Hi all! I was banded last Thursday, Sept 1st and I've had discomfort, but nothing I would consider "pain". Taking the Gas-X dissolvable strips, which help. The first couple of days I pretty much stuck to Clear liquids, except that I did have some ice cream. As of today (day 5), I'm pretty much eating normal food. I'm SUPPOSED to just now be transitioning to creamy Soups, and no solid food for another week and a half. But I'm SO hungry! Tonight I ate half of a Totino's frozen pizza. I feel tightness near my diaphragm, but no nausea.

Has anybody else "cheated"? I posted a question earlier about this, and the response I got was "You're only hurting yourself by cheating." ok, DUH! But obviously if I had been able to control my eating, I wouldn't have needed the Band in the first place.

I really only want to hear from people who are sharing my experience, the last thing I want is a bunch of replies from people who are sticking religiously to the diet plan and not having any problems adhering to it.

Thanks!!!!!

Hi all! I was banded last Thursday, Sept 1st and I've had discomfort, but nothing I would consider "pain". Taking the Gas-X dissolvable strips, which help. The first couple of days I pretty much stuck to clear liquids, except that I did have some ice cream. As of today (day 5), I'm pretty much eating normal food. I'm SUPPOSED to just now be transitioning to creamy soups, and no solid food for another week and a half. But I'm SO hungry! Tonight I ate half of a Totino's frozen pizza. I feel tightness near my diaphragm, but no nausea.

Has anybody else "cheated"? I posted a question earlier about this, and the response I got was "You're only hurting yourself by cheating." ok, DUH! But obviously if I had been able to control my eating, I wouldn't have needed the Band in the first place.

I really only want to hear from people who are sharing my experience, the last thing I want is a bunch of replies from people who are sticking religiously to the diet plan and not having any problems adhering to it.

Thanks!!!!!

I didn't see your earlier post, and I won't tell you what to do or not do. I'm the last person who would presume to preach to anyone. But I wonder if you fully understand the physical process your stomach is going through right now? When your band was placed, it was stitched to your stomach wall. Things are very sensitive to any sort of stress in the first weeks after surgery. The point of the liquid diet after surgery is to give your stitches a chance to heal up. Digesting "real" food causes stomach acids to slosh around, back and forth between your lower stomach, and the area in and around where the band is located. Those stitches are not healed yet, and overactivity in the area can cause physical issues, including infection, causing the stitches to come loose, and your band might even slip.

To give you an answer to your question, during the three weeks of my liquid diet following my surgery, I did eat some turkey lunch meat a couple of times after about two weeks. I was so afraid of doing damage to things, I really tried to stick to the liquid diet. When I was cleared to go onto soft foods, I went onto solids pretty much a week ahead of schedule, but that was more than three weeks after my surgery. I was pretty vigilant during the first couple of weeks after my surgery because I didn't want to screw something up.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your journey!

Dave

I think the thing is people get frustrated. You're right, if you really could control your eating you wouldnt have needed the surgery. But if surgery and the possiblility of mucking it up isnt enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, I really dont know what anyone can say to you. Everyone goes through it, true, but really, how committed were you? Were you ready for this?

That's not judgemental but for heaven's sake, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the program. Support is not going to come in the guise of people validating what you're doing. That does you absolutely not good. Support comes from people suggesting what you can do to make this easier.

Just becuase you're on liquids is no reason you have to starve. Liquids can be calorific, contain fat and Protein and keep your body going. Make yourself some Soup with real meat and some Pasta in it, for example, blend it up really well, thin it out with broth to a consistency you can handle now, and have as much of it as you can handle at a time, as often as you need not to be hungry. Make a real smoothie with real fruit, yogurt and milk rather than a Protein shake, get some fibre into yourself to feel some satisfaction. You can even blend up family dinners with broth to get the flavour or real food - NO food is off limits, just in solid form!

There. There is no reason to go hungry. And as for "wanting to chew something" as so many people say, you just have to suck it up. Its only a couple of weeks.

@ day 5 I wanted to die & I did eat some mashed potatoes. My doctor gave me official mushie approval @ 7 days. I then slowly introduced cottage cheese & eggs. do u have a 1 wk appt. with ur doc? If so I'd ask them if u can slowly start advancing b/c ur so hungry. If u don't have an appt I'd all & ask. Totinos pizza prob wasn't the best decision for a "cheat" food... But just try ur best to get back on the wagon! U can do it Hang in there!

Listen to Jacquie. Find something that if filling and just thin it out. Try refried beans thinned out with salsa. That always kept me full for hours. Still does!

I'm 2 weeks post band today. The only thing I can see is will power. Trust me, I'm an avid watcher of Food Network , and I still do post band, and I have a family that still eats. But I just have to believe in my physician and that he knows what is best for me right now and just have sheer will power. I know this doesn't help but that is the best advice I can offer. I am still on a full liquid diet and hoping to be released on mushy when I see him wednesday!!

I'm 2 weeks post band today. The only thing I can see is will power. Trust me, I'm an avid watcher of Food Network , and I still do post band, and I have a family that still eats. But I just have to believe in my physician and that he knows what is best for me right now and just have sheer will power. I know this doesn't help but that is the best advice I can offer. I am still on a full liquid diet and hoping to be released on mushy when I see him wednesday!!

I made it a full 14 days flawless on liquid diet. I was supposed to go for 21 days but when I saw my nutrionist at the 14 day mark she gave to go ahead on soft foods. Honestly I could have done 21 days though. It was definately taxing but doable. You just have to keep telling yourself its only x number of days. Its not like you have to eat like this forever. And what dave said you can really do some damage if you dont at least let your stuff heal for a week or two. I have been on soft foods now for about a week and I have eaten stuff that is a bit more solid then soft foods. I just chewed the hell out of it and took real small bites. I didnt eat alot of it though.

I'm 2 weeks post band today. The only thing I can see is will power. Trust me, I'm an avid watcher of food Network , and I still do post band, and I have a family that still eats. But I just have to believe in my physician and that he knows what is best for me right now and just have sheer will power. I know this doesn't help but that is the best advice I can offer. I am still on a full liquid diet and hoping to be released on mushy when I see him wednesday!!

Yeah they will let you. My doc tells everyone 21 days but they let me in on a secret post op that most people can only make it about 10 for insanity reasons and they let them go to soft. You are doing great on the liquid diet. Keep up the good work!

Do you really want everyone to tell you its ok to eat a half a pizza right agter surgery? Your stomach needs time to heal. Cheating might be starting mushies early, but not pizza! That could do so much damage to your stomach let alone the band.

Please try and stick to the food you are approved for. We all know how how this is, but it will get better after the first weeks or so.

good luck

I know it's tough, but you are still healing. I would blend up various soups to drink, this would help me get through. I didn't really feel hunger until a week out either, I would call your doctor and let them know what's up with how your feeling.

No judging here...I ate soup with rice on day 3...it did not go well for me, came right back up. You must have CHEWED the heck out that pizza to get it to stay down....good for you. I do not stick to any so called "diet" I eat pretty much anything that will stay with me, I experiment all the time...Am I eating Big Macs....well no that would be silly, but I have enjoyed a hamburger. So far I have lost 43 lbs, and 37.2 inches. Remember chewing is the key. My only advice is chew chew chew!

Day 6 for me.

This morning I thought I was NOT going to make it back to work, I felt so hungry and weak.

I had my chalky Protein Shake for Breakfast,

and lo and behold, during lunch I actually felt FULL for the first time after having some creamy SOUP!

That was so motivating to me, I did not know how long I could last "eating" just liquids....

Sugar free chocolate pudding is on my doctor's "full liquid" list--pretty satisfying too....

Good luck to you, hang in there

Well you're not going to want to hear this either, but it's true- even with the band, you're still going to need to control your eating. I can eat whatever I want. Nothing gets stuck, and I have almost 8cc's in my band. I can eat 3-4 pieces of regular sized pizza. I know because I have. I can still binge on carbs. I know because I have. The band helps me by making me feel satisfied sooner, and by keeping me satisfied for a longer period of time after I eat a small Protein packed meal, but it doesn't stop me from eating a larger meal, or "bad" foods, if I choose to put them in my mouth.

It's a fight that most of us banded people have to fight, and you'll probably need to fight it too. YES, it's hard, and it can be discouraging. But when I eat the right way, seriously, my weight falls off. So it IS worth it.

So this may or may not help you... I was able to stick to the liquid part of my post-op diet (I think because I was allowed to have Protein Shakes, and not everyone is) but the day I was cleared to go to mushy foods, my first meal was part of a Chipotle burrito bowl I figured it wasn't crunchy, and if I chewed it up real good it'd be considered mushy!

Hi all! I was banded last Thursday, Sept 1st and I've had discomfort, but nothing I would consider "pain". Taking the Gas-X dissolvable strips, which help. The first couple of days I pretty much stuck to Clear Liquids, except that I did have some ice cream. As of today (day 5), I'm pretty much eating normal food. I'm SUPPOSED to just now be transitioning to creamy soups, and no solid food for another week and a half. But I'm SO hungry! Tonight I ate half of a Totino's frozen pizza. I feel tightness near my diaphragm, but no nausea.

Has anybody else "cheated"? I posted a question earlier about this, and the response I got was "You're only hurting yourself by cheating." ok, DUH! But obviously if I had been able to control my eating, I wouldn't have needed the Band in the first place.

I really only want to hear from people who are sharing my experience, the last thing I want is a bunch of replies from people who are sticking religiously to the diet plan and not having any problems adhering to it.

Thanks!!!!!

I really only want to hear from people who are sharing my experience, the last thing I want is a bunch of replies from people who are sticking religiously to the diet plan and not having any problems adhering to it.

Thanks!!!!!

I appreciate you not wanting anyone to be judgemental and since I dont walk in your shoes I won't be. However I didnt cheat for 6 months post op so you can stop reading if you like.

If you are still reading.... I didnt cheat for 2 main reasons. I have gained and lost the same hundreds of pounds over the years and needed to find something which will help me keep off the weight. I believe I found it in the band. Now that the liquids, gas and post op pain is over I am learning to live with the band.

I REALLY want this band to work and was / am committed to do whatever I have to do to see that it does.

The second reason is that I was scared to death if I cheated I would botch something up and have to go back in the hospital for a removal or to fix something I messed up. But I am not telling you this to be self rightous. I am telling you this to make sure you know that if you eat the right foods at the right time and the correct quantity...you will be successful which I am guessing you want more than anything.

SO many people think the band is a license to eat whatever you want... just smaller quanities of it. In theory when you are maintaining I suppose thats true. But I am not there yet. I count every calorie that goes in my mouth (with a phone ap) and know that if I go over 1000-1200 per day I will not lose anything.

Recently when I have veared off for a meal or two I havent gained any weight.... I just didnt loose for a few days. I could eat one piece of pizza and be stuffed instead of eating 4! That in itself tells me this band will work once I hit my goal.

Best of luck to you!