desertpixie

What are grits? Sounds intriguing! To answer the drink question I've been having lots of Water, green tea. If I want something sweet mango or apple juice. Not bothered by alcohol much but did have a glass of red wine. To be honest I think my taste buds have changed as I used to love it and now it doesn't feel right

I don't get my first fill until the 23rd February. Six weeks after my post-surgery appointment. Lost 12lbs so far hoping to lose 66in total. Still a long way to go, hoping to start pilates and yoga this week to burn a few more cals up!

Can't believe its 4 weeks already since surgery tomorrow! Craaazy! So so glad I did this

Good luck britneygirl, I haven't had a fill yet but will be getting my first one in two weeks. Am sure youll be right back at goal soon enough!

What do you do for a living BillieG?

Well done everyone sounds like we're all almost done and ready to kick some butt. Am looking forward to the gym tonight. Can't believe this sat it was 4 weeks ago already! Am looking forward to the first fill and getting some tightness and restriction so more consistent weight loss happens

6 weeks sounds about right. Am going to drop him an email as he originally said lots of walking first. I know if I get in the gym I'll want to go all put.

50kg is amazing congratulations! I've started using myfitnesspal again and now furiously scan everything I am eating!

I love all these replies. Its clearly a topic which varies person to person. Today I grazed all day rather than have set meal times and far prefered it. I don't like feeling full or stuffed and I could go for quite sometime between meals as work is so busy already but I guess it's just adjusting to a new way of eating. Its always good to learn and be aware of how you eat regardless of what stage were at post-op, it sounds like everyone is still learning. I have to say one thing I haven't done before but have found myself doing now is visually recognising my new portion sizes and knowing when it's too much. All good practice for when the first fill comes!

I am literally two days into my first week of 'normal' food, following a week of liquids and a week of mushies. I am two-weeks post op, and if I was honest, a bit scared about eating. I keep thinking my stomach will burst, or god knows what...even though that's clearly not the case. In the past, like most of us, I wasn't particularly conscious of the speed I ate, or how big my mouthfuls were but now I am super conscious and I am trying to figure out when and what my body is doing to let me know it's full. At the moment, I think it's gas pain still, but after a meal I get neck and back pain. At the moment it's down my side. I am curious to know how other people can tell they are full. Is it by feeling stuffed, or do you go by how many mouthfuls you can eat, or do you make sure you take at least 20 minutes to eat a meal...I imagine full is full, but being new to this "eating when banded" thing, i'm just wondering if there is a common signal to look out for that's telling me enough is enough or how other people listen to their body telling them they are full?

BillieG i felt exactly the same, towards the end of the first week of all liquids, I was really starting to feel the hunger kick in. Even on mushies this week, I was finding I could actually eat a whole bowl of Soup - granted over about 90 minutes. Mushies was the most boring for me, as I had no time to make anything and pretty much lived on mashed potato, sauce and some chunky soup. This week I am working hard on getting Protein in, so have boiled some eggs to mush up and will get some Protein shake too. I read a lot about people putting weight on between surgery and their first fill due to the lack of restriction, so I am doing my best to keep my head in the game and almost pretend I have a fill and am making really eating slower and slower and chewing more and more. Am so conscious now. Good Luck everyone, and Missy I am sure your results will come soon enough. I am giving it a year too to really hopefully have that big comparison photo. Have you set yourself small goals to keep the positivity high on your way to the big goal.

Hi everyone, am two weeks post-op now and feeling so much better. I'm really keen to get back to the gym but wondering if I should leave it another week to make sure everything is healed and settled in before I go for a work out? I feel fine, but you never know whats going on under the skin and it might need leaving another week. I'm just curious to know how soon after surgery others started working out again? Did your routines change at all? I don't have as much energy as before, so am really going to need to start slow and build up to what my pre-banded routine. Will give the Dr an email today to confirm with him too that it's ok to go back to working out....curious to see how others found it though?

Hey, was banded on the 4th and coming up to the end of week 1 mushies. May do another week just to make sure everything has healed, although the dr said to go to normal foods from this sat, I'll do one more week to make sure we're back to normal. Hope everyone banded this week feels better soon. I feel way better this week and am already approaching goal 1! Excited x

I love my Water and could easily get through 2-3ltrs a day. Although now I am struggling, I really need to get back into it, however am still recovering a bit from the surgery. Loved my sparkling water, found it so refreshing, but no more boooo.

I didnt have too much pain, it was just uncomfortable at the incision points during the hospital stay. Once i was home, after being in overnight, i was fine. Managed on one pain killer a day and hot water bottles. I think everyone is different

Oh know Orange! I have to sympathise with you the gas pain in my shoulder still hasn't quite gone for me either and I am 12 days out. It only appears again late in an evening just before bed, or after my evening meal. Like you, I have to go lie down, although by then I usually just go to bed! Love my bed! Have been using hot Water bottles continuously on my shoulder to help and also got a shoulder, neck and head massage with high-pressure, my god it felt good afterwards. Can def recommend that! Weighed myself again this morning and am now 7kg/1st down on pre-surgery weight. its nuts. Another kg off and i will be in onederland yay! Have a great day everyone, it's our christmas party tonight so I have the buffet table to navigate and the no drinking thing, but will get round it! Could be a cranberry juice night so everyone thinks I am on vodka cranberrys. DP xx

Well done bluegirly thats such a lovely story. Congratulations x

Good luck joy. I had the procedure done 10 days ago now, best decision ever.

Ahh jack you've reminded me I need to find one of those spaghetti utensils to turn the veg into. Thanks! I def agree a bit of flexibility is needed on paleo, I also like to use butter and I love quinoa although no idea if I can eat it now with the band. I also like to use coconut oil whenever possible as it is so good for you and great for cooking. I have a really nice paleo chicken, coconut and pomegranate salad recipe I might try when back on whole foods.

Maybe you and your friend could bake some treats you like that are healthy and nutritious to leave in the kitchen? People always love to find tasty treats that turn out to be good for them. There are some great low carb/paleo bakes out there for brownies or perhaps even a low-cal cookie etc? Perhaps you can even bring the saboteur into your fold with the positive weight loss motivation you have? She might not know where to start?

I was just like you two, so so nervous and was also paying out of my own pocket. Am now 1 week post surgery, feel a million times better and 10lbs down since first appointment and 12lbs down on highest weight about two weeks ago. Honestly, do it. You won't regret it. I had done every diet known to man. Had a PT twice a week, the lot and it still didn't shift. So for me this was that end of the line, taking care of it once and for all thing. Good luck for your surgery but you have to do what makes you happy at the end of the day. Sometimes taking a short term risk is worth the long term gains?

Hello everyone, I was banded on the 4th January and although I have been following the other forums, I noticed this specific 2014 banders thread. Nice to "meet you all" if I haven't already bumped into you on another thread. I was banded here in Dubai, on the 4th and am about to go for my first post-surgery check up today with the surgeon. Am really hoping he says I can move onto soft foods as am starting to go a bit stir crazy on the broths all the time! Not weighed myself at all yet since surgery, I don't own any scales, so I am hoping that I have gone down a couple of pounds this week from having lived on nothing but Water and broth! Fingers crossed! Need to really work on my water intake, as I am getting a bit dehydrated. I have upped my small bottle to a 1.5ltr one. I used to drink about 3ltrs a day but not sure how I can fit that in now! Really need to practise as come the summer, all you want here is water and the constant AC dehydrates you at the best of times! Good luck to everyone and here is to an awesome 2014!

Good call. No idea where I would buy one here but will check online. We have a pretty good blender which I used the other day, maybe that will do the trick in the mean time?

Loving the positivity on this thread. Just think come February we'll all be banded and hearing all those pounds and kilos drop off each other. How often is everyone planning on weighing themselves? I was going to go with once a week or at my dr appointment. Last time I lost a tonne of weight I got a wee bit obsessed with the scales and I don't want that to happen again. Also still trying to figure out my final goal. Do you have yours?

Hahah. I would love a really nicr piece of roast chicken. I have a feeling it may not go down too well though!