Ok first off I had to have two surgeries for my band. After the first one the band was too tight and nothing went down. 2nd surgery fixed it...

I went for my follow up last Friday and dropped 32 lbs since Dec 3rd. Also my doc said that they may not even have to do a fill because the band should still be tighter than most people.

I'm already eating people... Lol and I have gained 5 or 6 lbs... Is that normal? How do u know when to stop eating? I can't really tell... Although I'm not eating near as much as before the surgery I think its a substantial amount.

So, I'm thinking I need a fill and that appt is not scheduled until 2/12... I'm thinking of bumping it up...

Is this weight gain normal?

I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I am supposed to be on blended/mushy foods, but I have been eating soft to regular food for a couple of weeks now, because I was starving to death. I do make sure my food is soft or I chew it very well. I'm not eating near as much as I used to. For dinner I had tablespoon of mashed potatoes, tbls of green beans, and a quarter of baked steak. I haven't had a fill yet and won't until 2/24 and I never feel full, but I don't test those waters I just eat very little at one time, and it does not stick with me. I know by the 24th I'll probably gain all 20 pounds that I have lost. I hope this thing (band) works when I get a fill....

StephD,

You really should not be eating things like steak, no matter how it is cooked. I am 3-4 weeks out and eating meats like liver sausage, cottage cheese, etc, and tomorrow I start encorporating tuna and ground turkey. My doc said no beef meets until at LEAST 8 weeks out, and preferable 12. Some foods require more stomach movement to digest, no matter how you chew them, and could cause damage to your band, which is only stitched on.

I know how you guys feel, and I know you are hungry, I have been right there with you. I have been working really hard to have around 1000 cals, high in Protein. I feel like I am eating all the time. For example, Breakfast is yogurt and 1/2 banana, snack- Protein shakes, lunch- 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cottage cheese, 2 oz liver sausage, 1/4 cup spinach, snack- Protein shake (sometimes I only have one shake) dinner- 1/2 cup refried Beans, 2% lowfat cheese, 4-6 crackers, more spinach, OR Soup and crackers. I sometimes have 1 tbls of peanutbutter as well. I snack on some healthy stuff to get me close to 1000 cals, I was only having 700-800 and my body started rebelling, but as soon as I upped the cals I started losing again.

You should really talk to your dietician about how you are feeling. Bandster Hell is a really hard time to get through- use all the resources you can!

Your diet sounds almost exactly like mine. I am 22 post-surg and lost 14 lbs in the first 14 days, but nothing since, and I'm getting very nervous. It scares me reading these messages from people who are already GAINING! I didn't spend $8000.00 to lose only 14 lbs and then gain it back. How is your weight loss going? I'm looking for inspiration/motivation! mflores

Ill be honest I haven't exactly stuck to the diet.... Like today I had ground beef with onion and bell pepper in it... And I steamed potatoes with green Beans... I ate a normal serving... No trouble at all... I think after today and reading this I'm going back to just Protein and my shakes. I honestly think after the surgery my stomach shrunk a lot and the band is very loose. That is the only explanation of me being able to eat large amounts. I just hope I haven't damaged anything.... Now I'm worried..

I can eat anything I want really I just chew it very very well.

And I know its not suppose to be like that.

Also.. I'm three weeks out... Is anyones port area still bothering them? Man its horrible... I can finally lay on my stomach with some pillow support on that side but when I have to get up it hurts like crazy... Sometimes it evens burns when I get all the way up.

Also.. I'm three weeks out... Is anyones port area still bothering them? Man its horrible... I can finally lay on my stomach with some pillow support on that side but when I have to get up it hurts like crazy... Sometimes it evens burns when I get all the way up.

My port site hurt off and on until a day or two ago, I've been able to lay on my stomach since 2 weeks post op, although at times it would hurt and I would just lay on my side.

I think I would be able to eat a large meal as well, but I just eat small portions of soft food and chew really well.

Creed, like you my band was too tight and they had to unhook mine. I had my 1st surgery on 1/15/09 and could not keep anything down. They opened me up again on 1/16/09 to take a look and decided to unhook it which means I go back in about 4 weeks and they will go in again and hook it up.

Today is 1/19 and I am still swollen. However, because of the band being too tight I know that I wont be hungry after they re-hook it and I get a fill or two. Boy was that sucker tight. Give it some time. Right now IMO really should be about healing and not weight loss.

Having a tight band kind of worries me. My doctor said that if my band is just tight and it was not all due to swelling then I wont need very many fills to have restriction. I am kind of looking at it in two ways...What if I need no restriction for some reason at some point in my life??? Yet at the same time maintaining restriction should be easier and in turn the weight loss should be easier.

Remember its the final outcome over the long haul and we are all in this together.

I will be 3 weeks post op tomorrow. I am supposed to be on blended/mushy foods, but I have been eating soft to regular food for a couple of weeks now, because I was starving to death. I do make sure my food is soft or I chew it very well. I'm not eating near as much as I used to. For dinner I had tablespoon of mashed potatoes, tbls of green Beans, and a quarter of baked steak. I haven't had a fill yet and won't until 2/24 and I never feel full, but I don't test those waters I just eat very little at one time, and it does not stick with me. I know by the 24th I'll probably gain all 20 pounds that I have lost. I hope this thing (band) works when I get a fill....

Doesn't sound like it's the band that's the problem...

Doesn't sound like it's the band that's the problem...

I thought this site was for support and info!!!! I guess not.... Way before I was banded I came across your blog (BethFromVA) and saved it to my favs to one day read for info and whatnot. Tonight I had a chance to take a peak and this is what I found.....

"The only thing I wish is that this second fill had given me a bit more restriction. I can still eat a regular-person sized meal, but that's okay. The good thing that came of this last fill is that I am not STARVING about 2-3 hours after having eaten. I don't know what that was all about because I never got like that before the band. So the fact that that feeling is gone is a definite plus. I am thinking I may try to go in one week sooner than the one-month appointment I made just to get it going a bit sooner.

The other issue with being out of town is trying hard to eat right. We certainly haven't exercised like we thought we would (walked about 2 1/2 miles the first day... then nothing), but it's been nice to visit. And even if I gain a teeny bit while I'm here, I won't stress it like I used to. I will get back to my schedule when I get back home and will be back on the way down again."

Posted by Beth at 3:57 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Please don't be so quick to tear someone down for the same issues you may be having...... We are all here for the same purpose.... To lose weight and get healthy!!!!

Also.. I'm three weeks out... Is anyones port area still bothering them? Man its horrible... I can finally lay on my stomach with some pillow support on that side but when I have to get up it hurts like crazy... Sometimes it evens burns when I get all the way up.

Oh my gosh my port bothers me too! I am 3 weeks out as well. I feel your pain but I try to remember this is the worse we will feel and it will get better from here.

All the best everyone

I am 2 1/2 wks post surgery, and my biggest problems right now are chronic heartburn and incredible pain if I eat too soon after waking up and don't chew enough. Pain is a great behavior modifier and I'm trying not to make the same mistakes twice. I think I'll also have to stop drinking coffee, at least for now, because it seems to make the heart burn worse. I've had a few episodes of being doubled over in pain, thinking that I'm going to throw up, but fortunately, the intense pain only lasts a few minutes. I'm also still getting intermittant back and shoulder pain - a heating pad works wonders, so does a bubble bath. The hardest part is stopping eating when I feel full because 1) the food tastes good and 2) its always that 2 or 3 more bites that causes the discomfort. Even in my worst moments, I haven't regretted the band, though I've certainly thought it would be great to have it taken off for about an hour, just to eat with out discomfort. I miss diet coke tremendously!!! What I don't miss is the obsessive thinking and eating that came with my pre-band life. I feel like I have peace of mind for the first time in a long time.

I thought this site was for support and info!!!! I guess not.... Way before I was banded I came across your blog (BethFromVA) and saved it to my favs to one day read for info and whatnot. Tonight I had a chance to take a peak and this is what I found.....

"The only thing I wish is that this second fill had given me a bit more restriction. I can still eat a regular-person sized meal, but that's okay. The good thing that came of this last fill is that I am not STARVING about 2-3 hours after having eaten. I don't know what that was all about because I never got like that before the band. So the fact that that feeling is gone is a definite plus. I am thinking I may try to go in one week sooner than the one-month appointment I made just to get it going a bit sooner.

The other issue with being out of town is trying hard to eat right. We certainly haven't exercised like we thought we would (walked about 2 1/2 miles the first day... then nothing), but it's been nice to visit. And even if I gain a teeny bit while I'm here, I won't stress it like I used to. I will get back to my schedule when I get back home and will be back on the way down again."

Posted by Beth at 3:57 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Please don't be so quick to tear someone down for the same issues you may be having...... We are all here for the same purpose.... To lose weight and get healthy!!!!

I apologize for not clarifying. I was on my way out the door to see a movie, and I realize it sounded flip.

I guess what I mean is that bandster hell is that -- hell. It is that time before the band works but after surgery has taken place. It's that time when sheer will power has to take over, and it can be very hard.

Like after my first fill, for whatever reason, I ended up HUNGRIER than before the fill. I was hanging on by my fingernails because I was literally starving just a couple hours after having eaten, and that was never normal for me even before being banded.

There WILL be times that we have to utilize willpower, and God knows that we need to work the band. There will never be a time that the band alone will do it all for us. It won't choose good foods for us, it won't make us work out, it won't keep us on track. We will have to do that with the aid of the band.

I sincerely apologize for my short stupid post. I should know better to give such a short answer when I don't have time to explain -- OR to not give a short answer like that when I need to explain. I knew what I was thinking in my head, but you didn't. I'm sorry for that. :wink2:

I'm not sure how to use this forum, but I am giving it a try. I am 4 weeks post op. I was eating food by day 6. I still lost 20lbs, but nothing since. I am working my butt off in the gym, but to no avail. I am so frustrated! I had ONE fill 1 1/2 cc's. My surgeon says my band is smaller than most people's band. I'm not sure what that means. To tell you the truth, I don't know much about my band at all. I don't have restriction and if I wanted to, I could eat a full meal. I don't. I try really hard to eat small amounts and drink my protein shakes. I switch to liquids once or twice a week, but still NO weight loss! Is this normal!? I'm beginning to think I should have had the gastric bypass. I'm so jealous of those people whose weight just falls off. UGH! HELP!!

Oh, one more thing..how do I get those cute little ticker things?? I would love to have one. Thanks for your help.

I also had my surgery on the 8th of Jan. I still have the pain around the port area, :Dancing_wub: and also have pain in between my shoulders which I still think is gas. Between the pre-op diet and now I have lost 30 pounds hope it keeps going. :wink2: Started mushy foods last Thursday and have really noticed the hunger since then, have to wait 5 more weeks for a fill.:Dancing_wub: