Is it only me? Help!

[Bandana 0]

I had my surgery 1/28/08 and did good on my post op diet for 3 weeks but then I started "cheating". Am I the only one??? I have not had a fill yet but when the food is by me I will eat it. I don't feel I have control. I am very ashamed that I did this surgery and feel good enough to eat regular food and "cheat". Please tell me I'm not the only one and that I'll have more control after my fills.

[AndreaL 0]

Caryn,

Don't feel bad. You aren't restricted right now, so the urge to cheat is SO strong. It will get better after you start getting fills. Heck...I'm at 9ccs and have had 5 fills and I still had a piece of cake at a birthday party on Saturday. It was a TINY piece, but was just enough to curb the craving. Don't beat yourself up about it. You will have days when you slip of the "band"wagon, just hang on so you can pull yourself back up.

[Bandana 0]

Andrea,

Thank you so much for getting back to me. I haven't heard of anyone "cheating" on their post-op diet. But I will get back on track today. Is it really cheating to have a sliver of cake. I also wonder if you're eating less after fills, is it okay to have "less of normal food" or do you only have to have low calorie foods to lose weight. Does it even out?

[Kat817 19]

Caryn---you are entering bandster hell. Where your body has healed enough from surgery to be hungry, but not have any fill in the band to help control that hunger.

It is not uncommon to cheat. The issue is how you cheat and when. Post op is VERY, VERY important....and can lead to future problems if you do not follow the Dr.'s eating plan.

When they place your band, they bring the lower stomach up and stitch it in place over the band, then they want you on liquids only for a period of time. The reason for this is that scar tissue is forming to hold your band in proper position. When you eat any food, no matter how much---your stomach has to help it pass through, by digesting it. To digest your food your stomach moves, it kneads, and when it moves, the scar tissue cannot form. Or it allows for wiggle room with the band--which can cause you problems later on.

While our stitches outside heal quickly the inside stitches are in a moist, dark environment, and take longer to heal.

If you are hungry and still supposed to be on liquids, just drink them more frequently---if you are onto mushies now, then, stick to that texture. If you have been progressed by your Dr. to a full diet, then you have passed the time line of causing damage to the seat of your band, it is strictly for weight control.

Keeping that in mind during bandster hell, the best thing I have found to do, is clear the house of "off limits" foods----and stock up on healthy, safe Snacks.....cheese, nuts, SF items such as pudding and jello--even SF ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean meats, pickles---things you can snack on regularly without sabotaging the weight loss.

When you get them home, break them up, prepare them, have them ready to eat in small convenient packages, and you will be less likely to overindulge yourself.

We all have food issues, or we would not be here!!

You do not have to have diet food forever, once you begin your fills, and have the bands help in controlling portion size etc, it will be a whole new ball game! Meanwhile, if you can be satisfied with just eating less of normal food, yes you can do that. I eat the same things my family eats.....I do concentrate my meal on Protein, and veggies as my primary filler, and only add starches in small amounts--only because I cannot eat a whole lot, so I try to get as much nutrition out of the smaller amounts as I can.

Do you have an appointment set to begin your fills?

Welcome to LBT! Sorry to be such a spoilsport on your first post!!!

Kat

[AndreaL 0]

Caryn,

You will definitely notice that you will be able to eat less and less after each fill. You can eat alot of regular food, just make smart choices. Choose low fat over full fat when you can, and choose leaner cuts of meat. I'm not a big fan of sugar free items, so I try to eat fruit when I am craving something sweet instead of resorting to "fake sugar". You will learn what is best for you. There is nothing wrong with eating "regular" food, as long as it is in moderation. Take care.

[Bandana 0]

Kat,

Wow I see you've lost so much weight in a year and 10 months. That must have been hard work. But you really are doing great and so close to your goal.

Thanks for responding to me.

I hope I didn't mess up my band on the inside. I am scared I stretched my little new stomach and maybe I did and maybe I did some of the things you mentioned. I'm so mad at myself. AFter all this work to get where I am. I will not deviate from the post op diet anymore. My house is empty, but my husband ordered pizza and had left over. I guess all leftovers go in the garbage now. It's just too tempting.

Thanks again and I hope to hear from you again.

Caryn

[Kat817 19]

There is a saying I use to help me when it comes time to throw something out--because I am a tightwad, I hate doing that!!!!

Now I tell myself it can go to waste....or it can go to my waist....

And it hits the trash ---most of the time!!

I would not make myself sick with worry over damaging the band or the placement, and the best thing you can do if you started overfilling your pouch is to back off....it takes repetitive overfilling for a dilation I understand. It is just something you need to keep in mind, to heal well, so that you have a long healthy relationship with your band so it works to the best possible level!

Pizza-----toppings are usually ok, IF you are on a normal diet at this point. And I can do pizza in general, and without a fill you probably can too without harm---IF you are allowed a full diet. There are so many different diets prescribed by different Dr.'s it is impossible to know what stage your Dr, expects you to be at!!!

In the future you might try thin and crispy pizza if bread begins being a hard item for you, it usually digests easier.

Good Luck!!!

Kat

[amamastime 0]

caryn,

don't feel bad... this is an issue that most of us women have. I was very bad this weekend and had chocolate. Now I paided the pb'ing price for it... so I am sure I will be scared of it for awhile. However, I found that in my case, if I feel guilty about a poor choice- then i just snowball from it. So put your chin up high... and buckle down. The rest are right... you are in the healing hell phase. I remember fighting my craving so bad that I was shaking. My husband would tell me I was on junk withdrawals. In hind sight, I see he was right.

Make sure you get your Protein and water! If I fail at that, then that is when I make bad choices.

Cheering from your corner

[aliwatt 0]

I just had my lap ban 2/22/08. I nam eating cream Soups. is that okay or should it be just Clear Liquids? They told me anything that would run off a spoon. Any advice I want everything to go smoothly.

[Bandana 0]

Aliwatt

I might not be the best for giving advice right now but here goes. My doctor had me on a full clear liquid diet for 2 whole weeks. I was only able to have clear juices like apple or cranberry, broth, sugar-free Jello, sugar free ice pops and sugar free sorbet. They stressed to make sure you have 80 grams of Protein and I bought the Isopure Zero Carb Protein Drinks which you can get in GNC or the vitamine shoppe. The next 2 weeks were full liquid diet ( which is when I started to have trouble sticking to it). That's when I had cream Soups, yogart, applesauce, sugar-free, fat free pudding, low carbohydrate protein drinks like Medifast. But every doctor gives different instructions. So I would call them to check before deviating at all from their list of foods to follow.

[Bandana 0]

thank you so much for your support. I can't tell you how it helps. What is pb? You're so right - I make the wrong choices when I didn't drink all my Protein. I'm still having trouble with the Water.< /p>

It looks like you're doing a great job with your weight loss. Congratulations.

[mommyof2littleo 0]

I just had my band on feb 19/08 and I'm only allowed broth, carnation anytime,pudding, Jello, yogart,coffee.Extra protien added to almost everything.I don't get cream Soups till week three.

[amamastime 0]

thank you so much for your support. I can't tell you how it helps. What is pb? You're so right - I make the wrong choices when I didn't drink all my Protein. I'm still having trouble with the Water.

It looks like you're doing a great job with your weight loss. Congratulations.

Click this link and you will read all about it http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f78/i-am-new-what-productive-burp-ing-44609/

As for the foods, I could barely get down all my Protein shakes. I only had Protein Shakes for the first 2-3 weeks

[MrsCooper 1]

Caryn---you are entering bandster hell. Where your body has healed enough from surgery to be hungry, but not have any fill in the band to help control that hunger.

It is not uncommon to cheat. The issue is how you cheat and when. Post op is VERY, VERY important....and can lead to future problems if you do not follow the Dr.'s eating plan.

When they place your band, they bring the lower stomach up and stitch it in place over the band, then they want you on liquids only for a period of time. The reason for this is that scar tissue is forming to hold your band in proper position. When you eat any food, no matter how much---your stomach has to help it pass through, by digesting it. To digest your food your stomach moves, it kneads, and when it moves, the scar tissue cannot form. Or it allows for wiggle room with the band--which can cause you problems later on.

While our stitches outside heal quickly the inside stitches are in a moist, dark environment, and take longer to heal.

If you are hungry and still supposed to be on liquids, just drink them more frequently---if you are onto mushies now, then, stick to that texture. If you have been progressed by your Dr. to a full diet, then you have passed the time line of causing damage to the seat of your band, it is strictly for weight control.

Keeping that in mind during bandster hell, the best thing I have found to do, is clear the house of "off limits" foods----and stock up on healthy, safe Snacks.....cheese, nuts, SF items such as pudding and jello--even SF ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean meats, pickles---things you can snack on regularly without sabotaging the weight loss.

When you get them home, break them up, prepare them, have them ready to eat in small convenient packages, and you will be less likely to overindulge yourself.

We all have food issues, or we would not be here!!

You do not have to have diet food forever, once you begin your fills, and have the bands help in controlling portion size etc, it will be a whole new ball game! Meanwhile, if you can be satisfied with just eating less of normal food, yes you can do that. I eat the same things my family eats.....I do concentrate my meal on Protein, and veggies as my primary filler, and only add starches in small amounts--only because I cannot eat a whole lot, so I try to get as much nutrition out of the smaller amounts as I can.

Do you have an appointment set to begin your fills?

Welcome to LBT! Sorry to be such a spoilsport on your first post!!!

Kat

Kat,

Thanks for this post... I am newly banded and this post addressed many of the questions and concerns that I have.

Thank you, Thank you Thank you!!!

[AndreaL 0]

Caryn,

PB is "productive burping". Basically, throwing up. This will happen if you eat something that won't go through the band and gets stuck. It can also happen if you overeat, drink while eating (once on solids), eat too fast, or don't chew enough. It's not as bad as vomiting because it hasn't gotten to your stomach and mixed with the bile in there, so it tastes the same as when you swallowed it. HOWEVER, it is by no means pleasant. It is slightly painful and if it you do it alot, it can lead to band slippage or erosion. The first time it happens, you will probably feel like something is stuck in the band and then it starts to move its way back up. You usually have plenty of time to get somewhere private. Sometimes I find that just getting up and walking to the washroom helps to make whatever is in there pass through the band.