2muchfun

Stretching the pouch? Probably not. At this point you have no or very little saline in your band so the opening is large allowing food to just pass through. Your pouch can only hold 1-2 ozs of food and if you did stretch it, you would experience a lot of discomfort and pain with a stuck episode. tmf

Dr. O'Brien explains it well in this video. This is 1 of 4. If you are new, these are very informative and I recommend watching all 4. At the very least, watch this one and the "Green Zone" explanation is about 6 minutes into the video.

Yeah, I never really paid attention to those rules during the healing phase and during bandster hell. Those are good rules once you get restriction(after a few fills), but I agree with you. I was told to use a baby spoon and eat just like you explained. LOL No way that's going to work for me? Once I started to find some restriction it would take me 30-40 minutes to eat. I was still looking for that full feeling but then learned it was the satisfied feeling I was looking for. But, that's not your case here at all? Not doctor recommended, but maybe you can eat a little bigger bites while on mushies? tmf

4 months in hell and 1.5 months in Casper Wyo(Purgatory). How many fills for you? And, what are you eating? Have you spent some time with your dietician? tmf

Looks like you're on your own bro? You might check with your doc and see if he/she has any connections where you are going? Or, you may have to schedule a long weekend back home to get that fill? tmf

If you eliminate a lot of your sodium intake and greatly reduce your carb/sugar intake, your body will shed a ton(Ok, maybe only 10-15 lbs) of excess fluids. Give it a try? tmf

Or, go to the bottom of this page and click on contact under the information tab. It goes directly to him. tmf

Your post is very common mainly because almost every one of us has had the same experience 6 weeks or more into this journey. Seems like most all had selective hearing when we went through the seminars, research and nutrition meetings? I know I did. I really thought I'd immediately start losing weight and feel satisfied with a small meal. HA! Not a chance. Some are lucky and it does work that way but for most, not! I was banded a little over a year ago(11/28/12). I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then I got my 3rd fill and met with my nutritionist. The weight began to fall off after that. Relax, what you are experiencing is very normal and has happened to most of us. Seems like I was hungrier after the surgery than ever before. But, I was a good boy and ate healthy foods, but maybe not the 1/2 cup I was told to eat. You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says, " "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet tmf

I didn't track calories either. But, I've always been a dieter and know how many calories are in a meal within 100 calories or less. And, I ate right which makes it that much easier to keep the calories intake under 1400 for me. I like to keep it around 1200 and most of the time I did. During the spring, summer and fall I burn a lot of calories through exercising. As long as you are eating healthy foods the band should keep your calories intake around 1000-1200. But like Floridays said, we're all different, so find your way through this maize and pioneer what works best for you. tmf

Many employers block access to bariatric surgery but I don't understand the police comment? What do the police have to do with WLS? If your insurance plan has no bariatric provision you will have to pay for it yourself. Sorry. tmf

Your two statements seem to contradict each other? One you say you have a probelm taking anything and the other you can eat anything and never get full? I'm confused too? tmf

IMO, no it doesn't. Satiety is achieved by the stomach massaging food through the stoma and into the lower stomach. This squeeze places pressure against the lining of the stomach where there are nerves that send a signal to your brain that you've eaten enough. Or, that's the theory this year. Water will pass right through the band into the lower stomach and be absorbed or pass through the lower sphincter into your small intestines. tmf

Do what your doctor tells you to do. But, there are several schools of thought on this subject. I sip and many Aussie's also sip. I'm not an Aussie but the doctors in Australia seem to have a different take on the drinking while eating issue. There has been at least one study that says sipping one minute after a bit is OK. But, again, do what your doctor tells you to do. tmf

Plagiarized from an unknown forum member or contributor: "The jealous competitor. – Don’t be jealous of others. Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Stop comparing your journey with everyone else’s. Your journey is YOUR journey, NOT a competition. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. If you want to measure your progress, compare yourself to who you were yesterday" tmf

Why would you feel like a failure? You've lost 10 lbs in one month. That's super. I'm sure you had to go to some nutrition classes right? Look at your notes or manual and follow it? Or, schedule an appt with the dietician. You can eat whatever you want but I'd suggest you eat healthy. 4 oz Protein first and then veggies 2nd. Your Dr is right. You're Helen Keller right now and you need to experiment with healthy food choices that help you stay satisfied. tmf

I could eat everything up to my 5th fill. I could feel restriction or mild stuck episodes from #3-4 but it was #5 that got me up to the greenish/yellow zone. #6 put me over the top. Like a fool I went back and had some taken out 2 months later. Now I have to have it put back in. Mainly because I finally figured out how to eat right. I bounce around the green zone daily. tmf

Same ole, same ole. Try to stay in shape till summer comes, get a fill on Jan 11th, get back in the groove again. Might even shoot for a long bike ride with the "Ride the Rockies" bike event this coming summer. tmf

Just be aware that your doctor's wishes may not coincide with Dr O'Brien's? You should always go back and look at your post op surgery instructions from your doctor. tmf

Happens to most of us. Normal. Could take you as many as 6 fills to get to the green zone. No worries. tmf

Gaining weight before you get a fill or several fills is quite common. Until you get some restriction and begin to feel satisfied with less food you are basically still on a diet. It's also easy to gain 2-5 lbs from just retaining fluids. Most of the weight we lose in the first few weeks is only Water anyway. Some patients can lose 30-40 lbs of water in just a few short weeks, so it's understandable how they can retain a few over a high sodium/high carb intake weekend. tmf

Stuck episodes will continue until you re-learn how to eat with the band. As you know, eating fast, eating while distracted, big bites and not chewing enough means the bolus of food that enters your stoma may be too much for it to handle. As you consume more food(and don't follow rules) this begins to stretch your stoma. i.e. stuck episode begins until the food is massaged through the band. I still have a stuck episode at least once a week. But, when I look at how fast others eat and how large they eat, I know I've slowed down and I know my bites are smaller. Still, sometimes it's just not slow enough or small enough. Bands are tempermental. Mine seems to have a mind of her own. I can eat chicken, rice most anything most of the time. But, some days, she just decides she isn't going to cooperate. Not today and maybe not tomorrow either. tmf

Great responses! Don't dwell on the CC's in your band. Like Missy said, it's irrelevent. Here's why: Every stomach is shaped a little different. Every stomach lining has a different thickness. Every stomach has a different layer of fat surrounding it. Doctors try to place the band in the right place but the further away from the esophogus, the bigger the stomach will be at that point. So, some bandsters need no fills at all and some need all they can get. Each of us are different. tmf

Time for a good slap? As you wish:

First, were you instructed by your doctor to drink your meals/shakes? You should be off the liquid diet by now if you received a fill? And yes, it's very normal. You shouldn't be looking for that full feeling. That's the feeling we all are running away from. You should look for a satisfied feeling. One where you feel like you can stop eating and be satisfied? Most of us have received several fills on our way to the sweet spot or "Green Zone". This happened for me after 6 fills. For others, it could be much less or a few more. I too felt like I could eat anything the first 4 months after being banded. Your band is there, it's just that the band has not been inflated enough to give you enough restriction to slow the food traveling through the stoma yet. Most doctors like to take their time getting to the green zone. Once you start to feel restriction, if you don't follow the rules(slower eating, small bites, big chews) you will feel the restriction in the form of small stuck episodes. Unless you are one of the lucky ones and the 1/2 cup of food satisfies your appetite? Good luck. Sounds like you are doing well. tmf

As you wish: Part 1 part 2 Part 3 Part 4