2muchfun

Let me apologize in advance for my default response to your topic. Your post is very common mainly because almost every one of us has had the same experience 6 weeks or more into this journey. Seems like most all had selective hearing when we went through the seminars, research and nutrition meetings? I know I did. I really thought I'd immediatly start losing weight and feel satisfied with a small meal. HA! Not a chance. Some are lucky and it does work that way but for most, not! I was banded a little over a year ago(11/28/12). I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then I got my 3rd fill and met with my nutritionist. The weight began to fall off after that. Relax, what you are experiencing is very normal and has happened to most of us. Seems like I was hungrier after the surgery than ever before. But, I was a good boy and ate healthy foods, but maybe not the 1/2 cup I was told to eat. You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says, " "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet tmf

I don't understand what you just said, but you should be drinking about 64 ozs of fluid a day. Drinking water probably won't suppress your appetite as water passes right through and is absorbed into your body. The extra fluid should help flush out sodium and start your body to evacuating excess fluids you're body is retaining. You're still in the healing phase and should not be concerned with restriction and weight loss. I'm sure your doctor gave you instructions on how much fluid to consume? tmf

You didn't say why the Dr won't give you a fill? Could it be you're not eating like a bandster? Also, I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks after surgery and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. I visited with my nutritionist(4th month) and she helped me understand that I was not eating like I should. That's why I ask if you're eating right? Have you visited with your nutritionist? If you have restriction and if you eat the right way, and if you exercise, you should be losing weight. tmf

Great story Seth. It's so true that we all find a way to make this band work for each of us. My only concern with your approach is that you haven't learned to eat healthy? Living day to day off liquids and mush is no way to live(imo) and I hope your next year's journey leads you down the road to health and satisfaction. tmf

Every doctor has a different protocol. What is phase 2? tmf

Freudian slip?? You know, you can always edit your post after it's published. There's an edit link at the bottom of all your posts. Not sure if it's available with some ipad/iphone apps? tmf

^5 tmf

I assume the Dr unfilled your band to allow it to settle back into position? tmf

Tony Horton's(Beachbody.com) 10 minute exercise is fairly inexpensive and gives you a good workout without spending a fortune on equipment. tmf

"Stretching your new stomach"...Highly unlikely. To stretch your pouch would be very painful and should occur over a long period of time. Unless you have some kind of abnormality of your esophogus you would feel a lot of pressure and pain with most every meal. "Band Slip"...Why are you asking? Do you feel like you have some kind of symptom? You're a little to new to be experiencing a slip unless you're vomitting regularly? tmf

Fills are supposed to make eating more challenging. It sounds like you're eating too fast and big bites? Learning to eat like a bandster is one of the biggest challenges to making your surgery a success. It takes some of us months and maybe a year or two to finally get the eat small, eat slowly and chew big part of your routine and is just a mechanical function. I'm over a year out and I still get stuck once a week or more. Distraction can be one of the biggest obstacles. Watching TV, eating in a group with people talking to you etc can make us forget we're stuffing too much food in our pieholes. Eating non slider foods like a bandster will help you stay full longer and get there quicker. You'll eat much less this way. tmf

I'm not following you? You can't eat but you are eating, wrong foods? Are you in the green zone? How many fills? What are you eating? 55 lbs is a lot btw. tmf

If you think you can eat like a veteran bandster go for the big fill. If you never learned to eat the right way and follow the rules? Slow and steady could be your best friend. tmf

You've touched upon a controversial subject. Some doctors don't allow it(like yours?) and some doctors encourage taking a sip of Water 1 minute after you swallow your bite of food. If you don't sit down to eat with glass of water, you won't drink right? Just don't pour the glass. It's similar to eating chips or chocolate. Don't have them around and you won't be tempted. RE: The doctors who do allow you to drink. It's my belief that you should follow your doctors orders. And until you learn how to eat with the band(maybe 6 months or more) you should not drink and eat. Otherwise you may not ever learn how to eat slowly, chew big and take small bites. The temptation to swallow and flush it down with liquids is too strong for many to overcome. jmo tmf

Anesthesia and pain killers plug me up. tmf

I noticed the two new forum members posting pablum. tmf

Stretching the pouch? Probably not. At this point you have no or very little saline in your band so the opening is large allowing food to just pass through. Your pouch can only hold 1-2 ozs of food and if you did stretch it, you would experience a lot of discomfort and pain with a stuck episode. tmf

Dr. O'Brien explains it well in this video. This is 1 of 4. If you are new, these are very informative and I recommend watching all 4. At the very least, watch this one and the "Green Zone" explanation is about 6 minutes into the video.

Yeah, I never really paid attention to those rules during the healing phase and during bandster hell. Those are good rules once you get restriction(after a few fills), but I agree with you. I was told to use a baby spoon and eat just like you explained. LOL No way that's going to work for me? Once I started to find some restriction it would take me 30-40 minutes to eat. I was still looking for that full feeling but then learned it was the satisfied feeling I was looking for. But, that's not your case here at all? Not doctor recommended, but maybe you can eat a little bigger bites while on mushies? tmf

4 months in hell and 1.5 months in Casper Wyo(Purgatory). How many fills for you? And, what are you eating? Have you spent some time with your dietician? tmf

Looks like you're on your own bro? You might check with your doc and see if he/she has any connections where you are going? Or, you may have to schedule a long weekend back home to get that fill? tmf

If you eliminate a lot of your sodium intake and greatly reduce your carb/sugar intake, your body will shed a ton(Ok, maybe only 10-15 lbs) of excess fluids. Give it a try? tmf

Or, go to the bottom of this page and click on contact under the information tab. It goes directly to him. tmf

Your post is very common mainly because almost every one of us has had the same experience 6 weeks or more into this journey. Seems like most all had selective hearing when we went through the seminars, research and nutrition meetings? I know I did. I really thought I'd immediately start losing weight and feel satisfied with a small meal. HA! Not a chance. Some are lucky and it does work that way but for most, not! I was banded a little over a year ago(11/28/12). I lost 12 lbs the first two weeks and then nothing for the next 3.5 months. Then I got my 3rd fill and met with my nutritionist. The weight began to fall off after that. Relax, what you are experiencing is very normal and has happened to most of us. Seems like I was hungrier after the surgery than ever before. But, I was a good boy and ate healthy foods, but maybe not the 1/2 cup I was told to eat. You'll be in "bandster hell" until you get the fill that gives you enough restriction for the band to work it's magic. That may be 1 fill or 6. No one knows. Till then, like our esteemed forum member B-52 says, " "Until there's restriction...It's just another diet tmf

I didn't track calories either. But, I've always been a dieter and know how many calories are in a meal within 100 calories or less. And, I ate right which makes it that much easier to keep the calories intake under 1400 for me. I like to keep it around 1200 and most of the time I did. During the spring, summer and fall I burn a lot of calories through exercising. As long as you are eating healthy foods the band should keep your calories intake around 1000-1200. But like Floridays said, we're all different, so find your way through this maize and pioneer what works best for you. tmf