I have been reading about "bandster hell" and "sweet spot". Overfills - stretching etc. Cheating and Straying.

I thought I knew enough but suddenly feel less confident. Can you all break down your experiences from post surgery through the 1st fill. Please give me the good, the bad, and the ugly (and despite being gross, was really funny).

Also, tell me what you wished your docter or friends would have said regarding their experience.

Thanks a bunch!

Well maybe this is silly but I had an expectation of NO HUNGER after surgery. I also thought that if I did get hungry, 1/2 a lean cusine would fill me up! I was expecting to feel stuffed all the time and be down 50 lbs in 3 months. I am 2 1/2 weeks out now and not due for a fill for 2 more weeks!!

I did the pre op with great success b/c I was so focused on the SURGERY. Then, for 4 days no matter what I ate; Jello, Protein shake, yogurt; I was full and bloated! I was soooo happy. Then little by little my old frenemy hunger came back. To my horror I discovered that anything I ate went down fine. I do have to eat slower, and I am eating a little less than b4. But I can eat whatever I want!!!

I was NOT prepared for this. The past 3 days have been about me coming to terms with my expectations. Honestly, I got a little depressed and went through a few days of eating crap, not good!

I know now that until I get my fill I will just be dieting and that my willpower will play a roll. I had shown my willpower to the door b/c I thought I wouldnt need it anymore!!!

I wish someone had told me that it can be a big blow to your emotions when you find out this isnt going to solve every food problem you have. My doc did say it would be hard work but I was so europhic over the idea of being skinny that I think I just smiled and nodded.

Still I am glad I had it and I am confident of the future. Even with everything I have lost 3 lbs since surgery. This isnt like a diet that you can go off of. You had surgery to implant a device in your body, which you will be working with for the rest of your life. So if you do cheat you cant think "oh ive blown my diet" b/c you cant blow having surgery. No matter what, you took a major step to get healthy and slipping up or cheating cant take that step away from you!

good luck!!

Hi, mu surgery was done on the 9th of june, and went just fine,,,my doc told me to eat what I wanted after my first check up at 4 weeks, I felt no restriction but did have some cramping when I didn't chew enough. My first fill was July 15th and must say, I don't feel much different. I aam careful about what I am eating, but am surprised at how much I can eat. So I guess I'm trying to not eat so much and in turn am probably stopping before I am full, and then feel hungry again within 2 hrs or so, My next fill isn't until August 17th, so I guess this will be a test of my will power till then, I had envisioned eating about 1/4 cup of food, feeling utterly satisfied, and the lbs just melting away. HELLO,,NOT GONNA HAPPEN. If you would like to talk back and forth, I would love it. I live in North Carolina, my name is Nancy and my e mail is baileynboo@yahoo.com I think it would be fun to take this road with someone to compare ideas, and cry on your shoulder, let me know,,,thanks

Best way to find other peoples' experiences? Read blogs. For instance, you can click mine below and read everything - it'll detail the entire journey for you from my perspective. I started the blog the day I got the call scheduling my surgery, December 31, 2009. From my blog, you can link to other people and get their stories! I find that reading blogs is a great way to see how people really feel and what they've really dealt with.