Hi there fellow shrinking shamrocks,

I was banded 6th of march, I'm 3 weeks post-op. At the start everything was going well - I healed quickly, I was feelings great, no post-surgery pain, no hunger. Now I'm getting hungry and I have no restriction at all (until next week), and i'm starting to fall back into old habits. Like, "Oh, well, fries are a soft food... I can just have some fries.... if my quantities are small it will all be fine..."

I'm doing this to myself and I can't stop it! Afterwards I say "no, next time i have to be strong and not give in to the temptation to eat shit food", but then I get caught up in the moment, caught up in the craving and BOOM! I've done it again before I even realize it!

The worst part is, I'm too ashamed to admit it to my dietician. You should have seen how nuts she went when I went to mushies after only one and a half weeks (instead of the recommended two). She told me that I was "jeopardizing my health and jeopardizing the band". It was half a cup of mashed potato, come on!! So I call her the Nazi. And now i'm too scared to tell her I need help in case she goes off again.

So shrinking shamrocks, i'm appealing to you. Please help me snap out of it!

Annie xox

(((Annie)))

So sorry you are being so hard on yourself and you have to deal with a very strict nutritionist. It's really up to you at this poin to try to make healthy choices and limit your intake. I am only 2 days post op, so I'm not sure how helpful I can be, but I know during my 2wks of liquids pre-op I had a very hard time. Some days I gave in. Some days I did just fine.

I would suggest keeping a food journal. Just write down what you are eating each day. It will help prevent mindless eating. Try to seperate the true hunger and the mind hunger.

Best of luck to you!

Christine

Annie! Snap out of it!

This is entirely up to you. The reason your dietician gets upset - and it may, in part, be that she is, in fact, a Nazi - is that when you eat the wrong foods, you risk damaging the band. And, of course, it isn't the band that get's damaged, it's you. If you eat too much food, or food of the wrong consistency for your degree of healing, you run a serious risk of the band slipping from position. If the band slips, you'll suddenly have REAL problems - do you want to have that surgery again? I don't care how well you did with the surgery, no one wants to be put to sleep again to have the band replaced.

You're in a difficult stage now - you're basically just dieting. The more you eat, the more you'll want to eat. You've got just one week left before the band gets filled! Hang in there, cut down your intake and just last until your band becomes a second conscience, stopping you from overdoing things...

You can do it.

So do it.

Woohoo! Thanks for the empowering slap to the virtual face, Fenton!

On another note, since i had my mid-afternoon freak out 12 hours ago, I've rejoined weight watchers. So now, for some reason, i have the security blanket of the points system to get me through the next week until my first fill.

Feeling better already!

I really recommend this workbook......it's started to help me sort through what is HUNGER and what is boredom/stress/whatever eating.....

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0936077204]Amazon.com: The food and Feelings Workbook: A Full Course Meal on Emotional Health: Karen R. Koenig: Books[/ame]