PLEASE RESPOND. . .YOUR INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

[Banditiff 51]

I don't think you need a fill based on you sample menu. You went 4 hours between meals when you ate real food. Try no Protein drink and add some dived ham and cheese to that scrambled egg and a half slice of wheat toast. I was the same way until I went off the Protein drinks. I am nearly 11 months out and one fill. Base your hunger on eating real food. No matter how many fills you keep having' date=' liquid is going to go right through unless you are too filled and that is when you have other problems.[/quote']

Ok, thanks!

Watch Me Shrink BandiTiff

[Banditiff 51]

Straight off my surgeon's instructions: "if you are on good solid foods like a Subway sandwich and are hungry a couple of hours later' date=' well, then you just need a fill! Keeping your band tight is so very critical to your success!"[/quote']

That's what my surgeon says, but True Results is teaching me a lesson in diet tweaking I think, lol!

Watch Me Shrink BandiTiff

[Debbie3sons 1,936]

I agree with another fill however I was able to eat anything not that I did but when I got my 2nd fill then I notice restriction but I still have Water all through the day cause I get REAL HUNGRY LIKE 3 HRS AFTER I EAT so just try to keep a positive attitude & u will get there and let the office know u r just asking to be seen for a fill to help u cause u feel ur eating to much or tell them ur not getting satisified on what ur on also I agree their suppose to help u , so u can help urself hoped this helped I love that I can text my surgeon at anytime & he responds quickly.

[honk 780]

My doctor requires at least 3 weeks between fills; as it can take 2 weeks for a fill to take affect. My doctor never gave me instructions for Protein based on volume. I recommend that you get a kitchen scale and weigh out your protein 3 ounces per meal. My doctor does not support Protein Shakes once you've moved to solid foods. shakes are a liquid and is just going to flow right through the pouch into the big stomach. As mentioned this is a willpower diet for now. For lunch and dinner I would eat low fat low cal Protein 3 ounces and then low fat low cal veggies until satisfied.

[Banditiff 51]

This it's my Tervis 24 ounce tumbler and I drink 3 of these daily, PLUS I drink at least 2, 16.9 ounce bottles of Crystal Light and hot tea at night. . .so I think I'm getting enough H2O. . .right?

Watch Me Shrink BandiTiff

[Maddysgram 6,159]

This it's my Tervis 24 ounce tumbler and I drink 3 of these daily, PLUS I drink at least 2, 16.9 ounce bottles of Crystal Light and hot tea at night. . .so I think I'm getting enough H2O. . .right?

Watch Me Shrink BandiTiff

You're doing very well on your liquids

[Maddysgram 6,159]

My doctor requires at least 3 weeks between fills; as it can take 2 weeks for a fill to take affect. My doctor never gave me instructions for Protein based on volume. I recommend that you get a kitchen scale and weigh out your Protein 3 ounces per meal. My doctor does not support Protein shakes once you've moved to solid foods. shakes are a liquid and is just going to flow right through the pouch into the big stomach. As mentioned this is a willpower diet for now. For lunch and dinner I would eat low fat low cal Protein 3 ounces and then low fat low cal veggies until satisfied.

I too weigh my solid Proteins at 3oz and use measuring cup for everything else. If I eyeball something, it turns out I have huge eyeballs .LOL

[Maddysgram 6,159]

Banditiff, another thing that seems to help me is when I'm really hungry between meals, I have a hot cup of tea (Chai) or Diet hot chocolate with splenda. I don't know, but it seems the warmth of it settles my grumbles in my tummy.

[SageTracey 608]

Are you on full solids yet? If so, I would suggest adding more solids to your diet such as Protein (fish, chicken etc) as well as fresh fruit and vegetables. An apple doesn't have many calories but is great at helping me to feel satisfied for longer (plus it is great fibre).

[2muchfun 8,927]

This is just how I handled bandster hell and of course, we all face it and deal with it differently.

I just said what the hell. I ate what I wanted, but I did try to eat healthy foods from the lists. You know, Protein, salads etc. It was hard, and I fell of the wagon many times. I was in bandster hell from December 15th 2011 through March 30th 2012(approx). I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks after my surgery(11/28/2011) and then nothing till March 30th. I got my 3rd fill around March 30th and my first nutrition meeting at the same time. I was able to maintain my 12 lb loss from early December just because I ate the right foods and I did eat less due to the band.

But I wasn't going to be in the uncomfortable state of dieting that I had experienced for many years of dieting. No way. But, that 3rd fill did it for me, along with some great advice from my nutritionist.

I see no reason to go through the anxieties of not losing weight till you get a fill that gives you some restriction. I never ate just one cup of food till I got to the green zone. So my advice is to not sweat it so much and enjoy the holidays but eat healthy till you get that one fill that does the trick. Just my own advice.

tmf

[Shackwacky 72]

Thats the second time I have heard you mention "some great advice from my nutritionist". Can you share?

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

some great advice on this thread. i agree with all it.

i say if you are hungry, eat and get some more Protein.

if you are still hungry, like maddy, i drink (alot) to see if i am really hungry or if i think i am..and like TMF, def talking with the nutritionist works wonders also...but def not stressing over things that we cant control. just eat and drink what you are (instructed to do) allow your band to work as you are doing great helping it and i am sure you will rock this thing out. just hang in there

[2muchfun 8,927]

Thats the second time I have heard you mention "some great advice from my nutritionist". Can you share?

4 months into being banded I was still ignorant of how the band really worked. I had a general idea but I was eating too many foods every day that added up to me not losing 1 lb per week. She advised me to stop eating certain foods that were adding up to 400 calories a day. That's about 1 lb per week I was not losing due to drinking a beer a day, Snacks that did not satiate and I really can't recall all foods I was eating that were contrary to making the band work. I stopped drinking calorie laden fluids, started to eat Snacks that satiate like beef jerkey(high protein), eating more Protein during meals and eating them first.

She asked me to be brutally honest with my food intake and I was able to trim 400-500 calories a day off my intake without suffering. I was able to replace the non essential foods with foods that enabled my band to do it's job. I also picked up my exercise program. I was able to lose about 8 lbs a month for the next 4 months without the discomfort that comes along with "dieting".

Although she never explained it, I now see that I wasn't getting that upper pouch squeeze that tells the brain I've had enough to eat. And eating more Protein made the food stay in my lower stomach longer and of course, I now see that protein satisfies longer.

Having said all that, I have to admit I've been a bad boy since Halloween. Went on vacation to Mexico on 11/3 and then Thanksgiving, now there's Xmas parties, Cookies, cakes, food, food and more food. I'm hanging in there with only a few lbs gained but I'm not sweating it because I've got the "tool" to fix it come January 2nd.

Hope that helps?

tmf

[missybear 86]

I noticed your diet included tea and your getting your liquids in. Are you drinking with meals? I was instructed to only drink up to the time if the meal, waiting 30 mins after to resume drinking.

I've noticed if I am out, say at a restaurant and drinking throughout my meal, I tend to get hungrier later. I visualize the liquids are pushing the food through the band faster, rather than the food passing the nerves surrounding the band at a slower rate to help give my brain the sensation of satisfaction.

[KellyGram 36]

Try Protein bars. They tend to be dense and very filling so it takes hours to be hungry again.

I get two kinds from Costco:

Pure Protein, which comes in a blue box. At 1.75 oz, they have 20g protein, 17g carb, and about 180 cals.

Premier Protein, comes in a white box. At 2.5oz, they have 30g protein, 26g carb, and 270 cals.

They taste good and are very filling. It is rare that I ever finish even the smaller bar. I often cut them up into bite sized pieces and put them in the fridge in a baggie.