NEW BANDER with a thousand questions? HELP

[Jordangirl 0]

Hey everyone.....my name is Josie...and I just got bander on Oct 28th ( the beginning of my new life)!!!

Still on mostly liquids and Im having a hard time distinguishing if my stomach is full or just uncomfortable from the surgery.....I can eat a yogurt then I feel pretty full....I think??:wub:

How will I know if I need a fill????

What happens if I eat a solid ( not that Im going to) just curious what happens..and why I cant at this point??

Will I ever be able to eat something I really like every once in a while...just not the whole thing?

and any other infor you guys have is greatly appreciated...xo:thumbup:

[Who'sThere 331]

Well, here's my take...

1. At this point, if you can eat a whole yogurt, you are probably definitely full! I was on liquid only for two weeks after! A yogurt would have definitely filled me to the brim.

2. When you can eat more than you should and are still hungry before it's time for the next meal, you need a fill.

3. At this point, if you eat a solid you take the risk of moving your band. It is probably tacked in place but if you over fill your pouch or eat something solid, you could displace it and it wouldn't heal properly. Also, as you eat solids, your stomach will have to churn more to digest them and that could also cause problems. You have come to far...don't risk it!

3. Yes, you will likely be physically able to eat the things you love again in smaller portions. I was only banded in July, but I can already eat anything I want, really. (That is I haven't tried anything I can't eat if I chew well.) With that being said, only you know if you can mentally eat just a little. If you are a food addict, don't tempt yourself with something that would be like liquor to an alcoholic. Does that make sense? I LOVE pizza. Now I eat a piece (or two really small ones) of very thin crust if I must have pizza. Before, I could have and sometimes did eat the whole pizza. For me, this is the answer...what it's all about. I've lost weight plenty of times in the past by eliminating all "bad" foods. I can t-total it, but only for a while. Eventually, I would go back to eating whatever I wanted because I couldn't help myself. As a result I regained everything and more back. This time around, I am working for a lifestyle change. I will continue to eat anything I want, but in small portions. I can live that way forever, but I don't think I could realistically never eat pizza or chocolate again. Ya know?

[renebeau 0]

Amy - you said it all, and very well! I think it is unrealistic to say you can never eat the foods you love, ever again. Who wants to live like that!

I am still pre-band, but I look forward to just eating a small amount of normal food. I have also read that many bandsters lost their taste for unhealthy foods. I would welcome that change, too.

I went to a weight loss seminar with a strict doctor, and then with my chosen doctor. There was a huge difference in their outlooks. The first doc said no more unhealthy foods, period. I think he was trying to weed out the possible "slow losers" or those for whom the band might fail. My current doc is more lenient, saying that I can eat most things I want, just in smaller portions.

Moderation has not been my strong suit. I hope the band can help me with that.

[Electrawoman 5]

Well, now I am confused! At the seminar I went to, the liquid to soft to small foods after surgery diet was explained. Then, they told us that we would be able to eat anything we wanted only in smaller portions while living with the band. They said that some people develop an aversion to certain foods or have some things stick at the band opening leading to restrictions on some items. (the lady that talked to us could no longer eat white bread, for example). There was talk of eating healthy (of course we all want to do that). But nobody said anything about restricting a lot of food types. Can someone jump in and explain? Thanks!

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

Jordan:

Still on mostly liquids and Im having a hard time distinguishing if my stomach is full or just uncomfortable from the surgery.....I can eat a yogurt then I feel pretty full....I think??

At first, it doesn't take much to feel full because you have swelling post-operatively. As the swelling decreases, your capacity may increase.

How will I know if I need a fill????

When you are starving hungry regularly, pretty much. A good gauge is that if you don't stay full after eating a recommended meal for 4 hours, you need a feel.

What happens if I eat a solid ( not that Im going to) just curious what happens..and why I cant at this point??

solid food requires your stomach to churn as part of the digestive process. If you eat solids prematurely, you could cause your band to slip. Slips don't happen easily but in the beginning, you really don't want to do anything that might make that happen.

Will I ever be able to eat something I really like every once in a while...just not the whole thing?

Let's see. You didn't sign anything that said you were signing up to be punished, did you? LOL. The truth is that as long as you eat your Protein, it's not a deal-breaker if you eat, say, 6 fried shrimp instead of steamed ones. I personally have a small slice of birthday cake every month at the office birthday party. Not a big honking piece but enough to enjoy it....a slice about a half-inch thick. Life goes on whether you have the surgery or not. You just have to learn to pick when to allow yourself that special treat. Every day? Not going to lose weight if you do that. Once every couple of weeks, and not a crazy amount? Yeah, you can do that.

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

Eletrawoman,

Well, now I am confused! At the seminar I went to, the liquid to soft to small foods after surgery diet was explained. Then, they told us that we would be able to eat anything we wanted only in smaller portions while living with the band. They said that some people develop an aversion to certain foods or have some things stick at the band opening leading to restrictions on some items. (the lady that talked to us could no longer eat white bread, for example). There was talk of eating healthy (of course we all want to do that). But nobody said anything about restricting a lot of food types. Can someone jump in and explain? Thanks!

Once you start getting fills, you may find some foods don't work for you. I don't eat soft bread. When you were a kid did you ever pull out the middle of a slice of bread and sort of mush it into a ball? Well when you chew soft bread the same thing can happen ... it turns into a doughy ball. And for me, that gets stuck 9 times out of 10 so I don't eat it. I can eat toasted bread, crackers, etc.

You do have to eat healthy for a whole lot of reasons. Mainly, you can't take in as much, so you really need to make healthy choices in order to get the nutrition you need. If you don't eat enough Protein, you may find your hair falling out, for example. If you don't drink enough Water, your skin will show it. And, #1 on the list.... if you want the band to help you lose weight, you really need to ditch the chocolate, fried foods, large amount of potatoes, sugar..... Like I said to Jordan, you don't have to give it up, but you have to restrict it to occasional treats. The band isn't just going to make the fat go away. You have to use the band to make it go away yourself.

[tapshoes 2]

Lots of good answers here for Josie.

Regarding restricting or eliminateng certain foods... I''ve been banded almost 2 years (and never regreted it!). The issue of foods and doctors instructions is a common one, and it would be so nice if they would agree...but they don't.

For me, there is no food that I cannot eat...I am lucky in that regard, as I know there are other bandsters who do have trouble digesting certain foods. But there is no rule that says you have to eliminate food X Y or Z. The issue is really one of nutrition - when you reach your sweet spot (that is, the place where the restriction is good), your stomach will be much smaller and therefore you need to make every calorie count to maintain your health. You could fill your stomach with booze and chocolate for example, but you would be compromising your health. So, for many long-time bandsters, it is a case of nutrition first, so that junk food, booze, are way down the list of foods to eat. Proteins are first, then veg and fruit. But, like a previous poster stated, you can enjoy the occasional treat without issue.

Good luck on your journey.

[Jordangirl 0]

Thank you all..I forget to ask for an explanation of all these weird terms..one being PB?

[Electrawoman 5]

PB means productive burp. It's when food gets stuck at the opening of your pouch. It has been explained to me like this: drinking cold soda really fast and getting that chest pain or getting a burp stuck in your chest. It hurts pretty bad when that happens but it lasts less than a minute. The difference is that with a PB it lasts longer and some food may come back up (like spit up but not violent like vomit). I plan on avoiding them as much as possible!