I am in WK3 after surgery. I am eating almost as much as before my pre-op diet. I lost 20 lbs after the surgery and am slowly gaining it back. Any ideas? Is this normal before the first fill?

Hello I think you read my mind this morning. I was going to post the same thing. Today makes 4 weeks post-op for me. For the first couple of weeks I felt some kind of restriction and would get a hiccup and I would stop eating/drinking now I feel nothing and I am able to eat crackers, cereal etc... I have not had a fill yet but I think I need one & fast!!!!

I'm in the same boat as you all...I'm 3 weeks post op and feel I could eat anything. But I do stop myself when I feel full and try not to eat so much. I cant wait till my first fill to hopefully get some kind of feeling of not being hungry as often.

I am almost at 3 weeks since surgery. Right now we have no restriction, and we are healing and getting our appetite back. But, it is up to us to put the restriction on what we eat. I am so paranoid about the band slipping, so I am measuring everything. If we eat too much, there is a chance that something could go wrong, especially since we are really not all the way healed up yet. I am also doing a lot of soul searching during this time. I am trying to figure out what causes me to think I am hungry...I joined a face-to-face support group and since I went to my first meeting, I have been doing a lot of thinking about how much and what I am eating. I think it is also VERY important to remember the band as a tool to help you lose the weight, it is not a miracle or cure all. Ultimately, I am doing all the work to lose the weight, not the band. It just helps me with portion control and feeling full. Good luck in all your journeys.

I am also 3 1/2 weeks out and the initial feeling of restriction from the swelling is gone. I am able to eat a little more but I keep it down to small portions. I have been instructed to eat 3/4 of a cup of food at a meal. I don't measure it but I do eyeball it and eat only small portions. Often I stop eating before I feel any fullness and although that makes me nervous because it is not something I am accustomed to doing, I have found that it is a good thing to do and that I will not starve if I am not uncomfortably full . Who knew? I am scheduled for a fill on the 27th and am hoping that will slow down the emptying of my stomach and keep me from getting hungry too early.

I'm right there with you at 5 weeks out of surgery. I go for my first fill on tuesday and am looking forward to restriction. Right now I can eat anything and I seem to always be hungry. I have never in my life woken up in the middle of the night from my stomach growling but I did two nights ago. I was appalled!!! I never want that to happen again. lol.

Let's hope that first fill solves our problem.

You are all in what is affectionatly known as bandster hell. The time after surgery, before restriction kicks in. I suggest you guys concentrate on eating the right foods (low fat, low carb) even if the portions are larger than they will be once you have restriction. It took me 3 fills to have any kind of restriction. Just know it will happen.

I am 3 weeks post op also, and i am right there with you.... I have a doctors appt tomorrow to get my 1st filled.... the scale has stop moving, i havent lost but i havent gain either, ive been at the same weight for about 2 weeks now! my starting weight was 275, the day of surgery 257 and 3 weeks after the surgery 235.... so thats a grand total of 40lbs lost .....:thumbup:

I am there too! I am 2.5 weeks post op...and I feel like I could eat anything I wanted to. Of course I am not giving in to this easting anything fantasy that I have. My Dr. told me I could go onto mushies as soon as I fel that I could which was 3 days ago. Do you think this is too much? Keep in mind I chew everything until it is very mushy.

Bfast- 1 scrambled egg with cheese and bacon bits

Lunch- 8 oz fat free refried Beans with cheese

Dinner- 8 oz hamburger Soup (skipping the Pasta noodles Gma threw in there)

3 oz muscle milk

I am having a hard time getting the Protein in...

I am to afraid that I made a 11k mistake...I am down 9lbs since surgery...and the weight has stayed the same for 3 days.

What do you think?

I am 4 weeks post op. I was filled 3 cc on the operating table and have slight restriction. I have been counting calories for 2 weeks and never go over 900 and I have maintained the weight that I have lost and added to my loss. Count calories and restrict yourself even if your band is not restricted. I get a fill of 2 cc tomorrow!!!!

Correction I am 1.5 weeks out... :thumbup:

I just emailed my Dr. with my concerns

Arrgh. :thumbup:

I am 5 weeks out and feel like I can eat almost anything too.

Last week I had a craving for a sandwich of course I didn't have big slices of bread but I got a tip from another bandster to use the flat out wrap and I did that. That turkey sandwich was soooooo good.

I'm due for my 1st fill on Wednesday the 22nd and I can't wait. I'm so afraid that I did all of this just to be on another starvation diet and it's making me very depressed.

I don't want to have this feeling because other than this "bandster hell" I am so happy about my band and the hope I feel.

Hi All

I was banded august 17th and have lost 19lbs, I am getting my first fill on 9-24. I am scared and glad because I am worried all the time about eating to much and having my band slip or something,I eat small amounts but am worried anyway. I have some restriction for sure but not much at all. I hope all is well in my port site and the band is properly placed and all that. Good luck to us all and of course hard work and awareness will help to.

I am 3 weeks post op and although i felt like i could eat anything i tried to be very selective about what i consumed. Slowly i was starting to increase the amount though. That was until Saturday when i got a really severe pain that lasted 5 hours and happened again on Sunday. As i had not had anything but my shake on Sunday when the pain hit i realized it was the vitaminD tablet i took with it that was getting stuck. This has scared me and i have gone back to fluids but will try soft food again tonight. What this has told me though is to be cautious, because if a little egg shaped pill can get stuck, if i eat too much or the wrong thing i could be in big trouble. Unsure if i have any fluid in my band, I am not due to see the surgeon for another two weeks.

I think AmandaGW said it best. The "restriction" is up to us. I am not banded yet, but I've committed myself to restricting what I eat and how much I eat and I've promised myself not to use the band as a crutch, but instead as a tool. If we want to be successful, we have to be in control of ourselves. I have suffered from obesity for many years and I know that food is a formidable opponent but we have to fight and win.

This is why I love this board. Just reading the stories here gives me inspiration. I've lost 28lbs and I haven't even gotten a date yet! Hopefully I'll get a November banding date and someday hope to be posting before and after photos. But until then...I am going to watch what I eat and how much I eat.

Last night I cooked spaghetti and meatballs for my family. I made turkey meatballs and instead of eating the spaghetti with them, I ate cauliflower with 2 meatballs. I sprinkled some skim mozzarella on it all and I thought it came out great.

I guess at the end of the day it's all about choices.

Good Luck

Not banded yet but from all my reading and research, I think the weight will not fall off as fast as gastric bypass. It will be slow and until the band is in it's so called "sweet spot" this is band hell as above poster described.