PrettyThick1

You're fine...you didn't really mess up. Water retention has little to no effect on the amount of fat you're trying to eliminate from your liver. Want to hear about somebody messing up on the preop diet? I'll spare you...just know that I didn't get serious until 5 days before my surgery and I was fine. But don't let my bad behavior influence you to do the same. Keep reading labels and doing the best you can, nobody is perfect.

Welcome to "Bandster Hell", your visit here won't last long but we'll make damn sure you don't forget your time spent here. :ph34r: Don't worry, what you are going through can be normal. You are still in the healing stages and you're still very gassy - you can expect these symptoms to continue for a couple more weeks or so. Fill your tummy with whatever you can tolerate at this point - mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, Peanut Butter...you're okay for mushies now so just try to keep those at hand and take tiny tiny bites. I can't stand Protein shakes anymore myself, they make me gag - at one point I loved them, swore by them but that phase is long past now. Although I didn't need prescription anti-nausea medication for very long, I know that it helped during that time and I chewed on a lot of ice chips. If you don't have a store nearby that has it, chop it up in your blender or food processor. You can add Crystal Light or any unsweetened juice to make a slush with it...you have to get creative though. I hate you are regretting your decision, but please keep in mind that it is too soon for you to make that determination. After day 4, I was over the misery and feeling better but everybody is different. Just hang in there, it gets better.

That sounds about right to me. My hunger was just starting around that time - enjoy the fact that you have none and you haven't even gotten a fill. The band is designed to decrease hunger and that's what yours is doing.

Don't worry about the weight loss, what you describe is completely normal. I didn't start losing well until after my first fill either. I know it's hard, but please try not to compare yourself to others experiences - there are no two bands or bandsters alike. Some loose sooner and faster than others do and there is nothing to be ashamed about at all! You'll start seeing significant progress once your fills start - usually between #3 - #5 seem to be when most people have the most progress.

This is actually late, since I discovered this about 3 weeks ago. But for newbies this could be helpful - trial and error is not fun when it comes to the band and if I can avoid pain and aggrivation for at least one person, I'm happy. No matter how much you've measured your food, there are times when you don't need to eat what you have prepared for yourself. Knowing when you are satisfied on the band can be tricky and it only takes 1 or 2 bites over that amount to cause adverse affects. For me, my "soft stop" is an involuntary sigh or I take a deep breath. If I hiccough, I know I've eaten too much at that point and I can almost be certain that I'm going to be uncomfortable for a while. It is hard not to want to finish your food - it's often just a tiny bit left and you think to yourself "oh, it's only a couple of bites left - I'll just finish it" - don't do that, just let it go and be happy that you can't eat as much as you though you could.

Hi Teri: I didn't feel any restriction until my second fill - the third put me in the green zone. Don't be concerned about it right now, the key is not to feel hungry so as long as you are topping off with quality Proteins you don't have anything to worry about. Just don't over eat - know your "soft stop" sign (a burp, a sigh or something simple like that) and then stop. The key to losing with the band is for your body not to feel hungry - not to starve it. If you are hungry, you need to put an end to it with something band and diet friendly that keeps you within your calorie count for the day. At your stage, I was just shy of getting my first fill, I was hungry faster than I am now and I ate way more than I should have, but I still lost because I kept myself from being hungry and I didn't PB or vomit in the process. If you haven't scheduled your first fill, you should try to get that done in about another week. That will help with the amount of food you are able to consume and how long it stays with you.

Since you don't have much to lose, it's going to come off much slower than people who are heavier. At my 4 week mark I had 4cc's in my band - 3 from surgery and 1 from my first fill. It definitely sounds like you need a fill if you are hungry all the time. Get one quickly before you start making bad food choices and stall your weight loss.

I think we all worried about that. I didn't stick with anything I'd tried before, although I had success with phentermine there was a point where that stopped working and the doctor kept trying different combinations of pills to get the same effect...which did a number on my internal systems. I eventually gained back all but 15 of the 60 lbs, I'd lost on that. The band is a whole different ball game though. This was designed for people like us - please don't worry about failing, you'd have to do some pretty absurd things to do that, such as: drinking milkshakes, eating sliders and just not caring about what your body is telling you. I'm lucky in that I can no longer tolerate many sliders: chocolate, ice cream, cookies, cake...stuff that had kept me fat all along anyway. Yes, I miss being able to nibble on a Hershey's bar but the consequences of me doing that are so undesirable that I don't even think about it anymore.

I just saw your post about your surgeon being 2 hours away. Is there another facility you could get your fills done?

Traveling a week after surgery would have been a concern for me. Talk to your doctor about this, you might want to reschedule your procedure as I am sure that if your boss is making you use sick or vacation time, he or she isn't going to be happy if you ask to cancel the trip. You have to prioritize - no matter how badly you want your band, you need your job more at this time. Don't worry about the fills and after care visits, unless you have a long way to travel, there is no reason those can't be done on your lunch break. That's what I do. They aren't a big deal at all.

Sigh. It is bitter sweet that I report that I've just found out my band HATES chocolate and refined sugar. I should be happy about this, but I have always been a chocoholic and I'm really craving it now. I tried drinking chocolate milk a couple of days ago and just nibbled on a milky way - both of those have made me so sick. I'm sitting here at my desk now with my trash can between my legs sliming up a storm. Oh well, I give up trying. This is a good thing in the end, I just have to accept the fact that this love affair is officially over. I'm sad.

Honestly, you just need a social life - get out there and have fun girl. You need to date, you need to travel and just find people with similar interests. I wouldn't advise you get WLS.

Positive thoughts flowing your way. Try to believe for the best - if you have to have a revision surgery, we're going to believe now that your insurance will cover it and you'll have even better results than you did with the band. Hugs

What a lovely story! Congratulations...I need to start trying to run, I'm the worlds biggest procrastinator and I like sleeping wayyyyy too much for my own good. I wish you could send me some of your enthusiasm and follow-through. Thanks for sharing your victory with us!

What can't you have anymore? Sure, for a while you won't be able to enjoy the foods that made you need the band in the first place, but you won't miss them as much as you think you will. I eat whatever I want, just in smaller quantities and much slower. That allows me to savor and truly enjoy what I'm eating. You have to be mindful of calories, fat, carbs and sugar...but for the most part, getting in the 1200 calories I need are a challenge every day. Not at all what you're thinking. Sure, I miss the occasional Coca-Cola and there are times I wish I could eat more of something but again, I eat whatever I want and I'm still losing very well.

Hooray for you! I hope cargo pants never go out of style...I love them and they compliment the feminine figure very well!

Awesome job! Congratulations and keep up the good work!!!

Considering you're not banded yet, you would still be hungry. A cup of yogurt takes me at least 15 -20 minutes to eat and it is quite filling. No worries!

Does your bariatric center have support groups? If not, post your city and state here and let people know you are interested in starting a group. Good Luck!

Dear heart, I am so sorry for all that you have been through - especially the loss of your baby. However, do not be dismayed! You already have the device that can help turn the obesity problem around. Start with the 5 day pouch test (liquids) and then go for a check up and a fill. You are here amongst friends, we are happy to help support you through your trying times and to encourage you that you can do this! It's good that you've made this post, the responses you will receive will show you that you are not alone in this battle - and you should never feel like you are. Start today by re-educating yourself, the same way you did before you were initially banded. Ask questions and seek feedback. You are not a lost cause, by far! You fell down, we are here to lift you back up...but you have to want to write that success story as bad as we want to hear it from you. Good luck and blessings! You can do this, I believe in you.

Not quite sure what the dumping syndrome is - but it's likely PB'ing or drinking after a meal, forcing food into your lower stomach much faster and creating hunger. You will be able to sleep normally after a few weeks with the band. I am a stomach sleeper and was able to go back to that sometime around week 4. As soon as your soreness is gone and you feel no pressure at the port sight, it's safe to sleep any way that is comfortable for you. I hope this helps!

I don't think getting fills affected my cycle, but my cramps are much more severe since getting the band and my periods are extremely light for the first couple of days - then they are normal. But the cramps don't go away until a day or two after my period is over.

You have a nice budget to work with! I wish you the best of luck!!!

I didn't take a full shower for about 1 week after my surgery and the strips should not be peeled off, let them come off on their own. If they are still there in week 3, then call your doctor. If you take them off too soon you risk infection and your incisions not healing as neatly as they could have if you'd left them alone. Mine have all but disappeared on their own - with the exception of the port incision. That one will likely need mederma, but I'm still giving it time before I do that,