Astrasmom

First CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You will be amazed after you have the surgery. Please keep us all posted on your progress. As for the hardest thing that I had to overcome after surgery. There are 2 major issues that I had to overcome that I am still really trying hard to deal with. That is portion size and NOT gulping my fluids. I dealt with it by having the reminder of restriction telling me to slow down. And as you get tighter in your fills you will understand what I am talking about. But everyday is a learning process. The band doesn't take away our old habits. It only teaches us how to deal with them differently. The hardest part right after surgery was getting used to the fact that I wasn't hungry but I had to force myself to eat. If you don't force yourself to take the fluids you will dehydrate. I myself didn't dehydrate but I know people that have. When you are off of Clear liquids try some sugar free ice pops. They help with swelling, help to get your fluids in and taste very yummy. I live on them now even. Also get yourself some Gas-X strips. You may or may not experience the gas pains but you will have them just incase you do. Also make sure you walk walk walk. It helps to move the gas around. Best of luck to you.

chances are you just irritated your pouch where the band is. It's probably a bit swollen right now. I would suggest what your surgeon said and wait a couple of days. If then it doesn't calm down then I would go for the Upper GI but yes it has happened to me. And I'm sure I'm not alone on this. Sorry you were sick but glad that you are feeling better. Keep us posted and let us know what your outcome of this was.

Hah. It stops. Once and awhile mine will gurgle but it's not as bad as it was in the beginning. Make sure you are drinking your fluids. It does help.

Wow sorry you are having so much problems. It definately sounds like your still too tight. Are you able to keep liquids down? Your hair is falling out because you aren't able to keep much down and you aren't getting enough Protein. Are you taking protein supplements? If you can keep them down you might want to double up on the supplements since you can't keep much down. Make sure you tell your doctor all of this. I wish you luck. I hope that they take enough fluids out that you can keep things down. Do liquids for a few days so that your swelling can go down. Maybe try some sugar free ice pops to help the swelling? If you can keep them down.

Once you have a few fills your taste buds change and you don't have that urge to eat all of that stuff anymore. But like someone said, don't deprive yourself of the good stuff once and awhile. This isn't a diet. This is a lifestyle change. Everything in moderation. Do not go out and eat junk all of the time but a reward for the hard work once and awhile will not set you back I haven't had soda since August 2009. I don't really miss it at all. I do drink alot of Water and Crystal Light. I haven't had popcorn yet at the movies but I will eventually. I honestly don't have the urge for it. My suggestion as others have said, if you are going out that night, do not go out hungry. Make sure that you eat before you go out (unless of course you are going to dinner before the movies). And yes Protein bars can be smuggled into the movie theater.

Hi Sydney, Congratulations on your journey. My name is Dawn and I was banded on Oct. 23, 2009. Would love to offer you the support along your way. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Add me as a friend and feel free to email me if you like. cc-dmtermini@comcast.net You can read my blog too it might help you a little with your questions. Best of luck to you and keep us posted.:thumbup:

Yes and walk as much as possible. It will help to move the gas out. Congratulations to all new bandsters.

The hiccuping and the burping are from the air that they pump into you after surgery. It should go away after a few days. As you go along though, especially after your fills be aware of these signs. They are called your soft signs of fullness. Not everyone gets them but it helps you tell when you are full. If you eat much after you get these signs you will probably wind up in the bathroom bringing it up again. How long do you have to wear the 'gridle' thing? I didn't have to wear one. I was just told to walk alot. I did have the leg things on for the entire night I was in the hospital to prevent the blood clots though.

You can use it anytime. But you might want to wait until after you are banded because you will probably go through a stage of constipation. You can put Benefiber in ANYTHING.

GAS-X strips for gas pains and make sure you walk. For constipation I use Benefiber in my meals. It's tasteless and disolves. They also have chewable Fiber pills that you can use.

My doctor said not to chew gum but I do chew it. The other reason that gum isn't good is because it's supposed to have something in it that makes you feel hungry (so they say). It hasn't bothered me at all.

I'm not done under fluro (only the first fill) but I can tell you that I am on my 4th fill. I am about 6-7 cc's in my 10cc band and I am at real restriction. I am not hungry at all anymore. I can go for about 4-5 hours between meals.

Not everyone gets the gas pains. I did not. You may be one of the lucky ones that don't get the gas pains. But if you do happen to get any, just walk it off and take some Gas-X strips. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

First congratulations. If you aren't doing this already you might want to try using a baby spoon. It helps you to take smaller portions. I also still have the bad habit of not eating slow enough at times. You will want to really practice eating slower and smaller portions because as you go up in your fills you will tend to experience the 'stuck' feeling if you eat to fast or if you eat to large of portions. It sounds like you are doing well with the 1 cup of food. Are you also taking Protein supplements in between? You can also do a little cottage cheese or Ricotta cheese in between meals to tied you over. There are others that do the healthy snacks in between. I find that I don't need them. As you get your fills you will start feeling full for longer periods of time in between meals. I am on my 4th fill and I can go for about 4-5 hours without feeling hungry. My doctor wants me to keep around 800-1100 calories a day. So if I haven't done alot of calories for my meals I will add a snack once and awhile. I live on sugar free Ice Pops. They are my lifesaver. As for the soda I was told no carbonated drinks at all. There are those that do drink soda. But I was told that carbonation can cause problems in the future. It could cause your band to slip. It's entirely up to you but I would suggest asking your doctor about that one. All doctors are different. I tend to drink alot of Crystal Light. I honestly don't have any urge for soda anymore. As you go along your tastes for things will also change. Good luck to you.

You are correct. Don't deprive yourself of the good things once and awhile. Reward yourself once and awhile for the hard work that you have accomplished. Like I keep saying. This isn't a diet.

It does get better as you go along. Unfortunately until your first fill you are running purely on willpower. Remember that the band is a tool. It's not going to cure your old habits. You will still have your cravings. You will still make mistakes once and awhile. This is a lifestyle change. And you have to begin to understand the difference between 'head hunger' and true hunger. Try your hardest to not give into those cravings and follow the plan that your doctor gave to you. You don't want to eat foods that you aren't ready for yet. If you do you take the chance of stretching your pouch or getting stuck (not fun). Right now it's all about healing. As your swelling continues to go down you will probably find yourself getting hungier. Yes it sucks. But if you stick to the plan you won't be sorry. And do not think of this as a diet. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet. If you make up your mind that you are going to do this then eventually your mind will start listening to you. Hang in there. You can do it. Keep yourself busy. And drink your fluids. Make sure that you are getting Protein supplements in especially on the liquid/mushies. Protein is what keeps you feeling full longer. By the way CONGRATULATIONS!! Keep us posted on your progress.

I find the tighter the band goes the more picky it gets. There are certain foods that I could eat before that I can't eat now. I would never be able to eat hamburger helper and I have NEVER been able to eat French toast. I don't think that your band has slipped or that you have over done it. You just have to learn the foods that you can eat now.

Are you chewing at least 25-30 times before you swallow? Are you eating no more than 5-6 oz for your meals? As someone else stated it could be the foods that you are eating. Or it could be the fact that you are just eating to much. You really should try liquids for a couple of days because everytime you try and make yourself vomit you could be irritating your pouch. If its the foods you are eating you may want to try something else. I know i can not eat red meat anymore. Its way to difficult for me to get down. I also stay away from bread, Pasta and rice. I do eat alot of chicken but only if it's moist enough. I tend to mix it with stuff. And I live on broiled fish of any kind. If you are still feeling this way and you are truly sticking to your guidelines then I would see your doctor. I feel this way if I don't chew enough or if I eat to much food. Remember there is no shut off valve. Your band isn't necessarily going to tell you that you are full. Your mind will tell you to keep eating.

Congratulations on the start of your journey. You are right. This is a lifestyle change but you don't have to give up living. It's not a diet but it's also not an easy journey. You have to commit yourself and you also have to go into this knowing that it's a tool, not a cure all. The lapband works. And it's probably the best thing you could ever do for yourself. In all honesty I have only one regret. And that is I wish I had gotten it done sooner. I have never felt better in my life. I have my self confidence back again. I actually feel good about myself which I haven't in many years. The Lapband along with my doctor have truly saved my life. Be sure that you ask alot of questions and that you keep doing your research as you go along. This way you will be prepared. Also remember that everyone is different. Don't judge yourself by what happens to others. I would also recommend attending a local support group if you have one in your area. I wish you much success in your journey. If you have any questions along the way PLEASE ASK. And do keep us posted.

You should be able to eat no more than 5-6 oz at your meals. If you stick to that, then you won't stretch your pouch. If you can stay full for at least 4-5 hours in between meals, then you are tight enough. There is no shut off valve. You still have to be aware of how much you are eating and stop eating after that amount. Even if you FEEL that you are still hungry, chance are you are just listening to your head hunger. Your mind will tell you that you are still hungry even though you aren't.

Actually the salad is probably better for you then the Lean Cuisine. The frozen dinner like that tend to have alot of added salt to them. You might want to add a little Protein to your salad though. Greens don't keep you full. Becareful with the lettuce. I tend to do better with baby spinach instead of lettuce. As for the sugar free ice pops. I live on them. They are my lifesaver. I shop at BJ's warehouse and get the boxes of 48. They help you to get your fluids in also. But if you are still supposed to be on your liquid diet then I wouldn't go eating solid foods yet. The reason that you are supposed to be on liquids is because you need to give your body a chance to heal. You run the risk of getting stuck or stretching your pouch. Congratulations to you.

You are very welcome. Good luck to both of you with your surgery. And remember. Believe in yourself.

It's honestly hard to believe that 6 months have gone by already since I've had my surgery. It seems like just yesterday. Lets see, today I fit into my first pair of size 14 jeans in 22 years. I have lost 80lbs and I feel awesome. I sure wish I had known about this surgery years ago. Well actually I did but I was one of those people who thought that getting weight loss surgery was a cop out. BOY WAS I WRONG!! If you had asked me 6 months ago about losing weight and if I had any faith in myself that I would actually lose this weight, I would have laughed in your face. I had pretty much give up all hope of ever losing weight. I was so sick and tired of diet hoping and losing the weight but getting bored of the diet and putting the weight back on again and then some. My self-confidence was pretty much in the crapper. UNTIL...I finally started losing the weight. At first it came off pretty quickly and then around my first fill it slowed down to 1-2 pounds a week. Which is what it really should be anyway. Eventually I started really feeling better about myself and decided that if I didn't change the way I was thinking I would wind up back in the same boat I was before the surgery. Here's my point. Everyone got this way some way or another. Whether it was because of depression, because you love food, because you were sick, comfort, etc. The only way that it will work for you after you have the lapband surgery is to have faith in yourself. Faith that you CAN lose the weight, and FAITH that if you do make a mistake it's not the end of the world. Just pick yourself back up again and try. You also have to go into this with the mind set that this is a tool not a cure all. This is NOT a diet it's a lifestyle change. In order for the band to work for you, you have to work for the band. It's NOT going to change your old habits. It's NOT going to tell you to stop eating. It's NOT going to tell you what to eat and what not to eat. So then you ask, if it won't do that, then why did I have to get the band? Couldn't I have lost the weight by myself without having to go through all of this? Some people can, BUT most will gain the weight back again. The lapband will help you keep that weight off. Providing you follow your doctors plan and you make your regularly scheduled check-ups for fills with your doctor. My doctor is my savior. He saved my life. And because of this I lean on him pretty hard. After all that is what he is there for. Don't feel embarrassed to call your doctor. And please if you are having alot of trouble and you have already called your doctor and you were told that you can't have a fill. CALL AGAIN! Be persistent and don't give up. You also can't do this alone. Food is an addiction. As I said you can't just slap the band on and expect your addiction to suddenly go away. You need support. Please if you have a support group in your area and the ability to get there. PLEASE GO. Having support over the internet is wonderful however there is nothing better then having other people directly infront of you that are going through the same things that you are. Please reach for your dreams. Anything is possible if you believe. Believe in yourself. Set small goals and reward yourself after you have reached that goal. Maybe instead of a food reward though you can reward yourself with something else. :biggrin: And don't judge yourself around the weight-loss of others. Everyone loses at a different pace. I believe in you. Do you? :confused: