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I was banded on Oct 1 and am just starting to get the hunger pains you are describing- I am also drinking Protein shakes for Breakfast and lunch with light Snacks like yogurt as a filler. But, I have stalled in my weight loss, lost about 45 pounds since starting the pre-op diet- I asked my surgeon last time I was in (for my first post op appt) and he explained that I may not see any pounds come off right away, but more inches. I didn't want to hear that- but it has been true- I have lost 4 pant sizes since starting the pre-op diet. I am hoping that my first fill gives me more restriction. Don't eat anything that you aren't supposed to- you can really hurt yourself- so even if you think you have no restriction, you do and you won't find out until its too late....

I am 5 weeks out and I still feel really nauseous when I eat/drink. I am unable to even come close to getting the amount of protein/calories/fluids I am supposed to get, because a few bites and I feel sick. I vomit at least once a day. I'm still on soft foods, most of which I can't tolerate. I am trying to concentrate on consuming higher Protein foods. The things I have found I can tolerate pretty well are yogurt, cottage cheese, and pudding. Plain Water is about all I drink--its all that sounds good. When I swallow food, most of the time it feels like its stuck in the base of my throat and won't go down. So naturally it comes back up. Is that normal? And if so, does this feeling get better eventually? I have been trying all the things the doctors say to do--eating tiny bites, eating slowly, chewing food 20-30X before swallowing, etc....I take 20mg Prilosec (Omeprazole) daily. I have been losing weight pretty rapidly, but I'm worried it will come to a screeching halt if I keep taking in so few calories! (My average has been between 300-400 calories a day). Anyway, I was really hoping to feel better than this by now and its really getting depressing. I am one of the "lucky" ones who has 200+ lbs to lose, and I fear I have a long road ahead. My 6 week check up is on Feb. 23rd, but I was hoping for some insight here, as that seems like a million years away! Sorry for the depressing post....I'm just bummed out at the moment. Thanks for listening and I'd appreciate your insight.

I appreciate everyones responses. To clarify things, i have gone to counseling, i have been to an eating disorder center, i have tried Atkins and many other diets. I know that it's not a lot of weight that i am talking about. However, someone mentioned about me being proactive about doing something about it ahead of time... and that is my point. I don't have a huge appetite, it's not the thought of food or looking at food and wanting it, it is my actual stomach feeling hungry and empty ALL THE TIME. Even after i eat a substantial amount of food, an hour later, my stomach is growling (not gurgling from digestion) but actually feels hungry again like i have an empty pit. Counseling doesn't fix this. And i CHOOSE to eat large amounts of vegetables so that i don't end up 300 pounds or more and risk other health concerns. Eventually this problem could lead to severe obesity, and that is what i am trying to avoid. I do not want a smaller stomach to down a 2000 calorie milkshake. I want to be able to consume a normal sized meal, and be done. Not feel as if i have eaten a grain of rice as others sit around me stuffed. Right now there is a physical problem- the stretched out stomach, and it hasn't shrunk on it's on through liquid diets or other methods. I see this as being the only option that could help me long term. I eat very healthfully and enjoy healthy food, it would just be a dream to be able to sit and have a yogurt and a sliced apple and it hold me over for a few hours as opposed to 6 yougurts and 5 apples and still that hunger nagging at me. Hopefully someone understands where i am coming from.

I'm a 21st sleever too! I am on purées now and am struggling. I really cant stand eating paste like stuff. I kind just mush things around to make them purée like. I had a cup of French onion soup from panera for dinner and snack tonight. 1/2 dinner 1/2 snack. I just chewed the onions well. No croutons though. I actually felt like a normal person for a little bit. Lunch was egg drop soup. Snack was a la yogurt that I ended up dumping. Dont eat those, I felt horrible. Breakfast was egg salad. So far no problems...

Mine is liquid/pureed and its not much of a variety. creamy soups, cream of wheat baby food consistency fruit and yogurt. Not appetizing at all. My doc gave a strict list.

unjury makes and unflavored and chicken broth flavor protein powder which is pretty good. If you don't want to buy the whole container, they sell samples. Also, I highly recommend Fage FF Greek yogurt. It has 20g protein p/cup and tastes great.

There was a study that came out recently about how the body reacts to artificial sweeteners. However, I was on a low carb diet for three years before I was banded, and artificial sweeteners never made me hungry the way sugar and white carbs did (does). Even now, a year after surgery, if I had to live without artificial sweeteners, I would probably fail miserably. How long post op is he supposed to be on the liquid diet? Every doctor is different with their dietary rules. Mine said I had to lose 5% of my body weight pre op, and could use a variety of diets to achieve that depending on how much time I had to diet before surgery. After surgery, I was on Clear Liquids for 7 days, then two weeks of "full liquids" which included yogurt drinks, cream Soups, and Protein shakes. I didn't use slim fast, but I did have a Protein shake mix that contained artificial sweeteners. I still use it occasionally when I think I am shorting myself on protein. Some doctors say no caffeine after surgery, and some (like mine) said coffee is fine. I don't really know what to add about the slurping down liquids to test for a good fill level. I found that my own sensations of fullness or "backing up" were more reliable than what the doctor saw on the fluoroscope to determine a correct fill level. I wouldn't think drinking rapidly once or twice would cause damage, but on the other hand, I always would have problems drinking quickly without having some real discomfort, so I don't think it would provide a reliable indication of correct fill level. The problem with a doctor presenting a patient with too strict and too limiting a post op diet is that it makes it that much harder for the patient to stick to it. I would think he would get VERY hungry on just broth after more than a week, when the stomach swelling from surgery goes down. However, I realize we all often think our own doctors are the wisest and give the best advice, while any deviation from that is questionable.

VSG patients can have symptoms that are similar to dumping, but are not really dumping. I had some issues with peanut butter earlier on (it was less than a teaspoon for heaven's sake!) and when I had my first greek yogurt with fruit. My body had not had sugar in a couple of months and went into a frenzy and I made many runs to the toilet after those episodes. Alcohol can do the same thing, especially early on. Now, at three months out, I have an occasional (very rare though) glass of wine and have no problems, but if I were to drink more, I am sure I would have issues.

Those of you successfully losing, can you give me specifics of what your waking hours are in terms of food/drink/exercise? And if you give me feedback, tell me why I shouldn't believe that my NUTs tell me. LOL I have been a slow loser in this process. I am currently 204, been here about 3+ weeks. I was 296 Dec 5, and 256 on my surgery date March 11. Basically 90 pounds in less than 10 months which is awesome, but the scale just moves so slow for doing everything right. Its beginning to really upset me. I have gone from a 24 to a comfortable 18, 3x to XL/L which is awesome. My NUT at my surgeons office says don't count calories, count protein of which I am getting over 80 grams a day via chicken, greek yogurt, cottage cheese and a GNC protein powder in my water 30 mins before working out. I round that out with various fruits and veggies - lots of variety here and no starches. I get 64+ ounces of water daily. And working out - I walk 2.5-3 miles at lunch in about 45min to an hour. And I do weights every other day via machines in a gym in the evening. Sometimes, I do additional treadmill or elliptical cardio in the evening for 45 minutes to an hour. I don't track my food because its so similar everyday and when I was doing MFP I was getting about 800-900 calories a day. I am becoming OCD about what I eat. I won't dare cheat and saboage this but its becoming emotionally exhausting because I am blaming myself that I must be doing something wrong and I know stress is horrible for weight loss. I am doing exactly what I was told to do and its not working. It's $74 for 30 minutes to go back to the NUT. I can't afford that right now :-)

I also was banded on June 27, at first I was afraid to drink anything and now I'm to the point I'm never hungry. I can't believe you ate popcorn chicken!! Wasn't you worried it would effect the healing process of your band? All I have is bunches of protein water, yogurt, milk with unjury, and soup. The only things I have chewed is my multivitimans and calcium pills. I only have to be on liquids for 2 weeks after surgery, then mushy foods. Are you sure you have to be on liquids for 6 WEEKS...that IS bad!!

I've had my second fill. I guess it was on the 10th. So two weeks ago. I have noticed a huge difference in what I can and can't eat. I get that golf ball feeling way more often. I would say at least once a day if not more often. I'm still hungry quite often. But I guess that's normal. At some point you are supposed to be, right? I eat a good dinner and occasionally have a yogurt or something like that as an evening snack. When I wake up I have some v8 fusion and some Protein stuff and a cup of coffee. I am NOT a Breakfast person. Never have been. So it shouldn't surprise me that by 10:30-11:00 I'm hungry. I think that really is the only time I'm "starving." The rest is head saying I should eat. I don't know. I sometimes think that I shouldn't have gotten this fill. I should have waited a bit longer. I have more head issues at this point than hunger ones. That's my experience.

Yogurt is not part of a clear liquid diet. But, check with your surgeon's office, sherbert might be. Best wishes, it is worth a try. I lived on the sugar free popcicles the 1st couple weeks after surgery! kll724

hi there folks.Okay i called tlbc today and nisreen was buys so I spoke with carol.....lots of answers excpet the chicken one. Anyway I bought yogurt....12 of them since they were on for 1.88 which is good. So I just ate cottage cheese,,it is still in there and not churning my guts yet. Hell ya, then I went to chapters after watching oprah looking for a sex book,, i have to make up for lost time when i get this done! So so far no chicken breast and I am taking this day by day, God I am so sorry Ifeel like I am whining my way through this . and yes carol says I can have diet pepsi. Funny thing is when I came on here ages ago, my relationship was in the crapper and after three days of fighting, pretty much I wanted to know if he's in it or not , cuz i have spent the last year and a half focsued on him, that now it is my turn and I am focusing on me! So somethings changed cuz I have now had sex three times and the last time was ...um who knows and we seem to be okay so I can't explain it,,, umm i guess this should be in the adult content lol god i am hungry ,,,,,,,!!!

okay nopop, and I wil call nisreen and ask, God I am starved like I said and I ate 3 huge yogurts, I can't handle th ecottage cheese..........3 containers in my fridge, I could ship them to Barrie, or Orillia!

geeze louise..... ( i don't know a louise) this is my first pre op day.... I can';t eat this stuff.. I just can't :guess ,but I ate the biggest container of yogurt is that okay? please tell me or am I supposed to have small amounts?? I am soo hungry? Also am I allowed pepsi now before the surgery???? diet i mean. Thanks Canucks!:clap2:

Hi Sunny, thank you for the advice and I'm glad that it is working out for you! I will absolutely be taking a look at Dr. Weiner's books and videos! That being said, there are some things that I don't completely agree with you about. Yes, I think focusing on the high protein, low carb diet is important, and limiting snacking is also important. But here are my two hold-ups. 1) We all snack. With the gastric sleeve, we are told to have 4-6 small "meals" a day to meet a minimum caloric intake. I, and many others, are not going to cook 4-6 "meals" a day, it takes too much time. So, I would rather have a healthy snack like yogurt and berries than an unhealthy one like a sleeve of cookies. Eating sliced deli meat and nuts can get very boring very quickly. That is why I'm trying to build a list of healthy snacks and alternative/substitute foods. This brings me to my second point. 2) Most of us live with other people. This means we are constantly exposed to the snacks and unhealthy food they are eating. If I can replace these foods with sugar-free or healthy alternatives, I won't be as tempted by them and even if I do indulge a little, they aren't as unhealthy as having a slice of cake or a handful of Doritos or potato chips. That is also why I asked about substitute or alternative foods. Again, I appreciate your comment, suggestion of Dr. Weiner, and your encouragement, but it is a pipe dream to think that a person can stick to the pre-op or post-op diets everyday all-day for the rest of their lives. I'm just trying to limit my bad choices, especially while I'm at home surrounded by other people's food.

This recipe looks delicious! I will have to try it soon my husband just went codfishing over this last weekend. What about plain fat free yogurt to substitute for the mayo?

Judi M!! YUMMM ravioli!!! recipie puhleaze??? and I couldn't help laffing when I read that to think you used to be able to sit down and eat 12 of them... YUP!! been there.. I came to work today and co-worker had delish homemade butter cookies!! so i took one and chewed and chewd and chewed till mush.. and then another little bite w/ the same. adn couldn't even finish 1/2 the cookie!! so to think I used to down 15 at a time.... Now i KNOW it's not the right thing to eat. But since it's in the head. and now i KNOW i can have some.. i'll be doing a LOT better.. so now i'm eating a fat free yogurt... cuz had my cookie (or 1/4 of it...)

After I got my second fill, I was trying to figure out if I had restriction. I could still eat a pretty full meal. For example, one pork chop, some corn, and half a slice of cornbread. I could still eat at a normal pace. I could eat a sandwich.:w00t: So, I called my doc bc I felt like I needed a third fill. My first fill was 4ccs, my second was 1.5. I went in and shared all my info with my doc and he said it sounded like I hadnt got restriction yet, and he gave me 1cc more. Now my friend, I have restriction! Here is the difference (for me): If I pop a few animal crackers, one popcorn chicken, half a steak fry...it gets stuck. Not only does it get stuck, but it doesnt go down. I either PB or throw it up.:wink: I have to eat small bites vs regular bites. If I dont, it gets stuck. When I do eat slow, I can still eat a whole chicken breast with some black Beans, but I am full and dont really crave food for a good amount of time. For example, I ate that for dinner last night around 6 and didnt even think about snacking after. I still can drink Water like normal. I dont have to sip. Things like yogurt dont "feel me up" or keep me full for very longer (slider food). I wouldnt want to be tighter bc I dont think solid food would go down. Does that help at all?

For me at 3 months, sometimes the figuring of what I can eat enough of -- cue words 'enough of -- something that's delicious yet won't make me burp for the next 3 hours, is too much work so I'll eat a yogurt or cottage cheese (easy on my stomach plus low cal and high protein). If I knew Pre-op that I'ld be eating that for dinner, I would have said "you're nuts! I'm not having that surgery!" but to not have the hunger.. That's where the 'magic part' comes in! Like I told a coworker today who said I looked great, "Anyone can lose weight on 600 calories a day. It's not magic! The magic is in the not being hungry part!"

Dallas area. First Off, it took me over a year to get approved. :wub: I was 270 lb. Meanwhile, my husband died from cancer. I lost 30 lb on the widows diet......you dont feel like eating, or doing anything--so you loose weight. Finally, I got approved for the lap band in March, and the group I was working with (AIGB Richardson) finally got me scheduled for surgery in June. I was about 250 lb. pre-surgery. I lost 12 lb the first week, and it was very painful. Then came the 1 x month adjustments. It is now November. The first several adjustments literally made no difference. After the soreness left and I recoverd a little bit -- TWO POUNDS in a month, I lost. The next month, THREE POUNDS. Boy I was getting disgusted. Plus I was having to pay $150 per fill because AIGB Richardson couldnt even give me appointments for fills, which were covered by my insurance because they were wretched incompetent and understaffed -- so I had to go elsewhere. After 3 months post surgery, AIGB Richardson FINALLY pulled it together and got me in for a fill. Since I wasn't experiencing any results, they gave me a pretty significant fill. Thats when the puking began, although I was still having HUNGER issues. Inever felt full at a half cup, or even a cup. :mad: That month, I lost a whopping FOUR Pounds. Then I got a very small fill. 1 cc I think it was. I couldnt eat at all, not even thin soup, and I was spitting up water when I drank it, so 3 days later, I had to get the fluid they added removed. AIGB Richardson agreed to see me, since I couldnt' drink water --- they waived their gastapo one visit per month rule. I guess they didn't want my family to sue them If I got dehydrated and died. :w00t:Then came the month from hell. Everything I ate, unless it was soup, I puked up, no matter how much I chewed. I was chewing bites 60 X apiece (so spare me any chewing lectures, please). Couldnt eat chicken at all. And beef was really hard also. Everything except soup, I puked up the first 20 bites, at least. But hey --- I COULD eat fattening cheese --- and sugar laden protien drinks. And spare me please, low fat cheese taste like crap and if I have a choice of only 2 or 3 foods I can eat, I will not go with low fat cheese -- and it that makes me an undisciplined fatso, well, so be it. After puke puke puke puke puke puke, I'd finally be able to hold a little down. Usually, it was evening time before I was able to hold anything down. But once it started to STAY down, and stopped coming up, I could eat a LOT, way more than 1/2 cup!! I could scarf down a HUGE plate of pasta, no problem, once the first 20 bites puking stopped. And, by then, in the evening, I'd be so ANGRY, and so HUNGRY, and so WEAK, I'd eat the whole thing. I have been totally unable to eat in public. Eating with friends or family became a thing of the past. :mad2: For one, I didn't want all my (thin) (somewhat judgemental) friends knowing I'd done a lap band. So, unless I ate thin soup, I couldn't eat ANYTHING in public -- because when I did, I'd have to flee the table after almost every bite --- to puke. And they started to look at me real weird after leaving the table for my 5th trip to the bathroom. :huh2: It was miserable. And as far as my family, who knew I'd had it done--well- No one wanted to eat in my presence, because I had to keep a "Puke cup" alongside my plate -- cuz fleeing the table 20 times a meal just wasn't an option. It was easier to just eat alone, with my PUKE CUP. After a month of this wretched hell, I'd lost a whopping 4 lbs. My AIGB aftercare won't see me any oftener than 1 x a month, unless it's a dire emergency. So, last time I went, they removed .5 cc -- cuz they said something obviously wasnt working right. WELL DUH. That's almost 2 weeks past. They told me that this was not how it was supposed to work, but they had me do barium swallow and said that it LOOKED fine, and they wanted me to see my dr. Well. Great. My dr. couldnt see me for nearly 3 wk, I see him on the 11th Nov. THANK GOD I AM NOT DYING, OR I'D BE DEAD BEFORE I SAW HIM. So -- since they removed that last bit, I can eat without puking most of the time.....but hungrier than he3ll. :thumbup: I can eat a HUGE plate of whatever. Of course, if there is much texture, I still puke, but there seems to be no limitation on the volume I can eat, and my hunger pains gnaw all the time. I still cannot eat EGGS -- a great source of protien, without puking, but hey......a chocolate brownie goes down just GREAT. Never, ever, ever, at any point, has this WRETCHED MISERABLE USELESS CRAPPING lap band worked like it should, just limiting my food intake to 1/2 cup and allowing me to eat semi normal food like a semi normal person. I wouldn't recommend this useless surgery to my very worst enemy. :wub: It's a hoax and a sham, at least for me. I had such high hopes for it!! And I felt just furious, every time I went in for a fill, and this woman, or that woman "Oh, I was banded t 4 months ago, and I have lost FORTY POUNDS, woo hoo!" OR what about the fella who lost 70 lb in 5 months. Not me, no, no. I mean, when you have to suck down protien drinks, which are packed with sugar, and the only things you can even get down are fattening crap, when meats choke you down, even deli meats, well, that's sure not going to work for anybody. I LOVE steamed brocolli. Under no circumstances can I even have a NIBBLE of steamed broccoli--I puke it out immediately. My food choices are so so so limited.....and I have never found a protien drink that was bearable to drink that wasn't saturated with sugar. I got these little protien shots from my dr., they were expensive as gold, but they tasted so awful, it was all I could do not to throw up in disgust when I drank them. boy, you get to be REAL CRANKY if all you can eat all day is something that resemble snail snot with sacharine. As a result of this surgery -- (eliminating the week of painful hell it took me to recover) I have lost less than 15 lb from this miserable surgery in 5 and a half months. And I have been more miserable than I have EVER been in my life. I don't know what my dr. will say, but this is NOT WORKING. I had a friend whose insurance wouldnt pay, she was ready to shell out 15 grand ---- I told her DONT DO IT. Get diet pills, do atkins, do ANYTHING, cuz ANYTHING is better and EASIER than THIS! If I went on weight watchers at least I could EAT normal food!!!! I used to think WW was hard, but it's nothing like this -- live on cheese sticks, yogurt, BROWNIES. and sickly sweet protien drinks. i CANNOT eat vegetables anymore. :crying: I loved vegetables, and they are healthy for you. I was never successful with diets, thats why I thought this stupid as_ surgery would help me.....but if you can't eat protiens or anything healthy cuz they hang up on the lap band --- and if it does not affect the VOLUME you can eat, what the hec good is it????? If I do not see a major difference by the end of the year with this miserably useless procedure, I am having the wretched thing ripped out, and having a magnetized sign made to go on the side of the car that says LAP BAND IS RIP OFF, DONT DO IT. I am 235 lb. I need to get down to 140 lb. That is 95 pounds. At that rate, it will take me about FOUR YEARS to loose this miserable weight. I need to find a job, I lost my job of 7 yr, due to my husband's terminal illness, and face it, we all know employers discriminate against what they call "FAT UNDISCIPLINED STUPID HOGS". Thats how they view you. I'd like to start dating sometime in the future. But we know how middle aged men view women who are overweight, no matter how intelligent or attractive the woman, and no matter how ugly and bald and fat the man....... "Hey, I don't date FAT CHICKS!"---and anything over a size 12 is a FAT CHICK in their eyes. So, unless I can get some of this weight off somehow, and obviously IT WONT BE THRU THE LAP BAND, I guess I am destined to PUKE forever, live on disgusting yogurt forever, and be FAT and have no dates and no job FOREVER. Do I sound bitter, angry and pissed off! Of course I do. I am not normally an angry person. But, when you puke all the time, and when you are hungry all the time, and you can't even eat anything that you LIKE, and you can't share social meals or social occasions with friends or family, and you are still trapped in a fat body in spite of all this misery, WELL HEY. NEWS FLASH. IT JUST MIGHT MAKE YOU CRANKY AND ANGRY. YES. LAP BAND HAS RUINED MY LIFE. I HATE IT. I WOULDNT EVEN RECOMMEND IT FOR MY WORST ENEMY. :wub: :wub: :eek: :smile:

Breakfast: Cup of Cafe Vienna = 70 calories Yogurt = 120 calories; 10 gm Protein Lunch: 2 oz chicken Breast (broiled) 1/2 Baked Potato w/ butter Green salad w/ 1 tbsp Light Ranch Water = 32 oz Total = 190 Calories ; 10 gm Protein

Hey Pete, My hubby went to basic and AIT at Ft Dix too, but a couple of years before you. He got there on New Years Eve 1987 so started off 1988 at Dix. He just had his anniversary....21 years. He lost quite a bit of weight while he was there too, but alas, it didn't stay off. He says he's going to lose some weight and work out lots while he's deployed this time...here's hoping. I also will be cooking for two so when he does get back, there won't be lots of food for seconds (or thirds) and that should help too. My routine has developed into: 5:30 - shake on the drive to work 7:30 - half an instant oatmeal or yogurt with splenda or cottage cheese 9:45 - lunch ~ Soup or tuna, chicken and veg...something soft 12:30 - the other half of oatmeal or sometimes the rest of lunch if I couldn't eat it all 3:00 - off work and then I drink another shake or have a Protein rich snack 6ish - dinner I know some say not to have more than 3 meals but I could not make it through the day without having the extra small meals/snacks. I go to bed between 8:30-9 so I don't want to eat much later than 6. It seems to be working...I'm not losing lots but it's still heading down slowly and until I get my first fill next week, I'm very happy that I'm not stuck or gaining any as some do during this time.

Yes, they started me on a weekly Vitamin D supplement. Yogurt is very slow for me to go down. I can eat it for a snack over a period of 10-15 minutes or so, but not with a regular meal.

Hello Melissa, Topdowndog, and luvmy3boyz.... I am also an October 16th bandster and doing pretty good on the fourth day out... I was a little weak today, but I think it was from being on the clear liquid diet and needing something a little more. I had a yogurt smoothie and a bowl of cream of wheat and I feel much better... I haven't had any problems with gas pains and was lucky not to get a sore throat... My throat would get dry and hoarse but that was about it... I only got the nausea feeling once, but I did get the hiccups alot, but a couple sips of Water would take care of that.... I am very pleased with my progress so far and I'm looking forward to a healthier way of life... Good luck and many blessings to all of the October bandsters and keep us posted on your journey...