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Tamm- I'm glad you notice a difference with your fill. My doc's office okayed a Protein source as a snack if I was truly hungry - to get me by until my next fill. If you continue to be hungry you might want to check with them and see what they suggest. I always try to fill up on Water first to see if that will get me by. Whether or not to weigh daily is really a personal thing. I got away from it, but am back to it again and I am driving myself nuts - because we do fluctuate so much. I'm going to try to go back to weighing just once a week. If you can see the numbers change and not worry or obsess - I don't see any harm in it, but if you're like me it may be best to just weigh once a week (okay to be honest, maybe twice!)

I don't think you did that bad either -just some increased carbs, but I wonder if you might have had more sodium that normal in the spicy dish and the BBQ ribs? That will do it to me every time.

I've lost about 80 pounds and my BP was high (even on meds) and is now normal - still on my med. I had high hopes of not being on medication shortly after surgery, but my parents both had HBP, so I may never get off my medication, which is okay. The goal of this whole process is to be healthier! I can do everything in my power to get myself healthier, but my family history is out of my control. On the up side - I did just get my cholesterol checked (still on my med), but my numbers were really down, triglycerides down from 158 to 79. Hopefully when I get it rechecked in 6 months I can discontinue that med. The only number that was higher than normal was my bad cholesterol which was 2 "points" over what is considered normal. I'm thrilled!

I can so relate to head hunger!!! I work from home and have literally found myself in the kitchen with the cupboard or fridge open.. just looking. I have to literally say out loud "You are NOT hungry." It is such a hard habit to break. Once in a while it gets the best of me, but I usually am able to catch it when I realize I really am not hungry. I know it sounds corny, but I have a picture of me on the fridge at my highest weight, and boy is that a deterrant!! I've also found I can't have any tempting foods in the house - they are just too hard to stay away from. If we have company and I bake something or we have something like chips - it goes home with our family or friends, or goes in the garbage when the guests leave. Of course this doesn't mean you are going to fail with the band - we all have food issues or we wouldn't be getting the band in the first place. Realizing the head hunger is half the battle, just don't let it win!!

Glad to hear you are doing so well following surgery! My doctor's guidelines were 1000-1200 calories a day, but that is hard to get in the first week aned they acknowledged that. My doc had no carb requirement, but stressed Water, Protein, and eventually working up to the above calories. You may want to check with your doc's office to see what they want you to have. Hope you continue to recover well!

Dawn - Great job on talking yourself out of the pizza at this stage. With little or no restriction it would be hard to stay within the portion size you are supposed to have. The cravings will get better. I have good restriction and I still wish I could eat this or that sometimes. We pulled up in front of an Arby's when getting gas the other day and they have the 5/5.95 or whatever it is. I thought to myself, ohhhh to be able to eat even 1 whole item!!! BUT I hit 80 pounds lost today and nothing tastes as good as that feels. I really don't miss specific foods, but once in a while I do miss the ability to completely pig out - go figure. To be honest, there's no way my band is gonna let me do whatever I want anymore so while my head may crave something at times, my stomach does not. Once you get restriction it will be easier. If I want a piece of pizza - we get a small one with a thin crust and I'm lucky if I can eat one small piece, so it is easier to reign in those cravings. Hang in there - you are doing great!!! I agree - maybe eating a little more would help?

Lisa - I think we all tend to assume that because we are on liquids the weight should just fall off. However it could be that is what is causing your body to hang onto the weight - it may think it is in starvation mode. Hang in there - follow your doc's orders and progress as he wants you to. Your preop diet may have sent your body into shock and it isn't unusual at all not to lose right after surgery. Give your body time to heal, and as you get back to more normal foods and start getting fills you will see the scale go down. This journey varies a lot for each of us.

It's hard - that is for sure. If I were you I would call your doc's office and let them know how hungry you are, ask about adding a little more protein - but get their okay. My doctor's office allowed me to have a cup of milk between meals. Sometimes you just have to ask them what you can do to get you by... it doesn't hurt to ask!

When I was on mushies I pureed pretty much whatever I made for my husband - meatloaf, salmon, tuna salad, meatballs, etc. You can mix 1/4 c cottage cheese and 1/4 c. spaghetti sauce - heat in the microwave and top with a little mozzarella cheese (noodleless lasagna). Just add a little beef broth, or chicken broth to your meal - whatever you need to make it a little softer when you puree it. Good luck!

Erin - When I progressed to solids my doctor had me go through a period of "softer" solids, like meatloaf - he said to go a few days with nothing "crunchy". That might be a good way for you to progress. If I were you I think I would call and talk with your doc's office - find out what they want you to do as I'm sure they know what has been going on with you. They can really advise you best.

Karnold- I was actually taking in about 900 calories a day at one point and was struggling to lose so my nutritionist told me to increase my calories. I really do better right around 1200. Of course some days I'm under that and closer to 1000, but there is also an occasional day when I'm over. If you ever find yourself struggling to lose and are taiking in less calories, try increasing them a bit. I know it sounds odd - was hard for me to wrap my head around this, but it has made a difference for me. Melody - I'm still a freebie user on dailyplate, but love the website!

I don't eat bad stuff very often. Sometimes I choose a healthy option when I get a craving, but if I really REALLY want potato chips I buy a little individual bag and share it with my husband at mealtime. I really crave Protein more than anything else, but once in a while a different craving will show up. "Treating myself" sure has a different meaning than it did a year ago. My doc says no "snacking" as well and to wait to eat only when I am hungry. I have Breakfast about 6:30, then about 8:30 I'm hungry again -I'm talking stomach rumbling pain hungry - and that is after a 25 gram protein breakfast. lunch is around 11:00 and dinner about 5 p.m. I talked with my doc's office and they told me if I am truly hungry mid morning to eat something healthy, that my body just must need something, so that's what I've been doing. I notice if I let myself get too hungry I tend to snarf and then have issues. Since I can go 5-6 hours between lunch and dinner and feel I have good restriction we don't see any reason to push another fill at this point. Definitely follow your docs orders, but if you aren't fitting the bandster mold like me, talk with your doc about it. We aren't all the same and sometimes we can make adjustments if needed - we just have to have good communication with our doctor. I'm hoping when I need another fill it will keep me satisfied from breakfast to lunch. As for having snack-type foods, my doc's office has a rule -"One and done". Have a little bit and be done with it. Sorry to get a bit off track with your original question!!

I chart my food and exercise daily on dailyplate.com I think it is too easy for me to go over on calories (yes even with the LB) if I don't keep an eye on it. In addition, I like to watch my sodium intake, make sure I'm getting my Protein, etc. I usually log my day in the morning, so I stick to what I haVe entered and there have been times where I've entered something and once I have seen where my sodium would be for the day (or calories) I've gone back and chosen something different. While I can't eat as much as I used to, I still need that accountability and seeing it listed. It's too easy for me to sweep something "bad" under the rug and forget about it if I don't have to log it. HTH p.s. It's also motivating to me to log my exercise/activities, as it amazes me how many calories some activities burn and I love seeing that. It also gives me a site to record my weight and keep track of my weight and BMI.

Erin - I just got over swelling (due to a bad PB - I couldn't even keep liquids down). Once I could keep liquids down again (about 4 hours) my doctor's office advised liquids only for 2 days, then soft food for 2 days. They told me people make the biggest mistake by taking in solids too soon after any swelling and forcing the issue. We really have to respect our bands and try to figure out what they are telling us. (I'm 47 and still learning - some days I think I'm a really slow learner!) If I remember right I think you have an appt next week - but I would get back to the basics with liquids, then slowly work back to your mushy stage. It certainly can't hurt anything to try it. Hopefully by giving your stomach a little rest, even from the mushies, it will help.

Viking girl- Welcome! Good for you for doing this for you! However, it will be for your 4 kids too. My kids are grown now, but I wish I had been a healthier mom for them. I often wonder what we missed out on doing together because of my weight. Keep us updated on how things go for you - October is just right around the corner! Let us know if we can help you with anything. These boards are a wealth of information. Best of luck!

I read several -but this is my favorite: Weight Loss Surgery with the Adjustable Gastric Band by Robert Sewell. Restless Monkey has recommended that one before too. It covers what to expect before, during and after surgery. I've found myself going back and reading to brush up on things I may have forgotten. I'll be curious to see if you get any other suggestions.

I agree - call your doctor's office if you continue to feel things are not right. I had a really bad stuck episode a week ago and talked with my doctor's office. They told me to try drinking something warm to help with the irritation. Even liquids weren't working at that point so they told me to not take anything in, that I would have to wait for the swelling to go down, and when it did to slowly start out with liquids for 2 days and soft foods for 2 days before going back to solids. I've learned I really have to respect this band. If I irritate it, I need to go back to the basics and give it time to settle down and work back into solids slowly. I pushed it with my last episode and it just made things worse. That 4 hours of being stuck gave me a whole new perspective on the band - talk about aversion therapy! From now on I'm chewing like crazy and at the first sign that a food is not working for me I'm stopping.

Erin - Give this a try: 1/4 c. cottage cheese 1/4 c. spaghetti sauce Heat in microwave. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese or mozzarella - whatever your diet will allow. If you do the mozz heat just long enough to melt the cheese. It takes like lasagna without the noodles.

Restless - I'm dying here laughing at Psycho band. Boy does that describe mine to a T!! I am tight in the morning, have something warm to drink then I am fine, then tight again in the evening. My doc's office suggested something warm again before dinner to help, but they also asked about my Water intake and I told them I had been getting less than I should. They also advised too little water could be the problem. OP - What did your doc say/do?

I'm glad you are doing so well! I had a pretty smooth postop course too. The only thing I had was soreness, but I only took pain meds for 1-2 days. I just found cushioning myself with a pillow helped my suture sites enough to get me by. I never had the gas pain like some describe. My hunger didn't return until about 4 weeks after surgery, but when it came back it was with a vengence! Good for you for staying off the scale. I'm sure you've heard it a thousand times, but this time is for healing not losing weight. Give your body time to recover and adjust before you worry about weight loss. It sounds like you are doing great! Continued good luck!

I've had the need for a fill sneak up on me like that too- it's surprising what a difference a day can make. I did cancel my last fill and am doing well with my level of restriction, but the nurse told me to even wait until the day before my scheduled fill to cancel it, as sometimes just a few days can make a difference. Hang in there!

I use dailyplate.com as well.

My first fill was at 6 weeks. I really wasn't hungry the first 4 weeks, but the last 2 weeks before my fill my hunger returned but wasn't unbearable. I think knowing that first fill was not far away helped somewhat. People really vary on this. If you haven't read it already, be prepared that you may not lose any weight immediately after surgery - that's another aspect of Bandster Hell. I lost the first week after surgery, but over the next 5 weeks before my first fill I gained and lost the same 3 pounds. Just remind yourself that this is a time for healing, not focusing on the scale. Some lose, but many maintain or gain in this time period. Good luck!!

I hope you don't either Erin! I don't get sick easily. Some people can urp at the drop of a hat when they don't feel well, but not me, so maybe that makes my episodes last longer??? Whatever the reason, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I never have to experience that again. Best of luck!!

I enjoy reading everyone else's as well as posting my own. Isn't it exciting??!! Just bought size 18 shorts - started this journey in a tight size 28. Was last in a size 18 about 20-25 years ago. When out walking, when no one is around, I try running and have jogged in place at home. Not a long time, but I do it!! I can reach my toenails to paint them. Seeing my reflection in a window as I pass by - I used to think "who is that?" when I was heavy, but now do the same thing as I'm getting smaller. Not really sure how I have been perceiving myself. Not constantly wondering what I'm going to have for the next meal or 5!