I know there is a ton of support for bandster hell and tons a reassurance about how it will be over soon but I dont know what to do....

1) I am having trouble eating slow. I sit down with a 300 calorie meal with the intention of taking 30-40 min to eat it and despite chewing and putting my fork down between bites, it is still gone in 15 min.

2) I ate 1/4 cup portein Cereal and 1 egg for bfast at 8 am. Hungry by 10 am, ate string cheese. Noon was 300 lean cusine, still so hungry, so I ate a Protein bar. Now 2:00 hunger is back again so I had 1/2 Peanut Butter sandwich.

I should also mention that I work out.

So now I have the rest of my day remaining and I have already eaten 1050 calories.....grrrrr

3)My doc suggests just eating 3 small meals and 1 snack daily but I am finding this impossible!!!!

I understand the makings of bandster hell and I understand this is normal, but I am desperate to make it to my first fill without gaining my pre op weight loss back. It would be nice to even lose a few lbs!!!

So how do I deal with these problems? Do I eat more b/c My body is telling me I need it? Or do I just starve for 2 weeks til I get a fill? I am eating tons of protein, and I try not to eat anything that dosnt have a good amount of protein.

I walk 3 miles everyday and lift weights and I have a 3 yr old so I am busy busy.

How did you guys do it? I have 2 weeks and need all the tips I can get!!?!?!

Thanks soooo much:wub:

So here is my advice....... throw away the guilt! Try your hardest to make the best food choices and follow your doctors "band rules". I am almost 6 months out and have a total of 7cc in my band and guess what, I HAVE NO RESTRICTION!!!:sad: I have not found that magic sweet spot after going in for 5 different fills! I decided early on that I am going to do the best I can, celebrate the small stuff and not harp on myself for having a bad day or week. I still have trouble with eating slowly. (especially if I let myself get too hungry). I don't exercise like I should or would like too, but have made improvements. I did not learn my bad habits overnight and waking up from surgery won't magically take them away.

Maybe you WILL be a lucky bander that will feel restriction on your first fill. I have been in "HELL" for near 6 months now. I have had my break downs, set backs, lost and gained the same 5lbs for 2 months, and on top of that I have lost about 40lbs. Great for me and on top of that it should only get better. I have a lifetime to learn how to use the band. Best of Luck

Try not to worry. This is what I go thruugh ever two weeks. Going to the doc for a fill and so worried that I've gained weight rather than lost any. I am always suprised to have lost 1lb/week. Not as much as I like but hey, it's a loss.

I have been in banster hell so far as well. You are probably not eating as much as you think you are. Just compare to what you ate before. That's what I do anyway. Good luck! I hope your first fill does the trick.

Eating slowly will come as you gain restriction. Once your band is screaming at you to slow down, you will.

Right now, you are depending on will power for weight-loss. I am thinking you have not been greatly successful with that in the past, else you would not have been banded...well, at least I wasn't.

Don't beat yourself up for being hungry right now! And you know what? Even with restriction, you will experience hunger..not as much, though---yay!

You say you are exercising, focus on that and making healthy choices, not on the number of calories.

This time period sucks, but keep your chin up, you WILL get through it and the losses will come. Being banded is not about quick weight loss, that is a fact!

Can you eat tuna? A can of tuna in Water is 100 calories. I eat them for a snack between meals when I am really hungry.

Try this:

Breakfast:

1 fried egg 92 cal.

1 piece of bacon 43 cal.

1 whole wheat bagel thin (on the bread isle) 110 cal.

Snack:

Greek yogurt 140 cal.

Lunch:

1 can of tuna 100 cal

1 TBSP Miracle whip free 13 cal.

1/2 TBSP Pickle relish 10 cal.

8 snack crackers 121 cal.

Snack:

Apple 81 cal.

Dinner:

4 oz baked whitefish 132 cal.

3 oz baked potato 79 cal.

1 TBS butter 36 cal.

1/2 cup steamed broccoli 27 cal.

I hope this helps give you some fresh ideas. These things keep me full the longest. :sad:

Just like everyone said...don't beat yourself up! I was lucky (unlucky??) enough to heal very quickly, like it seems you are, and I was hungry the evening after surgery. I was so mad!! I thought I would be so swollen I wouldn't even want to eat at first and the post-op liquids would be so easy . My dr did allow me to progress a little faster on the post-op diet (moved to mushies like 2 1/2 days sooner) because of this (thank GOD), but I know that until that first fill I was eating more (bigger portions and more calories) than was recommended. Even after the first fill there was not a whole lot of relief, but it does happen. Just try your best to make good choices and to exercise. I ended up losing weight through bandster hell, just not at the rate I am losing now. You will get there. Just always believe in yourself because YOU CAN DO THIS!! :sad:

HI, I was banded on Jun. 30th, so I feel your pain(or HELL that is:eek:) My dr. did let me go back to regular food after my post-op check 8 days after surgery, because I told him how hungry I was, he advised me to stay away from starchy carbs like on the pre-op diet, and eat solid foods to feel full longer, and be sure to get enough protein. I find I do best by eating solid foods, like meat, fruits & vegetables. Things like soups and yogurts go threw too quickly for me, I do drink a protein shake betweem breakfast and lunch, I just sip it slowly starting on it when I first feel hungry after breakfast and make it last a good long time, like an hour or more. I do what my dr said and only eat when I feel hungry, eat a small amount of something solid, and stay away from most starchy carbs, and I am still losing, just not as fast as I want to. Since I started eating real food again, 8 days ago, I have lost 2 lbs, I wish it were more, but hey, this is bandster hell time, as long as I don't gain I will be happy:rolleyes2: