hely88

The hardest part for me was/is liquid diets.

Maybe the people who care about you and dont understand just need some educating. Can you bring them to your doctors or let them read through your sugery info. Maybe then can come check out online. It sounds like they just have no idea what you are going through or what to expect. On the other hand the most important thing for you is to take care of yourself. Then maybe they will come on board. Either way you are the most important in this situation. Dont let others pull you off course!!

You dont have to just eat chicken broth. Do you like tomato? V8 juice is good warm and all the other choices you have. jello, protein drinks etc...

Congrats on your sugery! Try not to be so hard on yourself. You have been through a trauma and you need to recover. If you need to sleep them sleep. When you are up try to walk as much as you can and sip on high protein drinks. Your body needs time to heal and you just need to allow it. You will heal and then move to the next level of your journey and things will be much better it is not unsual to have some depression but this too will pass.

not sure if this will help but my nutrionist said when you track your meals to also track how long you feel satisfied. So when you eat and when you were hungry. She said this is a good tool to use when figuring out if you need a fill.

I think you will find as you go that you are able to eat what the doctor ordered for meals and be satisfied. It is a process. I sometimes cant eat my whole meal and eat the rest couple hours later. Are you getting in all the food you are required to? Do you know how much of it is head hunger? Sometimes it just helps me to devert my attention. Do something else. Clean the house, go for a walk, do laundry, read a book etc...Hang in there. Always eat your Proteins first and eat really slow. it takes me about 45 minutes to eat a half cup meal. Good luck and hang in there. I am sure you have some good advice coming.

If you dont know the amount of food you should eat again please call your doctor. I only eat 3 meals half cup and one snack if needed per my doctor. I have seen people on here eat more and I have seen people eat less. You need to get your instructions from yor doctor only! The support on this site is amazing but non everyone's diet is the same.

My advice to you is to call your doctor. Not all doctors recommend the same things. I had the info in my surgery book they provided . Good luck on your journey and please don't push to hard.

It was the hardest thing I have ever done and I didnt stay on track very long. Now I am back on track it is much eaiser now that I am tracking, chewing, and eating very slow. Saw a nutrionist, See a therapist. Its important to have support. You can do it if this is really what you want. You can pracitce some of the tools we use like no drinking water before or after meals. Chewing really well, eating your meal over abougt a 30 minute period and making good healthy choices.

I think everyone is different. Are you measuring your food? My tightest time is in the morning and sometimes I save what is left from breakfast to east with my lunch.. As long as you measuring your food chewing and eating slow you should be good. Stop when you are satisfied not full

Thanks i appreciate your suggestion and I am all over that. I was just wondering if anyone's levels have increased since being banded. I didnt think I was dehydrated but I am thinking that I have been drinking too many artificially flavored drinks and not enough water. So am focusing on water intake. I know a lot of people take lithium and just wondering if the change in diet/water has affected them. I have been toxic before and I am very careful about checking my levels and staying in touch wtih my doctors. I am not at that point right now.

Is anyone here who is banded on lithium? My lithium levels have gone up and I can only think maybe I have been or am dehydrated . Would love to know your experiences. If you don't want to post on public forum you can email me at helyen88@yahoo.com. I have had toxic levels before and I am a little nervous.

Just wanted to weigh in. Not all doctors are the same or have the same rules. I eat half cup meals 3 times a day and one snack only if needed. This is an awesome place for info and support but always make sure you do what your doctor tells you. No matter what someone else says.

Thank you so much for sharing the information. I was doing something similar but the structure of the egg timer is such a great idea!!

chocolate - Protein drinks/shakes. sf Jello chocolate pudding 60 calories/ hot chocolate, decaf coffee. Chips- low fat crackers It is true you will have to gain control of what you eat. These are just some suggesgtions of things that might help. I can tell you from experience that the more you eat something for example sugar the more you will crave it. You need to just stop and drink a lot of Water till you get past it. Good luck!

i was told liquid to mushie as well. It is a ls good to do to keep your mind on track as well as your stomach. Be careful but from your post I dont see a reason to be scared. Sounds like you are doiing ok. Just remember the smaller the pieces the longer you chew and the slowest you eat your meal the easier it will be. Good lucky!

Full is too much food for me. I keep working at feeling satisfied. I measure out my half cup for each meal and sometimes dont even finish that.

Wow you sure have a lot going on. May be think of your band journey as a way of taking time for just you. Measure, chew and chat. Good luck and know you deserve it and you know what to do.

Thanks so much everyone! It is now 6:10 and I have still not smoked. Actually besides the dam head hunger the cravings bring I have not had to much of a problem. I really appreciate the support! Helen

If you do not measure or track you really have NO idea what you are taking in. I will say again the nutritionist told me that those who track lose twice as much as those who don't. I dont want to sound mean but it seem a like you know what to do. Some times you just have t jump in. Take ownership for your behavior and get back on track. I am talking from experience and I am setting an example.

I just went yesterday and i brought some empty containers and example of stuff i was eating. The one thing i forgot to ask was should i be taking Fiber. Hopefully this is a nutrionist who works with your doctors office. Please feel free to share what you learn. It is always interesting. Also have meal examples of what you eat. Good Luck.

You can make it another week and doing so will set the tone of how you are when you start real food. If i have said it once i have said it a thousand times Liquids are the hardest part of this whole process. Stay strong!

I am sorry for your struggle and i do understand, I didint see anything about measuring what you eat. Not just choosing the right foods but making sure you measure everything that goes in your mouth as well as track.

I just wanted to add that for me if I eat crap I will crave and crave and crave it. Drink water to flush your system and hang in there. This is the time you lay down the path for your future. Hang in there.

So I just wanted to put it out there that I have BiPolar disorder. I know some of you will sympathise and some of you understand and some of you will judge. I wanted to put this post out there because its big part of my struggle with the lap band and I am hoping I might help somebody else. I am also not ashamed and work everyday to be the best me I can. If anyone does not want to post in these forrums about their illness feel free to email me at helyen88@yahoo.com. Maybe we can support each other on our journeys. I gained over 100 lbs when I was first put on meds. Please have a wonderful day, Helen