Amanda Mae

You'll be able to eat whatever you want in time but just in much smaller portions. Don't stress out about that and ruin your pre-op diet. There's a book I read that I would recommend to anyone getting ready for or even thinking about the surgery. It's called "Weight Loss Surgery" by Barbara Thompson. She actually had gastric bypass but there's a nice section on Lap-Band included. The biggest thing I learned from the book was not to worry about what you an eat in the future because you can pretty much each whatever you want just in much smaller portions and you stay full longer.

HeatherinCA Great article you shared.. Thanks!

I'm so glad I found this thread.. the last week has been hell .. I was banded on April 11th and for the first few weeks I did fine but I guess since the internal swelling went down - now I'm hungry.. I'm definitely eating less when I do eat but the full feeling isn't lasting as long and I noticed that this week the amount I can eat is more ... I'm scheduled for my first fill on May 17th .. I can't wait! Glad to know I'm not the only one.

Congratulations - what is your secret?! I know everyone reacts differently - I'm scheduled to go for my first fill on 5/17 and have maintained my weight since surgery but haven't lost. It's been a frustrating few weeks - the Dr. office says it's perfectly normal - I feel like I'm eating a lot less - guess it's time to start tracking everything I eat everyday for a while. Again - keep up the good work ..

Congrats to everyone on your weight loss so far.. good job! I was banded on 4/11 and have lost 10 pounds since the surgery and had lost 15 pounds during the pre-op diet. I started eating solid foods about four days after my surgery - I told the surgeon during the follow up and he said as long as I was feeling up to it it was fine. I noticed over the last week that the swelling from the surgery must be going down because like some of you have mentioned I have been hungrier. I emailed the nurse at the surgeon's office because I was worried about how hungry I was and my weight had gone up a few pounds (they have come back off ..whew) she said it is normal between the swelling going down the first fill to be hungrier and I just have to be disciplined.

The band definitely has provided some restriction for me with no Fluid in it ... I know that from talking to others who have the band that everyone reacts differently though. Some people need very little if any fluid in the band for it to be effective others need a lot of fluid. Since I have been banded I have noticed I can't eat as much and today was the first time I didn't chew enough before I swallowed and had tightness in my chest as the food worked its way through - it lasted about 15 minutes. I know that I had by band 2 weeks ago today and I have lost 10 pounds in the last two weeks - the doctor said if the weight loss continues at that pace he won't do my first fill until it is needed.

Hi Amy - As far as getting your Protein, there are a lot of good soy protein options on the market. I know GNC carries some in their stores but of course you have the entire internet to shop on. Sorry to hear about your nutritionist - I thought it was common knowledge now that obesity can be genetic. It must have been hard growing up with family who was naturally thin while you struggled - I can't imagine! Why give up what you like to do? I also enjoy cooking and baking and there's still a lot you can do post-op espeically once you get onto soft and solid foods. Have you joined the My Lap Band Journey website? There's a lot of great recipes on there. You can also work on trying to convert your favorite recipes into healthier options. How frequently do you move that you are staying in a hotel or is that just temporary until you find some place to rent?

Nice to meet you.. I'm sure you'll do great

Hi - My name is Amanda and I had my lap band surgery on 4/11/11. I was looking for a discussion forum where I can find support and answers to questions as I embark on this new lifestyle. I am hoping this is the place. I look forward to getting to know everyone and sharing my experiences as well as learning from everyone else.

I have only had my band about two weeks - There will be a day here or there that I don't have any shoulder pain and then the next day its intolerable. Hopefully it will be gone soon but by the sounds of things it could take a few weeks.

I'm so glad you posted this question and got great answers. I'm two weeks post op and have been hungry and gained a few pounds. I actually emailed my doctor's office before finding this discussion group. It makes sense that I would be hungry since the swelling for surgery is probably mostly gone. Thanks to everyone for your responses - I was worried there was something wrong with me!

Congratulations - I was almost there earlier this week and have gained a few pounds. I haven't had my first fill yet.. I really have to buckle down this week and make sure I don't gain weight between now and my first fill - Your milestone is inspirational - I know I can do it too.. Thank you for sharing.

I was banded two weeks ago and I'm doing great. I have been on solid foods for almost a week now - still having a little discomfort from time to time but overall I'm doing really great! I put some answers below based off of my own experiences. 1: Left side under rib, what is this pain/discomfort I am feeling???? This could be "gas pain" - my surgeon explained that during surgery the body is filled with CO2 to keep the chest cavity open and it can take a week or more for the CO2 to work its way out of the body - during this time pockets of gas can get caught and cause discomfort. For me personally, it was in my left shoulder - the pain from this was worst than my incisions. 2: I constantly feel my stomach growling - is this normal???? I wish I could answer this - I just emailed the nurse to ask the same question - I have been very hungry the last few days and gained a few pounds - 3: Why am I feeling this? 4: Why can I do ok laying on the recling couch, but horrible if I try to lay in bed? I didn't have any problems laying in bed - like I said I recovered very quickly though 5: How long is recup time? I thought I'd be able to go back to work Monday, I'm still taking Pain pills at night just so I can sleep. I had surgery on a Monday and went back to work the following Wednesday - I made it through the whole day ok but was exhausted when I came home - I did have to take some pain meds that night 6 I am barely drinking, I'm lucky if I can drink more than 15 oz of Protein shakes. I'm trying to just shake and not blend, but finding them hard to get down. Get an immersion blender or something - on the Lap Band website there are some GREAT recipes for a snickers Protein Shake and a butter finger protein shake - these really helped me out - make sure you are getting 64 oz of Water in each day to prevent dehydration. 7: Water seems a little easier to get down. and I can eat Ice pop and Jello....but how long before I can eat food another 3 weeks, how will I last???? I'm just dying for real food, but I can't wait for cream of broccoli, cream of tomato, or maybe something else. I started eating soft / solid foods five days after the surgery. The cut everything up really small and chewed a lot. I had some Mrs. T pierogies, mashed potatoes, baked french fries, I even had pizza the weekend after my surgery. the eating instructions I have said to start introducing foods slowly to check for tolerance. Nothing I had said to wait three weeks after surgery - it said Clear liquids for 1 day, full liquids for 2 days, and then pureed foods like baby food for 3 days and then soft foods. 8: Stopped heartburn meds, but gas pains are yucky. 9: When I drink I feel like I'm putting water into oil and that the water drops to the bottom, and the oil floats on top. WHat is this I am feeling????? Wish I could help you with this one but I don't 10: When is pain or discomfort going away???? I know that is a repeat.

Jennifer, I would see if you can have a friend or someone stay with you for a few days. I bounced back from surgery very quickly but was glad to have someone at the house with me to just help out with little things and to help keep me on track with the required eating. I was a little loopy leaving the hospital on pain meds so she made sure she understood all of the release paperwork. I had my surgery about 2 weeks ago and every now and then when I move a certain way I can feel some tenderness. But all in all recovery was very quick for me.

Good Luck Sophie - I'm sure you'll do great. I had my surgery on 4/11/11 - I was definitely glad to be done with pre-op diet but remember it's going to be about another week after the surgery until you can get back into real food. Congratulations on your new lifestyle.