support group ASAP. I go to one every Tues night and it helps.... you have to fix inside while trying to fix outside.....
   — dawnraad

January 15, 2008
I had my lap band on Nov 19 and my first fill on December 21. I feel absolutely no restriction and am still depending on pure will power to control portions. I am disappointed. I thought that after the fill, I would take a couple of bites of something, chew slowly, swallow and soon feel full. I'm losing, but so so slowly that I'm feel foolish for having gone through all of this and still be back to my undependable will power in order to have control over my weight. I have asked my Dr. for another fill, but have been told that he filled it to the proper size and that's it for now. So, isn't the point of the surgery to have restriction on how much food one can eat? I'm not eating unhealthy food, just too much of the good stuff... I'm hungry!
   — MusigalF

January 16, 2008
I had my band on Oct 11th and when my kids came home from trick or treating girl I ate 3 reese cups. I haven't had any fills yet and can eat anything without complications. Just do it in moderation. I've lost 45lbs since my band but I pretty much eat whatever I want. Can't have any beef until 6 months out and I haven't cheated with that one. I eat potato chips, french fries but no greesy burgers(beef)
   — bchicks42

January 16, 2008

   — Rodolfo Sanchez Jr.

January 16, 2008
Try and find a very healthy version of some of your favorite foods. Whole foods is great!
   — Ambitious

January 16, 2008
Been there, done that. What I try to do is sub the food I am craving or want with something I can have - like a 100 calorie snack version of whatever it is, because they have them for everything now, it's crazy. OR - I try to do something else to take my mind off of it - talk a walk, play with the cats, call a friend, take a bubble bath, read a book or magazine and before you know it, you are usually sidetracked and forget about it. Works for me...might not work for you, but try - see what happens.
   — jammerz

January 16, 2008
Your Band is *NOT* going to prevent you from eating unhealthful foods; nor will any other type of bariatric surgery short of wiring your jaws shut. If you can not do this thing on your own, you need intervention and support from a competent psychologist who has experience with people in your situation. Maybe a group might help but see a "shrink" first. Whatever you do, get some outside help. To your great credit, you have taken a very positive first step in recognizing that you have a problem. Step #2: get help!
   — [Deactivated Member]

January 16, 2008
I feel for you completely. I was banded on Nov. 14, and feel like I wasted $17,000, because it just comes back to dieting, just like all the other failed diets I have ever attempted. And yes, I understand the need for portion control and have been working on it. I have to NOT bring home unhealthy stuff, or I lose the battle as soon as it's through the front door, and I have to do a LOT of self-talk all day and honestly, the major motivation now is my $17,000 I paid, just to be on another diet!! I don't get that "satisfied" feeling other people talk about. I can go hours without eating, then my hunger hits full force and I'm ravenous, and this happens within minutes. I know "the band is a tool" blah blah blah, but I feel like it's a tool that doesn't meet the hoopla about it. I am hoping that the fill hasn't "set" yet, which is how the doctor described it ((I had a fill last week), but this is getting old, fast. I know that there are warnings about eating "around" the band, like chocolate or milkshakes that won't be bothered by the restriction, so again, I have to do a lot of self-talk to keep away from things, but I fail at some point every day. That's more about my sugar addiction than it is about the band, but it just adds to the frustration. So yes, it's hard to break decades of unhealthy habits, so I hear you!!! One thing I have taken on this week is to break the behavior that I associate with unhealthy eating habit....like when I finally sit down at the end of the day, around 8 pm, to relax with a tv show. That's when my brain kicks in to eat....so I'm trying to "interrupt" that behavior by changing the pattern each night. Hang in there.....surely all the thousands of others who have been successful also faced the same challenges you ande I face...and if they can do it, so can we!!!
   — Carlast

January 17, 2008
It took 3 fills to get me to enough restriction to help with my intake. I have lost, more than some, less than most. 50 lbs since April 19, 2007. I also was frustrated at first wondering it it was worth the cost. Since I have had enough fills I can say yes, it is. We are a always going to want unhealthy foods, it's just part of the way things are these days. The keys are, adjusting so it's healthy or at least not as bad. The post about sugar free chocolate or ice cream is great. I use the Breyers carb smart ice cream with chocolate syrup and skim milk to make chocolate shakes. (about 1 cup in size) helps tremendously
   — Donna O.

January 17, 2008
Hi, I just had my lapband on Jan. 3, 2008 and was surprised how easily I could eat without any problems. This is worrying me because of the same things that you said (And all the other posts!!) I have found if I drink my water I do better and also I found (preop) that eating to keep my glycemic index stable that I had more CONTROL over sweets, etc. ie eating small amounts frequently, (munching on carrots, cheese sticks) Don't let yourself get too hungry cause that's when I lose control. I also participate in an online health program that I have to document daily my meals and exercise and this helps.
   — LindaJ.

January 17, 2008
I had my surgery in May '07 and I unfortunately played "the game" for way too long. The i'm gonna eat now while I can game and it has really slowed my progress. I have lost 36 pounds since then and it would have been alot more if not for my games. We have to remember that we actually went through surgery to stop our unhealthy habits and we need to remind ourselves of why we needed it in the first place. Even when I had enough saline in my band, If I had difficulty eating solid food, or if I was vomiting frequently I would hit the ice cream. I had ice cream almost daily and I wasted so much time. I now keep sugar free popsicles in the house and they save me. Don't get me wrong I still have my weak moments as everyone does, but I think its important to find "replacement foods" for what we used to eat. I'm slowly discovering that even with the right amount of saline this is still way harder than I ever dreamed. And FYI I did pay dearly for my mistakes. While I was busy eating unhealthy choices and not focusing on protein I lost a ton of hair. I used to have a mane and now its all limp and thin. Count your protein grams and always eat your protein first. You need 50-60 grams a day. Hope reading this helps you.....Lisa
   — lisalpn

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