Oh Lunasa---you can officially calm down---it is nothing like you are fearing!!!

There will be times between now and you finding a good spot of restriction that yes you may be hungry. But they will not last forever! Right now, you have the fear of the hunger, the upcoming surgery---everything coming in at you at one time. Once the surgery is behind you---you will likely have several days or even longer that you simply are not hungry. I don't know how much your Dr. told you, but the nerves (I think my Dr. called them the Vega nerves) are located at the top of your stomach, and they are the nerves that send the signal to the brain that you are done. Which is why now, pre banding, you have to eat a LOT to truly feel full. And once those nerves are hit, it takes awhile for your brain to fully recognize and tell you to stop eating. There are often times quiet simple signals---that you will learn, to know you are full. Once you are banded, and there is just a small pouch at the top, it is quite simple to hit those nerves quickly---in just a small amount of food. The first days following surgery the nerve pretty much stays activated, due to swelling---your stomach often swells over the indignity of that tight belt being slapped on there!!! Once the swelling goes down, hunger will return, often with a vengeance---because you are on liquids. Liquids are given to allow the band to set into place, and stitches used to do that to heal. When liquids are consumed, they usually slide right through, so the nerve is not triggered. This is the time referred to as bandster hell. A band with no restriction. It is not easy---but if you just repeat to yourself that this is the last time you truly have to "diet" ever again---and weight frequently to see the weight dropping off---you make it through. Then you begin the fill process. With my first fill of 1.25 cc.'s I suddenly felt my band work! I had allowed myself in the hunger of things to slip into some former bad eating habits! Suddenly when I ate too fast, or did not chew, it hurt! Nothing serious, but I knew that the band was there---and I was scared of a real PB or getting "stuck"---so I worked hard on my bandster eating habits. My Dr. allows a fill in 4 weeks, if you are still hungry within an hour or so after eating hard protein. I was---so a month later I had my second fill. It was small, only 1/2 a cc. I thought if 1.25 didn't do anything--then .50 is going to be a waste of time and $$$. Wrong!!!! With that little tweak of .50cc I got excellent restriction! I was no longer hungry----EVER! I am still not ever what I would call hungry. I occasionally feel hollow or empty, and realize I need to eat---but hunger---like the raging, fear inducing, more important than ANYTHING, kind of hunger----gone from my life! Used to be when I would come in at the end of the day, I grabbed anything close and easy---a bag of chips, or cookies, whatever, just so there was lots of it. Now, since I am not really hungry, it isn't a big deal to take a few minutes, and throw a salad in a bowl, or make a half a pita with some chicken salad...finding a healthy alternative, is easy, because there is no rush! I still can have some chips with a sandwich---but I get full very fast, so if I eat the worthless chips, I have taken up valuable space, with not so valuable of a quality of food. If I eat ribs, or a steak for lunch---I can easily not eat another bite of food until morning if I don't force myself. I get busy now and forget to eat---my granddaughter tells me when it is time to eat now!!! And we eat better than I used to, without a doubt. Food is no longer the center of my thoughts. I don't know what is for dinner tonight, and it is time for it---but I'll throw something together, and it will be fine, it will be enough---it isn't a concern. I used to plan dinner as I ate breakfast. I always thought that was one of the reasons I was bigger than my DH, I planned all the meals to what sounded good to me! Occasionally he would say, let's have such and such for dinner, and I always tried to do it, but sometimes it just didn't appeal, so I didn't eat so much. But no, I planned meals way before time to have them, what side dishes would go best, based on the tastes.....now it isn't a big deal.

There is a saying I had always heard, of Eating to Live, not Living to Eat. I get it now---I live it! It isn't a real concious decision to change---but when you are not starving all the time, it loses its appeal. You learn that you actually only get the big pleasure of the taste in the first 2-3 bites, then your tastebuds are adjusted...so you totally enjoy the 2-3 bites---and are done with it.

I know I have gone on FOREVER---but I want you to know it DOES change---life simplifies, and changes----you enjoy moving your body----and not being chained to the kitchen----it is nice going, and not caring if someone else eats more than their share of an appetizer!

When you are going through the bandster hell---we will all be here, to help you and offer suggestions to make the time pass---and suddenly one day you will wake up and be heading out the door to go somewhere, and think, 'oh yeah I better grab a yogurt or something'----because you forgot to eat breakfast---it WILL happen. Your band will be in there waiting to work with you---so when you and your Drt. can begin the adjustment process---get ready for a change!!!

Til then, relax---it is all gonna be ok.