I was banded on July 26 and I'm on a pureed diet. I've been watching what I eat, but today I had 12oz of split pea soup and felt that I could have had much more after I was done. I'm reading on here that people have been told that they shouldn't be eating more than 4-5 oz at a time and now I'm scared that I'm doing something wrong or that my band has slipped or something. I felt a lot more restriction the first week. I have immense fear of being a failed lap band patient.

My surgeon said that it is normal to feel hungrier a couple of weeks after the band is in until you get your first fill, because the swelling around the band is going down. He said that I would feel hungrier, but to stick to 1/2 a cup because it will help me get into the habit of only eating that much. He told me I could have string cheese in the afternoon if I got hungry. I would ask your doctor if you can have a snack in the afternoon if you get really hungry until you get your first fill

Hannah, please keep reading this forum, it has a wealth of information. To begin with, once the swelling from surgery goes down it is as if you have never been banded. You have NO restriction, and restriction is key with the band. It is a good practice to eat "as if" you have restriction (i.e., 1/2 - 1 cup of food per meal), but not everyone can manage this. You will lose faster if you change your eating habits sooner. I will not claim to be one of those that was able to eat like I had restriction before I hit my sweet spot. I tried, but didn't quite make the mark. What I did do is accept and realize that the band is a "tool" for helping me lose weight and that there is quite a bit of work left for me to do in order to succeed. You are in control of how much you lose and how fast because, as always, it is about what we put in our mouths and what we are willing to do (i.e., exercise) to be healthy. The band is a wonderful tool if we are honest with ourselves about the fact that it is just that, a tool, not a miracle.

Take good care of yourself, don't beat yourself up when you don't do things perfectly, don't compare yourself to anyone else and give yourself credit for your willingness to make a change in your life that can give you a better quality of life.

This is a journey and it will be what you make it out to be.

I am so happy for you! All the best to you on your journey!

Cheers Hannah - we have the same band date. I had an epiphany today - although it may seem ridiculously obvious to everyone else...

We are on the puree, but the puree is still more likely to move faster through the band than solid food - thus the transition from liquid to solid. Plus, I think this is when our swelling truely starts to abate and we are beginning to enter that phase where we are increasingly hungry.

Also, I think that in theory, 1/2 - 1 cup should make you feel full ALWAYS (especially when we are on real food) - the tightening of the band really effects the duration of the full feeling. I eat 1 cup of soup (which is liquid btw) and I feel hungry in one hour. Tighten my band and I eat one cup of soup and feel hungry in 3 hours.

You and I in theory have our band pretty wide open - liquid and mushy stuff should pass pretty readily through it once the swelling subsides.... sounds like you (and me) are in the right place for this leg of our journey.

My doc told me to keep things to 1000 calories a day right now. In order to do that, it is less band or more willpower until my first fill I suspect.

Hannah, you are now in what's called "Bandster Hell." This is the period between swelling going down and reaching restriction. This is the time to establish new eating habits and self control/willpower.

When the swelling goes down in your stomach after surgery, you are left being extremely hungry. You will continue to feel this way until you reach restriction. And trust me, it sucks. Some people reach restriction quickly, others, not so much.

Also, since you're only 10 days out from surgery, make sure you follow the post-op eating plan your doctor gave you. Deviating from this can cause problems, including band slippage.

Once you are able to progress to the fuller foods, you will start to feel full longer. You will still get hungry, but not as severe.

You can do it chica!

also try eating something with a little more substance than soup..oatmeal really sticks with me as do instant mashed potatoes they have lots of new varietys such as cheddar and chives and roasted garlic and the loaded mashed potatoes, most have only 1 gram of fat and less than 100 calories but ony a couple of proteins so you have to make up for that with a shake or broth.

Hope this helps

Thanks everyone. I tried the oatmeal and yes, it's a far better choice. I now know what bandster hell feels like, b/c the hunger pains are far more than before banding!!!

also add unflavored protein to your veggie soups that will help as well!

I'm laughing because before tonight I had never known of the Bandster Hell concept. Boy, do I understand that and I'm only three days out. Thanks to you all for sharing your experiences because it really helps!