Struggling today

[AnneW 0]

Hi everyone,

So....I was banded last Friday, and overall I am feeling pretty good. My surgeon recommends 1 week fluids, then 1 week puree, then 1 week soft, then back to regular food. I am very ready to eat some pureed food tomorrow!!

I guess what I am struggling with is the food obsession...I just want to eat something. Not necessarily something unhealthy (although chips do enter my mind a lot these days), but even just something like some steak or some pizza and wings. I feel proud b/c I have managed to completely avoid my daughter's Hallowe'en candy (not even a single bite!), but can't stop thinking about food. It frustrates me a lot, and I worry that this surgery will make my food obsession even worse.

And I weighed myself this am, have only lost 2 lbs since surgery. And while I know that some people don't lose while in the post-op stage, darn it, I wanted to be one of those who did!

I feel better having written about it, thanks for reading.

[sistasassy 6]

Hang in there Anne. I think we have entered into the "Bandster Hell" stage. It will get better over time but for now we will have to learn to control that head hunger. From what I have read, learning to overcome this stage will help to make us successful later. This is when we are learning not only to change our eating patterns but our thinking patterns.

You are strong and you can do this. I know you can. My prayers will be with you. I was only banded two days ago so I am right behind you. Think of me as the one behind helping to push you up that hill. :thumbdown:

[canadiangirl 0]

Hi Anne,

Congrats on your surgery! I haven't been banded yet...I go to Toronto in 6 days for my surgery.

I just wanted to wish you all the best from a fellow Canadian eh!!! :tongue2:

You can do this!!!

[Kaitiana 0]

Hang in there Anne! We all feel your pain! My surgeon has me on one week of Clear liquids pre-op, and I was doing fine until today. I am positively hungry!!! I'm just chugging liquids continuously, including Diet Dr. Pepper because dark sodas usually help make me feel fuller. It's a struggle today, but I know that the end result will be worth it and it's only for a very short period of time. I know that once I get to eat soft foods and then regular food again it will taste all the sweeter and more satisfying!

Until then, we all just have to keep on keeping on!

[MustangGirlRN 0]

Anne,

I was banded last Friday too, and finally started on my "blended" portion of my post-op diet today. I had scrambled eggs for the first time and they were great! I'm going to have some mashed potatoes tonight. It was definitely worth waiting for. I have lost 7 pounds since my surgery, but I am completely obsessed with food now too. I worry about everything I'm going to put in my mouth and it seems wierd that I can eat real food. I used egg beaters for my scrambled eggs because I was afraid of a real egg. I'm sure I'll easse up on myself, but I understand what you mean about food fear. I've had dreams where I've stuffed myself with really bad things,:Dancing_sorry: but thank god they were only dreams! Hang in there, we'll get there eventually!

[katcruiser 0]

Hope things are getting better now that you are on puree.

The food obsession is one of my fears as well. I am hoping that it gets better as time goes on. Of course, I am also worried about what obsession will take its place.

[MTBiker 1]

I have to say that I felt like dirt for the first week, but once I got on pureed foods after that week of liquids, I felt much better. I think my body was starving and low on blood sugar. The pureed foods weren't bad at all, eating ground up chicken wasn't that much different from a piece of chicken. Today is my last day of pureed, and tomorrow I go on soft foods, which will be even more of a blessing. I'm thankful that I don't have as long of a transition to all foods as some doctors require, but each case is unique I guess.

[kmonson 0]

Okay absolutely dumb question but how do you puree the chicken? AllI can picture is baby food meats and it makes me sick to my stomach. My surgery was last friday the 14th adn my doc has m eon 1 week clear liquid, 1 week full liquid, then mushie and then pureed for about 4 weeks. I am starving! I had a cry fest in my bowl of chicken broth this afternoon.

[MTBiker 1]

pureed food wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, and once I got on that, I felt much better. I think my body just wanted more food than it was getting from the liquids. So I have had pureed pork and gravy, pureed bbq chicken, pureed perogis (though the eyebrows of my dietitian did raise up at that one), pureed ham. We have a food processor, which they say is better than a blender for this type of food. Just put it in with the gravy or some broth or something to give a some moisture, and pulse it a few times - no more than 20 seconds or so, or you'll end up with bbq chicken Soup. You want to leave it with a consistency that still requires you to chew it, which is half the enjoyment of eating again. I found that eating the pureed chicken wasn't much different that eating a chicken breast; once you start chewing, its all the same anyway. I did make my wife promise not to bring any baby food into the house, I did not want to go there.

I know the weeks ahead of you sound like a long time, but haloween doesn't seem like long ago, and that was already 2 and a half weeks ago. It will be over soon. Once you get on full liquids, there are a lot of creative Protein smoothie blends you can try. Hang in there.