Hello Everyone-

My name is Nathen Erickson and I am writing for some help or answers to questions. I had my surgery 1/25/2013, and stayed with the liquid diet throughout the first week no problem. The thing is in the first week, about 4 days in, I was able to eat 2 full cans of Cream of chicken by Campbells, and not get any un-easiness, pain, or throwing up symptoms. I was able to eat that much no problem? Now on Friday, I started semi-solids and solids, so I made a 3oz piece of chicken and some asparagus (8 very small and thin spears). I was able to eat that no problem with no dis-comfort and not achieving a sense of fullness, so I started getting frustrated. So yesterday, I felt I was tolerating everything really well, so I had 8 Schwans chicken fingers and some french fries (15 small) and cheeseballs (10 small), just to force myself to see if I COULD attain fullness or even throw up to know what my threshold was. Ate all of it no problem, and KINDA felt full.

My question is that all the literature that I recieved from the doctor as well as online show that your stomach SHOULD only be able to hold a MAX of 2ozs? Well how is this possible? Has anyone else out there experienced this before? I go to my first Dr. appt on Tuesday as well as meet with a dietician that day.

I am very frustrated with what I am experiencing, so if anyone could have suggestions or direct me where to read more on it, I would appreciate it. I can also be contacted on Facebook and my username is Nate A. Erickson in South Dakota.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Nate

You are not going to like what I have to say, but here it goes..... Are you out of your mind!!!!! The band is a TOOL! Forgetting all the post op restrictions, that are there to allow your stomach to heal), you still have to eat healthy food! Chicken fingers?! French fries?! Cheesballs?! Seriously, if you aren't going to change your eating habits then I don't know what to say. Didn't they teach you all this prior to your surgery? If not, then your doctor was very remiss. I'm sorry if all this sounds harsh but you have to figure this out if you want this to work.

Good Morning Nathan,

Let me start by saying im not an expert, I was just banded on 01/21/13. I hope this may help. Firts off your doctor may not have put any Fluid in your band. I know mine didn't. I haven't tried eating anything to scared. I may be able to eat more I just don't want to push it. That's not saying that i haven't been hungry because I have I just drink more fluids. Also most doctors won't give you your first fill until six weeks after surgery. But every doctor is different.

I hope this help.

Good morning! Please don't get discouraged. I had my surgery on 12/07/12. The doctor typically does not do a fill for the first 4 to 6 weeks. I also felt that I was able to eat much more than I thought I would be able to. Between surgery and the first fill I lost 13 pounds. When I had the first fill I only lost 3 and was discouraged. I went in last week for my second fill and am already down four more pounds. I know that he put a fill in this time. I do not get hungry between meals and I eat very little.

I try to be very strict on myself to be compliant with my lifestyle change. It can be hard. I have slipped and cheated a time or two but for the most part I stay on track. Just remember if you slip just pick yourself back up and keep moving forward. Hang in there, the change is coming!

It doesn't sound like you are following post op guidelines given by your doctor. I would be really surprised you are allowed solid foods before day 10. Right now is time for healing after surgery. Why do something to possibly harm that process? Please review your post op rules and stick to them. I'm recently banded so I hope some of the veterans will be along shortly to direct you to links that properly explain life with the band.

Just because your pouch is only made to hold a couple ounces doesn't mean you can't eat more than that. In fact, most of us can if we really want to. food passes through the band in less than a minute and some food passes through immediately. You can also stretch the pouch by over-eating. There's a saying around here you'll hear a lot "just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should". This is exactly why we're not supposed to eat more than a cup of food per meal, regardless of whether or not you physically can.

Have a look at this link, I think it will help you considerably: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Best wishes.

You are not serious about lossing weight. No one wanting to loss weight would eat all that high calorie foods. You still need to be on a diet plan the band when properly filled will help you get from one meal to another without feeling hugery.You have no restiction cause you have nothing in your band and you should be healing, resting and learning how to sip and eat slowly. when you want to loss the weight and get fills you will do it sand not before...stop eating junk you really know better then that.

I understand your doctor moves quicker than most through the post op diet plan. To which you should be thankful because my doctor required 1 week of Clear liquids and then 1 week of full liquids such as tomato Soup. As mentioned above just because you can eat normal portions doesn't mean that you should. Since your band is empty there's nothing stopping you from eating like you did before surgery at this point. The band is just sitting there around the outside of the stomach doing nothing.

Think of the pouch the doctor created as a funnel. The larger the hole in the funnel the quicker the Fluid you're putting in it flows through. Right now you're eating and everything you eat just goes from the pouch into the bottom of the stomach. The bottom of the stomach will hold a lot of food.

By the end of my first week yes I was still hungry after 8 ounces of Protein shake and 8 ounces of broth. Those were my allowed foods for each meal. It's also important to remember there's a difference between volume and weight. If your doctor created a pouch that holds two ounces that means by weight not by volume.

As I've seen on here a lot it seems like your doctor did not give you much Education on the band. Many people come out of surgery thinking that immediately they're going to start eating like a bird. And that's just not reality. Please keep in mind I'm not trying to be mean spirited.

For now this is a Willpower diet. And while there's lots of opinions on what that means personally I think you need to cut out cheese balls and french fries. If your doctor is letting you have mushies and solids then you need to buy a food scale and start weighing out your protein. My doctor's says 3 ounces.

You're testing your band a little more than a week out? Why did you bother? Stop. Now.

Go back to mushies, liquids, soft foods for a couple of days. Introduce solids one at a time...measure your food, stop when it's gone. Get your post op diet instructions out, read it and do it. This is blatant noncompliance.

You will most likely NEVER feel FULL! The band is designed to make you feel satisfied on less food.

Welcome to "Bandster Hell"! This is the stage that can go on until you get a fill that gives you some restrictioin. Like others have said, your band is wide open and at this point you can eat most anything you want within reason. However, your band was sutured into the lining of your stomach and stretching it or having a stuck episode could compromise the good work your surgeon has done.

I don't think you comprehend how the band works. Dr. Paul O'Brien has 4 videos on how the band works. Here are the links and I urge you to watch each one thoroughly so you understand the why's of the band:

Part 1

part 2

Part 3

Part 4

You can not possibly eat that much food after surgery unless you really want to hurt yourself. Do you realize you are on liquids for a reason? Do you realize that every time you eat your stomach is moving and you were put on liquids so that your band area can heal. If you continue to eat that way then what is the point of having surgery. You have to have some constraint and eating cheese balls is not on your diet plan and mine neither after three years. You are already sabotaging yourself. Follow your post op instructions. 2 full cans of soup???? Really????

you said you forced yourself to see..and maybe get to that throw up threshold..

please any newbie or prebie banders, read this and realize this is NOT the way a person who wants to lose weight works the lap band. following your dr's instructions is..

Just because your pouch is only made to hold a couple ounces doesn't mean you can't eat more than that. In fact' date=' most of us can if we really want to. food passes through the band in less than a minute and some food passes through immediately. You can also stretch the pouch by over-eating. There's a saying around here you'll hear a lot "just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should". This is exactly why we're not supposed to eat more than a cup of food per meal, regardless of whether or not you physically can.

Have a look at this link, I think it will help you considerably: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

Best wishes.[/quote']

Thank you Missy for posting this web site for Simpson! It explains very clearly how your supposed to "feel after eating" with a band. Read all the subjects on the site. And, remember...the Band goes around your stomach, not your mouth. You can eat anything you want, with exceptions of White Bread (for me) and as much as you want actually.

But, that isn't the way you need to work with the band. As the doctor explains you only eat until you feel saited, or " had enough..." Feeling. You are never to eat until your FULL. It works out for me to be right at about a cup for me and my doctor told me after my first fill ---"get off all the shakes." I eat REAL food, concentrating on Protein first. He recommended for me, soup for first day after a fill. Slow and steady loss of 4-8 pounds a month. It all adds up, and everyone hits plateaus.

Sent from Angel's iPad using LapBandTalk

No comment. If you WANT to lose weight you will. If you want to test the band, you may cause yourself harm. Decide which is more important to you and get on with it. I feel that perhaps you need to go back to your surgeon for a review on the process and eating with the band. At the very least talk to the nutritionist. Your behavior could be dangerous not only to your health but to that of other new banders who try to follow in your footsteps. I wish you success.

hello Nathen...

Im sorry your testing your band....but I know the frustration you are going through I remember being there too.....

I love my doctor ....and he gave me all the talks about the band is just a tool....la la la.....all I heard back then was.....Im one day closer to being banded....I had my mind set....so even though I didnt understand all he was saying...I think he knew I was already eatting right and I had alot of want power....

I didnt find this site till 2 weeks befor banding....How I wish I had found it sooner....

If you are like I was....I never felt full for months after banding....but I never ate junk food,,,during that time...I ate alotta salad...

Now that ypu have a better idea about how you should eat and the ways...I hope you can get back on track....~hugs~ you can do it !!!