I hate to post this because I know how upset people get when they read about people not sticking to the diet. I feel so helpless and am really in need of some encouragement. I am a week and a half out and am feeling TERRIBLE. I feel like I have an obsession with food more now than I ever did. I hate being at home....I'm pissed because I feel nothing....and I can't sleep because I'm so obsessed with the fact that I'm doing exactly what I didn't want to do. Nothing makes me nauseated, I can drink pretty much a whole bottle of water at a time and do just fine. I didn't think that was even possible in the beginning. I chose to have lapband because I didn't want my stomach cut up and the possibility of all the complications. Now I just wish I would have gone for the other . I have to wait 6 weeks for a fill and I'm half tempted to ask for a appetite suppressant to get me through it!! Maybe I just wasnt cut out for this at all.

Are you tummy hungry or head hungry? I'm 5 days post-op and am dying on the restrictive liquid diet... but not because I NEED to eat... I just miss eating!!!

Maybe thats it :-( I just don't know anymore. All i know is once I start eating, i feel like I can't stop

I hate to post this because I know how upset people get when they read about people not sticking to the diet. I feel so helpless and am really in need of some encouragement. I am a week and a half out and am feeling TERRIBLE. I feel like I have an obsession with food more now than I ever did. I hate being at home....I'm pissed because I feel nothing....and I can't sleep because I'm so obsessed with the fact that I'm doing exactly what I didn't want to do. Nothing makes me nauseated, I can drink pretty much a whole bottle of Water at a time and do just fine. I didn't think that was even possible in the beginning. I chose to have lapband because I didn't want my stomach cut up and the possibility of all the

complications. Now I just wish I would have gone for the other . I have to wait 6 weeks

for a fill and I'm half tempted to ask for a appetite suppressant to get me through it!! Maybe I just wasnt cut out for this at all.

Any type of gastric surgery is difficult, more for the mind than the tummy. Don't get discouraged, remember you will reach your goals at their given time, BUT it is not easy either. I too feel discouraged at times, and it can get difficult to follow that darn eating

plan. Once you begin to get your fills, they will provide u some help. It's ok to have a slip (were only human n who r we to critisize when were all here for the same reason) just

make sure you get back on track. Wish u the best!!!

You are not alone. Many feel the way you do in the beginning. Each doc seems to do something different, mine put in a few cc during the surgery. I was not hungry, but I had started cutting back my food in Nov. and surgery was in March. Many like for you to have pleanty of time to heal and swelling to go down before a fill. You are not a failure, you are learning; and he funny thing is you will be learning again later in this journey. I had no problems drinking water, and my protein drinks went down well, but I remembered to take my time. There shouldn't be nausa, Are you using protein drinks, not sure what stage you're in, but if it's mushies they should be giving you some protein. Tuna, chicken salad got me through. Soft boiled eggs or hard give protein and that's what keeps the hunger away. I would take a chicken breast and make a small pot of homemade soup. I went with the band for the same reason as you. Try to stay busy, make sure you get your measurements, some pics and try to stay off the scale. Once a week is easier on your mind, kinda...it's hard to do. Think of the reason why you felt you needed it, walk some, that helps with gas and helps to pass time.

Sorry missed the end quote for ur post I'm new to this.

Just remember that the healing process is temporary and you will be able to eat food again. Hang in there. You're going to be so sick of soups and protein shakes after this, but it will be worth it, I promise.

I crashed around my house like Godzilla for a while pre- and post-surgery, just WANTING FOOOOOD!!! I wanted to open the fridge every time I walked by it. The awful feelings passed and I got used to eating and drinking the way I'm supposed to. I also took up exercise, and as much as I don't enjoy doing it, it does make me feel better. Can you find something to keep yourself busy while you adjust? A hobby you love?

Firstthing you need to realize is the feelings you have are very normal-VERY normal! There are times that I think maybe I should have had gastric bypass or what if this lapband doesn't work how much would that suck?? I think geeze I had surgery and I am still not losing! You are a work in progress and like niterun said "You are not a failure you are learning."

The Band is a slower safer way to lose weight and it will take patience. I have it in my mind that I probably won't start really feeling restriction until my 3rd fill - so my goal is to try and not gain weight in the mean time! It seems once you have proper restriction things start to happen!

You don't even have a fill yet so of course you feel hungry!! I found that keeping up with the protein helped with hunger. Sometimes our bodies confuse hunger with dehydration - make sure you have a plan for getting all your water in Fill a jug and your goal is to have all the water gone my the end of the day.

Food will no longer be the center of your universe-and your body is fighting it. There will be rough patches ahead were you will feel like what's the point-but I urge you to push through them. You are stronger than you realize. Keep on the course-get your fills! My doc does fills every 6 weeks too-but I am making my appointments every 4 weeks and tomorrow I am going to call and see if I can come in this week because I am hunger and thinking about food way too often (even though my last fill was 18 days ago).

It WILL get better!! Commit yourself to the process and the long haul! I advise you to go to You Tube and listen to some of the video diaries of people who had the Lapband. Some people have a week by week video of their journey. You see that they felt the same exact way in the beginning too.

This is my favorite You Tube series-I think she has made 90+ videos for each week of her journey (click on the top left to see her other videos) You might find some encoragement in watching them to know that your feelings are validated and see someone who felt the same thing but push through:

As we heal from the surgery our bodies return to "normal" we feel like we did prior to surgery. If you weren't given any fill at surgery time, you'll feel hungry! It's like you didn't have WLS. You find yourself wondering what the heck you did to yourself.

Bypassers lose very quickly at first. They have great motivation to begin their journey. We don't always. After I was returned to solids, my surgeon didn't expect any losses from me until I started getting fills and getting the benefit of this tool.

Fluids go right through the band. If your swelling is gone, that explains why Water goes right down. Even with good restriction, I can drink Clear liquids as fast as I want. We are told to sip, sip, sip at first due to swelling.

Hunger is a physiological function. Don't beat yourself up for being hungry. 3 days post-op I was eye-balling my dog I was so hungry. Keep your chin up. Keep healing. It gets better. Just follow your doctor's orders and heal up.

You are NOT alone for sure! I've noticed the last few times I eat I want to eat more. It's a HUGE desire in me that wants to just EAT! We were all overweight before surgery and we got that way by eating more than our bodies need. We can't all just wake up from surgery and *POOF* be transformed into never wanting to overeat again. It's a HUGE mental struggle. We may feel full faster but we all, I'm sure.., used to eat beyond being full and are used to either numbing ourself with food, celebrating with food, stress eating with food, comforting with food.... etc. and once that is gone it's a battle within. Last night I was able to get in 3 cups of soup and I added cheese and sourcream to my cups. I keep trying to find within my limits ways to get the old comfort of some food back in. Today at lunch I just ate 1 1/4 cups of tomato soup and a 12 oz protein drink. I'm able to take in a lot of liquids. I'm full now, but I still think I took in too much for just being banded 12 days ago. I applaud you for being honest and opening up on here. I think we all struggle with this and just don't talk much about it but if we were all to be real and really mention our struggles with not eating like we used to there would be a lot of us relating with one another. You haven't failed the band, you are at the begininng and trying to figure out how to live like this.

I think you are doing and going to do wonderful on this journey!! I was just banded, but I think the hardest for me is cravings, so I take a bite of (cheese) my fav chew it up and spit out. I think about what I am doing and it really grosses me out and for the most part makes me nausea. I take a sip of soup set my spoon down look at my kids, what I have prepared for dinner and then take another bite. This has worked for me. Someone told me that I need to enjoy what is around me as a focus point instead of on the food. So that is what I am sticking to.

This may sound odd, but I am feeding and cooking for my kids what I am hungry for. I am not really tempted to eat it, but it makes me happy they can still enjoy the food we all enjoy.

I think the biggest mental adjustment was the pre op, or it hasn't hit me yet.

You are not a failure and you never will be.

Try affirmations !

Thank you for being brave enough to share your feelings, even if you thought some folks might be upset. Oh my gosh, you hit my feelings right on the head. I am about seven weeks out of surgery and I have been struggling too. Going to get my second fill today, thank God. This morning, I realized I had gained several pounds. But I am trying to be patient and work through it. I too did this because I didn't want to do the gastric bypass. We both are at the beginning of this journey and it will take a while to get our heads and bodies in sync.

I to thought out of surgery that i would feel something, I felt NOTHING started to wonder if anything had been done, so I thought , if i can just make it to my first fill it would be a done deal, since I was getting it done by flouro they could fill it to the brim be very precise and I would see them next year........WRONG! wrong wrong,,,,,thank God for this forum, I had my surgery April 13, and have had 3 fills I go monday for my 4th ( I believe that should do it) , but between my surgery date and my 3rd fill...I had lost less then 5 pounds disappointing for sure! I think anyone not knowing how this works would say at least by the 3 rd fill that it wasnt working and totally give up, like i said before I am very greatfull for this site, I do understand that logicly its going to work if you just keep getting your fills and i do understand that probley with every 20lb i lose I will need to get another adjustment, but after my 3rd fill as of yeaterday I lost 14 pounds and that 14 ponds has motivated me like no other! for the first time I am saying IT WORKED! IT'S GOING TO WORK! So hang in there and keep getting your adjustments. it is a slow process but time goes by so fast! Im still thinking to myself wow i cant believe I have gotten my band and its been over 3 months ago.........WOW!

During this part of waiting for the first fill, I think we have all felt as you have. I also think that anesthesia stays in your system longer than we think and plays a big part in the "mental" craziness that comes along. I was a little depressed and even cried (don't know why) and told my hubby that I didn't know what was wrong with me. I felt like it would never feel "normal" again.

I have not lost much since my follow-up visit with my Dr. and he, too, said that I would probably not lose anymore from now until my first fill. But, that being said, it has not deterred me from maintaining my healthy eating and exercise routine.

I am so happy that we have this forum so that we understand that we are not alone in our Quest for health!!! You can do this...we all can!

When you're hungry, drink drink drink. It helps me a lot. I'm almost 7 months out and I've had one small fill. Fills do not make you lose weight. Only you can do that. Am I hungry between meals, yes I am. But I'm still not sure if I want another fill. I'm losing weight fine, because I know what I have to do and I know I have to do it. Am I gonna Lise 100# in a year, no. But Water can keep me satisfied to an extent, so I'm wondering if I really should get a fill.

So drink when you feel hungry. I know this may seem hard since you may still be on liquids or mushies, but it helps. Though I wasn't hungry during my liquid stage, so I can't say for sure if it will help on that stage. But remember fills do not equal weight loss. Only you can control that.