Not the Chiropractor...

Last week I questioned if the chiropractor adjustments could have been an issue in irritating the band...

I am happy to report no.

It didn't bring good news and I have unfortunately had a slip. I have been unfilled for the next two weeks and will work very hard at being good and staying on track with eating. I can already feel the difference with no restrictions...

I have to report though with all the challenges of the car accident and the hugely reduced exercise schedule I have kept the weight off and dropped 11 pounds. That's not much in the past year but I am not trending the other way

Two weeks to let the stomach "heal" and then I start again to see how we can put this tool back to work.

Any suggestions on how to keep from eating now that I am truly hungry and can eat more than I am used to?

Thank you all for your thoughts and continued support!

~Kasey

My mantra was always "It's OK to be hungry". We in this country are so used to shoving something in out mouths at the slightest hunger pang that it gets to be habit. It's really ok to have a stomach growl, I doubt anyone has died or gotten ill from it. I am living proof it can be done. I had my band unfilled a month ago(got tired of all the tightness problems with it) and so far I haven't gained one pound. Of course it varies a pound or two depending on the day but I figure that's just fluid variations. So just stick with the band rules and keep busy, boredom will get you in trouble, you can do it!

Hi Kasey!
We haven't "met" before, but I lead a Support Group of all Bansters that live around the greater Seattle area.  We meet on the last Saturday of each month near Sea Tac airport which is central for most of us.  We have people in Tacoma, Puyallup, W. Seattle, Ellensburg, Bellevue and I live in Snoqualmie.  You would be welcome any time!  It's a great group and we have a lot of fun!
We also have the OH Conference in Bellevue on July 15-16.  Jean M. is coming from TN and we are going as a group.  It would be a good place to re-commit to a healthy bandster lifestyle.

I'm sorry to hear about your slip, but I do know people that have been able to heal and get back on track, (Jean M.  for one).  It's possible but you will need to adopt the bandster rules and be very careful once you start getting fills again. 

During the time you're unfilled don't keep tempting foods in your house and stay away from fast food.  Remember that this is about health as well as WL.  Be good to yourself because you deserve it!

PM and Friend me if you're interested in the Support Group and I'll add you to the mailing list.

Best~
Lisa O.

Hi Lisa...is it next Saturday??

Kasey,

I had a band slip. A complete unfill and a 6-wk rest period cured it. While unfilled, I didn't co crazy eating, but since I was hungrier I did eat more and I did gain weight. Then I lost the weight when I had enough fill in there again.

Your wrote: Any suggestions on how to keep from eating now that I am truly hungry and can eat more than I am used to?

I'm not going to tell you how not to eat when you're hungry because I believe it's important for obese people to learn to eat only when they're physically hungry. So although this flies in the face of everything we learn during years of (usually unsuccessful) dieting, I'm going to tell you that if you get hungry more often, eat more often. Notice I didn't say "eat more"? It's just as important to avoid overeating now as it was before your unfill, not because of weight management but because overeating can cause serious complications...like the band slip you're trying to recover from now. So I suggest that you manage your hunger by eating small amounts more frequently rather than big amounts less frequently.

Also, pay close attention to your body's signals and try to ignore your brain when it's saying, "Let's have a whole loaf of garlic bread since we haven't been able to eat garlic bread in so long." The 2 key strategies to avoiding weight gain (notice I didn't say losing weight, because expecting yourself to lose weight with no restriction will make you crazy) are:

1. Weigh/measure your food, eat it, and get rid of your plate or leave the room. Meal's over. If you're still physically hungry, hang tough for 30 minutes (which is how long it can take for the brain to get satiety messages). Then if you're still genuinely physically hungry, eat a healthy snack.

2. Eat when you're hungry, even if it seems way too often, because feeling hungry and deprived will make you more likely to make poor food choices and overeat later on.

I know some people think I'm too rigid about eating when I tell people to weigh and measure your food. Under ordinary cir****tances, the weigh/measure thing is optional. But since you have no fill and little or no restriction now, it's risky to rely on yourself to control your portion sizes enough to prevent damage to your esophagus, stomach, or band. If you weigh and measure your food before you put it on your plate, and stop eating when it's gone, you'll be sure you're not packing your pouch and making your band slip worse, not better.

One more thing...when you do start adding fluid back to your band, don't expect to experience restriction in the same way or at the same amount of fill as you did the first time around. After my complete unfill, I was astonished by how different restriction felt the 2nd time around. You may even find that you're in "the zone" with less fill than before. But if you need more fill than before, so what? You have an ADJUSTABLE gastric band!

Good luck!

Jean