After talking to a few girls im a little worried... they made it sound like they were really hungry the first few weeks after being banded??? How did you feel after you were banded??

If you have never had the HMR chicken Soup, it's a great change up from the Protein shakes. It's a Meal Replacement. You may have to buy it online. Just google HMR Diet.

As for the weight ticker, just go to tickerfactory.com and create a ticker. Then copy and paste the code into your signature on your lapbandtalk profile. Every time you post it will appear automatically! And every time your weight changes, you just click on the ticker from any of your posts, and it takes to a page to change your info! Ta DA!

Hunger or Craving? I am not sure I know the difference at this point.

I was banded on 7/7 so I am 10 days post op. I am on liquids until this weekend and then I am moving to mushies. I will admit I just couldnt take the liquids anymore and caved in and had a little fish today. I needed and craved it and it went down better than the "gag" shakes.

I find that I want to eat everything around me (this started about 4-5 days post op; before then nothing seemed desireable). But when I do drink a shake or have cream of wheat or soup, I am very full very fast. I am learning alot about my body through this process that is for sure.

So, I would say you may think you are starving but you are actually just craving based on what food smells like and looks like and if you have been on a pre/post op liquid diet then you are probably missing some things too (as I am).

Good luck everyone! It is so nice to see so many people going through similar stages as me :eek:

I came out of surgery asking when is dinner served. Been hungier than usual ever since, but Im losing. will power.

Hi I am now on the 7th day and have been hungry for 2 days. I have eaten pasta (with no problem and quite a bit) and now have had my knuckles rapped by my surgeon! Soup doesn't fill me for long or at all. Been told to go back onto liquids. My first fill is not till September so this is not going to be easy. I am a bit disappointed about this truthfully.

I was hungry at about 1 month out. I got hungrier until my fill six weeks out and then I was ok again.

I had a little hunger in the beginning, then I was in basically the same boat as HeatherO. I didn't truly feel it until I was about a month out.

After my first fill 2 weeks ago, I still was feeling hungry. I called my doc and they had me come in today for fill #2. My original date for #2 is July 30... so we're keeping that on the calendar in case I need #3 sooner rather than later.

Hi I am now on the 7th day and have been hungry for 2 days. I have eaten Pasta (with no problem and quite a bit) and now have had my knuckles rapped by my surgeon! Soup doesn't fill me for long or at all. Been told to go back onto liquids. My first fill is not till September so this is not going to be easy. I am a bit disappointed about this truthfully.

Hi Penny,

The decision you made is a good one. You are only 7 days out....and yeah, the first six weeks will be tough. But you are just going through the necessary process, which isn't very satisfying. I wasn't really all that clear that there would be no fill for six weeks. I didn't understand that the first step is getting the surgery. Then you wait and heal for a few weeks before it really starts to do it's job. But...I know so many people who have always been fat, and who aren't anymore. Years of dieting success followed closely by diet failure suddenly all washed away. It's fabulous, and every single one of them has said the same thing. Once you are thin, you look back at that tiny six week period, and it seems like NO BIG DEAL compared to what you gained from it.

Hold on....Bandster hell won't last forever. And all of us here at lapbandtalk have been through it too, and we understand the frustration, and the "want it NOW" feeling. We got your back....come on and vent, and rant, and even cry if need be. But know deep down that this is going to be great once you get past this part!

Hi hope, you have done marvellously, well done! It seems everyone on the site is from the US except me here in the UK. All this is very supportive and helpful and it is making me realise that I should not have any regrets at this stage and to use a bit of willpower. Thanks all! Penny

Hello there Hope,

thanks for that, it is really helpful reading all your messages. Banding in the UK is not as common as it appears in the US although I believe is now increasing rapidly. I will have to use a bit of willpower I think to get through the coming weeks. Back on the soup, yoghurts etc now but hungry as we speak! Thanks all!

Hello there Hope,

thanks for that, it is really helpful reading all your messages. Banding in the UK is not as common as it appears in the US although I believe is now increasing rapidly. I will have to use a bit of willpower I think to get through the coming weeks. Back on the soup, yoghurts etc now but hungry as we speak! Thanks all!

Hi Penny,

There are two things that really helped me get through this time that you are in. First of all, thedailyplate.com It calculates how many calories you should be consuming, based on information you provide, and then tracks your calories for you, as well as your nutrients. Very helpful, and fun to use.

Secondly, I engage in a lot of mind games, and imagry. For instance, when I felt hungry, I would imagine that every second I was feeling hunger pains, it was because my body was snacking on my big butt! Or taking a slab of back fat and throwing it in the furnace to burn for fuel. I am sure it sounds ridiculous, but it helped. I am just in the middle of my fourth week, and I don't think I've been hungry more than once or twice in the last two weeks, so....it does get better!!!

Granted the first time I ate something semi solid, (eggs) and they got stuck, I realized eating isn't as much fun as it used to be. Which is a good thing. Heck, it's a great thing! Afterall, if it weren't so much fun, I wouldn't have ended up here in the first place!!!

One thing that really helped me, (and I've mentioned it before) was HMR chicken soup. It's a meal replacement, and I add a packet of liptons cup of soup, and it's delicious, and a nice change from the huge array of sweet foods that seem to dominate the liquid and soft diet phase. Sometimes, I need something salty. You can order it online at Diet, Weight-Loss and Weight-Management Leader - HMR Official Site

As for will power, I don't know about you, but for me, I need "won't" power more! lol

Good Luck!!!

i was banded yesterday and i am more hungry than before the surgey and I didnt est for 2 weeks pre op liquid diet. my tummy is just growling away lol

Hi Meshelle!

You are in Vegas?? SO am I... That's so awesome.. Your baby is soo cute... we should keep in touch during this whole process... :wub:

Hello Hope, thanks for all that, the food you mention I have never heard of here in the UK so I will look at the links you kindly sent. I have accepted your offer of friendship but bear with me as this site is a bit confusing to me. I have not found my way around yet as there seem to be many topics and each topic has its own forum,... I think!

I am having the staples taken out this morning which are loose now so best out.

It is so nice having support and comparing experiences with someone not too far in front of me. I have lost around 14lbs since the surgery a week ago so not doing so bad.

Gotta go get these staples taken out, then the dentist! Bye for now.

Blimey, you are like me although the hunger seems to have started very soon with you. I am a big believer incommon sense and ate quite a bit after about 5 days as I had no problems eating solid food at all. I rang my consultant quesltioning whether I should be able to do this and he said I was very naughty and to stop and get back onto liquids. After the first fill (September) I would feel more restriction than now. It seems we will have to use good old willpower for now. I never thought I would get hungry at this stage after the op but we are not alone it seems.

In a way I envy those of you who are hungry. I know that sounds weird but I have had a hard time with just the liquids and worry that when it comes time for soft foods and even solid foods I will really have problems. If I drink things that are too thick, they sit on my stomach like a rock until they pass. Thank goodness no vomiting! I am one week out from being banded and have lost 10 lbs...YIPEE! This forum has been a real sanity saver being able to "talk" with fellow banders. Keep up the good work everyone and I look forward to hearing how everyone is doing.