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Thanks for the feedback -- I thought I might get some hostile responses. I hadn't considered therapy, although binge eating is my problem, too. Does it really help you? And do you see a regular therapist or someone who deals with eating disorders?

Just wanted to present a different perspective on eating with a band… Reading through this section, I was shocked to see how many people endorse ultra-restrictive eating regimens, and how many eat next to nothing! My doctor never suggested Protein shakes, it fact, as I understand it, that goes against the purpose of the band. liquids and soft foods slip right through the band, so while they may provide calories and Vitamins, they won't make you feel full. Firm food are needed for that – foods that, once chewed well, will sit in the pouch and slip through to digest slowly, making you feel full for longer. I've seen people here talk about blending their food, not being able to eat meat, and eating only 3-4 bites at a time. If that's the case, your band it TOO TIGHT! You should be able to eat a small, normal meal, and you should still get hungry throughout the day. As to the crazy food regimens, yes, you will lose weight quicker if you eat no sugar, no salt, little oil, low carb, raw veggies, etc, etc… But that is exactly the kind of eating regimen that threw me off previous diets because I felt too deprived. So with the band, I'm trying for a happy medium. I'm eating substantially less food than I did before, so I enjoy some of the things I like – in moderation. For dinner tonight, I grilled shrimp and mushrooms with peas and sundried tomato bits, then topped it with a bit of herbed feta cheese. Yes, the peas are a carb, but I had fewer of them than mushrooms and shrimp. And the tomato and cheese made it taste good – I ate a small enough meal that it wasn't loaded with cheese, but I liked it. I eat fruit with cottage cheese about once a day, which is my "sweet food" now. Yes, it has fructose, and it isn't as healthy as a kale/carrot shake, but I used to eat a pint of ice cream for dessert! I decided to quit trying to make myself like low-fat and fat-free salad dressings because they taste like crap. Instead, I bought my creamy Caesar, but I dumped out half the bottle and replaced it with skim milk. I get all the flavor from before with runnier dressing, and I use it sparingly, instead of drowning my salad like I would have in the past. And I'm losing weight – I'm consuming considerably fewer calories than before, but I'm also eating much healthier. So for those of you who are like me and don't fancy giving up everything you like for Protein Shakes and meat-and-greens-only meals, I'm suggesting there are alternatives. Many people on this site seem really obsessive about cutting out absolutely everything that could possibly be "bad" for you. If the band allows you to reduce how much you eat, and you eat reasonably healthy food, you will lose weight. For me, this is an eating pattern I can maintain long term, whereas those crazy eating regimens, I couldn't.

I was back to normal appetite two weeks after my surgery, but you don't have any restriction around your stomach until you get a fill. Once the surgery swelling goes down, it's like you have your normal stomach, so you have your normal appetite. I had my first fill a week ago, and the nurse put 6.5 cc into a large band. I don't know how your nurse/doctor did it, but mine made me sit up and drink cup after cup of Water. She kept injecting saline by the half cc until it got hard got me to swallow the water (at 7cc), then she pulled a half cc out to ease up on the restriction. The next day, it was difficult for me to eat comfortably; even with lots of chewing, it felt like everything stuck in my throat. The day after that feeling went away, but I could definitely tell there is a restriction in how much I can eat. Also, I have a much decreased appetite. Did your nurse make you drink something to check the restriction, or did they just put in 3 cc, and that was it? If they didn't check for restriction, then they're guessing on the amount, and you'll have to keep going back and having saline added until you reach the right point. My doctor said the average is 5-6 cc. When they hit the right amount of saline, you will DEFINITELY notice the decrease in your appetite, although you will still get hungry -- you just won't get hungry the way you did before the band. You will also feel full much quicker. If they put too much saline in, it will hurt to swallow food and you'll feel reflux, and you'll have the urge to eat soft food since it doesn't hurt. That's when you need to have saline removed. My nurse said I could come back for another fill in as little as 3-4 days -- it should be effective that quickly. If you aren't getting the restriction and appetite decrease I mentioned, I would pressure your doctor not to make you wait 2 weeks between fills, but to speed it up so you can get to the right point faster. Just don't over-do it. Some people on this site have NO appetite and can only eat 3-4 bites of food at at time. That means the band is too tight, and eventually, your weight loss will plateau because you won't be getting enough calories and your metabolism will slow as your body goes into starvation mode. I can eat an entire small sandwich now, which is more than 1/2 cup (my doctor says 1 cup), but I CAN'T eat the large meal that I could with no problem before my band.

I got my band 6 weeks ago and like many people, I had very sharp shoulder pain for days after -- I'm was told to expect that since they inflate the abdominal area for surgery, but the air has no place natural to go; it has to make its way slowly out of the body. Because of theband location, the air goes up into the shoulder. The pain was very sharp and recurring for almost 2 weeks, after that it dulled, but it has never completely gone away. I had my first fill 1 week ago, and I'm doing fine with that, but I still have that come-and-go dull ache in my shoulder. Is this typical? Could it be caused by food or drink (although I don't see how, since that goes through the stomach)? I admit that I drink occassional diet sodas, but I cut them out for 2 weeks, and it made no difference. Any thoughts anyone? I'd prefer not to have an aching shoulder for the rest of my life....

My husband bought a "Bullet," but he is a gadget boy, so I was skeptical. I didn't use it until getting banded -- it actually works very well for making shakes, smoothies, and protein drinks. And it cleans up super easy! The plastic cup and the blender peice can just be rinsed off with water and left out to dry. We only run it through the dishwasher if my husband makes something in it that leaves an odor (some protein shakes do this). The "Recipe Book" that comes with the Bullet has all kinds of other things, like guacamole and soups, but it really just works well for blending drinks -- they always come up with silly recipes to try to make it look like the machine can make everything. The blades turn too fast for things you would typically make in a food processer.

Hi, I had my banding surgery last week and am curious about two things: 1) How long for most people before the surgery stitches are removed? 2) How long until the first fill? THANKS!

Purpleshell, I had my banding three days ago in Spain -- my doctor said he is more agressive about getting his patients back on solid foods. I am on liquids for three days, soft foods for 4, and back to "regular" food the second week, with restrictions. There seems to be a lot of variety in how doctors approach aftercare eating, but the big thing I was told was to listen to my body -- if I'm overdoing, my stomach will let me know!

My nurse said the shouolder pain is from trapped air in the muscles. I've had it for the last three days since my surgery, but she warned me it was common after fills, particularly if you overdid it on eating. The gas becomes trapped and disperses through the stomach wall and up thgrough the muscles, where it hurts (or that was my understanding). To me, it feels like a muscle cramp, but without the tight muscle.

QUESTION ABOUT THE 2 WEEKS OF LIQUID: I had my surgery Wednesday in Spain; my doctor is Spanish and he said that he is more agressive about getting his patients back on normal foods quickly. I am on liquids for 3 days, soft foods for 4, and then back on regular food the second week after surgery, with restrictions. Has anyone else had a food regimen like this? Any thoughts?

I had quite a lot of pain the first two days after surgery -- on my side, shoulder, and yes, gas. Just take pain meds and give it a few days. I had my surgery Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday, I was useless and in bed all day. Today, I'm feeling much better, although the air in the shoulder and the gas is still hanging around, but diminishing.