I am 13 days post op and have no trouble eating anything. I do not have any restriction, and everything goes down ansd stays down just fine. I do take tinyy bites and chew food very carefully. But I don't think I'll have any trouble eating anything at all. This make me nervous, as I am fearful to go back to my old eating habits! I do not have another follow up until Dec 21, but I don't want to gain any weight back!! It already seems I have gained 2 lbs. back since going on to the mushies! UGH!! So worried!

From my experience and what I understand at this point you should be able to eat anything just as you did prior to surgery. You most likely have no fill or a very small one if any. This is the point in your journey where your loss (if any) will be totally dependent on your will power, good food choices & exercise that your Dr. has gave you the go ahead for. This will change with more fills. I am now 4 1/2 mths out and Monday can't get here soon enough for me because I am unable to eat ANYTHING without feeling miserable after a few bites. Hang in there, you're about to walk into "bandster hell" but it'll pass just try your best to make good choices until you get some restriction. Best of luck to you!

sorry reposted, don't know how to delete?

Of course you can eat the same way after surgery as you did before.

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I am 13 days post op and have no trouble eating anything. I do not have any restriction, and everything goes down ansd stays down just fine. I do take tinyy bites and chew food very carefully. But I don't think I'll have any trouble eating anything at all. This make me nervous, as I am fearful to go back to my old eating habits! I do not have another follow up until Dec 21, but I don't want to gain any weight back!! It already seems I have gained 2 lbs. back since going on to the mushies! UGH!! So worried!

Wow...I am having the same problem! I was banded on 11/16/10 and I am eating and drinking just fine. I did the first week post-op full liquids then bumped it up to mushies because I was still hungry. So far I am loosing but I'm not having any trouble getting any food down and that make me nervous too! I see the surgeon next week. I'm almost afraid of how I am gonna feel after my first fill. I thought it was just me. I kept thinking..can I possibly be this greedy??? I'm eating small portions but I am eating several times a day plus Protein drinks

Same here! I had my one week post op check up and my doc moved me to the mushy foods. I feel like I can eat anything but of course in small portions. I am relieved but scared at the same time because I wasn't imagining it being this easy being that I just had surgery on the 16th as well. So yes u guys r right this is where I guess our will power has to kick in. I will get back to u guys to let u know if I find some! =/ jk I wish u guys the best!

I was banded on Nov. 8th and was told to start onto solids this weekend...I cheated and had alittle leftover today and did fine. I'm nervous about my first fill at the end of Dec. Everyone talks about food getting "stuck" but does anyone know if it feels like bad heartburn or a really full stomach or do you feel like you're Choking??

Everyone talks about food getting "stuck" but does anyone know if it feels like bad heartburn or a really full stomach or do you feel like you're Choking??

In my experience of being stuck, which has been quite often here lately ughh, it can vary to slight tightness in your chest to the feeling of having the wind knocked out of you. You don't at all feel like you are choking though. If you've ever taken a big bite of food and swallowed real quick or taken to big a gulp of liquid, you get a sharp pain in your chest.... kinda like that just last MUCH LONGER! Start practicing on chewing your food to applesauce consistency and SLOWING down now to help prevent it from ever happening. No fun for sure!

I am 2 months post-op and I can "eat anything without trouble". I'm glad about that! Being too tight, getting stuck, PB'ing-- it all sounds horrible and if I can lose without experiencing any of that I'm happy to do so. I didn't get this surgery so that I would be prevented from eating by pain and sickness.

I haven't had bread, Pasta, or steak (and a lot of other foods, but those are big ones) since my surgery, not because I "can't" but because I'm trying to make good choices. The band helps that by making me feel full faster. That's all it is supposed to do-- help you feel full and stay full for a few hours after eating.

Hang in there! The first period of time with the band post-op does feel a lot like dieting for a lot of people, but if you know that-- if you expect it-- it will make dealing with it less frustrating. I think that if you expect the band to stop you from eating things you want to, you'll be very disappointed and angry in the end. It won't stop you from doing anything. You still have to make the right choices, and from what I hear, it does get easier to do that as you go along.

After the swelling goes down you are able to eat everything and anything. You will probably be able to eat everything and anything after your 1st fill. You will probably be able to eat everything and anything after your 2nd fill. Maybe even your 3rd fill. It took between the 3rd and 4th fill before I could see a reduction. It took the 5th or 6th fill before the weight was falling consistently but again my BMI wasn't too high to begin with.

I think doctors need to inform more or we need to ask more questions b./c there are so many people who seem so surprised that they can eat anything after the band (this isn't gastric bypass where you stomach is already small) but right now you have a shiny white plastic ornament on your stomach until you get fills.

I am one of the few people that can eat pretty much anything I want. The band only helps me eat smaller portions than before. I have tried (not overate just tested) just about everything including biscuits and ribs and it went down well. I don't eat certain foods because it takes too long to break down and it seems as though I am chewing forever! I am at 6.8 ccs and 9 months post op. I have been at 6.8 for 2 months now and have lost 16 pounds in those 2 months. You can still lose weight and not have trouble eating foods. I didn't get the band so I could get sick or throw up if I ate certain foods but to help me with portion control.

I'm 4 months post-op and until thanksgiving i had not been stuck, PB'ed, slimed and I can eat everything. On Thanksgiving I think I just forgot about the band and ate either too quick or too much and had a 20 minute stuck episode. I think i was making it worst because my sister and her family were here and they dont know about the band and I'm not telling them! So as it was happening I was getting more and more nervous and came very close to sliming but had a great PB - then it was OVER! My sister kept asking what is wrong...I think i have a Brussel Sprout stuck in my throat - kinda the truth.

Thank you GOD for this thread!!!!! I was just in the kitchen talking to my mother and said to her "I don't think my band is working, or they forgot to put it in!" LOL, I am was banded Nov 15th, and doing great so far. I am walking, drinking my 64 ounces of water a day, getting all my protein. Today though, I was starving, I had a morning star farm veggie sausage patty (80 cal and 10 protein) I had the entire thing, then I had some humus with a few kashi crackers. I stopped myself because I was getting worried. Shouldn't I be feeling full after 1-2 ounces of food? Are the rest of you like this as well? When does that full feeling really kick in??

Thank you GOD for this thread!!!!! I was just in the kitchen talking to my mother and said to her "I don't think my band is working, or they forgot to put it in!" LOL, I am was banded Nov 15th, and doing great so far. I am walking, drinking my 64 ounces of Water a day, getting all my Protein. Today though, I was starving, I had a morning star farm veggie sausage patty (80 cal and 10 protein) I had the entire thing, then I had some humus with a few kashi crackers. I stopped myself because I was getting worried. Shouldn't I be feeling full after 1-2 ounces of food? Are the rest of you like this as well? When does that full feeling really kick in??

You had surgery 2 weeks ago. Didn't your doctor tell you that your body is healing the first 6 weeks or so? Right now you are on the restricted diet while the swelling goes down and to build scar tissue around the lap band. You probably haven't had a fill so why would you feel full? If you really wanted to you could probably eat a whole pizza b/c there probably isn't anything in your band. Take it easy and heal first and then get a few fills before you wonder if your band is working.

I am 3 months post op and until 3 days ago had no fill in my band and was able to eat almost the same as i could before my band, only a little less and with more caution. 3 days ago i had 6mls put in my band and spent 2 days on liquids but felt no difference. Today though i have a niggley pain in my shoulder blade similar to the first few weeks post op. I felt full after a coffee this morning and now i have just had some salmon and lettuce in mountain bread and am feeling quite full. Previously i would eat my mountain bread wrap and then have some extra salad on top. Even though it is a "no no" i have been able to drink after a meals but feel i can't/shouldn't today. This is good, i need the weight to start dropping again as i have lost very little in the last 4-6 weeks. Hooray for fills!

I am a little over a year after my lap band, I am answering multiple questions since I have read all the posts. I was on liquids for 2 weeks, then soft and then foreworth. True I was able to eat anything after the 3rd week, I think I was just taking my time with the food, hence eating slower feeling full faster, because I had no fill in my band. It will take time. Now I am at 6 cc of fluid, and all it takes to fill me is a cup of food, I feel full. Hence, you can still overeat with the band, however you will get pain, I have had a fill for a year, and have cheated about 3 times, and eaten buffet style. You will get severe pain in the port, and shoulder area, from the pressure you are causing to your band. The feeling that you get is like swallowing a huge pill and getting stuck in your esophagus, inbetween your breast nipples. It is a throbbing aching pain, and it is very uncomforable, unfortunately the only way to get rid of that pain is to slim, which is allowing your food to come back out. It is not like throwing up because there is no stomach contents, or acids, because it never reached your stomach, just your small pouch. It is full of slimy fluids, hence slim. My starting weight was 356, now I am 230, this has been a very hard road, but if you eat it you will gain it. You need to change the way you eat, and you need to excercise everyday, if not you will gain weight. The band is a tool, not a cure for obesity. Don't get me wrong, I could have never gotten this far without it. I am thankful everyday for it, however because of me, people at work, have done it, and are failing. At first I felt awful, because the reason they did it,is my results (although, I told them it is hard hard work) however now I know you have to be ready, you have to really want to do this. Keep your head high, and excercise, excericise, eat protein always.