Hi, My name is Laura

I am now banded for about 3 1/2 weeks, I have lost 26 lbs so far, How great is that? I have not yet had a fill & my Doc does not do this until appox 6 weeks, but I now see myself very hungry not long after I eat. Night time not so much but during the day I am starving. Breakfast I was eating 1 package of fat free farina, I have now gone up to two. I feel so guilty doing this but if I dont I feel sick. Can anyone tell me what they are (or) were eating at this stage to keep the full. ( all meals please). Also I don't want to seem ignorant but what is BPing.. I know what it is to BP i just don't know what the BP stands for.

Thanks

Laura

Hi Laura -

Congrats on your massive loss! I want to remind everyone that this is NOT the usual amount lost for most people in 3.5 weeks, so don't be depressed and think you're doing something wrong!

Most people use PB - Productive Burp. I guess BP could be "Burping Productively" lol

Are you still in the mush stage? I blended chili, and that was my mainstay to help me feel full longer in the mushy stage. I also was careful to drink all my Water (a gallon a day), that helps take up room, too, and lots of hot beverages.

I would not worry about eating too much at this point. Without a fill, you're band is wide open and your hunger will not be as easily satisfied as it will be later. Do not be afraid to regain some of the weight you have already lost - if you do, it will come off again. Remember, this is not a diet - this is the rest of your life!

You're doing great!

Donali, Thank you for you reply and your sugestions. I am slowly introducing more solids, but feel safer with the mush.

I have to try and get the diet mode out of my head, although not easy. I do like chili, maybe I will be having that for dinner.

Hi laura,

Congrats on the weightloss!!

Here in Holland we have to "eat" liquid for 6 weeks.

First 2 weeks are clear fluids and then gradually mushier and purreed food. I loved custard,applesauce with cinnamon in the microwave.The only nonfluid thing I take are crackers.

I ate them since my second week.Just 2 a day with pate or cheese spread.And my hubby told me that i could crumble a cookie in my applesauce and then top it with cinnamon and pop it in the microwave and when hot top with lowfat cream....haven't tried that yet but it does sounds yummy.When I really get to the point that I crave something I will try that idea though:)

Can't wait for the 6th week to be over and to start chewing.

Greetings from Holland.

Donali, surely a gallon of water a day can't be right? As far as I know it's between 1.5 - 2 litres which is 3 - 4 pints - from what i remember of imperial measure, isn't a gallon 8 pints? Wouldn't you kinda drown!!!!!???? :D

Nope, no mistake - I go for a gallon a day. A gallon of Water is slightly more than 126 ounces. The water intake for a normal person is recommended as eight 8 ounce glasses. That's 64 ounces. Since the human body is about 60% water, and I'm about twice as big as a normal person, I figure 126 ounces is about right.

I don't always get the full gallon in, but almost always make it to 94 ounces (3 quarts).

This site recommens 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight: http://www.tbfinc.com/water.htm

According to them, I should be drinking 122 ounces of water a day - almost a gallon.

Water flushes out the toxins from burning fat! It also helps keep you from feeling false hunger (many people mistake thirst for hunger).

Yeah, water!

Foxy, Thanks for the Ideas.. The cookie sounds great!

Hey I only dropped 16 lbs!! No I have been eating. Listen I eat a protein drink in the early AM and then around 10:00 I eat a bananna and or granola bar. Around 3:00 PM its my MEal time. I ate a Boston Market Dinner yeaterday almost. Couldn't do all the MEat. Thats the whole day in a shell. Some times its oatmeal/ricebowl and thats it..

Bobby, I am prefill and will be getting my fill on Thursday. I have a question for you.. is 3pm the last time you eat? I could never go the rest of the day without food.. I have to eat dinner about 6:30 and even with that by 10 the stomach is screaming!!!!!!

I just wish I knew what to eat.. I eat protein bars and yougart. I drink alot of the protein srinks also. Food? I just don't know what to eat.

Hey Laura,

By this time you maybe should have moved away from Protein bars and shakes and start learning how real food will feel in your stomach. Especially if you're going to have a fill next week, it seems to me that you should first see if you have any restriction now.

I eat regular food, thinking generally about protein at every meal. A typical breakfast is one slice of whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and jelly on it. Prebanding I'd have had two such toast slices, now I usually don't finish one and it keeps me full until lunchtime.

lunch is tricky; I'm still working out what a good portion is and what can be conveniently brought or bought. Twice this week I went out with colleagues and ordered a fish dish (boulliabaise the first day, red snapper the next) and couldn't finish it either time. I foresee a lot of deli meat in my future.

dinner is at 5:30 or so, and I'm usually pretty hungry by then. But the same rule applies--whatever everyone else is having, only less of it and I eat the protein first.

So far these three meals have been enough to hold me. It's amazing, actually!

You see if I don't eat at 3:oo or 4 I am uncomfortable at night. I go to bed before 9:30 most of the time and up at 4:ooAM.

Now it has been oatmeal, then snack like bananna or soft fruit bar to get through middle day. At 3:00 I really eat. I'm afraid too much but nothing like before. Say a Boston Market Dinner complete at most. I really try not to eat late in the afternoon.

18 lbs but tings have slowed now. Time to get a fill and waste away to nothing!!!

Well I did go out last night and had quesadillas, it was an appertizer and had 6 wedges i ate 1 1/2, but I feel guilty doing this like i should not be.. I am just very confused.. maybe things will be somewhat clearer after thurdays my first fill.

Hello, do not worry, I have been banded for about 1.5 years now and I do remember that you will not have a restriction until you go back to the doctor and have your fill.Do not fill bad....it is time for you to heal now and not to loose weight.....it will all happen after the doctor will fill the band.Remeber to tell the doctor to put some numbing solution before you do the fill......so you do not fill the pain of the niddle.

At 3.5 weeks,was still on mushies, so my breakfast was and still is a protein shake made with skim milk.

For lunch i was having blended soup, such as clam chowder or cream of chicken.

Dinner was the same as breakfast and I am still doing that too.

Not many calories, but I am never hungry either. Plus I get usually 110-120 grams of protein in per day, along with at least a galln of liquids, either water or crystal light.

Dave01 is absolutely right--"mushies" is soft food, so that we don't have slippage of the band.

Every surgeon is different, but at one week post-op, my surgeon told me to stay on soft food for one month. And he said "If you have to chew, it's not soft food!" My Bariatric Center supplied me with a complete listing of the Phase II foods, and quesadillas and Boston Market was not included!!

Be sure to get in 60 grams of Protein a day--that's the most important rule to follow--via Protein shakes, (I use whey protein isolate) and one site even has chicken broth and unflavored whey protein isolate (to add to s/f puddings and Jello, etc).

All I know is I'm following the rules--it's only for one month out of our lives and I want to be 100% sure my band remains safe.