10 replies to this topic

[woody123]

Hi guys, am new to this so excuse any mistakes. Had the banding done 5 weeks ago and can't believe the difference already in weight! found the liquids stage easier than I thought and am halfway through my"slushy" stage.Am reall starting to like the new me that is slowly appearing in the mirror. I know I have a long way to go (months and months and months!) and can't believe how committed I feel.
I know my life from now on will be measured in smaller portions and I'm fine with that,but,being a typical Aussie Bloke I just have a couple of questions of those of you at the other end of our journey.

• will I ever be able to eat barbeque meats again ? (in moderation)
  
• are pastries out of my life forever? (likewise)

If it has to be ,then so be it . however,if not, it will be something to look forward to on special occassions.

can anyone help?

[Danielle]

Hiya Woody, congrats on becoming a Bandit, and welcome to the site!!

It is hard as you read through the stories on here not to worry about what foods you will and wont be able to tolerate down the track. What I can say is your guess will be as good as any veteran Bandit on here. It all depends on how tight your band is filled, and even then it can vary from day to day. After a year I am still learning what foods are ok for me to eat. It is impossible to compare notes with someone else, I can eat what some with less fill can get down, while I cannot eat what I think will be the easiest of foods.

Saying this, apparently MOST people do have troubles with sausages. I have not tried them since being banded, as I am not a fan. I do have steak, cooked rare and chewed slowly. Basically the only foods I have trouble with are roast chicken, potato, and any untoasted breads. I still enjoy pastries, some more days than others.

I have found that giving up these foods has not been a problem, and every time I get a whiff of hot chips, it reminds me of the last attempt I had at eating them, the pain that I felt. That recall negates any of the feel good feelings that these foods give me very quickly!!

Dont mourn ahead of time that which you still may be able to enjoy in moderation, it may be wasted time

[eviljoy]

Bless Danielle and everything that she said.

It is trite and oft repeated, but we are all different in this banding journey. It all depends on how you (and your surgeon) decide to run your band. Mine is quite loose and I seem to be able to tolerate everything in moderation as long as I eat slowly. I have come a cropper a couple of times, but that was from speed more than anything else.

One of the ladies I work with is also banded and when I spoke to her yesterday morning she said she just had a fill and can only eat 'baby food' and she plans to stay that way until her holiday in 2 months time. Personally, I couldn't live that way but it is what works for her.

As you and your band get to know each other, you will work out what works for you. Don't rule anything out, just be careful whenever you are introducing something new and don't get too cocky just because you have eaten something successfully before. You still need to remember to chew like blazes.

Best of luck with everything and I hope you do get to enjoy the occasional steak.

Shelle

[grinningchook]

Welcome to the forum and the world of banding.

I can eat steak and I like it well done, also don't have a problem with sausages but as of yet haven't tried chops.

The cafe up the road makes the nicest sausage rolls ever and I partake in one of them now and again as I do for the odd chocolate eclair

It's all about the chewing, if you can chew them to a fine mush or crumble you won't have a problem, but swallow too quickly without chewing enough I can be almost guaranteed a stuck moment

[Lizzy51]

Hi Woody123

I am only 4 weeks banded and I go for my first fill tomorrow so this may all change after that. But last night I had two thin cut lamb cutlets and had no problems. I also have had two chevup sausages (the skinless ones) and they were fine. I just make sure I concentrate and chew chew chew. If I decide to try a steak I think I will have a piece of fillet as it will be the softest and hopefully easiest to eat. Good luck with you journey and I hope you can enjoy a BBQ in the future.

[mrs ajl]

hi and welcome.

basiacally what everyone else has said it great advice.
i find sausages are not worth the pain and embarrassment.
steak is ok if rare to medium.
potatoes in moderation. chips only a couple at a sitting. bread occassionally. sausage rolls mmmmmmmmm drool sometimes.
i find i have more probs with mince believe it or not.
chops i used to like sacrificed but now just cooked .

goodluck in your journey

mich

[NeddyBear]

Hi Woody,
Welcome to the wonderful world of being a bandit and if you're like me another Aussie bloke
then I'd say you will find the whole banding experience to be very easy.
Keep the BBQ meats on the menu but instead of having a steak the size of a plate you will only need
a piece to fit inside the palm of you're hand and as for the pastries it's good bye forever which is a good thing
because most bakery products are nasty and the only bakery products I eat is breads but 2 slices max.
Whats you're starting weight and do you have the diabetes?
I started at 6' 1'' and 158kgs, banded at 148kgs and with very bad type 2 diabetes at 49 I already had
one foot in the grave, its now been 9 1/2 months banded and with the diabetes in remission I feel like a new person.
For me the whole banding experience has been extremely easy and very straight forward and what I can tell you is to
eat very healthy and smaller meals, not that I have a choice, and most important is to exercise and increase the exercise
as you lose the weight, exercise will become you're best mate.
Good luck with you're fat loss,
Cheers Owen

[Danielle]

NeddyBear, on 21 February 2012 - 11:14 PM, said:

Hi Woody,
Welome you to wonderful world of being a bandit and if you're like me another Aussie bloke
then I'd say you will find the whole banding experience to be very easy.
Keep the BBQ meats on the menu but instead of having a steak the size of a plate you will only need
a piece to fit inside you're hand and as for the pastries it is good bye forever which is a good thing
because most bakery products are nasty and the only bakery products I now eat is breads but 2 slices max.
Whats you're starting weight and do you have the diabetes?
I started at 6' 1'' and 158kgs, banded at 148kgs and with very bad type 2 diabetes at 49 I already had
one foot in the grave and its now been 9 1/2 months banded and with the diabetes in remission
for me the whole banding experience has been extremely easy and straight forward.
What I can tell you is to eat 100% healthy and smaller meals, not that I have a choice, and most
important is to exercise and increase the exercise as you lose the weight, exercise will become you're best mate.
Good luck with you're fat loss,
Cheers Owen

I am probably going to get caned for this, but here goes.

I don't normally agree with most of Owen's posts, simply a difference of opinion and nothing more, but I believe he is spot on with this post. Even though your head might miss the pastries, your body wont. You might find you substitute these cravings for something else. Instead of an indulgent pastry, you could maybe simply wrap some tinned peaches or other fruit in a layer of Filo pastry and bake in the oven, a much healthier alternative.

For me, constipation has been a downside of the band, not drinking enough water is the culprit, and I am to blame for that. Make sure you keep up your water intake.

Don't stress yourself out with scenario's that may not even eventuate, rather focus on the small healthy mental adjustments you can make now in preparation for the next exciting phase of your journey!!


PS. Love the new Avatar Owen!!!

[Babsinoz]

"'Even though your head may miss the pastries, your body won't."

So, so true! Well said Danielle!

Barbs

[woody123]

Hi guys, thannks for all the great help & advice. In response to your question Neddybear- I had the banding done at 135kgs and am 7weeks out. Had to do something for myself and fconcerned family as I had type 2 dibetes, high blood pressure and things were just getting worse each week. Soooooooo glad I made the decision!

[Kristy****]

I can still eat BBQ'd meat, but I really can't be bothered, my jaw gets sore from all the chewing!! I stick with 1 chicken kebab/shaslick (depends on the state you live in, eg meat on a stick) Pastries are a completley different story, one single little bite is all I can eat (and I can still eat most things) so I have cheesecake if i'm out for a speial occasion. But like others have said everyone is different and its about trial and error, but better just to tell yourself you can't eat it and don't bother!!
kristy