7 days post-op and HUNGRY!

[ameyer30 132]

Ok I'm a week out and can honestly say I would punch a baby for a ham and cheese sandwich right now! Does this get any easier or should I just suck it up? I have another week of thin liquids then 2 weeks of puréed liquids before I get solid food! Good news is I've lost 16lbs since surgery day (9/17) so I can't complain about that!!!

[MookNana 61]

I'm in the same boat, only for me it's a turkey and cheese. With pickles. It has to have pickles. I don't know what that's about--I have three medical tests verifying I'm not pregnant.

I think it's totally normal--food doesn't stop tasting good just because we got the band. I hear it's better after you're on solids because you can get more variety and the solids make your band actually work, instead of liquids which just slide on through.

Stay strong and congrats on the success so far!

[intelirish 714]

That is so me too. last night i woke up with the worse hunger pains i have ever felt.. It felt so bad that at first i thought it had to be something else.. thankfully i'm allowed pudding at this stage post op so there i was at 3am eating a cup of pudding which did in fact cure the hunger pains and allow me to go back to sleep. Right now i'm just fixated on being allowed to eat scrambled eggs.. only a few more days and i can start adding things with a little thicker consistency i'm down 12lbs since i started the pre op diet so i'm all happy with that. i know the WL right now is stunted from one.. not enough calories being consumed and that my body is still adjusting. looking forward to being on solids. being able to do more than walk

Stay strong we can do this.

[catfish87 3,471]

Yes, and yes. For now, during the very important healing phase... suck it up and stick to your surgeons diet. But it will get easier. At least thats my opinion. Just think how good those mushies will be next week!

[lisacaron 5,075]

OK no baby punching ladies!

Hunger is normal, some of us get it back right away and others are just LUCKY in my opinion.

Hubby and I were banded together and he was watching a ball game thinking of nothing not caring to even think of food and I jumped off the couch and yelled shut this thing off! I could smell the hot wings they were advertising through the TV!!

He's like how can you even think of food? I said cause I am HUNGRY!!! I might go out and find a COW to eat!

OK irrational but it was true! This is the hardest part. I've heard it called Bandster hell!

Suck it up...stay away from TV and smells of yummy things and next week you can throw them in the blender and get at least a "taste" of normal again

Best wishes ladies!!! Stay strong your doing GREAT!

[SillyAuntDi 1,610]

I was really, really fortunate. I was banded on 9/11 and on liquids until 9/20. During that time, I never got hungry. I even rode with friends who went through the drive-thru at McDonalds and not a flinch. But, sitting with the nutritionist on 9/20 learning about mushy scrambled eggs, flaky fish, smooth soups...my tummy let out a rumble. She looked at me smiling. I told her that was the first real rumble of hunger I had felt since before the surgery. I hope you get to move to the next phase soon!

[Frederic 500]

...I think it's totally normal--food doesn't stop tasting good just because we got the band.

I don't know if it's true for everyone but for me some food have stopped tasting good since I got the band. Especially bread and I used to love fresh bread but I also find myself disliking broccoli which was a favorite vegetable and several other oddly specific foods.like Tomato Soup even though I'm fine with tomatoes and tomato sauces otherwise.

[Frederic 500]

This is the hardest part. I've heard it called Bandster hell!

Just to prepare you; the post op surgery isn't usually the hardest part. The hardest part I've observed is when you start normal foods again and you start to experience sliming as you have to adjust what your head and eyes think is a good amount of food to what your stomach and body can actually handle. That's when people often struggle with changing their nutrition habits and increasing their exercise and unfortunately feel like the band was a waste of money that just makes them miserable. That was my definition of bandster hell. Compared to that the post op hunger was cake (pun intended).

[tlbutler 98]

Banded 7 days ago also...it hasn't been that bad because I am really focused on the finish line. I want to be 200 pounds by Christmas so that I can fly without an extended belt. Fingers crossed...

[ameyer30 132]

The first few days I wasn't hungry at all. Now I think it's more of a mental thing. I really am tired of broth though. My Protein Shakes are getting me through. I am glad I found this forum, I appreciate everyone's responses!

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,722]

The first few days I wasn't hungry at all. Now I think it's more of a mental thing. I really am tired of broth though. My Protein Shakes are getting me through. I am glad I found this forum, I appreciate everyone's responses!

you are right, it is mental

of course we are hungry, liquid only goes so far....and we live in a world where people eat 24/7 and at dinner time, time to eat...see someone at work eat, we want to eat...drink alot, eat when truly hungry (after you are 100% healed) and learn to eat to live.......not living to eat.....its not overly hard but dont expect overnight 20 pound per day losses....its an ongoing (journey)..a total change in life.......welcome aboard

[ameyer30 132]

So I have a question for you veterans. I had Tomato Soup today (not technically on my acceptable foods list but it says "anything you could get through a straw" so I gave it a shot). That was at 1:30 this afternoon. I have felt full ever since then and I only ate about 2 ounces. The thought of drinking more makes me feel ill but I've only consumed around 500 calories today. Am I really going to survive this? Is that normal? My stomach is growling but I literally want nothing, almost feel sick from the Soup. Help!!!

[michpell39 399]

Ok I'm a week out and can honestly say I would punch a baby for a ham and cheese sandwich right now! Does this get any easier or should I just suck it up? I have another week of thin liquids then 2 weeks of puréed liquids before I get solid food! Good news is I've lost 16lbs since surgery day (9/17) so I can't complain about that!!!

Omg "punch a baby" lol very descriptive , it gets easier it does a lot has to do with carb withdrawal head hunger and simply not eating

[micki91 43]

Omg I was hungry right after surgery! Craving a big ol cheeseburger. So I come home a few hours later and my family was eating fried chicken! I about killed them! So trust me your not the only one and I may be worse cause as soon as I woke up the nurse said "how are you feeling" I said "im hungry!" And she laughed so it sucks but its something we will learn to live with. We can still have our favorite foods once we get to solids we just gotta cook them differently

[Frederic 500]

So I have a question for you veterans. I had Tomato Soup today (not technically on my acceptable foods list but it says "anything you could get through a straw" so I gave it a shot). That was at 1:30 this afternoon. I have felt full ever since then and I only ate about 2 ounces. The thought of drinking more makes me feel ill but I've only consumed around 500 calories today. Am I really going to survive this? Is that normal? My stomach is growling but I literally want nothing, almost feel sick from the Soup. Help!!!

Calorie intake post op is usually pretty low I was doing 300 to 400 calories a day for about 2 weeks. As you heal your appetite will increase so enjoy the weight loss as your body finds it easier to use it's reserves than to digest real food. Just make sure you're getting plenty of Protein so your body doesn't start using itself to get that particular nutrient and don't be surprised/depressed when your appetite returns and the weight loss slows down again.