kayzoog

I eat only one egg in morning. I had to buy really small plates to make my portion look bigger. If I eat more than 4oz at a time, I feel super full. But, everyone is different!

I was self pay after I found out my insurance (CIGNA) does not cover any bariatric surgery. I don't regret it one bit. Best decision I ever made! Good luck to you!

@@Wm Breedlove is right! No pain for the fill which sounds strange but it's true!

Congrats on getting to the other side!

Congrats on one week! Hang in there... If you are getting enough protein, then the hunger might just be mental. Good to keep the shakes going. Keep active! I find responding to other people posts during the "mental battle" periods helps me refocus my thoughts.

One of the things my nutritionist said at the very first consultation was that I would only eat a cup of food at every meal for the rest of my life. I thought she was CRAZY! I though that there was no way possible that would happen. I thought of my fajita burrito at my fave mexican restaurant that is easily 8x the amount of deliciousness. Or my homemade spaghetti dinners with garlic bread. Or even just a normal Lean Cuisine. Could I stuff that in a cup? No it's probably two. My shock was not what I wouldn't be able to eat, but the fact I was supposed to be happy with so little of it! But, now it seems so funny that it was my main concern. I am really happy with my small portions. I cut everything into tiny bites and chew, so I actually am timed right with the others at the table who are inhaling their food. I have to laugh at restaurant portion sizes that look so insane to me. I have tried pizza. It went down fine, but didn't make me energized. I physically don't like it anymore. It's just not important so I don't crave it. It's funny how the WLS changes your perspective.

Yes, it was definitely a special occasion. I think it's the first time I've ever gone there without ordering the Bloomin' Onion. And the portions are huge, which I never realized until I was monitoring my food. I knew exactly what I wanted, and I had the right portions. I have lobster maybe once a year, so the drawn butter won't be a recurring thing. LOL. I recently went to Outback. Didn't order the Blooming Onion and it was definitely strange to not have that. But, I did enjoy steak (split with my boyfriend) and actually had my first broccoli since being banded. It's still delicious to go and savor every bite!

I marked "other". Since restaurant portions are so large, my biggest worry about going to restaurants is, "Who will be my back-up eater?". Especially when I am traveling for work, I need someone to split things with, or someone to take home my left overs. A quick poll of my colleagues usually finds someone eager to help. At home I usually just eat some off of my boyfriend's plate. The best part is I rarely have to pick up the tab! "Oh Kristi, you barely ate anything, let me pay for it". Ha!

I ate 1/2 a slice of pizza after I was on solids. It smelled so good... it looked so good... it tasted so good.... but after... I didn't feel the energy I had eating my normal protein foods like egg and tuna. It really made me feel zapped of energy. I didn't like how it made me feel. I haven't had any since. And I have been around pizza a lot (I have a teenager). It just doesn't look appetizing to me. Don't get me wrong, it still smells delicious! I think part of the journey is really figuring out which "bad" foods still work for you and letting go of the ones that really don't help you. That is a mind change for sure.

I still use one shake a day to supplement my protein. The shakes are better when they aren't the only thing you are eating. I couldn't keep up the protein requirements in my first post-op week either. It took me all day to drink one shake. Just do what you can. And don't stress...

Mine gurgles a lot too. I'm almost 8 weeks out and sometimes its so loud it wakes me up at night. But it's all normal. Don't worry about gurgling, just worry about not throwing up!

Good luck everyone! As @@JustWatchMe said, the pre and post-op liquid diet takes some commitment. Even after that, you have some hard work to do when transitioning to normal foods. But it is so very very very worth it!!! I'm 7 weeks post surgery and wouldn't change a thing! It has been amazing journey so far. Kudos to all of you on getting your band dates!

I actually blogged about starting to feel normal on day 13: http://banderland.weebly.com/1/post/2014/03/day-13energy-coming-back.html Before that I was definitely not myself. Now, I have tons of energy I never had before like @@JustWatchMe You will get there before you know it! - K

Congrats! Enjoy your hot showers and welcome to the club!

I'm 43. Started at 221 on day of surgery, lost 15lbs in 5 weeks post surgery. I had first fill at 3 weeks. You can see 5 week photo progress on my blog: http://banderland.weebly.com/1/post/2014/04/day-35-15lbs-down-from-surgery.html Good luck to you!

I am 6 weeks post op. I still have swelling (or a little bump I guess) on the port side. I have started Yoga, but I have to be careful of that port area still. Be careful on the cheese and bread in french onion soup... you are still healing. I slurped the broth out of that one time when it was the only thing I could order at the restaurant. I know how tempting the bread part is! Good luck to you at work. But remember to listen to your body and take the extra time off if you need it. Hopefully your work can accomodate. It took me a week and 1/2 to fully return to work. Also - I agree with the others - stay off the scale. My nut said that with a lower starting weight (you- 228, me -237), we won't notice lots of pounds off at first. Instead, we will notice changes in clothing fit before the lbs. Good luck! - Kristi

I totally know what you mean! My first real combination food (after mushies like egg, tuna etc) was a taco! And I was so damn excited that I blogged about it. http://banderland.weebly.com/1/post/2014/04/day-36-i-ate-a-taco.html Congrats on your fill. It's a great milestone to achieve. Makes you feel like the band is doing something. - K

Welcome to the site! There are a lot of people on here (including me) that are really happy with their decisions. I agree with BlissfullyBanded. Her blog is great! And it helped me through the beginning stages of my surgery. Congrats on getting your date! You might read that sometimes that's the hardest part. Now you are on your way!

I lost a bunch (16lbs) in the 2 week pre-op all liquid diet. Now I have slowed to 3 lbs a week eating mushies and a bit of solid food. That's still faster than any other diet I have been on. And it's consistent and sustainable. Also I don't feel like I am on a diet. A few things I have learned: Protein first (Find a shake you like and avoid sugar) Exercise Don't compare yourself to anyone else That last one is why your surgeon is not telling you specifics on weight loss. Everyone loses differently. Be compliant with your surgeon and nutritionist plans, and you will succeed! Good luck! - K

I LOVE the burp! I had some instances last week where I couldn't burp in the morning. So uncomfortable. I usually have coffee first thing in the AM to wake up. That works pretty well to loosen things up. Glad you found some relief!

I read your blog ALL THE TIME! It really helped me in those initial days. I think I am a couple weeks behind you in the process, so it was great seeing what to look forward to. Thanks!

Hi all! I just updated my blog: http://banderland.weebly.com/ with some in-progress photos 5 weeks post-surgery. I am so excited to have lost 15 pounds post-surgery. While I lost a bunch on my pre-op diet, I am excited to be consistently losing even in the real food stage. Thanks everyone for all the tips and tricks and support that makes each of us a success. Yes, maybe I am still in the honeymoon phase, but I LOVE IT!

When I transitioned to mushies from liquid, my first food was a soft scrambled egg. So delicious! Now I am transitioning to regular solid food. Last night, I had one shrimp and one bite of steak. Each "bite" was cut into the teeniest of bites and I chewed chewed chewed. I have also had salad, 2 crackers and 2 tortilla chips. Again, everything was chewed super well. I have not tried actual bread or rice. That scares me!

I had my first fill about 2 weeks ago. I made the mistake of looking at the needle which freaked me out. How can a needle like that NOT hurt?! But my surgeon assured me it would not be bad. It didn't hurt at all. It was all my nerves that made the anticipation worse than the actual event! Do not be scared of fills!

4 weeks post surgery! Doing well. Enjoying the process. Congrats to all the March 2014 Bandsters!