I was just banded on Monday December 12. I finally got my appetite back this past Saturday. My doctor had me on a clear liquid diet for a week and now I am on the pureed diet. I am starving. I feel as though I can eat like before I was banded, and I snuck a couple of bites of mac and cheese because I was so hungry and it is one of my favorites. It didnt do anything bad to me. Nothing happened. I don't get my first fill for three more weeks. I know that when you get a fill that you are restricted but right now there is nothing there and I just don't get why I have to eat pureed foods when I feel fine. Of course I am going to stick with my doctor's rules and only have pureed after that bite of mac and cheese, but I just don't get the reasoning. If anyone can shed some light on me, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

The reasoning is that your stomach is still healing around its new band. Soft and pureed foods make the stomach work less to move it down, so there's better stability for healing.

Most doctors say to stick with liquids and mushies for at least 4 weeks after surgery to allow for optimum healing. It is hard to stick to it, but remember it's not about restriction or how you feel at this point, it's about healing. Eating solids too early can compromise the health of your banded stomach. So don't take chances!

I have the 4 CC band. I can handle the pureed diet, it is just I am limited to 1/2 cup a meal and that isn't much. I will get through this though. It is just another step.

A little thought and effort put into what you eat makes the world of difference. I havent got my appetite back anything like what it was before, but I did quickly begin to crave taste and substance. I made the effort to make really yummy Soups and I even managed to blend some suitable family meals with canned tomatoes (lasagna and spaghetti bolognaise) into liquid consistency.

I've just started on mushies, I had some porridge for Breakfast but for lunch I just had the most delicious scrambled eggs with chives, some cheese and salt and pepper followed by half a tinned pink lady apple smushed with a fork. It was delicious and I feel statisfied.

If i tried to eat bleuch liek cottage cheese I'd be sneaking in the mac and cheese too.

But why cant you blend it up a bit and eat it like that? I handled blended Pasta just fine in my liquid stage and I'm allowed to have things like minestrone now so you could indeed eat the mac and cheese.

Treat yourself well with the band, enjoy your food! Just be innovative and make it enjoyable and you wont crave so much. The puree phase can be really enjoyable - I'm cooking a delicious dahl for tonight's dinner.

I havent been told a restriction on quantities other than half to one cup and I can handle more towards a cup, but I stop before I feel really full.

my understanding is that there is some restriction there, but very little. and this is due to you stomach being swollen from surgery. Should something go down that isnt suppose to and possibly gets stuck, there is nothing that can be done at this point to unstick, since there is no fluid in your band. Kinda does seem like punichment, but it is for our own good. if you had surgery the 12 of dec, you should be eating normal foods by now.