Hello All,

I was banded on July 30th and now that I'm all healed I'm starting to feel like I can eat normally again. I have still been eating less than 1000 calories a day (sometimes about 800) but it still feels like I'm eating too much. The first week I visibly lost weight and I'm terrified that because I'm eating a little more normally now that I will gain it back plus some before I get a chance to get my first fill. I basically have no restriction at this point and I feel like I could eat anything if I wanted to. I've been to afraid to weigh myself up to this point but I go for my first post op appointment tommorow. Hopefully I can get some encouragement if I have lost weight. But if I haven't and I can't get a fill yet I'm really afraid that it will disappoint me so much that I may turn to food again to help. If anyone has any advise please share.

Just hang in there,I had my sugery on the 30th as well and feel almost the same as you but just eat lots of protien and that will fill you up, also make sure you are drinking your water.. my dr said the smallest band he had was to big for my stomach so he had to fill me with 2 ccs but I still feel like when i go back next month i will want to be filled a little more, good luck!!

DONT WORRY!!!!! No one told me it would take several fills before I had restriction. I was so woried a few weeks after surgery because I could eat the same way I could eat before surgery. I tried to eat the "clean" foods my doctor requires me to eat, I excersied and managed to loose during this phase. I had my surgery on May 14, 2008 and it has taken 3 fills to get decent restriction. I just had my 3rd fill on Friday and finnaly am restricted to that 4-6oz serving size everyone always talks about. It has taken 3 months but it has given me an adjustment period to gradually cut back on the amount of food i eat. You WILL get there. Good Luck!

I was banded on July 31 and within the past few days i have been feeling the same way. It made me feel better knowing that someone else who was banded the same time as me, feels the same way. I had lost a total of 18lbs from the pre-op phase until now(well friday the 15th. Today i got on the scale and i was up 3lbs. :wink2: . I had two parties this weekend and I did not eat near as much as i used to eat but i had some stuff that wasn"t so great. I have my follow up on September 11th, they said that was when i could get my first fill. I think i need one.

I can totally relate. I was banded June 23rd and lost 15 lbs before my first follow up appt. Then I could eat anything and I was starving. I gained the 15 lbs back before my first fill. I got 3.4 in a 10 cc band. Still no restriction. I can eat anything even when I eat the protein first, then veggies. It is not so much the quantity, that is less, but I am hungry in 2 hours and searching for something to eat. So as of today I have not lost any weight and I have another fill apppointment this Wed. I have been reading all of the posts on the forums and trying not to get crazy. It seems like most people don't really get restriction until they are at 6cc in a 10cc band or until their 3rd fill. I can understand your worry and concern and the only comfort I can give you is you do need 6 weeks to heal. I know you are anxious to lose weight but you should just relax and read the forum on lap band fills. I have found a lot of encouragement in finding out how others have coped with this situation. Hang in there and best of luck.

I also had my band on 7/23/08. I was feeling the same way you are feeling now. I am eating a lot of protien and drink water like crazy, it seem to help my through the crazy hunger. If it get real bad I will has a scambled with shreaded chicken and wait 40 mintes and drink more water. i have a 10cc band and got 5cc's during surgery. I have no retrection and get my 1st. fill friday, I do not look at the scale because I know at this stage we are just going to hang in there until we get restriction, i also find it helps to talk in the chatt room, it takes my mind off food to talk to others. Good luck to you and hang in there....you can do this!!!!

Trust me that's normal. I believe everyone feels the same way until the 1st, 2nd or even the 3rd fill. I was banded on 7/10/08 and just got my first fill last Friday (cut my intake waaaaay down). Before my fill it seemed like I could eat anything (within reason) and not feel full. I went through a range of emotions until I read on here in one of the forums that everyone goes through the same thing. On the reverse, today I tried to chew, chew and chew some more chicken-fry strips as a form of protein before I worked out. Geez-o-pete, I either ate too fast or didn't chew it enough....but man it hurt getting a little stuck. I just had to wait it out and drink a little water before going to the gym. All the best to you.

You are in the hardest phase of being banded before you get filled. I managed to lose at this point but only by eating lean meats and lots of vegetables with almost no carbs.

Eating only healthy things at this point can keep you losing even if you do pick up a few extra calories.

I was banded on 8/4 and have been on modified full liquids ever since, and will be until next week. That means protein drinks, broth, water...basically clear liquids plus protein drinks. I get a little jealous when I see that others move on to soft foods a week or less after surgery, but I'm doing exactly as my Dr tells me. He wants to make very sure that everything has healed and that the band has "set." Sure, I feel a little bit hungry most of the day, but I think I'm going to be thankful for this extended liquids phase in the long run. It's teaching me what it feels like to be physically hungry as opposed to "head" hungry. After next week I'll be on "soft foods" for 6-8 weeks, then finally to solid foods. My new band and pouch are being treated very gently and, again, I think I'm going to be very grateful for that when all is said and done.

Hi, I was banded on July 24. I am 4 weeks out (this Thursday) from my surgery. I've been doing really well. I've been holding my own. I have not gained any of the weight back. My first fill is Sept. 3. I also learned that it is NOT unusual to gain weight at this time. This is the time that your stomach is healing. Weight loss is not expected at this time. I lost my feeling of fullness ( 2-3 oz), a week and a half after my 1 week post-op check-up. I've been concentrating on protein. It feels kinda weird.. like I'm doing the Adkins thing. I've been staying away from bread. Whether it be at resturants or if I go out for a burger, I just eat the meat and loose the bun. I've been eating a wide variety of things, but concious of how much. I can eat about 6-10 oz at a meal. I also stop eating before I feel full. I figure that's enough, and I was lucky to have it. I know once I get my fill, I'll be back to 2-3 oz a meal. BUt that will be OK and I will be satisfied. Hang in there. The flat tire has been fixed now it 's just smooth sailing on the road to being thin.:wink2:

This thread has been a godsend in keeping me from becoming completely freaked out by the way I've been feeling in the last week. I'm 11 days out from surgery and have managed to lose about six lbs., but I'm off full liquids and onto mushies now - with no restriction. It's been difficult watching the scale say the same thing every day for the last week. OK, frustrating. OK, this morning I gave the scale the finger. Double barreled. Take that you inanimate pain in my ass! :wink2:

Lisa YOU CRACK ME UP! I did the exact same thing yesterday....double barreled and all.

I want to thank everyone for sharing their experiences. On the plus side I finally had my first post op yesterday and I'm down 15 lbs so far! He also told me what I was feeling was normal. They also progressed me to phase 3...regular foods. He said this should help. Also, my doc told me that he may do my first fill as early as 2 weeks and that after that he will adjust it as often as I want. He actually said that he would adjust it every week if I wanted to!