judych

no, it definately does not hurt. dont stress about it, its a non event really. Is the chart about the green zone? i agree, its a learning process we all have to go through. i understand more as i read on this forum though. i dont know where i would have been if i wasnt on here a lot. Keep reading, others will help you with any questions. theres nothing quite like learning from someone elses experience.

hi lovex5. so you get the cramps as well? it does sound like you are having the same issues then. Perhaps we need to have a water bottle with us at all times and just sip all day long? Like you, ive had some lightheadedness as well. i thought it might have been higher blood pressure but maybe not? look after yourself. having one kidney is a bigger issue for you than those of us with two.

so it does sound like not enough fluids then. thanks for sharing. i will have to do a lot more drinking through the day. i do have some coffee but thats a diuretic anyway so it doesnt count.

....speaking of hydration. If someone is dehydrated, would they get leg cramps??

thanks for this tip. i must try it. so far, if im very slow and drawn out i can eat smoked cod... im able to eat pork but nothing else yet. im a week out from my first fill.

i have to admit, as much as i love chilli, and ate heaps of it before hand, that i had some digestive problems after surgery when i ate it. i had a lot of wind pain and it stayed with me for days. Perhaps the Mexican meal was a tad too much for you?? i hope that it settled down real soon without anymore complications. im having chilli now again... im post op 2 months coming up this week. im not having a lot but about a 1/4 teas with some meals.

...and i agree.

hi Shauna.. how was the meal with your mum at the Greek restaurant?? i love Greek food. What did you eat?? i havent been out like that for a meal since i was banded. i reckon the band would tighten somewhat if you are suffering allergies..its that time of year for you alll... Im so lucky i dont have that problem. Didnt you notice the tightness from your 2nd fill straight away?? thats amazing. YOu are so different to what im experiencing right now. Actually im tight, have been even just with no fill. I was just starting to loosen up a little bit post op when i had my first fill. i had 3ccs. now im having trouble again with protein(meat) big time. lol. im eating just a couple of mouthfuls of fish today to keep my intake of solid protein up a bit more. im still having a lot of thick soups. i do put heaps of chick peas etc in it so im getting some protein but its not as much as meat and fish. Did the Reactin help you?? i take antihistimines if i need to sleep well of a night... i dont use them much though.

..you need to try and relax through it all, although i understand how nervous it makes you feel. AS long as you stick to the rules, small mouthfuls, chew, chew, chew, and wait between mouthfuls, you will be o.k. Im certainly not stressing about what i can eat. i have whatever i want, within reason of course. I dont have fatty foods though, but everything else, apart from bread, im eating. I cant eat much of anything so the weight is coming off. You need to be able to do the same, so try and adopt a little of every healthy food, and do the right thing. the band wont bite you. lol. its a wonderful tool. I know now when ive had enough. Even if its just two mouthfuls, my neck gets the ''shoulder pain'' and i know to stop. it seems as if now its going to be that way with me. Im trying out smoked cod at the moment. i cooked some last night. i could only eat a very small amount. the same this morning, i had two mouthfuls and had to leave it. Im going back to have another couple of mouthfuls shortly. AS im a week today post 1st fill, im not sure if my restriction with meats is related to the fill or not. it doesnt matter. im getting plenty of nourishment, im losing weight and im not hungry. What happens, happens, as far as im concerned. if it means i cant eat meat or fish i go vegetarian. YOu need to just let these days and weeks be stress free, and eat as you have learned. Good luck. i know its a biggie for you, but its not too big, neither is it too hard.

i feel i need to add to this one. So far, no bread, very little potato and carbs... im still having soup though, i find that having the thicker soups goes down best.

well, my experience so far is. im now coming up 2 months post op. ive lost weight steadily the whole time. Ive found that i never had a time where there was no restriction. i did get hungry towards the time for my first fill but Ive consistently had issues with eating meat. Last wednesday i had my first fill. im now a week out from that, and its hard to eat a small serve of fish or read meat. Has anyone had this a week after being filled? the way it is right now , if this problem doesnt ease up i wont be getting any more fills. i have 3 ccs in a 10 cc band. im loving the way the weight is going. its steady as she goes . my energy levels are up and im enjoying life a lot more. I have to say though, im losing the enjoyment of food , and cooking is becoming a chore for me. i did read here where someone else was the same. How many of your are going through this?? not enjoying food and finding that cooking is a hassle??

mizpc83 ..i agree totally with this one. im about the same time out from surgery as you are. ... im having the same results and its wonderful. i dont want to lose too quickly either. consider that the weight loss ive had in seven weeks is just amazing, and whats more, im not starving myself either... so it couldnt be better. Its wonderful to get the comments.. you are doing so well. Congratulations on your decision. its certainly paying off well for you. Keep up the great work.

..and i agree with her. i didnt want to live the rest of my life stressing about what i cant eat. i just needed to reign in my impulsiveness on how much and how often. If i can continue to lose weight and live this way i will be very happy, in fact its more than i expected it to be in the beginning.

yep... i agree with all this.

..and i understand what you are saying here. lol. Ive started mixing banana in with my vanilla. thats nice for a change. i also have my choc. shakes mixed with coffee. thats great. what about introducing more vanilla or another strong flavour to the shakes?? lime? raspberry?? now.. .thats nice. i have defrosted raspberries mixed in with vanilla shakes and thats a great shake. I dont think i could handle the flavours that are available now without adding to them..... i hope you can. Perhaps we could ask...?? What do you all do to give more flavour to the shakes that you drink?? what are your recipes?? do you add fruit?? what do you do?? im sure we would all benefit from it . I reckon nearly everyone here is so sick and tired of them.

...i have to add something. you know what really blesses me?" being able to have a fried runny egg of a morning. lol.. its a real treat. no bread, just egg. it goes down really well, but its soft. i savour every mouthful.

im four days out from my first fill and have to be careful. we just celebrated mothers day, and i had my afternoon with my elderly mum who is in a hospital. i took in some yummy cheeses, bikkies, wine, grapes, chocs. we had a picnic. i came out feeling great. im so pleased i was able to share it with her. i think its the last mothers day we will share together. She said it was the best... we had light classical music playing in the background as well. I had my first fill on wednesday. i have some difficulty still trying to eat meat. i can have about a 1/4 of a thin hamburger, and a little vege. but, im not hungry. im still having protein shakes. Im also having thick soup until monday night.

thats a big call. fortunately for me i dont have to conform to any diet, just be careful about the quality and the quantity of what i eat... thats working well with me and im losing just over a pound a week. No wonder you miss fruit. That sounds rather drastic. Do you have a dietician? are you taking any vitamins.?

i had exactly the same thing, and it was horrific. i was bent over a lot of the time. now its not such a problem, but i do get some gas later of a night. My digestive system still hasnt quite adjusted fully to the new eating plan. So, yes, in my experience its normal what you went through. we are all different, some intestines are more sensitive than others. You will be o.k. once the transition to a new eating plan is well in place. i hope you dont get gas of a night like I do. its not uncomfortable but i dont like it.

yep.. too much ... and probably too soon, but no damage done i would think. its very sensitive right now. you will get a lot of reaction to your choices of meals and how you eat it. be careful. Its a big thing that you have had done. Ive been very sensitive right up to now even , after my first fill. ive just accepted it, that maybe thats the way i will be. thats o.k. for me. i will adjust. in fact, i think that the ''tool' is working well , even through the discomfort felt, and the pain in the shoulder. It will certainly keep me in line... and im losing just over a pound a week, which is ideal for me.

what did you eat?? and how much?? also, how quickly?? are you supposed to be on liquids, mushies or solid food by now?

did you dr give you any explanation as to why this would happen, especially two times?? you mentioned that it was an outpatient procedure?? do you get just a local anaesthetic for it?

i always get shoulder pain if i overeat.. and it radiates into the neck as well.

what is a revision?? i dont know that term.

thanks for your input on your experiences. i have to say though that i still have no ability to take any extra in, even if ive had a glass of red. If IVe had enough, Ive had enough. If i try, i suffer.