Hi April Avengers - I haven't been on the computer much the last few weeks. I was banded April 10th and I get hungry (REALLY hungry) about 4 hrs after a meal. I spent only a few days on the mushy stage and started right in on baked salmon, cooked veggies, etc. I'm also fighting the 'big bite' syndrome and have to remember to take smaller bites and chew, chew, chew. One thing the nutritionist mentioned and is also in my notebook from the clinic is to avoid liquids 1 hour before and 1-2 hours after a meal. The liquids speed the food through your stomach and you become hungry sooner. Avoiding the liquids helps you to feel fuller for a longer period of time. It seems to help me some, but if I wait too long to eat then I fall back into taking big bites and swallowing larger amounts than I should.
I had a hiatal hernia corrected at the same time as the lap band and it is extremely painful if I try to swall a larger bite than I should. I am visiting my regular doctor tomorrow and will ask him about this because it is SO painful when it happens I'm wondering if something is wrong. The pain is about 2 inches up from the bottom of my breatbone, a little to the right of my breastbone. Has anyone else had a hernia corrected at the same time as lap band surgery?