First I wanted to say thanks to everyone who listened to my Darvocet rants right after my surgery a few weeks ago. :huh2:

I was overly concerned with everything and didn't trust myself. Not to mention my clinic here doesn't have the best information. I am not even using what they provided me as far as diet goes. I have another book and am following that. They know and approve so dont worry.

Thank goodness I could go on line and find out what I was supposed to be eating. My only instructions were "liquid bariatric diet" Nothing else. So what does that mean and given that it was the holidays I knew no one would be there. Thank god for these groups and the internet.

Anyway,,,

Now I am at 3 weeks out this coming Tuesday and what a world of difference. I feel great, my attitude and way of being has changed entirely. I was very sick and also regretting things the first week though. I couldn't even leave the house for almost a week but that quickly changed and every day got better and better.

I am still on the blended foods but I haven't gotten tired of it yet. It still works for me. I have some yummy recipes that are easy and so good for you too. So I have been mixing it up. I think, for me, I am feeling better not only b/c of the surgery and weight loss but also b/c of getting off the carb wagon. That really makes a big difference for me.

I have also lost 26lbs as of last Wednesday. 8 pre op. I am only weighing myself once a week and cannot wait till Wednesday to see where I am at.

Oh, something that shocked me....I never in my life thought that I would think 1 cup of food looked huge....lol but I've been using the 1/4 cups for so long now that when I took the whole cup out to cook i was shocked. Prior to this 4 cups wouldn't have looked huge to me. I liked large portions and it showed. :glare:

One more thing too that I wanted to ask the group. Do you find it hard to be with other people who are eating large quantities? I am having a hard time with watching my husband down an entire pizza or whatever it is. Not b/c I want one but b/c it seems huge, ridiculous and a massive quantity to me now. It's weird, things have really changed for me. WOW...

Well, I just wanted to check in and update you and also maybe encourage some new folks too that every single day gets better and better...

I love my band!

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poodles,that was a great post for me to read. I am having the surgery in the morning and wondering if I am doing the right thing, should I not be spending this money in this economy?(no ins.) am I going to regret it? but your post made me feel a lot better about it, thanx.By the way, this was my first post cuz I am cluelees about all this, how do you get a ticker?

Poodles, I also sit and look at my boyfriend (who refuses to go to the dr and he is def gaining weight) who can eat! And I am thinking to myself man, look at him eat! The other night we went out for pizza. By the time I ate 2 BITES of pizza, he is on his second slice! I ate 1 slice (not even the crust), was full, and he ate 3. I was like wow. It's amazing the food difference intake. What I am noticing is the grocery bill difference! I actully am doing less grocery shopping which I am truly enjoying! So heck, that means I am even saving money!

I was banded on the 14th of January. I'm really hungry, but I too watch my husband and my oldest son consume large quantities of food. Boy has this opened my eyes. I could down a couple of chicken breasts without blinking an eye - I watch them do it and it actually repulses me now. I'm still on liquid diet. My husband has commented on how proud he is of me for staying on both the pre-op and the post op diet. Little does he know that I am petrified of going off if it one little bit. I have to go to an office breakfast on Tuesday of this week. I am sure that the quantity of food being consumed will be eye opening for me.

I'm so glad I am not the only one going through this. I am literally appalled by how much he consumes. I wonder how this will turn out b/c I find myself rolling my eyes when he goes back for Cereal bowl number 3. hat's a lot of food!! No wonder my food bill was always so high!

He also eats so fast that like you said Amber, I'm still on bite 2 and he's done. It is just frustrating to me for some weird reason. I mean this is the same man I've been eating with for the last 20 years you would think I'd know him by now and that would be that. But I feel disgusted by it. Maybe I am feeling that way b/c I know that not long ago it was me doing that too. hhmmmmm some work to be done on myself maybe. lol

I like that I feel in control and not hungry most all the time. Sometimes I am but I try to distract myself. A few days I was on a roll and forgot to eat. (which I had heard skinny annoying people say before and I thought to myself oh, please, who forgets to eat?) but I did it. When I'm hungry, as long as I eat Protein I'm ok. chicken salad, Beans, cheese then I'm fine with a small amount. I have lost 26lbs in less than a month so I know I'm doing the right thing.

I have to keep my notebook of planned food with me or else I end up eating much to less and that cant be good.

Well, thanks ladies for writing in. It makes me feel better to know I'm not alone.

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I was banded in November and eating out is a challenge for me. Everyone is drinking and eating at the same time. Everyoen is ordering appetizers and eating:cursing: It's so hard to watch. So my Husband orders an appetizer and I sip a glass of Wine maybe have a tiny bite. I know in my head an appetize is your dinner. I try to order of the children's menu whenever possible makes portion size easier to control or I ask for a to go contatiner and a small plate the second my plate hits the table I put my food in a to go container and put my portions on a small plate... still dealing with big plate needs big food syndrome.

My husband and I solved the eating out part by sharing a plate. He's a meat and potatoes guy, so we order a steak with his potatoes and a side of veggies for me. I cut off a small piece of his steak, eat my veggies and watch him go! He's happy...I'm a cheap date now!

I also told my daughters this weekend (age 20 and 22) that when we go out to lunch, if they want me to pay then they have to share their food with me. Saturday at lunch I ate a 4oz cup of chili ($2.99) and the total food bill for all of us was $27.00! Hey, I get what I need, and they don't overeat at the same time! Works for me!

My husband and I solved the eating out part by sharing a plate. He's a meat and potatoes guy, so we order a steak with his potatoes and a side of veggies for me. I cut off a small piece of his steak, eat my veggies and watch him go! He's happy...I'm a cheap date now!

I also told my daughters this weekend (age 20 and 22) that when we go out to lunch, if they want me to pay then they have to share their food with me. Saturday at lunch I ate a 4oz cup of chili ($2.99) and the total food bill for all of us was $27.00! Hey, I get what I need, and they don't overeat at the same time! Works for me!

Sounds awesome .. yesterday I was starving nothing much to eat near by daughters college went through mcdonalds order a cheeseburger 99 cents pulled of the bun and had lunch!!! Love the new tummy. It was just enough till i could get home later and eat some veggies and good Protein.

Tomorrow I start mushie food. I am sooo excited. My daughter was laughing at me when I extrolled the virtues of the oatmeal I would have tomorrow. Oatmeal never sounded so good. I am starving, but trying hard to stave it off. I am hoping that these feelings will go away eventually. I am petrified that I am not going to make it through to my goal. Although it was fun to put on a pair of pants this morning and had to change to a smaller size and I've only lost 17 lbs so far. One good thing is that my husband is doing the cooking for now and he is cooking smaller portions for everyone. He saw how excited I was today and even said that maybe he should consider doing this too. I was so surprised. Not sure both of us could do this at the same time - someone has to cook for the kids!

I had my band on 1/14/09. i was doing well right after surgery but by the time I got home (acouple of days later) I was feeling like I made a mistake by having this done. But now it is 1 week later and I am in a whole new world and loving it. I am just starting blended foods now so this will be a new experiance for me,so use to liquids. I am so proud of my family. They all have cut back on what and how much they eat. My husband had decided to eat what I eat and I told him he should at least eat a small dinner but if he eanted to drink protien shakes suring the day that would be ok. So he does. What a GREAT guy!:tongue:

I had my band on 1/14/09. i was doing well right after surgery but by the time I got home (acouple of days later) I was feeling like I made a mistake by having this done. But now it is 1 week later and I am in a whole new world and loving it. I am just starting blended foods now so this will be a new experiance for me,so use to liquids. I am so proud of my family. They all have cut back on what and how much they eat. My husband had decided to eat what I eat and I told him he should at least eat a small dinner but if he eanted to drink protien shakes suring the day that would be ok. So he does. What a GREAT guy!:thumbup:

How awesome is that.. got to love the support of the Family!!