I had surgery on 4/8/10 and I'm already cheating--I feel awful! Last week I had a bite of a friend's brithday cake--but about 2 T of frosting. Last night, about 45 minutes after dinner, I had 3 Ritz crackers with about 2 oz of cheddar cheese. Today for lunch I had 5 Ritz Crackers with a little over 2 oz of cheese. :thumbup:

I'm not supposed to be eating sugar, crackers or snacking at all. I know it isn't like I'm eating a whole box of crackers, or an entire cake, but I still feel really guilty about it. My husband keeps telling me that no one can stick to a strict diet forever; you sometimes need to have things that are not on your diet, just don't go crazy. Maybe it will be easier after I get my first fill in a couple weeks.

Does anyone else feel guilty when they do things like this? Or, has anyone cheated on what they are supposed to be eating so early after getting banded?

Mary

Don't be so hard on yourself....you are learing a new lifestyle, and you haven't even had a fill yet, so you don't have any restriction. This is just the beginning of the journey. And your husband is right....no one expects that you will never have another piece of cake for the rest of your life, that would be unrealistic. Read some blogs where people have been sucessful.....you will see that there are alot of different stratigies for success. Good luck!

Yes, I had my surgery on April 9th and had 1/2 cup of ice cream. It was suger free but I still shouldn't have had it since it was made with real cream. Knowone is perfect and the key is to not beat yourself up over it and start back up the next day. I haven't had anything else and it's been easier for me to stick to my diet until my first fill. Good luck....Anita

Stargate and Anita, Thanks, I'm trying to calm down and not stress out about it. I'm still not getting many calories and most days more than enough Protein, so I'm trying to focus on that.

Don't be so hard on yourself....you are learing a new lifestyle, and you haven't even had a fill yet, so you don't have any restriction. This is just the beginning of the journey. And your husband is right....no one expects that you will never have another piece of cake for the rest of your life, that would be unrealistic. Read some blogs where people have been sucessful.....you will see that there are alot of different stratigies for success. Good luck!

Mary, you are so not alone. I did liquids for one week and added everything else to my diet a week or so early because I was hungry and had nothing in my band. I got my first fill last week and can not tell any difference. I am doing okay as far as weight loss (I struggled for a couple weeks though), but it could be better if I totally stuck to the instructions. You will have weak moments, just don't live there.

Good Luck!!

I got the band because I could not stick to a strict diet. I do have restriction now, and it keeps me on the straight and narrow. I do have snacks sometimes because I want them. I am happy that I feel differently about food right now than I have for my whole life. I just don't worry about it anymore. I feel like I am like a normal person for the first time, and normal people don't worry about food. You are just starting out, loosen up on yourself a little because negative self talk is what got you here in the first place. You are a good person trying to do the right thing. What is not to love??? Hugs!!!!

I was banded on 4/8/10 and find that evenings are hardest for me as well. My doc says 3 meals a day only, no snacking the only thing that helps at all is I make Protein shakes everymorning and then freeze the rest as pops so no added calories and get the extra needed protein. Go in for first fill 5/10. like the others have said tho don't beat up on yourself this is a one day at a time journey.

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Like JoJo said, I have restriction now also. This really helps in our journey. You can see I'm 4+months out now and finally have restriction. It has been a long wait but sooo worth the ride!!! It is normal to be hungry and I cheated too but don't do it often. Every once in a while is okay...just be careful. Best wishes!!!

Yeah, don't worry.....I did not have ANY restriction until a few fills later. You are in the healing stage so its fine. You will not be able to eat that much once you have proper restriction.

Please don't worry about this or think it is a sign that you won't succeed. Honestly, I feel like so many doctors/surgeons are too strict on the post-op period when we really don't have any restriction anyway. I'm so glad my doctor told me not to worry and that its just for healing. Trust me when I say that when you get restriction, your eating habits WILL come around. Don't stress too much right now. Hugs!

I should add that during this period, be very conscious of what you are eating and how hungry you really are. You do need to get a grips of what is head hunger vs. real hunger. But, please please please don't beat yourself up over satisfying real hunger. I'm so glad my doctor never told me I had to limit portions after my surgery. I had already done that many many times on Weight Watchers and had very bad memories of starvation. Every pound I have lost has been because I am simply not hungry for it. So, even though my total loss may not be as impressive as others, I can say with conviction I will never gain it back because I never did anything to lose it that I am not willing to do for the rest of my life.

I feel like so many doctors/surgeons are too strict on the post-op period when we really don't have any restriction anyway. I'm so glad my doctor told me not to worry and that its just for healing.

I agree that there's no need for guilt or self-flagellation. We've all suffered enough of that for several lifetimes!

However, I am not in the "the postop time is for healing, not weight loss" camp.

Yes, the postop time is for healing. But you can still eat properly and lose weight before you have restriction. I have one of the "strict" surgeons---and I'm so grateful for that.

For me, it was really great not to be frustrated by a scale---to see my weight going down even without restriction. It was hard at times---but I knew that it was the last time I would be hungry in the name of weight loss. That knowledge helped a great deal.

I'm not suggesting that there's no room for indulgence. I am suggesting that, if your doctor has specified a way of eating, it might be really rewarding to stick with it to get good weight-loss results. It'll be hard, but it'll be worth it.

I think the doc that is suggesting no Snacks is not being very practical. I think that small healthy snacks are essential with banding. When restriction is right I can eat very little, and snacks are a very important part of my day.

90% of the time they are healthy but most people here would not be honest if they said that they hadn't eaten something that they felt guilty about later.

The fact that you are feeling some guilt in my opinion is a step in the right direction!

Bottom line is this...my doc told me to enjoy foods that I may not be able to eat after I had full restriction. I wished I had eaten more steaks, more bread, etc. I say to enjoy food while you can without going overboard!

i feel the same i was banded 2 weeks ago...stuck to the liquid diet religiously for the first week and lost 9pounds. this week i have started having mushy foods and some slighter solid foods, but just taking my time to chew them. im finidng that even without having my fill im less hungry and can eat no where near the amount as before BUT because i have simply gone from liquid diet to eating some foods (although they are healthy) im stuck at the same weight now which is a bit upsetting.

I guess the real weight loss wont come until i have the fills and it really limits my intake, im just getting frustrated because until my first fill in 2 weeks time i feel likle im fighting hunger coz i dont want to put weight back on! Did anyone else feel like this?

from what ive read until you get the fills just right you have to be patient for the 'proper' weight loss...if thats true then ill wait..but just want to know thats what happened with others?

i feel the same i was banded 2 weeks ago...stuck to the liquid diet religiously for the first week and lost 9pounds. this week i have started having mushy foods and some slighter solid foods, but just taking my time to chew them. im finidng that even without having my fill im less hungry and can eat no where near the amount as before BUT because i have simply gone from liquid diet to eating some foods (although they are healthy) im stuck at the same weight now which is a bit upsetting.

I guess the real weight loss wont come until i have the fills and it really limits my intake, im just getting frustrated because until my first fill in 2 weeks time i feel likle im fighting hunger coz i dont want to put weight back on! Did anyone else feel like this?

from what ive read until you get the fills just right you have to be patient for the 'proper' weight loss...if thats true then ill wait..but just want to know thats what happened with others?

I believe you are doing what many bandsters do here. Your expectations are out of whack!! Most of us lost a lot that first week and all of us hope it will continue at that rate. It won't and part of us knows that, but we still end up being disappointed that it isn't happening. One pound a week is a correct expectation, but when you get on the scale every day, that week can seem like an eternity. Take your focus off of the scale. Weigh once a week, expect one pound a week, and if you get more, it is a bonus. Remember, our perception of time is screwed up for a few months after banding. We want the skinny body in a hurry. It took us a long time to get to the point where we made this decision, and it will take a long time to accomplish our goal. You have started an amazing journey and you will reap the benefits!! Hugs!!!

Hi Betsy - how many cc's do you have in your band & are you in the green zone?

I've had 3 fills & now have 9 cc's in my 11cc band. I am feeling a bit of restriction - but not sure I'm there yet.

Thanks,

Dawn