It's been 10 days since my surgery. I'm supposed to be on mushies but I can still eat like a moose! I know some say you won't feel any restrictions until a fill but good golly.... I have NO restrictions. I've been eating everything in site. It's like I never had the surgery. This is not good.

I lost 5 pounds my first week but I bet I gained it back the last two days. Has anyone gone thru the same thing???? :thumbup:

Actually, most of us have gone through what you are going through. Remember, the band is designed to work when it has been filled. Right now, the swelling in your tummy from surgery has started going down. So, it is basically like you are not banded at all. Many people either lose no weight, or gain some during the healing stage following surgery. But, that is the important thing to remember, right now you are in the healing stage, not the losing stage. You just have to try and be patient until it is time to start getting fills and reach proper restriction. Once you do, then it will get much easier and the weight will start coming off.

Yup, I was hungry too at about the two week mark. I might have had more swelling due to a hernia repair with band surgery up to that point.

I just decided to eat the same way I did when i was on a diet. I did not want to gain weight during this time and ended up losing weight.

I ate what my surgeon told me but I logged my calories and made sure I got enough Protein by tracking that as well.

I was on so many diets before, I figured one more time wouldn't hurt and I might as well put all the things I learned on all those diets to good use.

I also used the time, to practice band rules, of not drinking for one hour and small bites etc.

Now that I have more restriction, those habits are useful.

It's tough going until your fills start, we've all been there.

winnk, please try to stay away from anything approaching solid food. Your stomach just had a foreign object stitched into it, and it doesn't need the stress of food rolling around in it. Even mushies should be eaten in moderation. Try to hang on a little longer and let your body heal up.

PLEASE be careful. There is a reason the doctors have us on a limited diet . We have had major surgery and our tummies need to heal. I worry that you may be damaging the healing process.

I am 13 days post op and I am very hungry. It is all I can do to not eat. Plus, I haven't lost any weight yet. It is very frustrating for me. I read all the postings of people that are dropping weight right after surgery and I get upset because I am not. I just keep in mind (I tell my self this all day long)that I am healing and I can lose weight when the healing is done.

Please, please take care to not ruin the surgery process. Things should get better.

Thanks Jack. I'll start working on that action plan.

thanks for all your advice. I need to be more disciplined.:tongue:

I am trying hard to stick to my diet, but my schedule is demanding and I have been caught in situations where I had to make due with what was available. I feel like I can eat more than the four ounces I have been alotted, but I try not to. Last night I ordered mashed potatoes and shredded barbeque chicken. It made my chest hurt, though I was not full. I tried again today with a little chopped chicken and still got the pain. My suggestion is to resist the temptation to eat as much until you go for your first fill.

I can only speak from my personal experience bu my suggestion would be DO NOT SWEAT IT! At this point it is just like you never had lap band surgery since you have no restriction. I spent soooo much time obsessing about how much I could eat etc. and believe me I ate just like I had no band, and then BOOM once I had my 5th fill I could not eat! My advise is to just enjoy knowing that very soon you will be on your way to amazing weight loss. Since I have good restriction I have not been hungry at all and have lost almost 10 lb's in 2 weeks. Everyone who has a NEW larger band has gone through this exact same torture. I thought I was never going to be like the people on this thread who are not hungry, can't eat etc. I really thought the band was not going to work for me. Everyone says to do this and that to protect the band and to have self-control blah blah blah. If we had self control then we would not need to have major surgery correct? Also, they say this is a tool - well the tool can only work when you have restriction, and trust me once you do you won't have to battle this weight thing any more - I tell it like it is-

I came to this thread looking for validation for not following the rules. The bottom line is if you look at most of the threads a large majority of people are eating pre-op and post-op and everything is just fine. Obviuosly you should follow the Dr's rules but if you can't then don't beat yourself up.

We are all in this boat because we have issues with food consumption.

I can only speak from my personal experience bu my suggestion would be DO NOT SWEAT IT! At this point it is just like you never had lap band surgery since you have no restriction. I spent soooo much time obsessing about how much I could eat etc. and believe me I ate just like I had no band, and then BOOM once I had my 5th fill I could not eat! My advise is to just enjoy knowing that very soon you will be on your way to amazing weight loss. Since I have good restriction I have not been hungry at all and have lost almost 10 lb's in 2 weeks. Everyone who has a NEW larger band has gone through this exact same torture. I thought I was never going to be like the people on this thread who are not hungry, can't eat etc. I really thought the band was not going to work for me. Everyone says to do this and that to protect the band and to have self-control blah blah blah. If we had self control then we would not need to have major surgery correct? Also, they say this is a tool - well the tool can only work when you have restriction, and trust me once you do you won't have to battle this weight thing any more - I tell it like it is-

I was so glad to read your post! I've been asking these same questions on another thread. I am in no way a "new-bandster"...9 months out, but I am still dealing with the same issues. I loved your feedback and I have to tell you it makes perfect sense and didn't make me feel so guilty for the problems I've been having and where I still am. Thank you so much. I'm still working on finding that "sweet spot", but I WILL get there! I'm not alone, YEA!!! (not that I want ANYONE else having these same problems...nightmares!.....but there is comfort in "understanding"!)

Thanks for all of this info, because today I was feeling as if I would be one of the ones that the band will not work for. I expected to be losing more weight faster than this and I think that I am concerned about what everybody around me will say when they see that I am still about the same size... When will what they think not matter? Anyway, I know that I could eat whatever I want to but I am fighting it.... I will suceed, but it is so hard when you want to eat hamburgers and fries from SONIC!!!!! (SMILE).... but that has only helped me reach that 280 mark....

I had my surgery on 12/31/08 and after 4 weeks I demanded a fill. After the first fill I went back every week for a fill for a total of 5 fills until I finally had restriction. My Dr. is very understanding and I was always honest and told her how much I was able to eat. This only prompted her to give me a fill not to reprimand me. Drs. that do this surgery understand that we do not have a lot of self control. Just tell them that you are getting discouraged and feel like you went through all this for nothing and you MUST have this work for you after all you went through to get it done!

I had my surgery on 12/31/08 and after 4 weeks I demanded a fill. After the first fill I went back every week for a fill for a total of 5 fills until I finally had restriction. My Dr. is very understanding and I was always honest and told her how much I was able to eat. This only prompted her to give me a fill not to reprimand me. Drs. that do this surgery understand that we do not have a lot of self control. Just tell them that you are getting discouraged and feel like you went through all this for nothing and you MUST have this work for you after all you went through to get it done!

I'm sorry, but I just don't agree with your 'logic' here. 3 weeks between fills should be the minimum waiting time. Some people (like me) get progressively tighter over a 2 week period. Not to mention that an aggressive fill schedule such as you suggest is downright dangerous. I am frankly shocked that your doctor was agreeable to it.

I feel the same way.Had my surgery in oct. only lost 20lbs and keep losing and regaining the same 5lbs back

I haven't had the same issues that some have had as far as emotionally accepting the band. Perhaps it's my age, and finally just reaching that point of desperation that I am glad for the process, even if it is difficult.

I think part of the issue here is that we all need to rethink food, our own eating behavior, and the band. If we can eat as much as a moose, perhaps we shouldn't. :eek:

How often do we see the word "bad" as in "I've been bad"? Threads that are worded to make the poster sound like a naughty, misbehaving child? To me this sends the message that someone else (the food, the band?) is in control. We need to put ourselves in control.

I think that it's important to have a plan and to work on that plan. Every single thing I eat I ask myself "Will this help me reach my goal?".

Just because we have not always had self discipline over food doesn't mean we can't develop it.

We need to seize the power. :grouphug: