I was banded on Friday, June 5. I'm having trouble finding enough food to get full on, using the "liquid" phase (creamy Soup, cream of wheat, Jello, etc for 2 weeks).

I'm feeling discouraged and frustrated, and wondering if I've made the wrong decision.

Has anyone else felt this way soon after they were banded?

Would someone please share with me their liquid/mushy food "diet" for the first few weeks after surgery? I need some inspiration!

Congratulations for all of the efforts you have made!! No matter how tempted you are to "bend" the rules or try other foods, listen to your doctor about the progression of your diet. It's true every one of them has a different program but to ensure your success, you gotta follow it!! Good Luck on your journey:thumbup:

Hi Blues: Stick with it and it will get better. Try some lentil soup and potato soup, even cream of broccoli if you mash up the broccoli really well will help that hungry feeling. I'm really surprised you feel hungry at all. My first week was a real no hunger week for me. I went back to work the second week and even then I ate because I needed fuel. Got too tired if I didn't eat something. The gas is probably here to stay for a while. I felt it was more like listening to everything passing through my stomach rather than actual gas. It has alleviated somewhat but after a year and 2 months I still have days when I'm really grumbly. Hang in there, we'll all be rooting for you:thumbup:

lizzyann - I was glad to read your post. I was banded June 4th - and have worked from home but went into the office today for a few hours. The more I am sitting up, the bigger my stomach swells. I am on liquid diet for 2 weeks, but have been cheating and sucking on about 2 crackers a day. I read about other exercising etc, right now - but how do they have the energy. I am exhausted from not eating. I know when I work my normal hours next week it will be even worse. It appears your ate some on your second week - right? Should I add protein powder to my milk in the morning even now?

Just tossing in my 2 cents I had protein powder to everything for the most part, soup milk drinks pudding jello all of it just to get to the required 70-80g a day I was banded on June 2nd and have been doing that since day 2.

lizzyann - I was glad to read your post. I was banded June 4th - and have worked from home but went into the office today for a few hours. The more I am sitting up, the bigger my stomach swells. I am on liquid diet for 2 weeks, but have been cheating and sucking on about 2 crackers a day. I read about other exercising etc, right now - but how do they have the energy. I am exhausted from not eating. I know when I work my normal hours next week it will be even worse. It appears your ate some on your second week - right? Should I add protein powder to my milk in the morning even now?

Astera, you are welcome! If you are doing protein shakes I would definitely limit it to 1/4 cup. The 1/4 cup I swear by. my doctor does not allow protein shakes. What i did was I blended clam chowder soup. It actually tasted good for a week or so and I was done with it lol. I hate mushies but unfortunately I have to follow the plan. When i get full I feel pains in my shoulder and that's the sign for me to quit. Best wishes Heather!

Just tossing in my 2 cents I had protein powder to everything for the most part, soup milk drinks pudding jello all of it just to get to the required 70-80g a day I was banded on June 2nd and have been doing that since day 2.

What kind of protein powder do you use? I am alittle concerned. My doc asks for pure liquid diet for 2 weeks, but I am so exhausted I have just started eating ittybitty pieces of fish and soups for the fuel. I had to stay in the hospital and gained 7 pounds OVERNIGHT from hospital fluids. I have lost that and 4 additional pounds and am really worried that my doctor will be disappointed next week, but I swear I don't have the energy to do what I do on the liquid diet. I wonder how much the doctors expect you to lose the first two weeks afterwards?

Thanks! I finally got my NP to call back to answer that question for me and she said about sipping 4oz at a time of liquids is fine as long as I wasn't having any discomfort and it was not during a meal 30min before one or 30min after one. I still have not found a full trigger for me yet :-/ but I am hoping one comes soon :-) Hope all is well with you thanks again!

Astera, you are welcome! If you are doing Protein shakes I would definitely limit it to 1/4 cup. The 1/4 cup I swear by. my doctor does not allow protein shakes. What i did was I blended clam chowder soup. It actually tasted good for a week or so and I was done with it lol. I hate mushies but unfortunately I have to follow the plan. When i get full I feel pains in my shoulder and that's the sign for me to quit. Best wishes Heather!

baylakeaverys,

From most of the things I have read on here and from what my dr said to me they are not as concerned about loss the first 2 weeks as you are healing. I am using the unjury unflavored Protein powder. Its great because you can mix it in just about anything without changing the flavor and it gets the extra protein in there. I made Jello and pudding with it mixed in and it works well. My dietitian at the hospital gave me samples of Unjury protein powders before surgery and I ordered the container of unflavored from them after I tried the samples. You can buy samples from them so you don’t have to get a big container only to find out you don’t like it. They have all different flavors to but as I said the unflavored has been great just because you can put it in just about anything you are making. Also GNC is a good place to get protein powders but so far Unjury is the only place I have found that has unflavored as an option. I hope that helps you get some extra protein in! Here is a link to the Unjury site. http://www.unjury.com

What kind of protein powder do you use? I am alittle concerned. My doc asks for pure liquid diet for 2 weeks, but I am so exhausted I have just started eating ittybitty pieces of fish and soups for the fuel. I had to stay in the hospital and gained 7 pounds OVERNIGHT from hospital fluids. I have lost that and 4 additional pounds and am really worried that my doctor will be disappointed next week, but I swear I don't have the energy to do what I do on the liquid diet. I wonder how much the doctors expect you to lose the first two weeks afterwards?

I was banded on June 8th. I too am going through the 2 week clear liquid diet. I just started on my 2nd week. I think though unlike some of you I am not able to eat the creamy soups, yogurt, etc. Basically my dr told me it has to be something you can see through like broth.

I was doing fair up until today when I had to return to work. Man was that hard. I swear people could hear my stomache rumbling all day at work. lol

Plus I am now uterally exhausted & dizzy. Hoping my son will be nice & let me lay down.

Good luck to you all as well!!

The post-op blues are something no one can prepare you for. I was hungy by the third day, but also struggling with the "head hunger." I had to sit in my bedroom while my family ate meals because I could not handle it. I have been cranky and wondering what the heck I did to myself. After 2+ weeks of liquids, yesterday I started mushies with a scrambled egg and today I had refried beans. It is amazing how chewing boosted my spirits (sad I know). I think we just have to all hang in there until we get to the "sweet spot" I keep hearing about. Knowing that we are all going through a similar experience is very comforting to me as well so thanks to all for sharing!!

I too was banded on June 5th and was released on full liquids for 1 week following surgery then off to "well chewed" food that I can tolerate, but am limited to 2oz per meal, having a hard time with the 2 oz per meal, but the protein shakes really help, does anyone have a hard time getting in their fruits and veggies. I have found that V8 is helpful

It is strange to me all this doctors don't have the same post op diet. Clears for 2weeks, that just doesn't seem right. Hopefully you are taking vitamins. Yet, you need the protein healing process. I only had clears for 2days, then liquid protein for a week, now mushy. I fill up easy and am not that hungry. I see my doc today. Still, sore but not even as bad. I don't like tight clothing on my tummy. Can sleep in my bed, and sleep on my sides just being careful when i get to my side and have pillow in front of my tummy. I hope everyone else is feeling better too.:bored:

I have found the what my surgeon says for post op diet and what the dietition that works in his office said are two different things. I am going with the more conservative of the two but it is very interesting that there is no really cookie cutter plan to it all for the surgeons as far as pre op, post op, or otherwise really that I have noticed. It is so nice to have a place that we can all talk about what we are being told to do and see how others are doing things as well. I hope everyone is doing well. I am post op 3 weeks now and I am doing well so far so good. How is everyone doing now?

It is strange to me all this doctors don't have the same post op diet. Clears for 2weeks, that just doesn't seem right. Hopefully you are taking Vitamins. Yet, you need the Protein healing process. I only had clears for 2days, then liquid protein for a week, now mushy. I fill up easy and am not that hungry. I see my doc today. Still, sore but not even as bad. I don't like tight clothing on my tummy. Can sleep in my bed, and sleep on my sides just being careful when i get to my side and have pillow in front of my tummy. I hope everyone else is feeling better too.:blushing:

Hang in there! We're all in the same boat (or will be soon!), so we can feel your pain. It's just a short bout in the long haul. It's doable!

I have been doing ok with the liquids it does get boring and I will be thankful when week 2 comes around but its ok now. I was banded June 2nd.

However the gas pain, and I don't mean from the stuff they inflated you with. I feel like I have to burp but cant all the time but I just have a spasm like a hiccup with no sound, my tummy rumbles constantly and its really uncomfortable. I have tried gas x with no relief and my post op is not until the 22nd. Any one else experience this?

I'm having terrible spasms. They're painful. I'm still on pain meds because the spasms are so strong that it takes my breath away. There's no rhyme or reason to them, they just happen. I keep calling the surgeons office and they say my body needs to adjust to something being there and it could be the hernia repair. I hope it adjusts quickly, this is terrible! The pain starts where I guess the band is, goes up to my throat and then a pain radiates to my forehead. Today the spasms were so bad that I began to get sick with them. I could feel fine and within seconds of the clamp down of a spasm be in the middle of almost throwing up. It's been awful. Otherwise I'm fine. I'm able to drink shakes and my hunger pangs are different, but I realized what they were.

Edited July 11, 200917 yr by emmylou

Emmy, I am so sorry you are going through this. prayers are with you