I don't have a fill yet, 3 more weeks. O realize everyone is different to a point but I'm just curious.

I'm supposed to be eating 2.5 ounces of purred food for each meal but it take about 4 ounces to fill me up and the full feeling doesn't last long. I feel like I'm sabotaging myself but I'm starving! I am eating wholesome healthy foods.

How many times a day do you eat? If you're eating only 3 times a day, it's not surprising that 2.5 ounces of food per meal doesn't keep you going for very long. I've had to eat 6 times a day even with plenty of fill. Try not to eat more than 2.5 ounces at a time because eating more than that can interfere with the healing of your stomach and the settling of your band against your stomach. I know it's hard - you're in what we call Bandster Hell now. It'll get better after you've had a few fills. In the meantime, hang in there!

If I only had a dollar for everytime I've said this? You're in bandster hell and will be for some time. It's just like you've never had surgery. Your band was not filled or was filled with a minimum amount of saline so you may not have any restriction. Not everyone is as lucky as you are. Just kidding, most all of us experience "Bandster Hell". I had it for 4 months before I finally started feeling some restriction/satiety.

Follow your surgeons guidelines as much as you can. Don't beat yourself up if you don't lose much weight during this period because this is just like before surgery and we all know how well diets work. Once your tool(lapband) begins to work then you'll be on a diet, a forced one. Till then, it's pure willpower.

tmf

Two weeks out your stomach is still healing and settling in with the band. Your restriction level could be all over the place during that healing period. I remember after surgery I was never hungry and when I did eat I couldn't eat much. I am now 23 days post op and finally on solids I find I can eat a lot more but not nearly as much before surgery. Real fun starts when the fills start coming...

Like 2muchfun said, this is the beginning of bandster hell for you. Of course it's different for everyone, but once your stomach heals and you have zero fill in your band, it's pretty much like it was before surgery. You will need to diet and watch your calories until you get some restriction. I just finally got restriction with my 5th fill. I am almost 6 months out. They call it bandster hell for a reason.. so if you need support, feel free to let out all your frustrations on here.. we've all been there.

btw, at two weeks out I was taking in about 600 calories per day, mostly through protein shakes, yogurts and fat free puddings. I was always starving. I cried to my doctor that there was no possible way I could stay between 400-600 cals a day. (thats what they recommend for the first 2 months after surgery) psh. no way could I do it. My stomach felt like it was eating itself. I bumped my cals up to 800-1000 per day.

Like Jean said, make sure you're spreading out your calories throughout the day to help with the hunger. The more protein in your meal or snack, the longer it'll be before you feel those hunger pains.

Good luck!!

Butler,

I see we were banded within a week of each other. I too have only lost 24 lbs. Most in the first 3 weeks and last 6 weeks. I plateaued between Mid December and late March. 5 fills for me and I go in Friday for fill 6. Hoping to get a small one to tweak the band so I'm in the green zone, I hope.

My Doc was quite laid back on what we eat after surgery so I never had to

endure 600 calorie days. Since it was Xmas he allowed me to eat normally but within reason and try to steer clear of sugars.

I went into this with the fantasy I'd be losing 8-10 lbs a month. I thought I'd be down 50-60 lbs by summer but that's a wasted dream now. I believe I'd still have this surgery had I known then what I know now. I just wish I would have known about bandster hell and how many damn fills I'd need to get to the green zone? Those many days of frustration January-March were agonizing.

tmf

I guess I better buckle up then!! Bandster Hell has begun....

Entering week 3 I would have 8 oz of smooth soup (tomato or sweet red pepper) and an hour later 3 oz of protein. I would have strickly protein and not mushed stew which is part meat and part carb. Also at week three I could have greek yogurt (with fruit which is mixed with a hand blender) or cottage/ricotta cheese. At week four I could have canned chicken or tuna which I mixed with laughing cow cheese or egg whites (which you can microwave).

My doctor didn't give me any guidelines calorie-wise. Following her guidelines I'm taking in about 1000 calories a day which is dramatically less than what I used to.

I guess I'm just going to have to hang on tight and ride it out. I didn't go through all this to fail!

tmf, I am EXACTLY where you are! I have found this entire process absolutely frustrating. I do finally have restriction, but the fact that it took me almost 6 months to lose 24 lbs makes me want to cry!

I came into this experience having gone through 2 years of prep work required by my insurance and the surgeons office..(I was denied by ins the first year because I was not a 35bmi for more than 2 yrs, 6 months after my denial, I had to restart the entire workup process all over to resubmit to insurance) I had heard the horror stories of bandster hell, and I thought, no way, that's not going to be me. BAHAHA.. My surgeon even called me on my cellphone one week before scheduled surgery to see if I wanted to change to a gastric bypass. (he told me he's seen so many people disappointed with the results) NO way I told him. I was so afraid of that surgery and that there was a much greater chance of complication.. I also liked the fact that I can be 5 years down the road with the band and have an adjustment.. 5 years after gastric bypass.. you're stuck as is.

The reality of it all... there are many days I wish I went with gastric bypass. Lapband is very difficult esp during the first phase. It does get easier with restriction.

To all the bandsters out there that have hit their goal weights, I applaude them. This is a tough road to travel. I think a lot of people go into this with the misconception that they are going to lose a massive amount of weight quickly.. that was my problem. I'm so disappointed with the fact that I was only able to stick to my calories for the first 6 weeks before I fell off the wagon. Just like EVERY other diet I've done in my life.

Luckily now with this last fill, the band reminds me what I can and CANNOT eat. Tried eating one of my sons french fries the other day.. nope. refused to go down and ended up throwing up. I doubt I'll ever eat french fries again. Now it's trial and error until I get this right.

Bandster hell does play with your mind. Keep positive!

A

My doctor didn't give me any guidelines calorie-wise. Following her guidelines I'm taking in about 1000 calories a day which is dramatically less than what I used to.

I guess I'm just going to have to hang on tight and ride it out. I didn't go through all this to fail!

I am on week 4 stomach feeling the same way!!!! My first fill is Monday and I cant wait, I use a 800 to 1000 per day cal diet, I try to eat foods high in protien its keeps me a little full for longer!!!! When I spoke to my Dr he said I will still have hunger pains after the fill. I hope not!! I look for 100 cL snack packs and if it gets real bad I eat those... Good Luck