Hello Everyone --I've been stalking the lapband chat rooms for a few months now, and may I say this is an amazing resource. You have helped me in many ways (actually with every question I had) and for that I thank you all !!!

BUT now the time has come for me to join and reach out for some support and --well just a few hugs now and then !!

I had lap band surgery on March 7th 2012 and had my first fill April 5th 2012

The first 4 days after surgery I stayed on the liquid --but then quickly moved to the mushy stage and withen a few days went into easy to eat foods

I thought OH GOODY I'm recovering nicely I thought

I never did get stuck or vomit

problem is --- I can now eat everything, not as much as I used to granted but everything I want and then some

I have learned I am also a boredom eater (yes knowledge is power I keep saying to myself )

Problem is --- I now wonder by eating solid food so fast did I blow it ??

I worry the liquid and mushy stage was not at all about being ABLE to eat ---but shrinking your tummy

Did I stretch my Tummy out ?? (ok so I am not a medical person here and dont even know if this is possible ? ) ha ha

Or am I just being to critical of myself ? ( which to be honest would not be so hard to assume --considering a low self esteem also needs some work here)

I know this lap band is a journey ---from losing weight to seeing yourself differently, to working for your goal

I guess I am just needing the reassurance that I didn't blow it already ?

HUGS to all from the beautiful pacific northwest !!

welcome Molly..

i to had my first fill on april 5th.. 6 ccs....i can still eat a large portion but im making sure its salads or some other good choice...i dont feel any restriction...though Easter dinner with ham i did get a horrable pain in my chest.I went to the bathroom and hung out till it passed....but for the most part...i can eat anything still. Good Luck...and ~hug~

Hi, Molly, Just got banded the 22nd of March, and I am in the same place as you are, so I would like to know the answer also, did I blow it? Have not had a fill yet and I hope I can get back on track.

As long as you followed your doctors schedule of how long to stay on liquids and mushies then u should be fine .. The band is doing very little at the moment till u start getting a few fills under your belt, just take this time to learn what to eat and practise eating small bites and slowly, drinking polenty of water and eating your protein first. If you dont want to risk putting on a few lbs in this 'bandster hell' period of time its best to journal your calorie/food intake and exercise when u are cleared to

Were you following your post-op diet? all doctors are different, some advance their patients more quickly than others...so I was just wondering if you broke the rules, or if that was the post-op plan.

I think advancing slowly does several things....first it does allow the stomach to rest and sutures to heal with out the weight of food pulling on them.

Second---And what I noticed the most was it allowed be to break the carb addiction. after two weeks of the liquid pre-op diet and then the 2week of post-op diet I found that my cravings for carbs had decreased tremedously.

Thirdly....I guess to some extent, our stomach most shrink a little. Just from previous diets I remember trying to have a bigger meal after I'd been following a small portion diet and you simply can't eat as much. But the stomach is a muscle and it does stretch and it would only take a few times and I would once again be able to eat the larger portions.--however, thats different from the "pouch" we have. If you don't have any restriction then the food is going straight to your actual stomach....its not until you have fills that the entrance to the full stomach is restricted...thats when you really need to be careful..if you eat too much, that food can't just fall to the full stomach it sits there at the band filtering in a little at a time. if you really over eat you can mess thing up and cause your band to slip.

HAve you done any permant damage? probably not.....If you didn't follow the rules, then I would suggest maybe going back and doing them. a week of liquids might jump start your system. Then advance slowly.... if you feel the need to move on to a different stage than your doctor reccomended then call and ask him if you can move up.

I had absolutely no issues, so at my 2 week post-op I asked if I could move on, he allowed me to do mushies for 2 day then advance to solids.....I wanted to get back to the low carb diet and purees and mushies are very carb friendly.

Good Luck!