Feeling down

[lovelypoison 3]

Hello all! I am almost two weeks post lap band surgery. I have done well with the weight loss so far. Two weeks prior to surgery I weighed 302 lbs, the day of my surgery I was 295lbs and today I am 280lbs. I know that is a great accomplishment and I am so thankful but I underestimated my relationship with food. I am having such a hard time with this post op diet. It's really taking an emotional effect on me that I'm on the verge of being depressed. I'm so ready to be able to chew food. Just curious if anyone else is struggling with this. All comments are welcome.

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

You can do this. I, too, started at 302. My surgeon wanted six weeks of full liquids after surgery. My nurse had me on a treadmill one day after surgery, walking 3mph for fifteen minutes and adding a minute every day until I reached two miles per day.

It seemed like six weeks was so long. But it helped me kick start a strong weight loss. I lost fifty pounds before my first fill.

Stay on track. Once you start getting fills, the appetite gets suppressed and it gets a whole lot easier.

I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful life is 100 pounds down. I have fifty left to lose, and I will. But life began to change enormously only a few weeks post op.

Good luck. Post often. It helps to stay connected here.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

I'm not sure how long you're on liquids post op, I think mine was 2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks mushies, then try new foods slowly. I will say during the liquid phase I remember I just had to have 1 bite of something ! Anything ! (So i had a small spoonful of tuna with mayo and slowly ate it. Heaven ! ) I know it's hard but try to stick to liquids, remember its only temporary, not forever. Same with the mushie phase. I understand depression ( been there, done that ) but please try not to feel depressed because of all this, your body has been through a big shock recently, so make sure your liquids / mushies are as healthy and tasty as possible and remember Water and when allowed, exercise !! All of these made a huge difference in my quick and easy recovery, and since the weight started falling off too, it just made everything better ! So hang in there ! You can do this ! Good luck !!!

[lovelypoison 3]

Thank you guys for the encouragement! It does mean a lot. I was on Clear Liquids for the first week and wasn't doing well. I was really weak. My doctor bumped me up to mushy foods. So I'm on that for the next four weeks. I'm so tempted all the time to try a bite of something. I actually did try tuna and it went down fine. I just want to hurry up and get through these first few weeks. It's definitely lingering. Trying to take it one day at time.

Justwatchme congrats on the weight loss! That's amazing!

[TheProfessor 378]

@@lovelypoison Your body is busy healing right now. There is SO MUCH happening within you - be patient... it will pay off! You are doing great!

I was banded 5 days before Christmas last year - talk about a brutal time to be on liquids! Ridiculous. At Christmas dinner everyone was enjoying roast beef, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, green Beans, RED WINE... and I was having a Protein shake. GAH.

I also felt myself dipping into sadness, then I shook myself out of it, realizing this was part of the process and it had been MY CHOICE. I needed to keep the big picture in mind.

Here I am 8 months later, down 60 pounds and feeling absolutely amazing. I am so pleased that I adhered diligently to my surgical team's 'healing plan' - your tender tummy cannot tolerate solids the way it will in a few weeks. You may have been able to get some tuna and mayo down (yum - a staple in my new diet!) but I caution you (personal experience!) to take it slow.

You are doing fantastic and on track to being a skinny-minny! You will look back on this time in a few months and realize that it has flown... and was worth it. As you say, one day at a time!

We are all here to support you. Lean on us - we've been where you are.

[lovelypoison 3]

@@lovelypoison Your body is busy healing right now. There is SO MUCH happening within you - be patient... it will pay off! You are doing great!

I was banded 5 days before Christmas last year - talk about a brutal time to be on liquids! Ridiculous. At Christmas dinner everyone was enjoying roast beef, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, green Beans, RED WINE... and I was having a Protein shake. GAH.

I also felt myself dipping into sadness, then I shook myself out of it, realizing this was part of the process and it had been MY CHOICE. I needed to keep the big picture in mind.

Here I am 8 months later, down 60 pounds and feeling absolutely amazing. I am so pleased that I adhered diligently to my surgical team's 'healing plan' - your tender tummy cannot tolerate solids the way it will in a few weeks. You may have been able to get some tuna and mayo down (yum - a staple in my new diet!) but I caution you (personal experience!) to take it slow.

You are doing fantastic and on track to being a skinny-minny! You will look back on this time in a few months and realize that it has flown... and was worth it. As you say, one day at a time!

We are all here to support you. Lean on us - we've been where you are.

thank you! That really helped! May I ask what happened? Why you told me to be cautious?

[lisacaron 5,075]

@@lovelypoison you want to be cautious because your body is still healing. Even though your scars may be healing well on the outside and your starting to feel really good especially as the weight comes off, your insides are still tender and healing. We can't see and feel what's going on inside and we want to allow our bodies to heal in the best way possible for long term success.

It really stinks to go through what we have termed Bandster Hell, that point when your craving food and you just can't have it. As you start to get fills in the band if you need them this will help to take the edge off of those feelings. In the mean time, try shaking things up. Change flavors and textures of the mushy foods your eating. Try some Chili my favorite thing when I was able to eat mushy foods was Wendy's chili. I threw it in the blender to mush it all up and the texture was thin and grainy but oh so delicious after months of sweetness.

Once you move to a more solid food, like tuna or chicken you still want to chew it up to that pasty consistency before swallowing because getting stuck where food doesn't want to pass easily through the stoma is miserable.

Wish you the best, you are doing awesome so far!!! Emotions are all part of the healing process and it's not just from surgery that we are healing...it's a multilateral approach to healing. Body, mind, and soul...if you need help working through the feelings, never be ashamed to reach out here or to a therapist who specializes in bariatric surgery.

[TheProfessor 378]

@@lovelypoison Sure - my word of caution to you in the last post was because I tried to rush the process a little (hey, it was Christmas after all, and there was delicious food EVERYWHERE....) so I tried to eat a devilled egg. I was 2 weeks post-surgery. I took a bite and chewed, and figuring it was small enough swallowed. Ten seconds later I had my first "stuck" episode. I felt a horribly uncomfortable pain and pressure build up behind my sternum, and then my mouth started to fill with sticky saliva.

I had to excuse myself from the room....

Next thing I knew, I was producing slime by the mouthful over a sink. Everything I tried would not move the egg over the band. Drinking Water to wash it down made it worse. Banging on my chest (silly me) didn't help... I just needed to get this chunk OUT. So I puked it up.

That "PB" (Productive Burp, as its known in Bandsterville), was my first tip-off that I actually had a band, and the first lesson my band taught me. ""DO NOT MESS WITH ME", said my band - and the message was received loud and clear. That episode wrecked the party I was at for me socially, as well as prevented me from eating anything else for hours.

Lesson learned!

[lovelypoison 3]

@@lovelypoison you want to be cautious because your body is still healing. Even though your scars may be healing well on the outside and your starting to feel really good especially as the weight comes off, your insides are still tender and healing. We can't see and feel what's going on inside and we want to allow our bodies to heal in the best way possible for long term success.

It really stinks to go through what we have termed Bandster Hell, that point when your craving food and you just can't have it. As you start to get fills in the band if you need them this will help to take the edge off of those feelings. In the mean time, try shaking things up. Change flavors and textures of the mushy foods your eating. Try some Chili my favorite thing when I was able to eat mushy foods was Wendy's chili. I threw it in the blender to mush it all up and the texture was thin and grainy but oh so delicious after months of sweetness.

Once you move to a more solid food, like tuna or chicken you still want to chew it up to that pasty consistency before swallowing because getting stuck where food doesn't want to pass easily through the stoma is miserable.

Wish you the best, you are doing awesome so far!!! Emotions are all part of the healing process and it's not just from surgery that we are healing...it's a multilateral approach to healing. Body, mind, and soul...if you need help working through the feelings, never be ashamed to reach out here or to a therapist who specializes in bariatric surgery.

. Thank you! Yea I'll probably stop eating the tuna. It went down very nicely though. Sometimes I feel like my band isn't as tight as it should be because I will still feel hungry after two ounces of food. I will definitely have to try the chili blended! That sounds amazing!

[lovelypoison 3]

@@lovelypoison Sure - my word of caution to you in the last post was because I tried to rush the process a little (hey, it was Christmas after all, and there was delicious food EVERYWHERE....) so I tried to eat a devilled egg. I was 2 weeks post-surgery. I took a bite and chewed, and figuring it was small enough swallowed. Ten seconds later I had my first "stuck" episode. I felt a horribly uncomfortable pain and pressure build up behind my sternum, and then my mouth started to fill with sticky saliva.

I had to excuse myself from the room....

Next thing I knew, I was producing slime by the mouthful over a sink. Everything I tried would not move the egg over the band. Drinking Water to wash it down made it worse. Banging on my chest (silly me) didn't help... I just needed to get this chunk OUT. So I puked it up.

That "PB" (Productive Burp, as its known in Bandsterville), was my first tip-off that I actually had a band, and the first lesson my band taught me. ""DO NOT MESS WITH ME", said my band - and the message was received loud and clear. That episode wrecked the party I was at for me socially, as well as prevented me from eating anything else for hours.

Lesson learned!

I'm so scared of that happening after I get my first fill! But yea I will be very cautious. I have been fortunate so far cause I haven't felt nauseous or anything except the first three days after surgery. I just felt weak until I got puréed food in me.

[TheProfessor 378]

Make sure you don't leave eating for too long - I was told to eat when I was hungry, although you may received different instructions. I was quite weak the first couple of weeks, and was really grateful when I was able to start on mushiness and soft foods. Even better when I graduated to "real" food, but HOLY COW be careful and be sure to chew everything to a PASTE before swallowing. Bites should not be bigger than a couple of peas (seriously). That way you are maximizing the satiety signals your brain will process from your band.

You'll get there, don't worry. Just take it day by day. Enjoy the process...!

[lovelypoison 3]

Yea went I went to my post op appointment my doctor told me I looked sick and to go eat some eggs. I looked at him like he was crazy because I knew I wasn't suppose to have that for two more weeks. He said he was bumping me up. So I've been eating mushies. Lol

[TheProfessor 378]

Good for you! Yay mushies! eggs are like heaven on earth when all you've been having is full fluids. Go girl! Enjoy! Your energy will be back in not time...

[Elled2 12]

Hey girl, I've been there! Try increasing your daily Vitamin intake with liquid vitamins or small capsules. The extra Vitamins and nutrients should help with the depression sensation.

Also walk around as much as you can manage so your brain has more natural `feel good` hormone secretion.

Remember, your brain controls your body not your stomach. Fuel your body to appease your brain and your brain will stop telling you to eat because you're already satisfied with vitamins

Obviously remember those Protein Drinks too!

[TheProfessor 378]

...and yes of course you are still feeling hungry - you have very little Fluid in your band. Remember the band adjustments ("fills") that are coming will make a significant difference. You may feel you can eat large amounts of food and wonder what the heck you got the band for. Just trust that you are in the early weeks/months yet, and that in time with several fills you will reach that magical Green Zone.

You are doing fantastic - hang in there!