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My second surgery was 3 weeks ago. They went in and removed the piece of scar tissue. I can even try to eat mashed potatoes with gravey and it will make me sick. I just feel like I am never going to figure it out. I have tried measuring out my food. Like 2 oz and it all comes back up. I can eat 1/2 pack of instant oatmeal with a splash of milk and it stays down fine.???? So I dont know if there is something wrong or if this is all normal???

I was just wondering about the general calorie intake on average that everyone was instructed (or is) to eat?? How much is too much, and what do you think is too little?? I just started solid foods yesterday, and have not yet had a fill. I do feel some resrtiction, but not much. Should I be eating 1200 calories for now? I mean, calories can always vary depending on what we eat (like, I can eat the same amount of pizza as chicken, but spend more cals on the pizza) So what would be a good # for me to keep up? Will I need room to lower my calorie intake to keep losing after fills; which, would mean I should probably be at the higher calorie end for now??? Thanks all!

OK so now that I have seen/not seen Dr. Fowler in his seminar, he was in emergency surgery, so we kind of had a semi-seminar. We also saw the psychologist, what a waste of time that was. I guess since we were normal, it was like a waste of time. Then we saw the Physical Thereapist, to see if we were OK to exercise after surgery. That went OK, then we saw Mary the nutritionist, and that was the most helpful of all, she was able to answer most of our questions about eating after the surgery and gave us a transition diet to follow, wow, it is difficult. I guess I have to get used to the feeling of not being full, and having food in my stomach. We are trying and I think doing OK, we will see with time. Well tata for now.

Everyone is definitely different. I choose to not push the envelope (or the band in this case) and gave up all bread, rice, pasta, and basically "white food." Dry meat definitely causes me problems, but I find 9 times out of 10 it's mind over matter with me.

Ashiashley- PB stands for productive burping, which feels different from vomiting. For some people food comes up but I have only experienced it as slime. Basically, your food gets stuck and your body works overtime to move it out by producing thick clear saliva in your stomach and mouth. I have a runny nose too. It is very uncomfortable and there is no relief til it comes up. This never happened to me til I got my 1st fill then I got stuck on some dry chicken and it took about 10 min to work it out. Since my 2nd fill, it is much easier to get stuck and I have been stuck twice with the same slimy result. Luckily, I have never truly vomited with the band. It will teach you to respect the band quickly. Chewing well and small bites are the key.

Hello! My name is Megan and I have had my lapband since March 2010. It was the best thing I could have done for myself. I was strict about everything from my portions to my food choices. The weight just fell off. I rarely exercised, which is something I really regret. In July 2011 I got pregnant with my son. My doc's protocol was to completely unfill my band. I experienced terrible all day sickness that only seemed better when I kept food in my tummy all day. I quickly gained as I had no restriction. I ate things I never ate with my band and had no control. By the time I had my son and went in for my first fill I had gained 60 pounds. I had my first fill and things were terrible. I had forgotten how to eat with the band. 4 cc's felt like 10 cc's and I started developing terrible acid reflux and sticking issues. Everything I had been "programed" to know with the band was gone. I had completely forgotten how to listen to my body and stop when I was full. I am now struggling to get back into things. I would like another fill, but my band just doesn't seem happy where I am at now and I worry that a fill will only upset things. I know when I had my surgery things had "slimmed down" in there to prepare for surgery and I know that needs to happen. I am pleding with those of you who have been where I am at now. How do I get back to where I started from?

Hi KayKay, I'm set for August 2nd....I'm lookin for some August peeps on here! Congrats on the surgery date...I'm right there with you....SOOO excited, and then I get this wave over me when it hits me how much life is going to change or my sister telling me "it's crazy" to get the surgery and my mom wanting to have a "food funeral"....I think someone else said that on here too. You'll find such great info and inspiriation on this site, it's awesome. So, good luck and I'm glad I found a fellow August sleever!

It can't be anything other than God's Grace that would have allowed me to feel so great considersing the fact that 1 week ago today, I was feeling miserable, almost depressed. Then I was 3 days postop and mourning food. Today, I am 10 days postop and feeling pretty darn good. I got a good haircut, went walking for 30 minutes at 2.6 mph at the Y and went to see a movie with my kids called Enchanted. It was about Happily Ever After and believe me it was perfect timing. Now, while at the movies I ate 12 Tortillia Chips with cheese. I chewed very slow but I ate it. I'm proud because I didn't have to eat the whole thing, I left half and my mind stopped me not my body. I'm 5% worried about eating it because I'm only suppossed to be on mushy. But I did chew real slow. Who knows? God Bless Me.

This is normal. Some foods are difficult to eat and will fill you up really quickly e.g solid Protein such as meat/chicken. Other foods go down really easily so it takes lots to fill you up. They are called slider foods and you should try to avaoid them. They include crisps, chocolate, icecream, Desserts etc. Some sliders are OK in small quantities as they provide imprtant nutrients e.g yogurt. I am not surprised you got stuck on a hard boiled egg. I have always found them dry and really difficult to eat even preband. The thing is to always eat slowly, small bites and chew really well. If you do get stuck stop eating and don't try to drink as it makes it worse. I generally try to burp or cough the stuck item up as when it comes up you get relief. Some people guzzle a fizzy drink really quickly. Apparently this unblocks you and brings iit up really fast so only do it near a toilet or sink!Others swear by papaya enzymes but for me they do nothing. In time you will figure out what works for you. Also the optimum level of fill to achieve restriction is different for everyone. Some people have 10 cc bands with only 1 or 2cc and they are restricted. Others have overfilled bands. As for the scale............ I still jump on it EVERY morning!

Thanks everyone for your encouragement. You are so right! I went through the kitchen gathering ALL the junk. Ice creams pasteries frzn meals and pizzas doritos, candy, Cookies Cereal and those silly cereal straws I went to the grocery store and purchased ALL better food. I still got some rice cake Snacks and 100 calorie snacks. And ice cream was the sugar free icicle pops and fudge bars. Got fruits and veggies-fresh. Got some meats. When she got home from school she yelled across the house, "where's my ice cream" I told her that I had put on a few pounds and I didn't want to sabatoge my progress....that I need to go back to making better choices with our eating. She grabbed the rice cakes and didn't say another word. Whew!

HAD THE SAME ISSUES INITIALLY. MY SURGEON SAID YOU WILL HAVE IT; THEN LOSE IT UNTIL YOU ARE AT THE PERFECT FILL. I HAVE A 7CC BAND, I HAD 6 FILLS, WENT OVER, AND HAD .75CC REMOVED. YOU WILL KNOW WHEN YOU ARE THERE. IF YOU CAN STILL EAT ALL THE FOODS THEY SAID YOU COULD NOT EAT....YOU ARE NOT THERE YET. HANG IN THERE....YOU WILL FIND YOUR SWEET SPOT.

would that help since E. coli is bacteria found in human, animal instestines & feces. If organics use organic fertilizer they are at same risk? This is from the CDC: E. coli is: _A form of bacteria that commonly lives in the human body. _One strain releases a toxin that can cause severe illness. _The germ is present in uncooked beef, unpasteurized milk and juice, and on raw sprouts and lettuce. Symptoms include: _Abdominal cramps. _Severe, often bloody, diarrhea. _Kidney failure in the young, elderly or people with weak immune systems. If you have an E. coli infection: _You don't need to take antibiotics. _It will probably go away in five to 10 days. _Young children and the elderly could be hospitalized to treat kidney failure. Every year in the U.S.: _Approximately 73,000 people contract E. coli. _Approximately 61 people die from the infection. Ways to prevent contracting E. coli: _Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly. _Cook all ground beef and meat. _Drink only pasteurized milk and juice. _Don't swallow Water in lakes or public pools. If you get E. coli, try to avoid infecting others: _Don't prepare food for others. _Bathe alone. _Don't swim in public places.

I am post op May 6th and I got a lot more energy around day 5 or 6. Now day I have been on my feet most of the day and feel very tired and weak around 3 o'clock and need to take a rest. I find if I get all my food and liquids in I have a lot more energy. Hang in there.

On the final stretch. I work till I leave bright and early Monday @ o-dark-30. My flight leaves @ 6:30 am and I am ~1hr away from the airport! At least I should sleep on the plane! I have really been enjoying food for the first time since I had the band. I have only gained 1 lb since my unfil. Since I get to eat real food I don't get so hungry! The last week reassured me that the sleeve will work for me.:biggrin0: Saw my PCP she was very supportive.:sad0: Got my check, passport card, bags semi-packed!:thumbup1:

It has been almost (just a few days shy of) 4 months since my sleeve surgery. The first month and a half was rough. Just feeling tired, and struggling with getting all the fluids in. Aside from a minor stomach bug, no complications thus far. I don't count my recent lupus diagnosis as a complication because I showed signs of that before surgery, and the 2 are completely unrelated. As of today, I am down 60 lbs. What? Yes, let me repeat that. 60 LBS!!!! In general, I feel good. I joined a gym. But have only gone twice. That is one of my areas of improvement. Even if I just walk on the treadmill for 20-30 minutes, some activity is better than none. I think the hardest part of this whole journey has been retraining my brain. I still get head hunger. I still get impulsive and eat wrong, then pay for it. But this is all a learning opportunity. I know it takes time. One area I struggle with lately is complete and total lack of appetite. Food does not sound or smell appetizing . Often times I just dont eat, then wonder why I feel like crap and have headaches. I guess one of the reasons I dont like to eat is that I am so utterly stuffed by 2-3 bites. It is disappointing. I used to be able to sit and eat right along with my family and friends. I felt included. Granted due to self esteem I didnt really participate in conversation. Now it seems conversation is all I can do, since eating is done early in the meal. Am I complaining? HELL NO! I just wanted to put my thoughts on paper. I am truly blessed with this wonderful gift of forced self control. I just need to learn how to embrace it and use it to it's full potential. Until next time, MICHELLE

All white carbs are trigger foods for me, so I avoid them.

Im going for an unfill today. This darn band is so finicky. Im so sick of not being able to keep food down. I had a time where I went 3 days without being able to eat, drink or even keep saliva down. Doc took fluid out and I was better. Ended up getting more fills a few weeks later . UGH..... this band!

I never thought this would happen. It happened. Yesterday I almost fainted at work - left, was instructed by my doctor and was told to go to the ER - my pulse was out of this world and I was just ... ick. I was dehydrated. Explained that my band was probably too tight, I haven't been able to keep much down. My ER here locally couldn't help so they sent me about three hours away to Wichita Falls to a doctor there. First let me say: DR. WARNOCK YOU ROCK THE HOUSE! I loved this doctor and although he took all the fluid out of my band, I loved this doctor and the whole experience. I have never felt more... encouraged... than I did when I met with him and left his office. So - no fill - he wants to see me again in about 4 weeks and we'll do an x-ray and such at that time to see if band placement is an issue or if we can begin filling my band again slowly. I feel good about this. Didn't think I would, but I do. So - here's the plan, I'll get up tomorrow, excercise with these fantastic new vibram five finger shoes and get to work with my feet on the ground, head held high and a reminder that I'm making this body my own... because it was mine (not the food's) all along!

I pureed most things. Mac&cheese, sweet potatoes & red beans&rice. Only with the mac did I have to ADD anything (1/2c of hot milk) everything else blended down fine on its own. I believe ppl are blending the refried beans.

Welcome to our very exclusive club, Laura!! You have a most impressive list of NSV's here. I wish I could say that I am in control of food, instead of the other way around. But for me, without my band, the food would still rule - without a doubt. I'm glad you're feeling so much better. And Bones!! I love it that you and your husband can feel bones now. That's one of my favorites, too. Thanks so much for posting these. It helps us realize just how much we're ahead since being banded. Good Job and Good Luck!

Today I go to soft foods. I have been on liquids for 2 days. Lost another 2 lbs. being on liquids which I am sure will come right back when I starting eating reg. foods again. I now have 2.75 cc in my band. I go back again in 2 wks. My doc. is wonderful. I need to really focus on eating the protein first. I am in a wedding this Sat. and I really can't wait for this to be behind me. I feel that the dress is more appropriate for the thinner girls in the wedding party. My being 230 lbs. Not really a good dress for the "fat girl". At this point I just want to go and make the best of the day and smile. The bride is my dear friend for 35 years and I will be 41 in a few weeks. I would love to change my ticker but I am having a terrible time attempting to do so. I have lost 20 lbs so far. My surgery was May 11 th. :smile2:

I'm able to do full liquids/purees and very soft foods now. I've been on shakes for 3 weeks (10 days before surgery, 2 weeks after surgery). We were in town yesterday running errands and DD got hungry (of course!) so we went to KFC (yes, I know that isn't great but there wasn't much in the way of choices for me). We ordered a side of mashed potatoes and gravy for me. I ate really small bites and waited in between to make sure it was all okay. I stopped after a few bites because I just wasn't really hungry. I'm not sure if I felt full or not. If you'd have seen the container you'd think all I did was stir up the gravy in it and play with it some! I was concerned about how my stomach was going to handle it as well since I hadn't had actual food in so long but it did okay. Another reason I stopped is because I don't know what full is supposed to feel like and I just didn't want to have one bite too many and have to run to the restroom! Today is not much better. I had about a 1/4 of scrambled egg w/ milk and cheese cooked in it and some taco sauce on top. I drank about 4oz. of tomato Soup, again made with milk and some parmesan cheese grated into it. (Trying to boost the protein!) I'm not hungry at all, unless it's been a couple of hours, so I eat a little and am not hungry anymore. I was curious so figured I'd better start tracking my calories again on daily plate and I'm at 178 for the day so far! It's 3:30PM here right now. Do I just measure it and go from there or do something different? I'm so confused. What was it like for you that are a little farther ahead of me? Thanks for any help you might be able to give! And sorry this is so long!

Great post!! I feel so much better when I watch sodium. I try not to eat too many processed foods.

I can only speak for me. I look for satiety signals and try to stop when I sense one. You will have to get in touch with your band and analyze your own hunger vs. cravings to determine if you are hungry or just want to eat too much? It's going to be different for everyone. I've read here where some say they cannot physically eat beyond a cup of food. I've read others who state they're hunger goes away completely after 1/2-1 cup of food? Good luck!

Subject: One year and 85 lbs later The time has come for me to post my long awaited 1st year bandversary entry. What has my band meant to me? I have asked myself this question many times over the last 12 months. I’ve come up with a laundry list of ramblings. Preband – it represented HOPE, Anxiety, and the What if’s of life after WLS Early Post Band – the what the heck did I do? And WHERE THE HELL IS MY RESTRICTION? 1st Fill anticipation – I AM HUNGRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where the hell is my restriction???? 2nd Fill anticipation – I am hungry but not AS MUCH or as often 3rd Fill anticipation – Restriction lasts for about 3 weeks 4th Fill anticipation – OK lets clamp this puppy down!!!!!!! 5th Fill anticipation – HOLY CRAP .3 cc’s was too much fill! I am only able to smell foods and sip soup 1’st UNFILL – removal of the .3cc’s was the difference between soup and FOOD……. And is where I’m maintaining at since January 2008. Also…. Getting an unfill and eating real food is what started the scale moving again. Things that have amazed me: I have POWER over my hunger. I have actually FORGOTTEN to eat. I CAN eat without drinking I CAN be full on very little food. Things that I have realized about myself: Restriction Wise I swell (get tighter) when I’m on my period or when I’m stressed I am tighter in the mornings and more open in the evenings. Foods that worked last week, might not work so well this week. I can raise my hands and do a little shimmy to pop up a stuck item of food Things that I have realized about myself: Non band I am a stress and emotional eater. I crave sweets around my cycle I am pretty happy and comfy in a size 12 It scares me to HOPE for a size 8 or 10 (because it is unknown to me) If I COULD eat pizza…….. I WOULD, so keeping a decent amount of fill is what is needed for ME not to be able to. Dairy Queen has become my go to place for stress eating (and this is NOT a good thing) Things that I had to overcome once banded: Realizing that you don’t HAVE to eat multiple plates of food at a buffet in order to “get your money’s worth” Realizing that people REALLY aren’t LOOKING at how much or how little you eat! Realizing that you CAN keep your band a secret if you want! Realizing that fast food joints don’t really offer much choice, Its cheaper to order an appetizer or alacarte, or split a meal with my 4 year old. Being banded is NOT rocket science, and for me it has worked well because I knew going in that FOR ME and MY GOALS I needed to be in diet mode, and truth be told the scale moves when I am IN MOTIVATED DIET MODE. It stalls when I Go to dairy queen for a small blizzard… but I don’t gain I chose the band for its adjustability and the hopes that I will for once in my life MAINTAIN a loss! Would I do it again? In a heartbeat Will I be rebanded if needed in the future? In HALF a heartbeat! My band has really given me the power over my appetite and that is priceless. Journey with me as I enter YEAR TWO of my Banding Experience