hello out there. I just got my band on February 3rd and I am in the first week liquid stage, but I am having a really hard time. I am REALLY hungry. My doctor said my hunger is due to the fact that I was not really swollen after surgery. Any suggestions. Any liquids I drink, come right back out the other way.... I don't want to dehydrate... HELP:help:

Sports drinks designed to rehydrate you might be good.

Of course lots of Water.

Protein Drinks are thicker. I blended 1/2 a banana in my strawberry whey Protein and then stirred in a vanilla slim fast shake. Very thick and I don't think the protein will run through you so easily. Protein is VERY important right now, helps those muscles heal and fights infections.

Grats on getting your band! How are you doing with it so far? Still sore?

Yep! Congrats!! The liquids will go through you. When you've been on liquids for so long, your bowels get empty so there's nothing to slow the liquids down. Once you get on mushies things will slow down. And don't be suprised if you quit losing or even gain after you get on mushies & then progress to solids. You would be suprised how much your bowels can hold. Hang in there! I agree with p'nut about the sports drinks & protein!

Hello... thanks for the suggestions. I have been drinking gatorade which is great, but it does not keep the hunger pains away. How soon before I can begin protein shakes. Can I drink slim fast? Other than the hunger... I really am feeling pretty good. It is sometimes difficult to go from sitting to standing, but luckily I think I am managing pretty well. I do have a bloated abdomen, but lucky me,,, I got my period the day after my surgery. UGH! Are you both happy with the results you've had? Anything else I should know?

Oh dear.. didn't your doctor give you a list of foods you could eat at the different stages of your healing? You are in stage one, week 1 - 3. This is liquids time, as soon as you can hold down Clear Liquids you can try to add in full liquids, such as milk, proetin shakes, slim fast, tomato Soup, cream Soups, and yogurts .. nothing with chunks though.

Weeks 4 - 6 you move to soft or mushie foods. Baby food, cottage cheese, pureed meats, flakey fish, anything soft and mushie that is easily chewed to nothing before swallowing. I have tuna with 2 tbs of fat free dressing in mine to make it more moist. Take small bites, eat slowly (15 mins per meal) and chew, chew, chew. In week 6 we begin to add more foods, but one at a time so if we have any problems we can identify which food it was. Although, from what I hear, you might have trouble with chicken one day and the next day be fine with it. I keep my servings to 1/2 Cup.

Note: This is what MY doctor has ME on. If you can contact your doctor you might ask what he or she recommends. If not, this is a fairly good rule of thumb that you should be safe following. And you should be getting in about 60 grams of Protein per day.

Most people experience problems with pastas, soft breads, hamburger, steak and dry turkey or fish. Bread type products tend to be gooey in the stomach and stick together making them hard to get through the band. Hamburger and steak are tougher, stringier meats that often can't be chewed into small enough pieces. You can try any of these after your six weeks, but just be aware that they are known to cause PBs in a lot of people. Make sure your chicken, turkey or fish is very moist. Some use sauces on the meat for moisture.. if you do, be aware of the calories you are adding on.

Hope this helps. And again, check with your own doctor first. It is always best to follow what your doctors orders for you.

I had to stay on clear liquids on the first phase, so tea, coffee, juice, popcicles, jello, and broth. Jello and popcicles really helped me get through it. Good Luck!

And something that helped the DW was keeping something in your hand or AT HAND all the time. You might wear out a roll of TP, but that's better than getting dehydrated.

Just a thought, but Gatorade is full of sugar. in many people, sugar stimulates the production of Insulin, stimulating the appetite.

Try sugar free drinks like crystal light. Slim fast, is also sugar loaded, try Atkins shakes or an other sugar-free Protein Shake. Personally, I found that limiting my sugar intake (and adding Protein to my diet) helped to surpress my appetite, a lot.

Just a thought.

try propel, that stuff is great. clear liquid, Vitamins, and no sugar, etc (but i know in the liquid phase a little sugar won't kill ya... i drank regular gatorade too). if you want to chat through PM, let me know. happy to help.

hang in there! you're doing great.

oh, i forgot to espouse the virtues of JELLO... yes, it melts in your mouth, it's virtually clear, and it's got some protein in it. try that too. hope you like the Propel Water... I love it myself.

I'm 4 days post-op and I can't get Jello down. I'm barely able to do Water, broth, etc. Since it's just swelling, there's really nothing I can do but keep trying to stay hydrated.

What hurts the worst is when I have to burp. For some reason air coming UP hurts a lot more than Fluid going DOWN.

wannabelean, I would suggest cutting out the sugared drinks. There are many better options than gatorade and slim-fast. Aquafina makes a great flavored water, as does Nestle. As for slim-fast-type products, you are much better off blending your own Protein drink with splenda. There's no reason to put the extra sugar in you -- even if you're not in the "losing weight" phase, there's no reason to take in empty calories if you can avoid it. It's not like gatorade and slim-fast are chocolate cake and candy bars -- they're really not that good!

try letting the jello completely melt in your mouth... that might help with the "need to eat" sensation. hope you're feeling better soon!