It has been a week since I have been banded and I am becoming very worried about my eating habits. I am on the mushy food stage and they only fill me up for about 2 hours and then I'm starving again. My parents are worried about my calorie intake and I am as well. I know when I am hungry but I am having a hard time telling when I'm full because it still feels like I'm hungry. It is making me very upset and questioning if I made the right choice or not with getting the band. I have just eaten a cup of Greek yogurt and I still feel somewhat hungry. I'm needing all the advice I can get. :thumbup:

I tried the protein drinks and I'm having a hard time drinking those because they just taste awful to me.

Edited July 6, 201016 yr by Thunder629

Its easy to get discouraged. I am there myself...I was banded 5 weeks ago, and while I get full really fast, I can eat anything I want to, and I can eat the same amount of food that I used to. I try to stick to the diet plan, but sometimes, I find that Im just not paying attention to my eating. As far as your calorie intake, I asked about that at the weight loss seminar I attended before deciding to do the lap band. I was told that's what the supplements are for. They make up for what you are missing in your diet. Protein is the only thing that they can't make up for, that's why protein is so important. Check out BariatricEating.com - BE, Inc. The number one bariatric website for protein, vitamins, and success., they have some really good meal ideas and tell you what you can have for snacks and how many calories they should be, etc. Good luck, and don't get so down on yourself.

Time to be realistic not discouraged...you are still healing and should be eating in line with your surgeons instructions and guidelines.

The hunger will not start to go away for real until you start getting restriction from your fills over the next few months.

The fact you are feeling hungry quite quickly means the post-op swelling is going down inside you and around your band/stomach and that you are probably healing well...that is a good thing.

Did you really think it was going to be that quick and easy??

You need to do some more reading on this site and find out how the first few months of this journey usually go and get your folks to read up on it too so they know how to support you...this is not a crash diet...it is a long-haul life change.

Cheer up and chill out :-)

I am 10 months out and 95lbs gone...none of them in the first week!!

What you are experiencing is not unusual. You do not yet have adequate restriction--so you are, indeed, hungry.

The key to loss during this period of bandster hell is---well, discouraging. If you want to lose, then you have to eat as if you do have restriction. And that translates into dieting. The good news is that it is the LAST time you will be hungry in the name of weight loss.

Right now, it's a great idea to practice eating the way you will eat when you do have restriction. Small portions, small bites, chewing carefully. Make wise food choices, stop before you're full, etc.

As you approach restriction, you will find it SO much easier---I promise!

But the discouragement is really typical of the stage you occupy. It will pass!

Don't get discouraged, you have everything in front of you -- "the best is yet to come". I remember what that week was like -- as soon as I felt better I was starving.

Try to remember what your doctor asked you to do, though. You need to let your stomach heal, and putting anything solid down there might cause you to throw up, which isn't good for the band this early.

It does get better..........:thumbup:

What kinds of things are you eating in this stage? I only lasted a day or two in the "mushy" stage. It sucked. I was hungry the whole time. Once you start eating REAL food again, the hunger will pass more quickly. Also, do you have a fill scheduled yet? You will definitely need one pretty soon.

Hi, one tip to get your protein is to stir in a scoop of protein powder into your yogurt, pudding, oatmeal, soup, etc. I just had a vanilla sugar free pudding with one scoop of vanilla protein powder. That counts as one of my shakes for the day and it feels like it's a treat. I am still hungry a lot, but I knew that was to be expected until I get my first fills. I'm just hoping time passes fast until I can eat real food agaiin!!

Please be patient with yourself. You do not have any fluid in your band yet, you have no restriction to the amount of food you eat yet. Once you have it filled you will start to notice more retriction. I promise it gets better.