SueBee01

I agree with Carolinagirl. Don't take no for an answer until they fix the problem especially if the pain comes and goes every time they send you home.

One should never be looking to feel "full." The band should be helping you to feel satisfied with less food. You have been given a set of guidelines, 2-3 ounces of dense protein, 1/3 c veg and 1/3 c good carb. Stick to it, but make sure they are food items that you LOVE. That also helps with being satisfied and curbing the cravings. Eat what you love and only eat when hungry, do not be a clock watcher.

Nicki, sounds like you are headed in the right direction! Keep it up. Don't kill yourself, just log and read what you log. I know I was always surprised at how easy things add up! Doing well with my rehab. No walker and no cane now. Still trying to rebuild muscle and hope to be doing some real exercise in a couple weeks. I have not been eating well during my rehab, but the weight is remaining steady. I think i will gain a little when I start exercising as I am sure I have lost quite a bit of muscle. I'll deal with that as it happens! Actually tried to go to the pool tonight, but it was a little breezy and cool. ill go tomorrow morning when it heats back up in the 90s. Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Remember, everyone is different. I eat about 1 1/2 c for my meal. When losing I only ate twice a day with a couple small snacks. It changed all the time because my NUT said don't eat unless you are hungry. It is hard to determine, but since I didn't feel hungry a lot and mostly ate out of habit, I didn't get fills.

Did you do liquids after the fill? If so and it has been several days and you cannot eat real food, you are too tight. Please evaluate and see if you need a little out. You have to be able to eat real food.

If you go to your local pharmacist they also keep liquid Tylenol!

Also, it doesn't happen to everyone so don't add any undue stress.

You will be ok! If you are losing a lot of hair, let your surgeon and nutritionist know. They will help. I didn't tell them for six months and as soon as I told them, money put me on a vitamin routine for three months. My hair stopped falling out and has all grown back. It is not the end of the world. It is fixable.

Don't be bummed! You are losing and the band is working. Remember that some people never need a fill. If I were to do it again, I would not have gotten my first fill. It was working for me from the get go. My doctor wanted me to get a fill because I had so much to lose. So I had one fill. 13 months later I reached my goal, losing 165 pounds. Stick with it and be happy, fills are not everything. Keep the goal in mind, losing at a slow rate, eating healthy and feeling satisfied, NOT full.

My other question would be, are you hungry? I am rarely hungry and just eat because you are supposed to. Listen to your body, it will tell you when it needs food. That is the hardest! I typically ate at noon and 8 pm while I was losing. My husband just learned to live with it. I know people that have families still have to take care of their meals, but don't eat just because everyone else is. Do what you need to do.

You have to look at what you are eating. Your body may not like some things now. And, are you eating finger nail size bites and chewing them to mush and waiting before you take the next bite? I found for the first several months I was only eating two meals a day because I wasn't hungry. Listen to your body. You do not have to eat three square meals a day anymore. We are not "normal" people anymore, we ARE special! Your dr may have given you a fill at placement, so don't get excited about getting another fill if you can't eat an evening meal. You need to figure this out fist. Some people need fills, some people don't. I only had one. Pay close attention to what and how you are eating. If you are not logging your food, start now and add notes that tell you what is working and what isn't. It will help you in the long run.

Glad you are doing well. Make sure you drink as much as you can! Keep water with you at all times and continue to sip. You don't want to end up in the ER from dehydration. Have a safe flight home!

If you are on real food, just make good dense protein choices that will "stick to your ribs!" Plan your meals, eat slow and eat your protein first. It is hard, but it is also a huge head game. Drink lots of water between meals and also throw in a snack like cheese and crackers, peanut butter and celery, or almonds and a good dry cereal. Whenever you think you are hungry and it hasn't been 4 hours, drink some flavored water or a V-8. Then if you are still hungry 20 minutes later have a snack. It takes time to learn what is real hunger and what is head under. We are all used to eating what we wanted when we wanted and for comfort, not nutrition. You will now learn to eat to fuel your body, not our emotions. Keep trying. I also used protein drinks for the first 2-3 months, but then got off them and was just on real food. You need to find what works for you. All of us have different eating fixations and deal with head hunger different. Mix it up so you can find what works for you.

You look awesome. I bet you feel wonderful. What a great accomplishment!

I didn't have a fill until six weeks and only ever had one.

You are definitely suffering head hunger and will for several months, even after a fill or two. It is something you will have to figure out. We were all over weight, your body will survive without food and on our Protein drinks easy until you change over to real food (and probably longer)! When you feel hungry, drink something or read or talk to someone to distract that urge to eat. If it passes in a half 20-30 minutes, it was head hunger! Keep drinking your Protein Drinks and water!

Hope your recovery goes well!

Thanks for sharing. Let me know how it goes. This is the first procedure I am looking to do too. Just had hip replacement so I might have to wait awhile. Congrats!