i m just 8 weeks post op and I really have no problem with any type of food. I can eat eggs, bread, pasta, chicken, steak etc. Is this normal? I sometimes get the golfball feeling but other than that I never had a bad experience. Sometimes I say hey band are you in there? I eat small meals a day, stopping when I feel satisfied, not in pain. Im still learning about being a bandster and just wanted to know if this is normal. I have no fill as of yet and what I can eat changes daily. Some days Im just not hungry, other days im starving. I mostly eat protein, veg and minimal starch. Even had 2 slices of pizza on Friday. I just wanted to find out if this is the norm or is this a sign that I need a fill. I seem to be loosing 1 to 2 a week.

Hi!

I would say it is totally normal, especially because you don't have a fill. Having no fill is like not having a band at all. I too can eat any foods (except one time I PB'd on sushi): bread, Pasta, rice, pizza, celery, nuts, etc. I do get the golfball from time to time, but otherwise I can eat any food. I have a fill of 1cc in a 4cc band.

I'm 3.5 weeks post-op and, like you, have had no fills yet and can eat anything I want without restriction (I'm on a soft diet). If it were not for the incisions and being able to feel the port, I too would think they did not inplant a lap band in me. LOL.

I'm 6 weeks post op. I am scared to try bread or anything not covered in sauce. I haven't tried leatuce yet. I have PBed on eggs, cottage cheese, and cod fish (too dry). My band let's me know it's presence most all the time! Usually GAS after eating or drinking, and strange gurgly rumble when I haven't eaten in awhile. If this sounds like a complaint, I really like the way the band keeps me from eating any and every thing. I rarely feell hungry, and I fiil-up very quickly. The only cravings I had (head cravings) were for creamed spinach and cheese enchiladas. I had spinach at week 4 and enchilada on Saturday. I don't crave anything now. I keep track of what I eat, calories, Fiber, and Protein only because I wasn't eating enough and was starting to feel run-down.

I get my first fill tomorrow. I have to admit that I am a little nervous about the fill. I hope I don't PB alot after the fill.

I am just over three weeks out. I don't plan on cutting anything from my diet (well, except fast food), just be very particular about my portions and choose healthier meals over empty calories. I have a 4cc band and am hoping I can go without a fill, at least for a while. When the word "diet" is brought into the picture it just doesn't work for me so I have to allow myself freedom of choice. I am also walking at least 6 miles a day right now.

Yes, you have a little restrictions with the band, but with no fill, it really isn't working like it should. When do you go in for a fill?

Once you are properly filled, you will probably be limited to certain foods. For me, I can't eat breads, rice, Pasta, etc. I can eat most meats and fish, but not anything dry, and only a small amount.

Mary, once you get your fill, just go slowly. It may take weeks to determine what you can eat with your fill. Things change when you are restricted, so you may not be able to eat the same foods that you are eating now...

Sheryl,

After your fill, do you go back to liquids for 3 days, mushies 3 days, semi-solids for 3 day. I think I read that from another post. I go to the Surgicenter in Houston tomorrow for my fill. A PA there does all the fills.

Mary,

I was filled at the surgicenter by PA Marzona, (she is great by the way, no pain AT ALL)...and i was on mushies for 48 hours.

Sheryl,

After your fill, do you go back to liquids for 3 days, mushies 3 days, semi-solids for 3 day. I think I read that from another post. I go to the Surgicenter in Houston tomorrow for my fill. A PA there does all the fills.

I can't remember what my surgeon says (it has been awhile since my last fill), but I just take it easy for the first day or so and listen to what my body is saying. I will keep to semi-soft for a few days, just in case. But both times I got my fills, I didn't get the restriction until a week after my fill. That can happen.

Listen to what your doctor says, and really listen to your body. You will know what to do...

Good luck! It should be a breeze, especially if you are having it done with someone who does all the fills there!

It sounds a lot like me and I've had little trouble keeping the weight coming off. The most I could say is that five months down the track now I do have to work to lose, I have to consciously say no to things, I have to keep up the exercise and make good food choices but all I'll be rewarded for for that work is a small 1lb loss per week. But really, its sure adding up over time, and my doc is so happy with how I've gone.

I could lose faster with more fill I guess but at this rate I'll be at goal well before the end of the year, I wont have to go clothes shopping every 3 weeks and its healthy and gives my skin a chance to keep up.

I also get a little satisfaction out of knowing that my band is helping me but I"m still thinking about what I need to do and using discipline to do it. I dont want to just only be able to eat 1/3 of a cup and just lose weight automatically. I also want to be able to continue to enjoy my life, go out and eat with friends etc.

So my view on it is if you're losing then you dont really need a fill. But it doesnt mean you cant have one if that's the way you want to play it.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being able to tolerate all kinds of food IMHO.

I am a little over a year out. I have 1cc in a 4cc band, so I am not unfilled and I have been as tight as 2.5cc (taken out because I was having gall bladder attacks that my doc thought was esophageal spasms). Even at my tightest, I could tolerate all kinds of food. That includes bread, Pasta, rice, eggs and meat of all sorts. There is absolutely NOTHING that I have not put in my mouth that I cannot tolerate. The only pain I have had has been mostly related to my gall bladder and to tell you the God's honest truth, I haven't even PB'd. The only time I thought I did, it was related to the gall bladder attack.

Now that I have my gall bladder out, if I have a meal that is probably a little too large I get uncomfortable but no pain. No "golf ball" feeling.

Up until this plateau that I've been on since February, I lost weight steadily and had no problems. So, just because you CAN tolerate certain foods does not mean that there's anything wrong with you or that your band is not tight enough. It's very individual. Those foods are considered "high risk" and a lot of bandsters do have trouble with them, but it's not a guarantee that you won't be able to tolerate them. I'm living proof.

Just FYI

Even after my 2nd fill - with 4.6 in my Vanguard band - I can still eat everything I have tried. Now, I haven't tried any white bread - but I have eaten most everything else, including a little bit of rice - so yeah - it's normal.

I just chew everything very well and eat slowly. Nothing wrong with avoiding the ever so delightful PB IMHO.

So long as I avoid large carb hits, I am losing weight at and acceptable pace.

:]

Many people can eat anything before their first fill. You are eight weeks out so you are pretty much healed. Your swelling has gone down, which may have restricted you initially.

I have had two fills and the foods I can and cannot tolerate have changed from fill to fill. I used to eat chicken all the time and now it almost always gets stuck, yet I am now able to tolerate some forms of bread.

It's definitely not a perfect science, but you will figure it out as you go...

For myself, I can eat anything too but will try to avoid food that are too spicy or hot as I would not be able to them chew well and likely to swallow them instead. For most days I will stick to Proteins, vegetables, low fat dairy and occasionally some starch. Weight is coming off slowly and hope that this momentum will continue (1kg per week). Currently trying to incorporate some low impact excercise 3x a week.

Looking forward to my first feel in May :bananadoggywow:

I was banded in January '06, have had 2 fills (I think 1.5cc the first time and .5 the second!). I have trouble w/ certain things, mostly rice, bread if it's too doughy (don't try any type of bread very often), and meat like steak if I don't get it chewed properly. But I'm not near as limited as some people are. I'm not losing as quickly as I had anticipated but am finding out that the band is very much an individualized thing....not everyone has the same encounters! Just believe in it and don't get discouraged......I do sometimes and Hubby has to give me a pep talk! Even though I've only lost about 12-15lbs, that's 12-15lbs gone forever!

I am two weeks out and I am hungry. Today is my first day on mushies, so I hope it gets better. I think it may be alot of HEAD hunger, because I am getting about 900 calories per day and 80 gms of protein. I just can't wait to get filled.....I fear gaining between now and week 6, but I am just going to remember how much time and effort I put into being approved for this surgery and just how much I want to go to the beach and be able to wear a swimsuit with my 4 year old daughter this summer!!!!!!!