Astrasmom

The diarrhea part is normal. Most new banders go through this because your body is getting used to the new diet. As for the feeling hungry part, that's also normal. You are entering Banders Hell which is the time from banding until your first fill. Your feeling hungry because the swelling is going down. You will find yourself having to run on pure will power right now. Try your best not to give in. Are you using Protein supplements inbetween your meals? My nutrionist told me that it was ok to up my 4oz shakes to 8oz shakes as long as I sipped them slow. That seemed to help me. I had 3 meals and 3-4 shakes inbetween. If you time them 2 hours apart you should be ok. In place of the shake if you don't feel like having that you can have a small snack. I would suggest Fat Free Cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese. Something with protein so that you aren't hungry. Example: 7am - shake 9am - Breakfast (egg, yogurt...) 11am - shake 1pm - lunch 3pm - shake 5pm - dinner 7pm - shake

You will feel better in a few days. Make sure you are getting your fluids down so that you don't dehydrate. Your mouth hurts probably because of the breathing tube they put down your throat during surgery. The dry heaves could be from the pain medication too or the anesthesia. I have actually lost 60lbs since surgery. :smile2: 69lbs all together from the pre-op diet. I actually FEEL 10 times better then I did when I first started. It's amazing how you start noticing all of the little things when you lose weight. Like being able to cross your legs or tie your shoes in the middle instead of the lace being on the outside. I wish you much success and hope you feel better soon. Keep me posted on your progress.

Increase your Protein intake. Often our bodies will exhibit cravings for sweets when what they really need is more protein. Replace sweets and sugar with fruits. The sugars in fruits are digested differently than the empty calories of white sugar that are in most candy and processed foods. The Fiber in fruit also slows the absorption of the sugars so you don't get as high a sugar rush (and as low a crash) Go for Quality instead of quantity. Meaning don't deprive yourself of a small peice of dark chocolate once and awhile. It will satisfy you so you don't have to go on a chocolate binge. Eat more whole grains, healthy fats and lean meats, all of which make you feel full and satisfied. Have small, frequent meals to help keep your blood sugar level stable and eliminate your body's need for a quick sugar fix. Avoid skipping meals (especially breakfast). Take a daily Multivitamin. Some nutrients help keep blood sugar stable, so ensure you get those by supplementing your diet appropriately. And if you are an artificial sweetner user or chew alot of gum or drink soda.. stay away from them because it's been proven that they cause cravings for sweets. I hope this helps a little but everyone is correct. It has to come from within. Don't let food control you, you have to control the food. Find your strength and you can do it. You have already made the first step but realizing you have a problem and seeking help. I would be happy to be your email buddy if you need some support.

Congratulations!!! You are almost there. I wish you a very speedy recovery. Check out my blog it might help you with some of your questions. Keep us posted on your progress.

I use Dymatize Elite Whey protein Isolate which is very creamy. I add it to 8 oz of Skim Plus milk which is also better than Skim milk because it's creamier and has more protein. I also like the Unjury chicken soup flavored protein powder. To get my protein in I eat alot of chicken and fish. I also toss some Detour whey protein bars in once a day. I haven't tried the protein shots yet.

Are you cutting your foods into really small peices? Are you chewing at least 25-30 times before swallowing? And are you eating very slowly? food can still get stuck even if you are unfilled. The food you are eating might not agree with you. Sometimes it's not moist enough. Does it happen with all of the foods that you eat or is it once and awhile? You may have to examine what you are eating. Keep a food journal and write down your foods so you know what you are eating when this happens. After you have a PB problem do you return to liquids for the rest of the day and then to soft foods the following day?

There is nothing easy about this process at all. In fact I find this even more difficult then the conventional 'diets' that I was on before I had the surgery. Although I have only been banded for a little over 4 months I still struggle with the idea that I have to eat slower and put less on my spoon then I did before. I have paid the price a few times. I also tend to push the limits at times and wind up praying the the porceline Goddess too. The band is a tool that can help you to achieve your goal and help you maintain your goal once you have reached it. Just because your stomach is made smaller doesn't mean that it's a miracle thing where you can sit back and watch the pounds fall off of you. If that were the case I think there would be alot less obese people in this world. So I say to anyone that wants to call this the 'EZ way out' to walk a mile in my shoes and you will change your mind very quickly. Not to mention when is major surgery an EZ thing?

Hi Dawn, my names Dawn too. Congratulations on the start of your journey. How are you feeling? P.S Is your middle name Marie?

btrieger I have to agree with you. I liked the 6 month wait because I learned alot of information from my Nutritionist and reading things about the Lapband. Yes it seemed like the day would never get here but after it did I know I was more prepared for what was ahead of me.

It always seems like a very long process but I promise you that the wait is worth it. Feel free to email me if you like. When you have the time I would be glad to offer some support to you cc-dmtermini@comcast.net Hang in there. I promise things will get better for you. Dawn

Congratulations! I wish you a speedy recovery. Do keep us posted on your progress. Word to the wise if you haven't done so yet, get some Gas-X strips. They really help with the gas afterwards. And also READ READ READ on this board as much as possible. It does help. :biggrin:

My nutritionist allowed me to have an 8oz Protein Shake instead of 4oz. I could have 3-4 a day. What size are you having? Also as someone else said, this is the hardest part of being banned because you have limited to no restriction. I am at 5.5cc's in my 10cc band and I do believe I have hit the 'Sweet spot'. I am not hungry and I have alot of restriction. You DO have to rely on your surgeon right now. You need to drink more fluids. I am ALWAYS drinking something. Even if you have to carry a Water bottle with you everywhere you go. Also try to keep yourself busy. Bandsters hell really sucks. If you are still finding it very hard after a few days i would call your surgeon and discuss it with him. Although they like to wait for awhile inbetween fills, sometimes they make exceptions. The best of luck to you. Hang in there and remember you are in control. NOT THE FOOD! Don't let food control you.

There is always a couple bad eggs in the carton. Don't worry about it. There are very few of us that are like that. To speak for myself I would be grateful that you were giving clothes because it gets darn expensive having to buy new clothes every 3 weeks because you are losing the weight.

Bread especially. It expands in your pouch when it gets wet. I can not have bread even now because it gets stuck. You should follow your doctors instructions. I don't think you have done any harm but you could wind up getting stuck if you push yourself ahead of where you are supposed to be. You aren't on regular foods normally until after 6 weeks. So stick to the stages. Take it slow. You will experience the taste of real food again.:wink2: Congratulations by the way.

Hi. I'm from NJ. Although I have not been banded as long as you, would love to give you some support. I was banded on Oct. 23, 2009 and I've lost 54lbs since sugery, 64lbs all together. Feel free to email me, add me as a friend or even write here. My email is cc-dmtermini@comcast.net You are not a failure by the way. You just got a little off track. Looking forward to hearing from you. Dawn

I will not lie to you. It isn't an easy road that you have ahead of you. You still have to work at it. Having the lapband though makes it easier for you to lose the weight and to keep it off. You do have to work though. You can't just sit there and expect the band to perform a miracle on you. You have to count your calories you have to measure your food. But if you make up your mind that this is the last straw and you are going to do everything humanly possible to lose the weight, you will. If you follow the plan that the doctor gives to you, and if you don't feel bad that you have to call your doctor when you are having a hard time, you will make it. You can overeat if you allow yourself to do it. The hardest obstacle is deciphering between real hunger and head hunger. Once you have figured that out, you are fine because you can then try and work on your 'triggers' and figure out what you can do in place of picking up that cookie or that snack that you don't really need. I also find it very helpful to attend a local support group as well as using this site for support. When you actually have people infront of you that you can see (Not just through words on the screen and pictures on the screen) it makes you feel really good about yourself. So I would recommend that if you have the ability to attend a local support group meeting, do so now. If you are anything like me, your self esteem is probably very low. Like me I tried every diet there is out there. I would lose the weight, and then gain it all back and then some. And it wasn't because I was lazy, it was because food controlled me. Since the surgery and losing the weight that I have my self esteem is no longer in the crapper. I am feeling better about myself. I have my days where I want certain things. Last week I craved Cookies so I had ONE Keebler M&M cookie and I was fine. Just that one cookie satisfied me. The point is you can't deprive yourself of the better things in life or you will wind up failing again. EVERYTHING IN MODERATION is what my support group instills in our minds. This is a lifestyle change. It's not a give up your life and never have anymore fun change. This tool that I have inside of me has taught me how to control what I eat, how much I eat, and because I am following the plan that the doctor has given me, I am successful and seeing awesome results. And to be honest, even though I have about 87 more pounds to lose, I have superseded all of the other 'diets' that I have been on in terms of my weight loss. And this isn't even a 'diet'. So to sum things up. I'm not claiming to be a know it all. And naturally you can not take everything that I say and say that it will be the same for everyone because everyone is different. There are others that have a hard time. There are others that gain weight. There are others that don't lose weight for long periods of time. There are those of us that lose what we are supposed to lose. All bodies are different. It all depends on how badly you want your life back and how hard you work at it. And not letting food control you.

It's actually 64lbs according to the doctors scale from yesterday. My scale is a bugger. This is my total weight actually from my pre-op diet. Since surgery I have actually lost 54lbs. My pre-op started 2 weeks before surgery. :smile2: But thank you.

CONGRATULATIONS! You will soon be sitting with us on the Losers bench. Keep us posted on your progress.

Have you tried some Gas-X strips? Hang in there. I also had the runs the first week or so after surgery. Things do get better. You have to make sure that you get the protein in so that you can heal. Even if you don't feel hungry you have to force yourself to get the protein and the fluids in. CONGRATULATIONS!!

CONGRATULATIONS!! You are in for a life changing experience. This surgery is awesome and probably the best thing that you could have ever done for yourself. Please keep reading and reading and reading. Be sure to ask questions along the way. The people here are wonderful and very supportive. Please keep us posted on your progress.

You can expect a great change in your life:) Really expect some pain. But take your pain medication that the doctor gives to you. Don't over do it, but make sure that you walk as much as possible so the air comes out that they pump into you during surgery. You might want to get yourself some Gas-X strips for gas pains (which is from the air). Recliners are good to sit in after surgery. If you don't have one make sure you prop a pillow under your left side (If that is where your port is going) when you lie down. Body pillows are great too. It takes a good 2 weeks before you are totally back to normal. Make sure you drink your fluids. And don't cheat. Stick to the plan that the doctor gives to you. It's important for your body to heal. Most of all don't be upset if you don't lose much weight the first few weeks. It's all about the healing process. Get yourself some sugar free ice pops. Not only are they good but they help with the swelling too. Good luck to you and please keep us posted on your progress. CONGRATULATIONS!! Do you have a surgery date yet?

You can still bing, but the band will prevent you from overeating. You won't be able to get as much in as you normally do. With the swelling at first you probably won't want to eat much at all. As the swelling goes down you will become hungry. DON'T OVER EAT. Until you are filled for the first time, you are pretty much on will power (otherwise known as Banders Hell). But don't get discouraged if you don't lose anything at first because for the first month it's all about healing. Make sure you follow the plan that the doctor gives to you. Make sure you weigh your food. And make sure that you drink your fluids. Some people do get fills when they have their surgery. It all depends on your surgeon. Drink your protein supplements. When you move up to puree make sure you pick foods that are higher in protein (fish and chicken). Always eat your protein first.

Wow sorry to hear that you were in the hospital but glad that you are feeling better. You should have it alot easier after you have your surgery. Your tastes change after surgery. I used to love that fatty food. But now I've kind of trimmed things down a bit. Please feel free to email me if you like.

CONGRATULATIONS in starting your journey. Everyone is required to attend a seminar in order to get a consult. Its just to inform you of what you will be going through. After that you set up your first consult. Going to the seminar doesn't necessarily tell everyone you are getting weightloss surgery. I honestly wouldn't worry about it. As for how long for the self pay. Unfortunately I was insurance which took 6 months but from what i have read and heard usually 1-3 months from the time of your consult until surgery. The best of luck to you. Please keep us posted.:frown:

I do have one regret from being banned.............That I didn't get it done sooner. I am the happiest and most confident now then I have ever been in my life. My self confidence was pretty much in the crapper. Now I have pulled myself out of the crapper and tossed the crapper in the trash..lol It's a lifestyle change that takes some time getting used to but it's well worth it. If you follow the plan that your doctor gives to you. I PROMISE you will be happy also because you will be amazed by the results that you get. Congratulations on your banding. See you on the Losers bench. :frown: