Drband14

May not be the best but if Im going crazy I get the Atkins coconut/chocolate or Peanut Butter chololate bars. tastes like an Almond Joy and a reeses cup

The only problem I have is that if I drink while there is food passing through the bad, it will immediately increase the volume and with nowhere else to go, it will come right back up!
Also can cause pain, I suspect possibly causing dilation.
So I learned the hard way, as with many other things with this band, to drink (anything) right to the point I begin to eat, then test it with small sips until I can feel it is safe....then I can have my after dinner coffee!
But, as is the case with all topics, everything is indicative as to how much your band is adjusted.

Being a good ole southern boy my one vice is sweet tea. I have been able to transition to using splenda so there are no calories but I struggle with avoiding drinking tea with my meals. I'm just so used to it that I find myself doing it unconsciously. Anyone else struggle with this?

Just another thought; another benefit of going slower is that it helps your head and body adjust to all of the changes to keep our weight off permanently. I know that has been true for me :-)

Six fills here. Good luck! How exciting. You sound like you've got a good mindset. I agree. Be patient. It's a process and we will get to goal. It takes awhile but it's worth it!

exactly - I totally agree! and like you, (and I read this yesterday and laughed), if chocolate is wrong, I don't wanna be right! :-)

Awww, thank you so much for replying to my post. I am going to do my best to remain patient. I do pray I'm one of the lucky ones that can get to that sweet spot after one fill...wouldn't that be awesome?! The nutritionist did say I can have a Protein Shake in the morning when the band tends to be at the tightest. I, like you, have never been a huge Breakfast eater. This won't be an issue. I love Italian and Mexican food so the no carbs is going to be very challenging...hence the reason I've never done the South Beach diets! I am not giving up my dark chocolate. It has been so surprising reading everyone's stories at how different the band is for each of us. I love this site and all the support we can give one another. Thanks again for the helpful information.

I just left MD office with my first fill...2 cc's. I still have a lot of swelling around my port site. I was plesaed I had no pain with the fill. He numbed me first but that didn't hurt at all. On liquids today and then soft foods tom. I also met with the nutritionist. I had no idea I was eating "slider foods." I thought Meal Replacement shakes and Soups were a great idea...NOT....apparently Protein should be from preferably animal source...3 oz on a small plate and then if still hungry, I can have veggie or fruit. No starches x 3 months. Hoping to actually have some type of restriction now that I have some saline in the port. I've been feeling like I didn't have any restriction at all and my appetite has been insane since surgery on 2/26/15.

Awww, thank you so much for replying to my post. I am going to do my best to remain patient. I do pray I'm one of the lucky ones that can get to that sweet spot after one fill...wouldn't that be awesome?! The nutritionist did say I can have a Protein Shake in the morning when the band tends to be at the tightest. I, like you, have never been a huge Breakfast eater. This won't be an issue. I love Italian and Mexican food so the no carbs is going to be very challenging...hence the reason I've never done the South Beach diets! I am not giving up my dark chocolate. It has been so surprising reading everyone's stories at how different the band is for each of us. I love this site and all the support we can give one another. Thanks again for the helpful information.

hi @@Drband14, getting your first fill is exciting - starting to get fills and expecting results is what keeps us going! But, and I know you have probably heard/read this, but just be patient with the process. I did not start to feel restriction until around my 3rd fill, but even then i could still eat foods with ease and more than I should. I know that, especially looking back, but it gets so much better. As for shakes, I disagree a bit. I agree that animal source of Protein is probably best, but don't forget the overall picture of making sure you are getting enough Protein in a day. I am never really hungry for breakfast; I've just never been a big Breakfast eater anyway, but even more so now. I like using a shake at this time because it helps with hydration in the morning as well as giving my protein a start to the day. I drink my coffee, a glass of Water, sometimes a shake and don't really eat until lunch. And I believe I am at my green because I am not eating large quantities and if I don't slow down or chew thoroughly enough, I am def at risk for getting stuck. But there is nothing like the feeling of not being hungry. But it took me 6 fills to get to this point. Everyone is different. There are people n here who have never had a fill or only one post-op. And then others like me where it takes time and doing it incrementally. Just hang in there and do your best to follow your doc's recommendations. I find the idea of no carbs for 3 months daunting, but if you can do it, that is awesome! I actually don't eat a ton of carbs like bread, Pasta, etc, but let me just say - chocolate goes down just fine, thankyouverymuch - lol!
It's good you have a nutritionist to see. That really is helpful and helps with accountability. Just hang in there and accept that everyone is different, and you will start to see and feel changes as you continue on this journey! good luck :-)

I got my third fill on Tuesday and as soon as I took the sip of Water, I could FEEL it! Restriction - glorious restriction! I had not felt that before unless I ate something starchy/bread. After fill, was not hungry the rest of the day. Yesterday, ate a small amount for Breakfast, not hungry until dinner and then very satisfied with a small amount. This morning, the scale finally MOVED down - 5 lbs from where I was the previous weigh (and i admit that's been several weeks as feeling down that I was so hungry after all of the surgery costs and discomfort, etc).
Now I feel I am IN THE GAME and I am so excited to know THIS is what it is supposed to feel like! I don't feel hungry! I feel full after a few small bites of Protein dense food. I am not ravenous and dreaming about junk food anymore. I AM HAPPY!!!!!
I wanted to share this with the rest of the community. I haven't been posting - I felt like I might be one of the folks for which this tool just doesn't change the underlying, overwhelming appetite issues I have had all of my life. But it IS changing that and I feel so hopeful - it's been so long since I've felt this way.
:-)))))))))))
Mary

I just went for my first follow up and he too has me waiting 4-6 weeks more until my first fill. It's because the stomach is still swollen. He also told me just be mindful to what I eat and remember to chew. My hardest thing to remember to do is not to drink and eat at the same time

Surgery went well. Ended up statying 6 hours due to O2 sats not coming back up but finally made it home! Gas pains trapped in my chest and left shoulder even today. I went back to work on Monday. I'm a nurse practitioner and round in the hospital and see patients in an office setting. I'm wiped out by the end of the day but I'm getting through it each day. No fills for me until stomach heals; another 3 weeks per my surgeon. I have been hungry since day one so I am really having a tough time. Praying this is all worth it and that I can handle it!

I'm doing good I'm down 13 lbs from surgery I'm still sore though my husband went back to work so I'm on my own with my two year old and its go go go all the time. My port is what causes most of my tenderness... I can feel it like a knot right there or whatever. I'm still tired a lot too. I went to support groups prior to surgery where most said they had lots of energy and all that afterwards but not me

I went for my post op visit today. My surgeon seems to think the swelling is normal but did warn me that although I have a low profile port, I will always be able to see it to some degree due to my lower BMI and the fact that I had less fat between the abs muscles and subcutaneous skin. I was worried about this. I'm praying the swelling will go down and it really wont be as noticeable as it is now. No fill for me. He wants me to wait 3 more weeks before adding 2 cc's. He is very conservative and prefers to wait until the new stomach heals before adding any Fluid. He did release me to to eat soft foods now. I've lost 10 lbs. so far just doing liquids. Thank you all for the support!

I am 6 days post op and the area next to my belly button, where the port is, is swollen more so than anywhere else. I had my first followup this morning and they said everything looked great and that the port area was going to take the longest to heal. If you are in pain then I would certainly call your doctor. Good luck.

My port site wAs lumpier and more sore than the other incisions. Call your team if you're worried. Rule of thumb is that each day you should have less pain , not more. If that's not the case, call them. Congrats on your surgery!!

@@Drband14 thank you so much! I agree the air bubbles/gas pains were the worst. I actually have a lot of back pain still to this day. I have no idea if it's related to the surgery but it started shortly after. My friend thinks it's because I'm overcompensating and trying to shield my belly from getting hurt. Whatever it is, I'd like it to stop, lol.
Good luck to you on your journey! I didn't weigh myself until my follow up with the Dr 9 days after surgery. Now I weigh myself every Friday and refuse to go near the scale otherwise.