I am about 12 days post surgery. I got the go ahead to eat soft foods. Now that I'm eating soft food and chicken that is VERY well chewed I still find that I get hungry. Not crazy hungry but I can still feel like I can eat. My doctor won't do a fill for another four weeks so I'm teaching myself to eat smaller amounts. Is anyone else out there still hungry after surgery and if so how do you deal with the hunger? I'm hanging on to the weight loss since surgery but I don't want to eat too much and start gaining. Any ideas?

I just met with my doctor today (I'm only a week post-op) and he said this happens to most people. Just hang in there until you get a fill. It can take several fills until you are in your green zone.

Your going to get hungry after the swelling goes down. Once you get a fill it will be fine.

Until you get your fill do as you were in the beginning to control hunger, get a low calorie high protein drink. The protein will keep you fuller longer and low calories/carbs wont harm you in the end. Hope this helps, sucks when you are hungry and feel like you can still eat! Also sugar free popsicles and Jell-O.

BTW I am 12 days post op as well! I am still on liquids though

I’m coming up to my 7^th year of being banded this week and have talked about this here several times but I think it’s worth repeating for new bandsters.

Try and take it one day at a time. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t go into this journey saying “I’ll never be able to eat this or that ever again.” I can eat ANYTHING except rice and apple skins and no carbonated beverages. Follow the guidelines given to you by your doctor. Remember… take tiny bites (the size of your pinky fingernail) and remember to finish what you have in your mouth before you take your next bite.

When I was losing weight I checked in every month with my family doctor to get weighed and measured. (I don’t own scales) I also attended two coffee groups for people that were banded. These things really kept me motivated and on track. I still check in every month with my family doctor to get weighed-in and I host two coffee groups. For me support from fellow bandsters plays a big part in this journey.

Back when I was banded my family doctor came up with something called the “Egg Timer Distraction”. It’s kind of difficult to explain here but I’d be happy to email you the .pdf document. It REALLY helped me with “head hunger”. I can’t tell you the number of people in my lapband coffee groups over the years that have said how helpful this “trick” has been in dealing with their head hunger.

Also, I’m not really a “diet” book type person but I recommend you pick up two books.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle – by Dr. Michelle May

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. May speak at a conference when she came to Toronto and her book and guidelines really work well with the lapband journey.

The second book is:

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite – by David L. Kessler

Please feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions and also if you would like a copy of the “Egg Timer Distraction Document”. --- tomander@bell.net

Tom, Toronto

Banded July 6 06

Wt. Loss: 160 lbs

tomander@bell.net