need help 2 months after banding

[bandedshopgirl 0]

I was banded 12/19/05 and everything went well with recovery.

I had my first fill 1/24/06 which started with 2cc and had to have .5 cc removed twice that day. Here is my problem

I am unable to eat in the AM so I drink the Atkins Protein Shake. I can usually get solid foods down in mid afternoon and "usually" have no problem eating ANYTHING in the evening which is bad for me because I am eating everything I get my hands on because of not being able to eat most of the day...and then going to bed on all that junky food is horrible. I'm not loosing either but am really not eating that much...just junk too late. If I try to eat in the AM I have severe PAIN like I can't breath after 1 bit of eggs...I also get that feeling in the pm if I eat Protein like hamburger or dryer chicken. Is pain like that normal? My doc says I need to chew better but I AM chewing that bite of eggs and still get sick to the point of sliming like I have read people mentioning after just 1 bite. I'm really upset because I feel that I am not eating as healthy as I did b4 the surgery and the pain I feel scares me that something might be wrong....ANY comments are GREATLY appreciated!!!!!!!

[Marimaru 7]

eggs are a problem food for alot of bandsters. If you want to try Breakfast you might try something else. But for the most part I have given up on solid Breakfast. Lots of us are extra tight in the morning.

Deli meats are good like Jack says. I can eat the subway wraps. I usually have half a wrap for lunch and the other half for dinner. I also open up in the evening and have to work against eating too much junk. I combat this best by eating good solid food. You gotta be careful with dryer meats, and certain things you may just need to resign to give up, at least for a while. Sometimes I can eat eggs, other times they cause me the pain you describe. Sometimes I can cause bread, othertimes not. Usually I don't try my 'trouble foods' unless I'm at home and have time to deal with problems, you know?

Also, most junk will go down without a problem. We kind of have to police ourselves on this one.

[Kim_8 2]

BandedShopGirl,

I have the same problems you do. Although I don't worry about them as much. So far, I haven't found a "solid" food that I can eat in the morning since my fill. Although, by dinner, I could eat almost anything it seems. I have a Protein shake for breakfast and that suits me fine. I get in some of my Protein - I was never a big breakfast eater anyway and this seems like a step in the right direction, because you are supposed to have something at breakfast to kick start your metabolism. I suspect as Jack said, that after a couple cups of coffee, you could probably do a little more if you wanted to. I find it a little discouraging that I don't have the same "tightness" at dinner time (which is when I, too eat the most). I just keep an awareness of when I seem to feel full and I also keep my portion sizes in mind when it seems like I can eat anything. I sure don't worry about malnutrition at this point. I think we can all "find" foods that will keep us nourished that we can tolerate. It's just trial and error.

My band philosophy is that it WILL NOT be with me forever. I think the technology is too new to assume that it will last forever. So in a way, being able to eat at night is probably helping me to try and learn new eating habits. It's a good tool, but is definitely not always an end all solution to overeating. If I eat soft foods, I can eat tons of them. They say to start with the bulky foods - Proteins, then do veggies, and last carbs. I try to just keep this in mind when eating when I'm not all that restricted.

Good luck to you and try not to worry. Mornings may just be a time to adjust and you may not be able to do the same things you did before. Hang in there!

[Bell 0]

I also am tighter in the mornings, so always start with hot Decaf coffee or hot tea with my chewable Viactiv.. then I can eat my oatmeal or poached egg with bacon... It does take time to learn our band.

[seppi 0]

I am tight in the morning too. I usually have a shake "to go". lunch is my biggest meal, I try to eat a medium sized dinner. Nothing after 600.I am not hungry. My head says I am but I am really OK, It took me 3 months to figure this out and am still trying to get what Hunger feels like.

[Tamyrn 0]

Banded 2/3, tonight I had a little more than 1/2 cup of pureed ground beef and creamed potatoes. I read about band slippage and pouches stretching and I worry, am I eating too much at one time? Am I stretching my pouch? I don't feel stretched...I don't feel sick and I'm not in pain...Help.

Tammy