2 Weeks until first fill, and I can eat anything (and I am)...HELP!

[Jaide0967 0]

I was banded on Sept 14th, 2007. I have lost 25lbs so far and I have just recently started on solids. I lost the weight from will power, but mostly because I knew I couldn't have the foods I wanted. I didn't want to cause any problems with my band so I stuck to fluids and mushies very strictly. However, now that I am on solids, I have realized I can eat anything I want...bread, meat, diet pop, etc..even if I don't chew until a liquid state. I feel like I did pre-band. So now I have started gaining and I am beginning to lose my control. Has this happened to anyone else before first fill?..and will it stop when I have the fill? Maybe I should relax and enjoy these foods for another couple of weeks in case I am never able to enjoy them again...any input is appreciated..Thanks

[nina874 48]

Hi , I cant offer you words of advice based on experience as I onlu got my band fitted 5 days ago, but I know from reading on here that where you are at the moment is frequently described as 'bandster hell'!!

From what I can gather you arent supposed to have restriction yet as your band hasnt been filled yet so you will be able to eat just as you used to- bummer I know - I am dreading it!! The tightened band is what creates the pouch, so when it is loose there is in essence no pouch there just the full stomach space that you always had.

Congratualtions though on the amazing weight loss so far hon! I can only pray that I do half as well as that!!

Have you tried eating low GI foods to stop the blood sugar dips that make you hungry?Maybe its worth giving it a shot til you have your first fill, my sister swears by it and I have to say she is a UK 10 ( she soooo got all the will power!!LOL)

Keep strong hon , if you can stick to the liquids/mushy then by jupiter I know you have the will power to do a daft low GI or something for the time time til you get that fill!!

Sending you a hug

Nina x

[musicalmomma 1]

Jaide...I am going to answer your questions...but first DON'T I repeat, DO NOT drink pop/soda!!!!! That can distend your pouch and cause slippage, especially in the early stages when scar tissue is still forming around the band.

OK, with that said. Yes! It is VERY normal to feel no restriction until the right amount of fill is achieved. I JUST reached optimal fill (hope it lasts) on this last fill, last Tuesday. I was banded June 1st. It took a lot of will power to lose weight. I would have lost more if I had better control of my cravings, but yes, I gave in several time and ate too many calories, and it was easy to do because I didn't have enough restriction. It took me 4 fills, with the last two making a difference.

Hang in there, the early stages take a lot of patience, but it gets MUCH better!

[Longhorn 1]

My attitude is that this is a process and not an "instant cure." If I don't lose weight until I get restriction, then that's how long the process takes. I'm not even going to weigh myself at home. I've lost weight quickly before and it's a lot of fun but gaining it back is horrible. So my focus this time -- for the last time -- is to lose whatever I lose but to never gain it back.

My nutritionist said I do not have to be hungry but just make good food choices when I am. When I allow myself to get really hungry, that's when I'm most out of control. One way that will help me is to not have anything but good food in my house.

I realize that this is just my attitude and not yet my experience!

[kacee 3]

Don't sweat it! You are still in BANDSTER HELL.....that period between surgery and when you get a fill that starts to WORK. Do the best you can and do NOT eat foods that aggravate the band. Even though you feel you can eat a house, you can still overdo and get yourself into trouble without thinking. You may be able to eat bread, but be VERY careful with it. All it takes is a small glob to get you all plugged up. Stear clear from any sodas. Do not get back in that habit. Eat when you are hungry but try to eat healthy filling things. You are still going to fill quicker than before your band, but it's going to seem like you are eating way too much....and you are....for the band. But you have a whole lifetime for this thing to get working for you. When your fills start, that's when you get down to business. Now, that being said, don't hang your hat completely on that first fill. I would venture to state that MOST people don't notice much of a change after the first fill. I noticed absolutely nothing. The second fill was only a little better. The third fill was magic and the fourth was perfect. Everyone is different though. Anyway, don't beat yourself up, but also don't declare open season on food. Go somewhere in the middle and practice restraint and selective choices. This too shall pass.

[Longhorn 1]

Don't sweat it! You are still in BANDSTER HELL.....that period between surgery and when you get a fill that starts to WORK. Do the best you can and do NOT eat foods that aggravate the band. Even though you feel you can eat a house, you can still overdo and get yourself into trouble without thinking. You may be able to eat bread, but be VERY careful with it. All it takes is a small glob to get you all plugged up. Stear clear from any sodas. Do not get back in that habit. Eat when you are hungry but try to eat healthy filling things. You are still going to fill quicker than before your band, but it's going to seem like you are eating way too much....and you are....for the band. But you have a whole lifetime for this thing to get working for you. When your fills start, that's when you get down to business. Now, that being said, don't hang your hat completely on that first fill. I would venture to state that MOST people don't notice much of a change after the first fill. I noticed absolutely nothing. The second fill was only a little better. The third fill was magic and the fourth was perfect. Everyone is different though. Anyway, don't beat yourself up, but also don't declare open season on food. Go somewhere in the middle and practice restraint and selective choices. This too shall pass.

I really like your attitude, Kacee, I guess because I completely agree!

Just because I'm having surgery on November 1, I'm not expecting the weight loss to begin on that day. It will begin when the band starts working for me. That doesn't mean I won't follow the prescribed diet but I'm not even going to weigh myself at home. I won't know if I gain or lose in those first few weeks so I won't be obsessing about whether I gained in the hospital or lost after the first few weeks (unless my clothes start fitting better. )

For once, I'm going to focus on what and how I eat and not the results. But like you, my nutritionist said that I do not have to be hungry, just eat good foods when I am. That's my plan!

Thanks for your wise words! :clap2:

[kacee 3]

The first 30 days after surgery is the healing phase. You are on liquids and mushies for a MEDICAL reason, having NOTHING to do with you losing weight from that. You have to let the band settle into the stomach. So it's not just about starting to get the weight off immediately after surgery (though that will be a bonus, providing you follow your doctor's orders). I figure what's 30 days out of my lifetime? And why screw up a lifetime by indulging myself for 30 days? Not worth it. Concentrate on the proper consistency of the foods you eat and not on the amount or calorie quality. It's good to START training yourself, however, and begin thinking about behavioral changes that are going to come shortly. Like anything....if you practice at the game beforehand you will be better at it and have a head start rather than if you walked into the world series having never played ball before.