Amy Elizabeth

Yes, the very beginning with the band was the hardest part. You don't have any restriction yet because there is no Fluid in the band so you're HUNGRY and not eating much! Hang in there! This too shall pass!! In the mean time, keep the fluid foods coming. Slim Fast was my friend. As soon as I got to mushy I started making spaghetti sauce (meat and all) and just blending the heck out of it in a blender, noodles and all. It was like a Protein filled tomato soup. It really helped. I also made a spicy tortilla soup while I was on the liquid phase that I blended and strained. It made me feel like I was eating something. . Once this passes you'll be back to eating pretty big portions (or at least I was) until I had my band adjusted correctly. It took me 6 months to get to my sweet spot so don't give up!!!

Okay! I'm late to this thread but I LOVE my crock pot!! And I love soup! So I make a great soup that i've NEVER had problems eating with my band! (And I have a lot of restriction!) It's off the back of the Green Chili enchilada sauce and I've tried adapting it but have never liked it any better than as it was written!! So I stick with the original! It's spicy and yummy. I did edit it to cook in the crock pot so I'll make notes where I've changed it! Product: HATCH Green Chile Enchilada Sauce Recipe: Crock Pot Tortilla Soup with HATCH Green Chile Enchilada Sauce Prep time: 30 minutes (including cooking chicken) About 10 minutes the way I do it!! 1 1/2 pounds cooked shredded chicken (I use frozen uncooked and just throw it in the crock pot!) At the end of the cook time I remove all the chicken and shred it with a fork, then return it to the soup! 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes 1 14 oz. can HATCH Green Chile Enchilada Sauce 2 4 oz. cans HATCH Diced Green Chiles 1 15 oz. can pinto Beans, drained 1 medium onion, chopped 2 tbsp minced garlic 2 cups Water 1 15 oz. can chicken broth 2 tsp each: cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper (or to taste) 1 15 oz. can corn, drained 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped In crock pot, combine all ingredients except cilantro and garnish. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 hours on low (original recipe called for a 6 to 8 hour cook time since the chicken was already cooked). Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream and avocado for garnish. To serve: Spoon into deep bowls and garnish with cheese, sour cream and avocado as desired. Tortillas or chips may be served on the side. This is the YUMMIEST soup I've ever had ANYWHERE!

Your restriction varies from day to day. Now that I am FINALLY at restriction (took me 6 months to get here) I can't even gulp a slim fast in the morning. . . but I'm happy sipping and I don't miss what I used to have. For dinner and stuff I can eat small portions of pork chops, chicken, the more moist the better. But I can't even take a single bite of a banana. . go figure. I don't eat bread anymore but I still eat rice as a staple. I gave up cokes when I started my liquid diet and I haven't had one since then. That was a big deal for me. I was a coke'aholic. I drank 5 to 6 a day. Now I drink water and tea (unsweetened) It wasn't easy at first but I don't even crave them anymore. You'll have to feel your way along. What works for me, might not work for you! Eating out is something I don't enjoy anymore. When you can only take a bit or two of something it gets pretty boring. So my husband and my son get to go by themselves which means they eat cici's buffet a lot! I can't even eat a little pizza. . . Crispy foods are easy to eat. .chips. . crackers,(not saltines. . .) cheezits! lol. You'll have something you can eat I promise!!

Oh yes, the pre-op liquid diet was fun!!!! (well other than being rather torturous. . .) It was harder after the surgery but I was REALLY hungry. Excited for you!!! Our doc is GREAT!!

That's was a large unfill!! I was unfilled from 8 ccs to 7 ccs and 2 weeks later I was back for another 1/2 cc. . . I can see why you are frustrated. Once the band is adjusted correctly everything works like it should. I'm still trying to find that 'sweet spot' but I"m not giving up. I don't understand why anyone's doctor would make them feel bad!! That sucks!!!! It's not like a lot of us have high self esteem to begin with! (At least I don't) Is there another doc in the area you could switch to? My Doctor is VERY supportive and actually did one of my fills because my port is so hard to get. He's a great guy. You need that kind of relationship with your doc if you can get it!! It helps with moral as we struggle to get adjusted correctly! I hope the adjustment you had went well!!! Hang in there! !

Well in my experience as your band settles after a fill you'll be able to eat more and more. . . the first week is the most restricted, then second and on you get looser. . . I would say you weren't at the right spot if you got more and are feeling like you can eat too much, you might still need more. I had a happy spot after a fill at 7.25ccs. . That was 3 fills ago. After a week at 7.25 my restriction went away and I could feel the food passing the band quickly after eating. I went in for a fill, went to 8 ccs which was too much, so they unfilled to 7. . . of course that was too little. Went back to 7.5 still too little, and now I'm 7.75 and I'm wondering if I've overshot. . I can't even swallow liquids in the morning, but by the end of the day I can eat. . . I know one thing I've learned, this is not an exact science!!! Good luck!!!

Oh how jealous I am of those of you who have found your happy spot!!! I think I've got too much in my band now. I just had my 7th fill this week and am at 7.75 in a 10 cc. . . I think I might fall back to the 7.5 simply because life was easier. I'll just diet more. It helped, but I think I might have expect it to do too much. . . at 7.75 I couldn't even take 2 sips of a slim fast this morning. That's not right is it?

Port pain was the WORST part of this whole journey so far!! I'm just a bit in and I thought it was scar tissue pain. . luckily it's subsided and only hurts for a bit after I have a fill. Hang in there!! BandClass I feel for you. I had ZERO restriction before my second fill. I could eat a hot dog with no problems. . .now I've just had my 3rd fill and I've finally figuring out that I can't eat much anymore! I hope your fill goes well!!

I've found that exercise and stretching help a bit. But once it starts it stays hurting until I get to a heating pad. Then it lets up for 30 to 40 minutes and starts again. Tonight when I went to the gym I could barely walk in but I managed to do my whole workout with only a bit of discomfort in the beginning. Think I may start swimming. That seems like it'd stretch everything in there in a good way. I'm pretty discouraged about this. I hate to think that I did all this to get healthy and be more active and then end up in pain for the rest of my life from the scar tissue.

It was the Doctor's nurse that examined me. (She's the one that does the fills and such) She told me it would eventually go away but it just seems to get worse and everything i read on the internet makes me worry that it'll never go away. lol (Google is a dangerous thing). She said eventually I would feel a strong burning sensation and that it would loosen after that. (Which is when the adhesion that has evidently formed would be letting go. . .) I've been stretching hoping to get there faster but so far no luck.

Mine is twisted but not flipped! I hope it doesn't flip!! I hope your surgery went well and recovery is fast!!!!!