missybear

A few tips to help chew slower that I practiced at home when I first went back to solids included eating with teaspoons/oyster fork, only serving a small portion, put the utensils down between mouthfuls, cutting up everything in small bites and chewing to a consistency that I could move around my mouth and between my teeth.

The week of recovery post surgery I felt terrible. I have never felt so uncomfortable and worried whether I did the right thing. Fortunately, heading out for a walk took my kind off it for a while, and I'm happy to say post recovery and 3 kgs away from my goal weight within 12 months I don't regret it at all. Best wishes for your recovery. You can do it

Is it the type of clothes your wearing, like stretchy material? I had some clothes that fitted for a fair while, especially dresses. It was clothes like jeans, fitted shirts and shorts that I was able to fit into smaller sizes that really helped me feel like I was losing weight.

My mum was the most difficult. She was probably 30-40 kilos heavier than I was at the time I decided to get surgery. She is a nurse and was critical at some of the people she had worked with who had it done, who didn't change their lifestyles. I think most of it boiled down to her not taking her weight seriously and the fear that dad and my brothers would encourage her towards doing something as well. Fortunately dad and my brothers were very supportive and when I asked them to not direct any comments towards mum they didn't. Even with mum as a nurse, my dad is the best support when it comes to hospitals and surgery.

I agree with the earlier post, blending with ice can make the Protein shake feel more substantial and help it settle. I also found having ice in my drinks gave me something to chew. I found sugar free ice blocks and Jello also helped. The other part I found was keeping busy, going out for a walk, going to the cinemas etc. I was less tempted to want to eat.

Standing up and walking around i found helped relieve the pain, I was quite uncomfortable and things like sleeping troubled me a few days out from surgery. I recall day 3&4 post surgery I felt like crap. I recall feeling back to my usual self after about a week, so hopefully you've experienced the worse point of it by now As for getting fluids down, are you taking tiny sips, don't use a straw and take a break between mouthfuls.

I can relate to the point you raised on food not being as enjoyable after a few mouthfuls. I've felt there us a disparity between anticipation and enjoyment of actually eating over the past 12 months since being banded. i can be so excited sit down and eat after cooking/going to a fancy restaurant/special occasions, and after even a single mouthful or two, I may feel over it. (not all the time, but this does happen a few times a week) As much as that feels like a bit of a let down, I remind myself this is what I wanted from the Lapband, a sense of satisfaction and an ability to walk away from food if I don't need or want it. I know I haven't eaten a reasonable sized portion and dont fancy and alternative, I'll wrap it up and try again later, or if its really not something I want, I'll throw it away ASAP.

I felt the lack of fibre from the 2 week pre op shakes and 2 week post op liquids also caused some constipation which didn't help the situation. Ironically being lactose intolerant, this wasn't a feeling I'd experienced much before. If only I'd thought to have a glass of milk now in hindsight! The post surgery gas pains forced me to want to shift around quite a bit when trying to sleep, the discomfort was probably worse 2-3 days post surgery. Standing up and frequent short walks did wonders, both physically and mentally to take my mind off it.

I had my second fill on a morning I was due to fly later that afternoon. It was more out of anxiety from hearing stories about people's issues on planes I was concerned, however when it came to the flight itself I was fine.

Oatmeal has give me a few problems since winter has started. I swear the cold weather makes my band feel tighter, especially in the morning. I've had the least issues with wetter oatmeal. I've also added some chopped nuts, which I find slows down my eating, as I'm chewing more to ensure the whole mouthful is well masticated before swallowing. A teaspoon also helps to slow down the meal.

Hi, I too never suffered a migraine prior to lapband being I inserted nearly 1 year ago. My diagnosis after spending days in bed and feeling terrible was due to a lack of sodium. This was around the 4-5 month mark after surgery. At the time i was exercising a lot, enjoying the sauna and drinking lots of Water. I also don't add any salt to food and find some food, in particular red meat and seafood, really salty tasting which I only eat in small portions. Turns out a lack of sodium can cause some swelling in the brain causing pressure. My treatment was as simple as a few gatorades. Within an hour or so I felt all better. I've suffered from headaches again after this episode, although never as bad. Since then I keep Gatorade or sodium based hydration drinks on hand, which often do the trick, along with a cup of tea for some caffeine which has also helped alleviate headaches for me. Speak to your doctor to explore what's causing your headaches. Fingers crossed there is a simple solution. I remember being very relieved at the time finding out my healthy lifestyle was what was causing my problems and finding a relatively easy solution has avoided ending up feeling terrible again.

I don't keep junk food in the house, so on the occasions I've wanted something naughty I'm forced to go out and get it from the shops. I usually have a large jug of Water on the coffee table, I try to always have a drink before I go in the hunt for a snack. Sometimes thirst feels like hunger. A hot chocolate based on powdered choc, hot water and a splash of milk can also help satisfy the sweet/choc craving of a night, without adding a big calorie load to the day . Also keeping busy helps. This past week I've been helping a friend prepare decorations for her party, keeping my hands busy killed my appetite, similar to being in Skype, figure I don't want to have people watch me eat

I find I'm not very interested in food first thing in the morning especially lately. Not sure if it has anything to do with the cold weather? I'm coming up to my first year anniversary and wondered if winter makes a bit tighter or restricted?? That said, I try to have something to avoid being crazy hungry at lunch. The past week I've had a few nuts and some berries. I can slowly eat them at my desk, traveling or between meetings. Yoghurt has been a bit if a hassle of late to eat on its own. A few spoonfuls with some crunchy muesli has helped keep it down. I've also had some non traditional breakfast things, like a small tin of tuna, cheddar cheese on crackers, smoked salmon wrapped around cucumber and hommus, particularly if I'm traveling. Nothing says you have to eat traditional breakfast foods in the morning.

I've been ok with the occasional soda/soft drink. I pour it into a cup to let it go a rather flat before drinking.

I eat bread on occasion, best advice, like all other foods is to take small bites, eat slowly with a break between bites and stay away from liquids while your consuming. I have always enjoyed grainy bread or rolls with a hard crust which have been easier to eat, along with toast. But it's more often a treat or something to nibble on given I focus on Protein and veggies as a first priority at meal times.

I walk to and from work, with yoga after work or during lunch times 2-3 times a week. My hair is a hassle to deal with if I have to shower and rush to go before work. Weekends I try to do something active, either walking to another town to go shopping or out clubbing of a night. I find being busy keeps me away from wanting to eat

Definitely small bites and breaks between bites. I eat with a teaspoon or oyster fork at home and at work, which helps

I still eat steak and ribs, patience, eating slowly and small mouthfuls seem to work

One if the biggest habit changes I've also adopted is visualizing the size portion and not eating any more than a tightened fist. Getting wait staff to take away any left overs ASAP also helps avoid overeating

Carrots, capsicum/peppers, cucumber sticks are great. Celery I've had some trouble with stringy bits if my teeth can't shred the stringy bits

Out of interest, do many of u like salty foods?? I could go a bag of sweets, but the idea of chips or salty nuts makes my tongue cringe

Hi, my nails and hair have been brittle since the pre op diet. I'm 10 months since surgery and a few kilos off goal weight. I've had to up the calorie intake with lean proteins and getting in as many fruits and vegies as possible, usually through juices or soups. I was eating too little and drank too much water flushing some good things out. I've upped the exercise to offset the calories. Up side has been my skin has definitely improved post surgery

I often weigh myself a few days a week but pick Monday mornings to write the weight on a wall calendar. Sometimes I can add a kilo within a day, I swear its Water, whether it not I've gone to the bathroom or if its early morning it late at night. I've found a tape measure I use only weekly when I record the weight in the calendar was helpful. It was interesting to see progress in terms of waist and hips circumference some weeks with or without weight loss.

If you've cut out caffeine as well this can cause some withdrawal headaches. A cup of black or green tea helped kick the headache.