Hello,

Well I haven't posted in a bit because I'm a bit embarassed. Compared to all of you that got banded in the same time frame that I did, you wouldn't even know that I have a band. I think I've lost 3-5 lbs total. In earlier posts I talked about having no restriction basically - I I know I have a problem with placing myself on a "diet" or restriction - that is why I needed help with a band. Anyway - I've been back for two fills (one after 6 weeks and one after 8 weeks) - I'm now finally feeling restriction - definitely foods that won't go down and things that come back up. I'm learning to mentally "want" different things, since I spent all that time trying out all the foods I love while I had no restriction.

My problem is now I eat things that go down easily - like Soups but I'm hungry all the time. I can fill up quickly and be hungry 20-30 minutes later! This leaves me to do alot of "grazing", munching on things that go down easily but are bad choices (like chips and mini-cookies) - I've had a bad experience with salad, but maybe it wasn't the salad but the amount? I can't seem to do any meats except fish. So, I'm afraid I still don't have it right. I'm really frustrated with the hungry thing - do you think it's actual hunger or a mental thing because I'm overliffany aware of what I can't have? I feel like I'm constantly thinking about what I can eat, even planning the next days food - I HATE THINKING ABOUT FOOD THIS MUCH! If I stayed full longer, perhaps it would be different.

SO, any help or suggestions would be helpful...anyone that can relate would be even nicer...is thre anyone on this board who is not making good progress and is willing to make me feel less like THE ONLY FAILURE??

2 and a half months and 3 lbs is not good.

Tiffany

If you can't eat normal meat and veggies, then you might be too tight now. Soft food syndrome is common for people who are too tight -- like you drinking Soup and eating stuff like Cookies that crumble and go right through.

Can you eat a piece of chicken if dipped in sauce of some sort? Are you cutting it into very small pieces and "chewing to goo" -- and spitting out anything that won't chew all the way down to nothing? Literally sit there and chew and chew and chew and chew until nothing is left to chew. It takes me a LONG time to chew one bite. I don't swallow anything that doesn't chew down to nothing, and I need my meat to be reasonably moist or else dipped in sauce of some sort even if it's just broth. (right now I'm eating a chicken breast for lunch and dipping in BBQ sauce).

salad can be a problem -- lettuce is fibrous and doesn't always chew down all the way. I love salad but I do end up spitting out some of the lettuce pieces that don't chew down. Try broccoli or cauliflower florets -- cut off the fibrous stem and eat the top part. Carrots, zucchini/summer squash, peas, etc. all work well too. Raw, I like radishes, peeled cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, bell peppers and tomatoes -- although the peels often get spit out for those last two. Celery can be problematic.

I peel my fruit now, like apples or pears.

I don't know if that's helpful or not -- I hate to see you feeling so down. :thumbup:

Tiffany,

I hear you!! I lost the bulk of my weight before my surgery. After my first fill, it was like nothing happened. I just had my second fill and I can tell a difference in what I can get down. For me part of the problem seemed to be I was eating anything I wanted, so then when I got my second fill, it was a huge shock to my system.

I hate the weekends! I find that I walk around and think about the things I can get down. Usually if I am at work, I do better. So now I am trying to be going somewhere all weekend. (which my kids love!) I am really afraid because I am a teacher, and with summer coming, I wonder how I will do. I find that so much of my hunger is head hunger. I just don't know how to get rid of it, so I bury my head in the sand! Are you exercising? I am not. I say that I am going to start, everyday, but I find a reason not to.

More importantly, I am not going to beat myself up for my wanderings in the kitchen. Even though I am eating more than I should, I am not eating nearly as much as I used to. For me that is the victory right now. I want Gastric results with Band risks.

We will get through this!! We will lose more!! We can do this!!

Thanks for the encouragement.