Back to my fri morning weigh in and still 220.60

I am starting real foods today …I haven’t had the first fill yet so maybe this is my problem feel like I can eat normal am trying to stay under 1000 calories but thinking about food and hungry all the time

Also i still have a slight pain in my right side. Is this normal? This is where my port is so I wonder.

Don’t’ have the full feeling yet. Had a egg on a roll for Breakfast ate less than half because it didn’t taste right and I had a shrimp cocktail for lunch (200 calories and I figure its mostly Protein right) and it’s now 4pm and I am hungry..i want to go looking for some candy but won’t

When does it get better?

This maybe silly but will you feel full like before but only with a small amount of food?

I read about the pains and throwing up and it scares me

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Yes, I feel full... just like before I was banded. I am one who can't overeat, if i over eat it is just like being stuck and I throw up.

I threw up a lot for the first 9 months. Every fill was learning to take smaller bites and eat slow all over again. My bites are about the size of a blue berry. You get used to it. At first I thought food would never taste good again with out that big mouth full, but really. I pretty much feel just like I always did. I get full and satisfied. Haven't been stuck and thrown up in a good 3 months. (Think I was a slow learner)

Congrats on the band and good luck on your journey!

Try not to get too frustrated. Once I started on solid foods my weight loss stopped. I lost 7 lbs pre-op and 10 post-op and nothing since.

I have not had a fill yet either and am wondering if TOM is making me hungrier or if I now need a fill. Up until a few days ago I had good restriction and then poof. I am going to wait out this TOM and see what happens before I make a fill appt.

I have been on solid foods since August 19th. This week I actually gained 5 lbs! Ugh - TOM is on the way so I am hoping that is it. (I did not overeat, I know that)

I have started using fitness pal to track my calories - they say 1200 calories a day will help me lose 1.5lbs/week. And I am sticking to it. Trying to divide my calories between 3 meals and 2/3 Snacks a day.

It does not sound like you are eating very much at all - don't let your body go into starvation mode. Eat every few hours whether you are hungry or not. My surgeon could not stress how important that was. If you're in starvation mode then your body will hold onto everything. Try to eat 5 or 6 times a day if you can.

Patience will win out on this. It is especially hard during PMS but you can do it!!

And just try to remember to eat slowly and chew chew chew your food and you shouldn't have a problem. Oh yes, and small bites. I have only had a little bit of a 'stuck pain' when I swallowed too much at once or didn't chew enough but it subsided after a couple of minutes and went down. Reminds me to be careful.

You can do this!

PS. I think the port pain is normal for a while. It is the longest area to heal.

Helen, I am by no means an expert, but I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. I was banded in March 2011 and just had my 4th fill. Until my 3rd fill I really felt very little to any restriction.

It really is an individual learning process. I could still eat anything I wanted, basically, until that 3rd fill. I lost about 15 pounds on the pre-op and post-op diet and then basically didn't lose anything else until that 3rd fill. I was disappointed but began to realize that I am still very early in my journey and just need to keep going. My body had to adjust to all of the changes in my eating. I think I threw it into shock. LOL

You are early on in the process and it really is a process. I, too, was expecting things to just be wonderful and for weight to just fall off and for me to never be hungry again. That didn't happen. But.....as I continue on this journey those things are beginning to happen. With that does come some pains and even some throwing up (which I despise) but it's worth it to me.

As far as the pain in your side, I did have some of those pains as well, but never be afraid to talk to your doctor about those things. My doctor is awesome and always make me feel better when I have concerns.

I don't know if any of that helps. I hope so. You will do wonderfully, just give it some time.

Hang in there! I lost very little in the first 4 weeks after surgery, but then I got my first fill and everything changed. It's slow now, but it's steady. Keep an eye on carbs; eat as little of them as possible. Measure and eat portions of protein and really well cooked vegetables and don't give up. A fill makes all the difference! But while you wait you can practice small bites, chewing really really well, and small portions of the right foods.

yeah I am in the same boat I only lost I think 1/2 of a lb if that's even possible I need to stop weighig myself only but once a week at on SUN

i only weigh myself once a week other wise i go nuts

thianks for the support i know it a process and wish it would go faster

i know the weight didn't come on overnight but i sure wish it would go away overnight

the doc office called me back and the pax says it's normal to still have some pain

i know your not docs here but just want to see how others feel

if i think it's important or an emergency i would cal the doc beofre going online

You just had surgery and don't have restriction, so what you are going through is the typical Bandster Hell. Yes, you are going to feel hungry as your body begins to recover and are self monitoring your food intake which is much less than what you are used to in the past. It took me until my 3rd or 4th fill to hit the green zone.

When it comes to losses, You have to remember that this is not a race and that everyone loses weight differently. At first when I was banded, I was slow as a turtle. I compared myself to others who were banded at the same time and I about drove myself crazy wondering why I didn't lose like they did. Here I am, 126 lbs lighter and I can completely understand how you were feeling. Your body is healing and is recovering from a major shock to your system. You will see a slow loss at first possibly, but remember you will see a loss if you follow the rules. Lap Bands only help us lose...the weight just does not instantly fall off. It took me a solid 8 months for that "click" to happen and for my body to really and honestly move into high gear with my steady weight loss. And that was after I had been working for 4 months with a personal trainer and had been in my Green Zone for 2 months.

Don't get discouraged. Just know you have made the best decision for yourself and your health!

Good luck to you!

Stephanie