Hi everyone,

I really need help getting back on track. I was banded on 3/13. My dr's orders were to take full liquids (anything that can go through a straw) for two weeks and after that, go to soft foods. Well, my two week mark is tomorrow. However, I am eating myself up because I have not been following his orders. I have already progressed to soft foods and some not so soft foods. In fact, most of what i am eating is solids and not liquids.

I have tried chewing everything thoroughly, but now I am in panicking. I have not had side effects but I am scared that my bad may have slipped (no reason, just the numerous posts I have read about this have me in panic mode.) The good news is that I do feel restriction even if i have not had a fill yet, so I am not eating much and losing weight.

I am really really scared and need some tough love as well as reassurance that others have battled them same challenge I have. Everytime I read threads here, it seems like people are sticking to their dr's orders except me.

Please help me and give me reassurance. I am panicking.

Thanks,

Tabitha

It's hard to follow the doctors orders when you are hungry. I'm on my 8th day of post-op and I'm going crazy. I'm suppose to be on a modified liquid diet for 3 weeks. Which includes protein shakes, jello, yogurt, cottage cheese, watered down oatmeal etc. I found I needed something this morning or I was going to go crazy. I decided to make some instant potato and I watered it down a bit until it was like a cream of wheat consistency added S&P and butter and I can't believe how good it tasted!

I felt the same way after I ate it...what did I do, did I just blow it? But I felt fine afterwards and I'm still full even though I only had about a 1/3 of a cup.

Tabitha, get back on the program as soon as you can. YOu can create damage in the pouch if you don't. YOu are in the healing stages right now so it is very important to follow the doctors order. You are okay probably but prolonging eating of solids is not going to be good for you. Just get back on track.......now!

my concern for you is if you can not follow your doctors orders from the start...how will you be able to follow the bandster rules throughout this journey? Doesnt matter how tight band is and how many fills you have, it you are notcommitted in your head, there are always ways to eat around the band. Even with our bands ( a great tool) we still have to do most of the work, the band will not do it all.

Everyone screws up. The only issue comes when you choose not to fix it. If I had self control, I would not have been so fat!

Make a decision that you are back on track strating now! I took in soft food early and solid food early but once I did it, I felt bad, smacked my own wrist ( or someone on the forum did) and I got back on track. You can do that too!

I paid too much money, had major surgery and will have a scar from my port forever, there is no way I will fail! I have invested too much time and effort to give up. We can all make it but it does take effort.

Today, I choose to follow my doctor's advice, make decent choices on my eating and move forward. It's never too late to start over and I believe in you!

that is the BEST advise ive ever heard about doing anything.

try it for TODAY.

if that goes well...try it tomorrow too.

right on.

im inspired too.

going to go wash those dirty dishes now.

Thanks everybody. I am very encouraged. Today has not been a good day either but after reading the posts, I am committed to making the rest of today a good day and making the right decisions moving forward.

Spyder said that he has paid too much money for this, has a scar forever etc, that it would be a waste not to try. You are right.

Thanks for helping me get back on track.

Tabitha

I'm jealous! My doc believes this is so important he has two weeks of clear liquids, two weeks of full liquids, two weeks of soft foods, then gradually work into solids.

Mine, too!

I'm jealous! My doc believes this is so important he has two weeks of clear liquids, two weeks of full liquids, two weeks of soft foods, then gradually work into solids.

Curious....were you banded in Port Huron, MI?

I have the same diet.

Hey Everyone~

Just wanted to give an update that so far, I am on track, since yesterday afternoon. Everytime my mind wanders to solids, I remember the tough love and words of encouragement. :-)

So thanks, all!!

Good for you! Glad to see you stepping up and taking up the challenge. It is not easy to be a Bandster but it is all worth it in the end. There is a light at the end of all this and I believe we will all make it.

Can you tell I've been watching Dr Phil?!

Thank you for this thread, I too am definately struggling. I am pre fill and starving and not making the healthiest food choices right now. I pray that I have the strength to follow the bandster rules. Yes. I will start fresh from this very moment on.

Hi everyone,

I really need help getting back on track. I was banded on 3/13. My dr's orders were to take full liquids (anything that can go through a straw) for two weeks and after that, go to soft foods. Well, my two week mark is tomorrow. However, I am eating myself up because I have not been following his orders. I have already progressed to soft foods and some not so soft foods. In fact, most of what i am eating is solids and not liquids.

I have tried chewing everything thoroughly, but now I am in panicking. I have not had side effects but I am scared that my bad may have slipped (no reason, just the numerous posts I have read about this have me in panic mode.) The good news is that I do feel restriction even if i have not had a fill yet, so I am not eating much and losing weight.

I am really really scared and need some tough love as well as reassurance that others have battled them same challenge I have. Everytime I read threads here, it seems like people are sticking to their dr's orders except me.

Please help me and give me reassurance. I am panicking.

Thanks,

Tabitha

Tabitha:

Have you experienced any pain while eating these forbidden foods? I would think that if your band slipped (that would involve tearing out stiches) you would be in pain and would know, also if your band slipped I would think you would not have any restriction.

So from this day forward start thinking about possible consequences.

Thank you for this thread, I too am definately struggling. I am pre fill and starving and not making the healthiest food choices right now. I pray that I have the strength to follow the bandster rules. Yes. I will start fresh from this very moment on.

Becca:

I am right there with you! But recently I found South Beach Diet frozen entrees, they are bigger portions and very tasty. I liked Lean Cuisine until I tried these. Drink lots of water too. But I am right there with you, you are not alone, but together maybe we can be stronger.

I really dont understand why people find liquids and mushies so hard - I kind of want to highlight what Berry said about making up potato and watering it down. That's not illegal!

The thing with liquids and mushies is the consistency of the foods, NOT what you acually eat. If it will go up a straw its liquid. So liquidise REAL food, dont try to get by on shakes, juice, water, cottage cheese and yogurt. No wonder you're starving. Make some decent soup, with some meat and pasta in it, liquidise some chicken and potato and vegies with gravy, or stock, you can liquidise nearly anything. Breakfast could be a protein shake with a banana blended into it, you could have some yogurt mid morning, some sort of protein, carb and vegetable concoction for lunch, blended fruit in the afternoon and something similar to lunch for dinner.

You dont have to starve. You have to figure out a way to feed yourself real food in liquid form. Cook something - dont just rely on packets, boxes and powders or you will be hungry and find it really hard to stick to.

Mushies can be every bit as varied, filling and satisfying as a regular solid diet. When you cook up a roast chicken and vegetables for the family for dinner, give yours a stab (no skin!) with a stick blender and gravy. Instant mushies. You dont have to live on cottage cheese. Make some lentil dahl with a dab of natural yogurt, or a minestrone soup, or similar. My instructions from my doc were to try to get in 1200 calories a day during this stage to make sure what I lost was healthy weight loss - fat - not muscle, water and a bit of fat. Those massive weight losses at the start arent really any indication of how you'll go further down the track anyway.

If you happen to heal quickly and well and lose your restriction quickly and have a long period of hunger before your first fill then it will be hard - but it need not be any harder than being on a diet normally is. We've all done that for six weeks havent we? Its keeping it up long term that's the really hard bit.

Two weeks of clear liquids - now that IS very hard. I dont think I could have done it to be honest. I dont blame anyone for caving on that.