I was hoping to start a thread with those banded in December, since many of us are at the same stage. I know I am in Bandster Hell. Let's get a thread going to support and encourage each other through this time. Any takers?

I was also banded on 12/23 and I am def ready for a fill! I am hungry most of the time. I am eating my high protein meals. I find that the evenings are the worse so if I can keep myself occupied then I am fine. I am down 13 pounds total, thats was from preop and a few right after postop. I get my first fill next Wednesday and trust me, I am ready! heck, I was even shoveling the driveway on Sunday so am I really ready to get back into the swing of things and start excersising! I still have a little port pain left (it's right near my belly button) but besides that I am feeling like a new person. I can tell that my jeans arent as tight now that my swelling has gone down and thats a NICE feeling

Oh & they say watch for the signs of fullness, such as a single sneeze or hiccup. Well I usually sneeze A LOT several times in a row. But since surgery I have been having a lot of single sneezes, also when I'm eating I'll kinda burp/hiccup, but I can't tell which one it is!!! I have no idea if that is when I'm full, or if I'm just burping or sneezing?!?!:thumbup:

Anyone else feel like this?

I get those burp/ hickups all the time! But sometimes I get them without havin eatin or drank anything at all. I eat about a cup of food, which usually makes me fell satisfied (not really full, but not hungry either).

Treece, I must be very hard to try do the lap band (especially the beginning) with so much stress. I am sorry to hear your son has been scik. I have never been able to make a major change like the band when I am under a lot of stress. That is one reason I had to go to the shrink. They were worried that I would convert back to old habits if something major happened. You are brave to under take this at such as difficult time. I hope you have lots of help and support at home.

Hi Everyone,Banded 12/31/08 feel like sh***.I did cheat a little had a banana 01/06/09 after broths and low fat yogurt.My dr. said to be on liquid diet for 9 days ,then start my pureed foods .Do I jump the gun too soon with 2 days left? I'm a long haul truck driver and it is very hard to stay put out here.I was starving to the point of depression.I did not vomit or feel nausea,chewed my banana very well in small bites.Am I putting my band in jeapordy?I only need and want to lose 70 lbs.Any advice would help.Thnks

You've lost 17 lbs since surgery? That's fantastic!

My doctor told me that I shouldn't worry about losing during this stage. Many people don't. Your body needs to heal and weight loss is secondary. He said the real weight loss will come when you start getting fills and eat solid food. I wouldn't worry a bit about it. And if you've lost 17 pounds since surgery you are doing incredible!!!

Thanks that makes me feel alot better, and congrats to you as well!

Happy to be here and to know there are so many people in hell with me lol!! i was banded on 12/19. I had no pre-op diet (whooppee) one week of liquids, one week of mushies, and now I'm on softs. I haven't had a problem with any of the foods i've tried so far. I lost 14 lbs the first two weeks and nothing since. I don't quite understand why, since I'm barely eating anything, compared to what I used to eat. I figured with the amount of food I'm eating I should be losing, but from what I've read, this is not uncommon.

my surgeon is evil. 1 month of liquids and i was banded on the 18th. I've really been cheating though! I hope I haven't stretched or messed up anything but its so damn hard! this hell is no joke!

I was banded on December 19th. As of today, I have lost 21 lbs . I am on pureed foods for another week and then start 2 wks of soft food. My issue is not the diet but how I am feeling. I am still having shoulder/neck pain everyday It's not as bad as the first week (it was terrible then) but I am still getting it. Also, I have this discomfort/pain in what feels like my pipe below my throat. It may be gas but I am not sure. It started getting worse a couple days ago. I am using TUMS and Gas-X strips and I am not sure they help either. This discomfort is also random, I can't find a pattern of when it comes or goes. I'm beginning to wonder if I am going to feel crummy forever! Does anybody else have these types of issues?? BTW, I don't see my Dr for my follow up appt until Jan 23rd.

I had my first fill yesterday and now I am back on liquids for a week, then mushies for a week and then soft foods again. Hopefully this will start me moving again.

i went to my doc post surgery 21 days and lost 13# i told him i have been eating soft foods for a while and he never looked up.He was not surprised! He sais alot of people gain the fist weigh in.(I guess ice cream is the thing) I will get a fill in 2 weeks.Then the real dieting will begin.Hang in there all of you .It will come to us! we all had the guts to do this .it has takenus a long time and we have the rest of our lives! good luck to all of you! Lisa

I was banded on 12/18 and I def. need a fill! My one week follow-up didn't go so great. The first week was horrible and I don't think I got more than 60-100 calories on a good day and the DR wasn't happy. They ended up taking the 3mL they put in the "prime" the band out so as of right now I don't think I ever get really full. I only put a cup to a cup and a half of food on my plate and stop eating after that but I don't get that really full sensation! I have to try to persuade my DR to fit me in around my school schedule so my fill won't really be "on time." I think I might of actually gained weight since my inital 15lb loss :thumbup:

I was banded on the 17th of December and have been on solids since the 7th. I was starved on the creamy soups stage but since I have started solids dont seem to be that hungry at all. I started eating smaller portions and they seem to keep me just as satisfied as a larger one would. I am down 31 and a half pounds since I started my pre op diet on Dec. 1st. Down 15 since surgery. The scale had stopped moving and in fact went up since starting solids but was down a couple this am. Good luck to all of us December bandsters and hang in there. It will get better.

Hi, I was banded on 12/18/2008. I haven't had as much success as you guys, but I KNOW that things are going to turn around for me. I have always been a little slow. HA! LOL

I became discouraged at the beginning because during my first post-op (group) meeting, I was the only person there that had only lost 6 lbs. The person right above me was at 18 lbs. Talk about the worst feeling ever.

If there is anyone else out there like me, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! I've come to far to give up now. This is ONLY the beginning!

December Diva's - I'm right there with ya!

I was banded 12.30.08, band is empty and so is my tummy!

Lets stick out together!!

I was banded on 12/17 and am ready for a fill. The first couple of weeks were fine and I wasn't that hungry. Now I seem to be hungry all the time - stomach growling hungry. I walk a mile at work and then try to get another mile done in the evenings with my tapes. I am eating about 12-1500 calories per day (faithfully keeping track). I hope the fill curbs some of the growling. I wouldn't notice I was hungry until my stomach starts. It's funny - I don't think I heard my stomach growl for 10 years and now I hear it all the time. What a difference.

I hear ya Pardo. I was banded on 12/15 and Christmas was miserable. I worked up to solids pretty quickly. Went for my first fill today. Have lost around 21 pounds since surgery and am hoping that it starts coming off a bit quicker now that I am all "cinched" up.