happy2lose

I try to stay around 1,000 calories per day. My nutritionist says I can have up to 1,500. I wasn't losing well at 1,500 so I try to have less. I find that if I fluctuate my calorie intake I lose more regularly. Some days I only have about 800 calories if I'm not feeling as hungry. Other days I am super hungry and have more. You need to find what works best for you since we are all different. Again, I recommend you see a nutritionist. The nutritionist will be able to tell you what you need to eat to maintain proper nutrition.

It is totally normal not to feel hungry for about a week or week and a half after surgery. This is because your stomach is swollen from surgery. Once the swelling has gone down the hunger will return with a vengeance and you will have to rely on your own will power to not overeat until you get a fill or two in you. You need to be following your surgeon's guidelines as far as proper nutrition post-op. However, I do remember only having broth, Water and and sf Jello for the first week. Don't hesitate to call your doctor if you have questions. That's what he gets paid for.

I didn't say it was head hunger. I simply asked you if it was real hunger or head hunger. I am trying to help you but you don't seem to want to provide the necessary information for somebody to accurately asses your situation.

There are many brands on the market. Shop for one that is lower in carbs. I can tell you that I've been eating Quaker Instant Oatmeal. I eat 1/2 a package each morning and I am losing regularly. I do watch my carb intake and try to choose foods lower in carbs but 1/2 a package really isn't that much.

You may have oatmeal. One of my favorites is the fat free Greek yogurts. The plain variety has 20g of protein.

Not necessarily! I cannot eat eggs no matter how they are cooked. My band tightness also fluctuates from day to day. There are many reasons why a band may be tight. Are you drinking all the water you are suppose to? Do you have a cold or sinus issues? Did you follow your doctor's orders and stay on liquids for 2 days after your fill to allow the swelling in your stomach to go down? If you have been stuck since your fill it is a mad viscous cycle. If you have a stuck episode you are suppose to return to liquids only for the remainder of that day because getting stuck will cause your stomach to swell around the band. I feel it takes over a week to really know exactly what your normal restriction is because swelling after an adjustment really takes some time to go away.

Still need to know your weight & height to give an informed opinion. Have you talked with a nutritionist? If not, I recommend you do. Then you will know exactly what you should be eating in order to remain healthy while you lose weight. If you don't eat enough your body will go into starvation mode and hold onto your fat instead of letting go of it.

800 calories isn't much. Are you male or female? I really would need to know your stats to give my opinion. Weight, height, age, how long have you been banded?

I'm so sorry your discouraged. I think you should tell your doctor this. Tell him you only want .25cc because you are too tight at .5cc. Are you experiencing real hunger or head hunger? If you are really truly hungry then you need a fill. How are you doing with your weight loss?

My hair started falling out at 4 mos. and has finally just stopped at 8 mos. post-op. Pannus is where the stomach hangs down looks almost like a front butt. I don't blame you about the fish, I can't stand it either. I can't seem to handle beef as it always seems to get stuck but as long as the chicken is moist I can get it down. I did get stretch marks from being pregnant but that was over 20 years ago. Still have them, they never went away. What I've heard about stretch marks during pregnancy is some people get them and some don't.

Good job on the weightloss. I've found that foods that I used to not care fore tasted amazing once I was able to eat solid food again. Funny how that happens!

It's my understanding that if you are a full time student BCBC will cover you. Check into this.

I also could have managed a concert a couple of days later. This surgery was nothing by comparison to the c-sections I had. Very easy recovery, very little pain!

Laura, I think we all (bandsters) need little doses of reality here and there to remember how and why we got to be obese. I think you learned a very valuable lesson of how easily you can gain back your weight should you not eat as you are suppose to. I'm sure you will get back on track and back to business as soon as you feel up to it but in the meantime, eat only the foods you should be eating and leave the burgers alone girl.

I do understand. I took prednisone for a few months many years ago and the weight gain and other affects were awful during that short span. I understand WW and/or dieting in general is difficult which is why you got the band, but I was trying to offer a suggestion that may help you to minimize your weight gain so that you don't have to lose even more weight once you get to feeling better and get your band in working order again. I'm not really sure what it is you would like us to say to you or what kind of suggestions you are looking for so I'll just bow out now rather than say the wrong thing.

Congratulations! You are off to a fantastic start. I'm sure being 100 pounds less you can already feel the difference. I am so happy for you. Donna

I would have practiced eating my meals without drinking during them.

I'm sorry for what you are going through. All you can do is your best to keep the weight off. Make sure you eat foods high in Protein and stay away from foods that contain a lot of fat, sugar and carbs. Can you walk without pain? If so, you should try to walk for an hour or more each day to minimize the weight gain and perhaps you will even lose some weight. I know you are depressed, but try not to let yourself gain anymore weight. Perhaps you can join Weight Watchers and begin losing again. Just a suggestion! Hang in there! Donna

It is totally normal to be hungry and paranoid once you are living with your band. The band is much more durable then we think. I believe the doctors try to scare us to make sure we follow the band rules as directed. Just stick to the rules and doctor's orders and you will be fine. As far as hunger goes, welcome to bandster hell. You will be hungry, even starving until you get a fill or two. Right now you need to rely on your willpower to stay on track. Hang in there, it does get easier.

What you describe is very normal. During the first few weeks until I had enough restriction to make it 3-5 hours between meals I would drink a Kellogg's Protein water to hold me over. I believe it is 50 calories and 5g protein but it did help me a lot. Another suggestion, low fat string cheese is about 60 calories and will do the same thing.

This really depends upon your surgeon. It is important to follow your surgeon's guidelines.

Good for you Jenny. Watch those knees.....if you hurt them you will struggle to exercise.

Check with your doctor. You must be a daredevil!

Yes, Crystal Light counts as Water. Cold cuts and low fat cheese make an excellent lunch. If you can eat bread, throw in a slice of wheat bread. Also, cottage cheese and raw veggies are a good lunch.

By the way, forgot to mention. If you have a desk job you really don't need to take time off from work. I had my surgery on Friday and returned to work on Monday.