:scared2:I'm so confused. I am having a hard time distinguishing from satisfied to full and I am scared I will stretch my stoma. Is anyone else having this issue? I was banded last week and am on a full liquid diet. This morning I woke up and I had a little bit of a gain and I don't want to hurt myself.

Would it be ok if I just drank my Protein supplements and that be it? I have noticed with the Soup broth I get hungry sooner than if I have my supplement should i just forego the soup and do the supplement and that be my meal for that time?

Any suggestions????

I really need some help please.

Melissa

Thanks in advance

OK, take a deep breath. Most of us are nervous at this stage but you will be fine.

You will not strech your pouch on liquids. Liquids do not stay in your pouch long enough. Stretching happens when you consistently keep your pouch full of solid food. Like when you are on solids and eat too much and then eat between meals so that you pouch is rarely empty or I should say it is always full.

Keep following your docotors orders and get the broth and the shakes as prescribed; you will be fine. Keep away from the scale if it causes anxiety--a pound or two doesn't mean anything. You are in the healing stage anyway so don't focus on weight loss.

It will take time to identify how much food satisfies you but in the liquids stage you are not so much concerned with that as trying to not be hungry and getting in enough nutrition all the while not eating solids that could cause damage to your healing sutures.

It is a learning process. When you are on solids it will be easier to guage. If you feel uncomfortable after eating then you will know that you need to eat a little less next time. Eventually you will be able to guage it easily.

Thank you so much for the reassurance. I've just been so scared because the dr said i should only be hoding about 1/4 c of anything in my stomach right now. Which I am but its like I get whoozy after eating my lunch which is usually strained soup and then I'm actually feeling hungry an hour later.

Any suggestions if I should drink my protein supplements as my meals and then do strained soup as my fluid intake as well because I need to get more fluid in too, im only urinating about three times a day (tmi) but I'm a nurse and I know that's not good.

I am not sure what your doctors instructions are but I was told to take in nutrition whenever I was hungry. (truly tummy rumbling hungry) I was told to have three Protein shakes a day and broth, Jello, popsicles etc. in between to satisfy in-between meal hunger.

Technically all of this can be counted toward your daily liquid intake but try to get your Water in because it is so important plus it is a natural appetite supressant. It was hard for me to get enough water at first too but keep a bottle with you at all times and sip as often as you possibly can. It will get easier.

I agree with Jodi...when i was on the full liquids i was drinking all the time (takin sips) or eating soups, sf jello, sf posicles, etc...liquids go down so quick of course ur gonna be hungry dont forget ur stomach wasnt rerouted like the gastric bypass...ur band probably wasnt prefilled either...the 1st 6 weeks are the healing stage...basically til ur filled whatever weight u lose u did it on ur own..good luck

When you do finally move from liquids to mushies or soft foods, you might try what I did. I was given a sample soft foods diet with menus for a week that gave specific amounts to eat. I would sit down with that amount of food, eat it slowly (taking about 20 minutes) then I would ask myself "Am I still hungry?" Not "Am I satisfied" or "Am I full". Because, no, I was not satisfied or full, not in the way that I understood those terms from a lifetime of overeating. But I could truthfully answer that I was no longer physically hungry. That was a real epiphany for me. I still WANTED to eat more - that's the head hunger - but I knew I didn't need it. Also, I know that for me, if I eat more than a cup of food, I'll get a feeling like a stitch in my side where my band is. That's uncomfortable and can last a couple of hours, so I want to avoid that.

I came to this conclusion, which is an overgeneralization, but it works for me: Skinny people eat until they are no longer hungry; fat people eat until they have had all they want, or until it is all gone. I'm having to re-train myself to want less. And it's getting there!

You'll make it through this time and come out stronger on the other end. Really make use of these boards - you will learn a lot! Much success to you!

I agree you need to take a deep breath and take your time. You are healing now. you need proteins to help the healing along and you need alot of fluids as well. I am 11 months out. I remember drinking constantly. Either Frozen protein shakes fotified pudding pops with cottage cheese and SF pudding mix and evaporated milk, real substance stuff for two weeks before moving on to the mushy stage, drink , drink and then drink some more. My dr instructions were on day 3 to start walking 15 minutes and add 5 minutes per day, so after a few days I started walking 2x per day. I am 10 lbs from goal now. Give it time, let your body heal and do your isometrics while lying down and and then strectch those legs. Good luck!! Welcom to the new world of bandsters.