i have some observations/questions with my new found restriction.

*first off WATER- i was drinking 64-100 oz Water a day with my water schedule. well its 12:30 here and i have only drank maybe 20 oz and thats sipping all morning. i am trying to put off lunch till i have drank atleast 32 oz. any tips or tricks here?

*SODA's- are no more i can TOTALLY see how they would stretch the pouch) i had 1 teeny swallow on an empty pouch and WHAMMO i could feel it expanding AND IT HURT!!! so since i cant drink drink a flat soda i think i'll be saying bye bye to them!

*Breakfast alternatives- i have tried eggs, cottage cheese and oatmeal and they all hurt a little more than i care for first thing in the morning. what are some soft foods ya'll like and eat for breakfast?

i am most concerned about the water. right now i am just wondering how i am gonna get it in!!!!

Welcome to restriction land, Shelly!!! I'll tell you what works for me...

The first thing I'd have to say- DO NOT WAIT TO EAT if you are hungry. You'll end up eating too fast or the wrong thing, etc. The rules have changed, now...I can't do that "I'll eat after I..." thing anymore.

I end up drinking most of my Water at night now- I have much less restriction, and I get the munchies at night, so I drink a few- probably three- bottles of water before I go to bed. I'm very ready to go to the bathroom in the morning, needless to say. But, I get it in...

Breakfast is the hardest...I've found that I can't eat eggs anymore, even cottage cheese is tough- so I eat that Kashie Go Lean Crunch Cereal with milk....or a yogurt, or a Protein shake, or I'll have something non breakfasty that I know will go down- like tuna.

I have a sip or two of my sister's soda once and awhile...and I"ve even had a fountain soda with my popcorn at the movies...but it's not pretty after. I get the burps so badly it's hilarious. Plus, giving up soda is a very freeying thing. It save you money, and it's not the greatest thing to be putting in your body. But you already know all that...

As I'm writing this, I've been eating a soft taco from taco bell (fresco style, of course) and I realize I should not have taken that last bite. Another tip- that as you can see I don't always follow- is to ONLY eat. Don't watch tv, drive, write emails!, even talking to people makes it harder. Pretty soon you'll notice that you have a sense about what's going on in your stomach and you won't have to focus so intensely. Plus I find I actually taste my food and enjoy the many flavors so much more.

Great questions, and I'm so glad they finally figured out what was happening with your band...

Megan

WHAT SHE SAID!!!

Yup, I agree with everything Megan said 100%. Welcome to the wonderful world of restriction! :eek:

Hi Michelle -

I have the same problem with Water since this last fill from October - I was drinking a gallon of water a day until then, and now I'm lucky to get in a quart or two. The weird thing is, food seems to go down easier than the water - almost like the pouch needs something solid to push through.

I have no ideas about the water predicament, except possibly developing a taste for hot water (blech!!).

Morning foods for that tight restriction - start with hot liquid (tea seems to work better than coffee, don't know why), then maybe try a yoghurt. I'm okay on cottage cheese if I chew well and go slowly. About one big bite well chewed seems to fill it up, and takes a few minutes before I can have another bite. I'm sure I would do better if I took teeny bites... :guess A challenge for me to work on.

Anything cold though is pretty much a no-go for me in the mornings without my hot tea primer. I probably wouldn't have any problems with runny oatmeal, so I'm probably not quite as tight as you are.

eggs are not easy to eat - they don't dissolve when you chew. It doesn't seem to matter that they're "soft" - I have to be super careful with eggs, as I tend to get stuck with them very easily - fried, scrambled, whatever.

If you find the magic solution for getting your water in let me know, k?

thank you so much ladies!!!

megan~ i dont have to worry about waiting to eat till i get hungry. my band has put a muzzle on my food demons!!!

i think i will try to focus on night drinking for my Water. i always want to EAT at night so that will give me something to focus on.

i am reallly enjoying my food now too! the fact that it takes a while to eat i actually savor the amount i do get to eat!

alexandra~ i feel like i am newly banded! what i had before was definitally not restriction. it slowed me down yes but NOW its WONDERFUL!!

donali~ sip sip sip i did manage to get in 64 oz yesterday. i had to switch to room temp water.

i had a half scram egg this morning and it was tolerable. i think i will loosen up a tad as the swelling goes down. i'll give it two weeks before i think all possable swelling is gone. i havent pb'd and have eaten pork, chicken, eggs, and a piece of a biscuit. (those are just the dense foods i have tried)

does anyone else have problems with even room temp water. i can't get room temp water or gatorade to go down. sometimes it all foams up and then comes back (sorry for the gross tmi(toomuch information).