I don't like this "lapband hell"! I'm 3 weeks post-op and can eat just about anything so far...which I'm not liking. I have a terrible time with will-power! I don't have much! Just out of habit I grabbed a handful of goldfish and ate them. I don't know what I'm going to do between now and my first fill.

I don't like this "lapband hell"! I'm 3 weeks post-op and can eat just about anything so far...which I'm not liking. I have a terrible time with will-power! I don't have much! Just out of habit I grabbed a handful of goldfish and ate them. I don't know what I'm going to do between now and my first fill.

berry,

I feel your pain. I was banded on March 21st and feel the exact same way you do. We definately need a fill ASAP .

Eclipse

I'm glad I'm not alone Eclipse!! I feel like I can eat like I did prior to surgery, no restriction at all. I don't have to take small bites or chew, chew, chew yet. I'm almost wondering if they even put the band on!!

I've been having to really pay attention when it comes to eating.

It works some of the time.

I'm really trying to keep it at around 1 Cup of food per meal. But then sometimes an hour later I turn around and find a snack. I just started to move to solids, but I have no problems with anything I've eaten so far. I haven't tried hamburger or pasta or bread yet. lean meat has no problem going down.

I have got to stick to the 3 meals a day rule, I've already gained back a few lbs. that I lost right after surgery.

2 more weeks 'til a fill......I need to remind myself of the whole picture and the reasons i'm doing this.

Keep in mind that the band is not designed to give restriction until it is filled. I'd hope your surgeon and/or psychologist were up front with you about this, and helped to set your expectations. Not many people have noteworthy restriction prior to their first fill. As for what to do between now and then - focus on trying to adapt to bandster lifestyle. You have a good acclimation period prepared for you. And don't beat yourself up if you're eating more than whatever quanitty guidelines you have. Again - not realistic until you have restriction. But you can focus on whatever your pre-op requires, and if you hit solids before your first fill, start finding hard proteins that work for you.

I'm glad I'm not alone Eclipse!! I feel like I can eat like I did prior to surgery, no restriction at all. I don't have to take small bites or chew, chew, chew yet.

use this time to practice your chew chew chewing ... this is for healing.

once you get 1 (or maybe more) fills it will be better.

:phanvan I was just wondering if it was me... but I have not had a problem with anything so far. I am trying to limit my quantity etc..but I am also finding myself hungry. I am hoping to find some insight at support group if I can get there this week. The next eating class is the 2nd Wed in May. If anyone wants to chat I have aol instant messenger. My screenname is Cuddlenymph . Also does anyone ever go in the chat room on this page? I have a few times and now one is ever there?

The best thing I did was to eat until I was not hungry anymore---and then head to the store. There I bought multiple things I could eat. Keeping the high protein low carb thoughts in mind. I bought sf pudding cups, lots of jello to make, cheese sticks, and packages of individually wrapped cheddar, several varieties of the 100 calorie snacks, lunch meat, cream cheese, sausage patties, eggs, mixed nuts, almonds, yogurt--anything I could think of that was "ok". When I come home, I hard boiled several eggs, I cooked up several sausage patties ( I like them cold...as leftovers!!), I prepped some of the veggies I bought. So that when I hit the kitchen with the munchies hot on my tail, I had choices, and none of them were too bad for me. It will get easier as you start the fill process, but it is a gradual adjustment. So the best thing you can do is be prepared---and be ready for the hunger...have something there to eat, and lots of things handy to drink. Don't force yourself to remain hungry, that will just be more likely to lead to a binge later.

When I cooked dinner, I tried to keep it simple, say pork chops and a salad. I would cook a few extra chops, so I would have one to eat the next day, either for lunch or because it 3:05 and I was starving!!! The pork chop was better for me than the oreos in the cupboard!! I always have salad on hand---it has been a saviour! If I could go into the kitchen and see 4-5 things I could have, and they were ready for me to grab, and not feel guilty about, I did better.

I didn't have any real restriction prior to my first fill either, to the point I slipped back into some bad eating habits, and when I got my first fill, I was not restricted much, but I had to learn to slow down again, and take smaller bites. Then with my 2nd fill a month after the first, I got great restriction, that I have been working with for over 8 months now!!!

This will pass, don't beat yourself up---just do what you can to eat healthy. If there is something you truly crave, I was told to take 1-2 bites of it, then finish off with something more in line with what we should be eating. It has worked for me. I might have lost more, if I had eaten right every step of the way, but I haven't. I don't want each day to feel like a punishment. I don't want to be miserable today so I can be thin tomorrow----I would prefer it to take a little longer, and enjoy all my todays on my way to being thin tomorrow. I needed a new lifestyle. And eating all things in moderation is allowing me to have that new lifestyle. This will be easier for you to do with restriction---I promise!!!

For now, find somethings to stock up on---and lessen your stress!

And when it gets bad---log on, and let us listen!!

Kat

Berry, its okay to eat....but try and stick with solid protein. It will fill you up fast and last the longest. Julie

i lover you guys. i want to give you a hug and snuggle.

Id been feelin bad about my habits recently and stumbled onto this post. Wheet, come here and gimme sugar! you guys are wonderfully supportive and i really cant wait till i get some good restriction.

Im supposed to be taking bites teh size of my surgeons pinky finger and by the time i get to the food im ravenous, and catch myself gulping before i see the image of his pinky fingernail again in my head. Great...im obsessed over my surgeons pinky fingernail. fantastic....

so anyway..thanks!

i also think the prepackaged ind servings of stuff, while not as cheap as buying in bulk, does help a LOT with

"Okay...stop now and do something else" part of the band.

I don't like this "lapband hell"! I'm 3 weeks post-op and can eat just about anything so far...which I'm not liking. I have a terrible time with will-power! I don't have much! Just out of habit I grabbed a handful of goldfish and ate them. I don't know what I'm going to do between now and my first fill.

Hi Berry! We were banded the same day and I know exactly what you are talking about. I'm on mushies for another two weeks so no goldfish for me, but, if I was allowed, I definitely would be grabbing a handful. It's so difficult! Do you have a date for your first fill? Mine is April 30 and I'm very excited (almost as excited as I am about eating solid food the week before!). This too will pass and we will make it--and be stronger, better, and more committed than we were before. Right? Good luck!

Thanks for the tips Kat

That is exactly what my problem is. I'm hungry when I get home from work and grab the 1st thing I see....healthy or not.

I need this 2 weeks before my fill to get my food and family menus in order.

Glad you could provide a few ideas for food options

I am terrified to eat something like goldfish. My physician's asst. told me (pre op) that if you eat too many carbs, they can ball up and get gummy, and have trouble going through the passage. I don't think that's true but for my own good, I am going to hang onto that fear.

First of all I am dying to know what 'goldfish' are!!! Im from Scotland and have never heard of them but wish I had. Berry I am totally with you on this one. Like you I have bad willpower which I suppose is why we had the band fitted in the first place. I had my band fitted on the 7th of February 07 and have not lost a pound. During the pre-op diet I did lose 10lb and I have kept this off but I have not lost anymore and I feel as if I can still eat large quantities. I had my frist fill on the 26th of March but have been really disappointed with the result. I did ask for the Dr to be really aggressive with the fill and was assured she had been but to no avail. There isn't really much difference from before the fill. People on here assure me that this is normal and that it may take until the 3rd or 4th fill before I reach what I understand is termed the 'sweet spot' when optimum weight loss will be achieved. Bring it on. Until I do reach this point I am trying to concentrate on eating small portions (which my dietician tell me should be the size of the rubber on the end of a pencil! good grief) and chewing well. I am also trying to keep in mind the money this has cost and the results I hope to achieve from it and this is focusing my mind somewhat. Keep motivated and please let me know how you get on as it is so good to know I am not alone out there.

I am terrified to eat something like goldfish. My physician's asst. told me (pre op) that if you eat too many carbs, they can ball up and get gummy, and have trouble going through the passage. I don't think that's true but for my own good, I am going to hang onto that fear.

Well, carbs per say won't do that. You can eat a lot of carbs in the form of sugar water and it go right through. This is probably (generally) most true about breads or bread-based products. Case in point - refried beans have a lot of carbs, and they're on most post-op diets.

First of all I am dying to know what 'goldfish' are!!! Im from Scotland and have never heard of them but wish I had. .

Goldfish are little crackers shaped like tiny goldfish. And they are yummy!

They come in pretzel, many varieties of cheese flavorings and a pizza flavor.

I haven't been banded yet, but I do appreciate reading all these posts about being in Hell. I am taking all this info in and processing it so I have tips to make it through my hell when I finally get there.

One of the things I have read on here over and over and over again is that the first fill RARELY gives you good restriction, it usually takes until the second, third, or occasionally more than three fills to find the "sweet spot." Not meant to burst your hopes, but I wanted to remind us all (because I will be where you are now, soon enough) that we have to be strong for a while. We can do ANYTHING if we know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. How many years have we carried around this excess weight? And this Hell is only mere weeks out of our lives. Okay, it is several weeks, but we all CAN do it!!!