I'm curious to find out if any other banders have had a similar experience. I'm finding that early mornings I'm not hungry at all. As the day goes on I start getting very hungry. I also find it takes more to feel full at dinner time than it did before my fill (have only had 1 fill of 1ml). Also can u please give me any tips on foods to avoid and foods that are great at providing protein and yet are filling. I'm finding it hard to figure out a good variety of meals and snacks.

Im 5weeks 5days post surgery

I'm curious to find out if any other banders have had a similar experience. I'm finding that early mornings I'm not hungry at all. As the day goes on I start getting very hungry. I also find it takes more to feel full at dinner time than it did before my fill (have only had 1 fill of 1ml). Also can u please give me any tips on foods to avoid and foods that are great at providing Protein and yet are filling. I'm finding it hard to figure out a good variety of meals and Snacks.

A lack of morning hunger hits almost everyone who has been banded. The band seems to be a little tighter in the mornings for most all of us. This leads to a little pressure on the valgus nerve which in turn provides some satiety.

Most banders fall into the "Bandster Hell" phase of their journey within the first 30-60 days post op. Sounds like you're there? Bandster Hell is the time where your band is not adjusted properly and food can still travel through the stoma with little effort. You usually don't feel the satiety during this time and your hunger cravings can be enormous.

The first 6 months can be a time of many changes. What satiates you now may and will change as you progress. You should eliminate the words "full" from your vocabulary as a term that identifies having eaten enough. Satiety, satiation, satisfied are terms you look for now.

The band works different from other WLS techniques. The band helps us to feel less hungry with small portions of food. It's more voluntary than the sleeve or RNY. We have to pay close attention to the satiety signals such as, hiccups, yawning, runny nose, burps and of course, food on your plate is no longer appealing. Then, it's time to put the fork down.

You should want to avoid the "full" feeling. If you feel full, you've probably eaten too much. You want to feel satisfied with less food and stop eating at that time.

The only foods to avoid are processed foods like refined sugar, flour, fried foods and highly processed fast foods. Eating protein food types like chicken, hamburger, seafood are a must. Vegetables are a must. High carb foods are OK in small quantities. Potatoes and rice are OK but in small quantities. Your doctor should have given you a manual or pamphlet explaining what to eat and not to eat?

Good luck and look for those satiety signals. They can be very very very subtle.

Thankyou for that. I was meant to see my NUT at 4 weeks however the earliest they could get me in is not till next week. So I have not really received any info on food guides yet. My surgeon gave me a quick run down at my first fill and told me I was fine to move to solids and that I should eat protein mostly. Basically I have been living on eggs for lunch and dinners are usually steamed veggies with either salmon cakes or chicken. It's getting very boring. I don't want to stuff this up by eating the wrong foods or by eating too much. I've waited a long time for this chance and I don't want to waste it.

Also thanks for the info on signals that it's time to put the fork down. It's something I've always struggled with as I was raised in a house where u couldn't leave the table till the plate was empty.

The hiccup I've had and recognized. The others I have experienced but ignored. I will watch for them more closely now and recognize what they mean.

Thanks so much

I find that my band is much tighter of the morning...as the day wears on, I too get hungrier and can eat more at the evening meal than I've eaten all day.....

I would love to find a couple weeks worth of "menus" for folks that have had lap band surgery....I suck at figuring all this out and find myself eating the same thing over and over and I know I'm gonna burn out soon...

Another bandster sent me this reply. Hope it helps u too. Also I've joined a group on Facebook that shares recipes for bandsters as I'm having the same repeat food blues

A lack of morning hunger hits almost everyone who has been banded. The band seems to be a little tighter in the mornings for most all of us. This leads to a little pressure on the valgus nerve which in turn provides some satiety. Most banders fall into the "Bandster Hell" phase of their journey within the first 30-60 days post op. Sounds like you're there? Bandster Hell is the time where your band is not adjusted properly and food can still travel through the stoma with little effort. You usually don't feel the satiety during this time and your hunger cravings can be enormous. The first 6 months can be a time of many changes. What satiates you now may and will change as you progress. You should eliminate the words "full" from your vocabulary as a term that identifies having eaten enough. Satiety, satiation, satisfied are terms you look for now. The band works different from other WLS techniques. The band helps us to feel less hungry with small portions of food. It's more voluntary than the sleeve or RNY. We have to pay close attention to the satiety signals such as, hiccups, yawning, runny nose, burps and of course, food on your plate is no longer appealing. Then, it's time to put the fork down. You should want to avoid the "full" feeling. If you feel full, you've probably eaten too much. You want to feel satisfied with less food and stop eating at that time. The only foods to avoid are processed foods like refined sugar, flour, fried foods and highly processed fast foods. Eating Protein food types like chicken, hamburger, seafood are a must. Vegetables are a must. High carb foods are OK in small quantities. Potatoes and rice are OK but in small quantities. Your doctor should have given you a manual or pamphlet explaining what to eat and not to eat? Good luck and look for those satiety signals. They can be very very very subtle.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by goosarr_sez

For dinner I usually eat:

Low fat hamburger in the form of a patty or minced for a taco salad(also good for omelet filling).

Salmon-baked, grilled.

chicken in many forms. Ground, filets, roasted, grilled, stir-fry.

Shrimp, stir-fry, grilled, boiled, on salads, kabobs.

Steak, I prefer small tenderloins.

Stuffed peppers with ground meat of your choice with rice, parmesan cheese and seasonings.

Turkey in all forms. Deli turkey slices, ground turkey etc.

Spaghetti squash is a low carb high Fiber food. Use it in place of noodles.

There's no reason to feel deprived for any type of food with the band. It's a matter of eliminating the processed foods we all grew so fond of. If it's a white food, question it's validity. Milk, sugar, flour are all white and should be used sparingly.

Ridding your house of chips, crackers, candy, processed breads and Pasta will be the hardest to do but temptation and cravings can and will be a challenge.

One of the major contributors here is Jean McMillan, she also has a great cookbook you can buy through her website.

Edited March 25, 201412 yr by 2muchfun

VARIETY!!! I struggle with getting variety in my foods. It's easy to fall into a routine and eat the same things over and over because we know they work for us. Then, we get bored. That's when we eat things we shouldn't....let's fight this together!

I like to blend flavors. I will blend two Protein sources in a meal. So instead of just chicken, I'll do chicken and black Beans. I'll add a slice of low-fat cheese to a garden/veggie burger. I eat my yogurt and follow it with a few almonds for a salty finish. Once I've devoured my protein I eat a veggie followed lastly by a starch/carb. I'll admit, I very rarely make it to the starchy food.

I try very hard not to eat the same foods twice in a day, or even the same lunch menu on back to back days.

I try new veggies or new recipes at least once a week. I get lots of ideas on pinterest. I have discovered an obsession with butternut squash and spaghetti squash. Kale chips are DEVINE! I cannot wait for the spring/summer veggies to come in so I can start on those. Roasted zucchini is my all time favorite.

You'll have a better idea of what foods you are allowed after you visit your NUT. Talk about being bored with what you are currently doing. Ask how to blend flavors and still meet your requirements. Talk about any particular food from your previous life that you are missing and what you can substitute for it now. Ask for recipes and suggestions. They want you to succeed and will help you!

Good luck! You are going to do amazing things

I forgot in that long-winded post to say this: I have a polite "stop eating now" burp. I try really hard to listen. Sometimes the food is just so good that I take another bite. If I push it, I get the not so polite "STOP NOW" belch that makes people turn around and stare My 10-year-old niece listens and says "Wasn't that your full burp? You need to put your fork down, Aunt Di!" LOL...gotta love her

VARIETY!!! I struggle with getting variety in my foods. It's easy to fall into a routine and eat the same things over and over because we know they work for us. Then, we get bored. That's when we eat things we shouldn't....let's fight this together!

I like to blend flavors. I will blend two Protein sources in a meal. So instead of just chicken, I'll do chicken and black Beans. I'll add a slice of low-fat cheese to a garden/veggie burger. I eat my yogurt and follow it with a few almonds for a salty finish. Once I've devoured my protein I eat a veggie followed lastly by a starch/carb. I'll admit, I very rarely make it to the starchy food.

Variety is so true. I've stumbled across some great recipes due to this band but I must confess, I've also made a few dishes that were so gawd-awful I wouldn't feed them to my neighbors obnoxious dog. I need to learn to trust my instincts as I'm preparing some of these dishes?

Re: Chicken and beans. One of our staples and we do repeat most every week, is brown rice with beans. Sometimes mix some left over chicken, salmon, onions and mushrooms, toss a little Tuscan olive oil and parmesan cheese on it. So many ways to mix it up and it's so satisfying.

this "valgus" nerve you refer to...where is it located (sorry I could google that couldn't I?) the reason I ask is you say that the band being tighter leads to pressure on the valgus nerve and that is what I would use to describe what I'm feeling. I had a stomach bug a week ago...I feared I had dislocated my band, but went to my doc and he did an ultra sound and all was well....but I'm still feeling this pressure (perfect word) in the front at the top of my stomach.... right under the band of my bra. to be exact....when I went to the doc last week and he did the ultra sound and saw that it was where it was supposed to be, he also added another cc....for a total of 5.5cc.....is it normal that I can "feel" this tightness/pressure, especially of the morning.....and boy has it put an end to my eating bread and rice..lol

Another bandster sent me this reply. Hope it helps u too. Also I've joined a group on Facebook that shares recipes for bandsters as I'm having the same repeat food blues



A lack of morning hunger hits almost everyone who has been banded. The band seems to be a little tighter in the mornings for most all of us. This leads to a little pressure on the valgus nerve which in turn provides some satiety. Most banders fall into the "Bandster Hell" phase of their journey within the first 30-60 days post op. Sounds like you're there? Bandster Hell is the time where your band is not adjusted properly and food can still travel through the stoma with little effort. You usually don't feel the satiety during this time and your hunger cravings can be enormous. The first 6 months can be a time of many changes. What satiates you now may and will change as you progress. You should eliminate the words "full" from your vocabulary as a term that identifies having eaten enough. Satiety, satiation, satisfied are terms you look for now. The band works different from other WLS techniques. The band helps us to feel less hungry with small portions of food. It's more voluntary than the sleeve or RNY. We have to pay close attention to the satiety signals such as, hiccups, yawning, runny nose, burps and of course, food on your plate is no longer appealing. Then, it's time to put the fork down. You should want to avoid the "full" feeling. If you feel full, you've probably eaten too much. You want to feel satisfied with less food and stop eating at that time. The only foods to avoid are processed foods like refined sugar, flour, fried foods and highly processed fast foods. Eating Protein food types like chicken, hamburger, seafood are a must. Vegetables are a must. High carb foods are OK in small quantities. Potatoes and rice are OK but in small quantities. Your doctor should have given you a manual or pamphlet explaining what to eat and not to eat? Good luck and look for those satiety signals. They can be very very very subtle.

can I ask what the name of the facebook group is that you joined? thanks

@@goosarr_sez

The vegus nerve runs from the stomach to the head and the pressure on the band is supposed to stop hunger. It has never stopped my hunger but some people it does not.

Dumb question coming...lol It didn't stop your hunger...but you still lost the weight you wanted?

The vegus nerve runs from the stomach to the head and the pressure on the band is supposed to stop hunger. It has never stopped my hunger but some people it does not.

<p>can I ask what the name of the facebook group is that you joined? thanks</p> <p> </p> <p>@@goosarr_sez</p>

I just searched lapband and gastric band. There are a few groups. Most are invite only so u just request to join.