Hi everyone! I'm having surgery on January 10th and created a group in the groups section "January 2012 bandsters". Would love to get some discussions, support going.

16 oz of soup? I too drink my 8 oz protein shake and could probably go without lunch, but have some broth soup about 4-6 oz, I sip on water all day, so by lunch I', ready for another 4-6 ozs of soup. It is really on what each person can handle physically. What's good for you may not work for some else. And as long as you are losing weight, and losing enough to your satisfaction there shouldn't be a problem. I have to keep remembering this is LONGTERM. I might lose the weight in a few months, but I will have to do LONGTERM maintenance to keep it off. Good luck!

Help! I suddenly craving again!! I am exactly 4 wks post-op, lost 14lbs (give or take a lb) and I have done fine with the kids junk food in the house & going into stores. But today I went to the store & I swear that single slice of cheesecake spoke to me!! Then I saw a kid licking the frosting off a cupcake & I felt like running out of there screaming!! To top it off all the commercials were about food tonight!! Ugh I have done so well even no holiday treats, but now feel like I am craving the satisfaction I used to get with sweets!? Any ideas? I have heard a variety of opinions "feed the craving now or you will eventually give in & over eat". But what about the next day and the next??? "replace the craving with something else" seriously??!! What?!?!

I think this is what bandster hell is- if you have restriction, you can eat a couple bites and be done, but while you're healing, before the green zone, it is hard.

Can you have just one? If you can, tell yourself this is the only one you can have, savor it and eat slowly, and then be done. If not, then just don't start- tell yourself you can always have it later if you really want it. Write in your journal, go for a walk, drink (sometimes that helps), and just be strong- you've lost 24 lbs already! It's not worth undoing all that work. Just one won't undo it, just a dozen will .

Good luck! I know how you feel, I've been hungry!!!

nicole i know exactly what you mean i am also 4 weeks post opt and i get cravings but although i dont have anything in my band i definatly cannot eat a lot but still feel guilty giving in my biggest temptations right now is ice cream or like starbucks fraps but i have found this sugar free decafe mocha mix(30 calories) and fat free/ sugarfree whip cream(5 calories) and sugarfree Hershey's chocolate syrup( 5 calories) AND all together in a glass of milk is 9 grams of protein i have just been looking for better alternatives hope u can fine some for your weaknesses as well good luck and congrats on the weightloss ......ps i think we had surgery the same day jan 4th?

Premiere chocolate protein shakes from SAMs club are sweet and kill my sweet cravings. Recommended by my doc and have 30g protein. They don't have an aftertaste and just taste good.

I really like the Unjury chocolate splendor shake stuff, it tastes like chocolate milk. I haven't tried doctoring it up or whipping it up with ice into a shake, but that would probably be good too.

Hello! I went to my first post op appt. today (it will be 2 weeks tomorrow) and I've lost 9 lbs. since surgery day! I am sure a lot of that is from being so sick last week. I feel great and have been walking every day this week. I go back in two weeks for my first fill. I also get to start the mushy stage tomorrow and soft, solid food next week! I am so excited after last week's pure liquid hell, lol. I hope everyone is doing good.

I have been reading and keeping up with everyone. Congrats everyone who a few days post op. I am 4 and half weeks post op and I struggle with cravings also. I try to avoid it if I can because I have trouble not over doing it.

I was 23lbs down at two weeks post op and then the wt loss stopped. It was very frustrating, but today I am down another pound Hopefully my body is over that inital shock of losing so much wt so quickly. I go for my first fill on 2/9 and I can't wait.

When is everyone's first fill? I hope everyone is doing well!

Erica

I go fr my 4 week follow up on 2/9... I'm hoping I get my first fill that day.

Well I will be 5 weeks post-op and I will be going in for my 1st fill. I hope they give me a fill. After about 2 hours I feel hungry. My weight loss has been disappointing. I have tried to only weigh myself once a week, but it does not seam to be moving down. it kind of does this up and down thing. I am doing cardio 3-4 times a week and toning 2-3 times a week and here is a sample daily meal: vanilla protein powder mixed into my morning coffee, protein bar around 9-10am or 2 fat free string cheese, at noon I have either tuna w/ tbls lite mayo & pepper and steamed veggies or leftover meat from previous dinners (love the turkey meatballs they last a full week) at 2 I have a V-8 fusion and at 3:30-4 I have a GNC protein shake before my work out. At night I cook a typical meal and just eat the meat and veggies. Right now I am not counting calories, just protein and water. maybe that will change at my next appointment. I did give into my cravings last weekend. The family bought chocolate dipped shortbread cookies and left them on the counter. I passed by them several times, but late that night I gave in and truly enjoyed it. But then I enjoyed another one the next night. I finally put them away in a cabinet I don't use and I felt better. After the 2nd night I really started hating on myself and gave myself a good guilt trip, but the next day, my friend reminded me we all make mistakes and instead of dwelling on it, I should just look at it as a new day a fresh start. It took me all day to let it go, but I realized if I didn't let it go, I would be back into my old cycle of "oh well I screwed up, I might as well enjoy it and start my diet again next week" So I did an extra day at the gym working off that junk food!! I still have cravings, but I think I am good if it is out of sight it will be out of mind.

I hope I get my fill, I do not like being hungry ever 2 hours.

I am glad to hear how well everyone in doing. What is you daily menu like? Just wondered if you have any good ideas???

Hi Nicole, I'm 4 weeks post-op and I am hungry after about 2hours too. I'm scheduled for my first fill 2/24. I'm exercising about 4-5x's a week. I'm also losing very slow but I realized I'm burning a lot of calories and not balancing with the proper amount of calories coming in..I slowed down my exercise a little by doing 2 days toning 2 days light cardio (I was doing spin class and hi intensity cardio classes and run/power walk treadmill). I realized I'm still on the "soft food" stage and definitely not intaking the calories I need to work out that hard. After I slowed down my intensity at the gym I dropped 5 pounds in a week. I know that will level out real soon. I've realized I have the rest of my life to pick up the intensity so right now I'll enjoy light steady workouts to build a routine.

My day is something like: Slimfast low carb protein shake for breakfast, 2% cheese & 98%fat free turkey lunch meat or tuna/light mayo for lunch, slimfast mid day and either chicken/fish with a veggie for dinner and water throughout the day. If I need extra I'll mix in a sugar free chocolate pudding or jello or eat a yogurt. The pudding seem to fulfill my sweet tooth believe it or not.. I'm a Girl Scout leader and have about 20 cases of cookies in my living room right now...TORTURE!! but I just say "not know, I can maybe enjoy a sweet cookie down the road, just not now"

BTW I tried a higher calorie/low carb protein shake from the gym and it tore my stomach up..gas pains all afternoon and night (lesson learned big time)

I'm on the back end of the month, only 2.5 weeks out PO. My 2nd f/u appt with my surgeon will be this Thursday. I was told at that time I would find myself being more hungry but still will have to wait the 5-6 week fill. I'm learning alot from those of you who are a few weeks ahead of me, re: exercise, drinking, and breaking down and having cravings. I am a salty person. Sweets are not my major issue. Speaking of GS cookies, a week after I had my surgery 3 Girl Scouts came ringing my doorbell! ha! I bought the cookies and told them once I pay for them, they can have them! Even though I'm a "salty", that doesn't mean I won't eat the sweets! I also do jogging/power walking on the treadmill and realize it might be a little too much for me as it takes a lot out of me after I shower and ready to get on with the day. I too think I'm burning more calories and not taking in enough calories. I've also been reminded on here that the first month is for healing, not totally losing weight and I guess I just have to be patient and just walk on the treadmill. Doesn't help that while I'm writing this, Brazillian Butt lift and Zumba is on TV! I can't wait until I can really rev up the workout and that's a good thing.

Like many others I'm seeing posting here, I've had the problem being hungry every 2 hours, too. I get filled up pretty quickly but very hungry again way before the next meal.

I did have my first fill on Friday, so far it does seem to help. I'm going about 3-3 1/2 hours without being hungry, so it's an improvement. I'm hoping by next fill I'll be able to make it a full 4 hours without hunger.

I'm on the back end of the month, only 2.5 weeks out PO. My 2nd f/u appt with my surgeon will be this Thursday. I was told at that time I would find myself being more hungry but still will have to wait the 5-6 week fill. I'm learning alot from those of you who are a few weeks ahead of me, re: exercise, drinking, and breaking down and having cravings. I am a salty person. Sweets are not my major issue. Speaking of GS cookies, a week after I had my surgery 3 Girl Scouts came ringing my doorbell! ha! I bought the cookies and told them once I pay for them, they can have them! Even though I'm a "salty", that doesn't mean I won't eat the sweets! I also do jogging/power walking on the treadmill and realize it might be a little too much for me as it takes a lot out of me after I shower and ready to get on with the day. I too think I'm burning more calories and not taking in enough calories. I've also been reminded on here that the first month is for healing, not totally losing weight and I guess I just have to be patient and just walk on the treadmill. Doesn't help that while I'm writing this, Brazillian Butt lift and Zumba is on TV! I can't wait until I can really rev up the workout and that's a good thing.

That's soooo funny Meredith, when I woke up in the hospital the morning after surgery, Brazilian Butt Lift was on my tv!!!!

Elizabeth, how funny is that? Do you think the hospital was in cahoots with the commercial in some way or another to give you the incentive for the future? haha Notice, I'm still online here, haven't gotten on my treadmill but now have Nutrisystem on now. Ugh! I was slow moving today and now I need to get my butt off the chair and get on the treadmill. How are you feeling? I hope you're getting better with the antibiotics.