I am scheduled for May

[amsderb 1]

Shelly, sorry to hear you are so tired. I was great until I got a bought of hives and that zapped me...or was it the Benedryl?

I do think food is the reason...be sure you are getting in your Protein because your body needs it to heal. My diet was advanced very fast...just Clear Liquids until day 4 and then food as in chicken, fish, turkey, cooked vegatables, cheese, yogurt and eggs, and fruits (no peels).

So, I have been fine since then.....I usually do a Protein Shake for breakfast...they don't like that I use them...they want me on food but I am allergic and hate eggs anyway and deli meat is not my favorite either..... Then I have creamed spinach and refried Beans with a bit of cheese for lunch (it is my fake enchilada...not tortillas) and a few grapes and then dinner is like fish or chicken and broccoli.....

Good Luck! Shelley

[Bizzy Bee 1]

food has made all the difference. I am feeling much more energetic. The only problem is that I am never hungry so I have no idea how much to eat. I definately do not want to puke. I would rather have another kid than puke! I do protien shakes for Breakfast and sometimes lunch if there's something I am doing at school and can't make it home. For dinner I have things like a talapia fillet and a few bites of veggies, a lean hamburger patty and smashed cauliflower, chicken fajitas with no shell and some refried Beans. I am just not sure how much to eat because I never feel hungry before a meal or full after a meal. Am i just strange or what? :biggrin:

[Perky66 1]

Sorry I am so late writing. I was banded May 14th. Got to the surgery center about 7:30 went to surgery about 8:30. Everything went great except she found a hiatal hernia while she was in there and repaired it. I am so thankful for that. Nexium was my best friend before surgery and I haven't had to take one since. Hoorah!! Anyway, I was on my way home by 11:30. I was pretty nauseated for a week following surgery. After reading up on the hernia repair, I have decided it was probably that making me so nauseous. I went back to work 5 days post-op but I had to leave at noon for three days because I was so nauseated. Finally I woke up one day and it was just gone. Thank goodness. I didn't have any staples. Only dissolvable stitches and steri strips which stayed on for 2 weeks when I went for my first post-op visit. Dr Keilin said everything looked great and showed me where my port was. The only problem I have had since then is with my back. I got on the exam table that day and liked to have never got off of it. That is an on-going problem I have though. Three ruptured discs which I am hoping will get a little more tolerable with the weight loss. That's my idea anyways. We'll see how that works out. Ha Ha.. I have lost 23 pounds since I started my 2 week pre-op diet but I haven't lost any in the last 2 weeks. I get a fill Monday and I am so hoping I will start losing again. I am so excited and ready. I haven't had any problems eating but I have followed the diet to a T. But I feel like I am probably able to eat too much. I am eating slow and putting my fork down between bites and chewing the dog out of my food. I think I am just eating too much maybe. Anybody else feel like this?? Good luck everybody!!!

[amsderb 1]

Shelly, glad to hear you are better...I have actually been hungry now??? As for portion control...they told us at class in post op, that we may have "more" than we think but we should not be worried about measuring just eating slowly, put the fork down between bites and only eat for 20 minutes or less....try and tell when we are "full" by listening to our body....LOL...

So, I try and have like the "jenny craig" sized meals...you know...protein about the size of a deck of cards, 3 bites to one bite of veggie or fruit etc... to be honest, I have been volumizing in terms of the veggies (only cooked ones) because I do not have restriction and I don not want to be hungry...so I eat a few more bites than I should or at least once I am filled and restricted. I am still not allowed to have beef or pork...only chicken and fish (shrimp is ok just not oysters and clams?).

As I menioned above, my favorite lunch or dinner is my fake enchiladas:

I got 5 meals from 1 can of refried beans...

so 1/5th cup of refried Beans

1/5th can of rotell tomatoes ( I used the ones with lime and cilantro)

1/5th a portion of creamed spinach (frozen bag)

Sprinkle of 2% mexican blend shredded cheese

Stir, microwave about a minute or so....eat!

Darned good if I do say so myself...since I invented it!

Pesky....good luck with your back..poor thing!

Weight loss should help you....

[Allison 2]

I have no idea how much I should be eating, I feel hungry all the time still, and am rarely full anymore. I haven't been eating anything any more "solid" than chicken noodle Soup and a little bit of mac n' cheese a couple days ago. I'm too nervous to try anything else, I'm still on "mushies" so I couldn't anyways, but I doubt I would have any problems getting things down. I know I have the big 10cc band and no fill, so hopefully this is why I have yet to feel any affects, and not me eating soup too fast has stretched out my pouch :frown:

[Bizzy Bee 1]

Allison I don't think you can stretch the pouch with Soup so don't worry. liquids go through fairly quickly. Things are much better after you get to start eating more of a variety. I have no idea how much I am supposed to be eating either. Today I had 4 oz of lean ground beef and some sauteed zucchini at a local prime rib place in my town. It was delish! I am starting to feel human again!

[Perky66 1]

Allison,I feel the same way. I feel like I could eat alot. Going to get a fill tomorrow though. Hope it gives me some restriction....

[globally yours 0]

Will be glad when I can get a fill, but not scheduled till July 3rd. I've read and reread the information from Inamed, and it says in this stage we should be more concerned about healing our pouches than losing weight. Having said that I STILL want the numbers to go down!

I'm in mushies. Tonight, I had a some liquidized roast, a bit of mashed potatoes, a bit of mac and cheese, and a bit of cottage cheese. Everything fit on a sandwich sized plate. It filled me up for sure. I try to wait an hour after eating before drinking, which really does seem to keep me fuller longer.

[FeliciaLevy75 0]

I had three weeks of full liquids then on to food, starting out soft.

Now that I am eating, and since people are talking about hunger, I thought I would share my hunger-killing tricks (i.e. they work for me, some are doctor recommended, but no promises to the general public):

1. Focus on eating all your Protein first, per the doc. I usually do 2.5-3.0 oz lean protein like chicken or fish per meal then, if I am still hungry, I make the other 1 oz veggies.

2. I still do Protein Shakes in the morning (1-1.5c of non-fat yogurt, protein supplement, and frozen fruit or Starbucks SF Mocha Syrup and ice). They are thick, full of protein, and I am not hungry all morning. If I feel like I might be getting a pang, I drink Water. (No one at docs has said anything against it as long as I am not hungry.)

Yes, there are carbs, but they are naturally found in the yogurt and fruit - no sugar or sugar-based additives. Natural sugars take longer to process and don't have the same negative impact that refined sugars do.

3. Be careful with pastas and breads, even some potatoes depending on preparation - ever seen what they do in water? Imagine that in your stomach! It may seem filling at first, but then they break down quickly into sugars... hello to hungry again!

4. Fake cheeses (i.e. cheese flavored, powdered, etc.) may taste good, but they have no (or negative, and not in a good way) nutritional value. Have to have cheese? Find a low-fat string mozzarella or 0.5-1.0 oz of another favorite. Just don't do this too often... yes, we all need a little fat to process Vitamins and minerals, but cheese is mostly saturated fat.

5. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Drink your water and when you've finished, drink some more.

6. If you are still getting hunger pangs... try distraction. If you get a pang, get up and go do something in another room for a few minutes. Leave the area you are in: change of scenery, change of focus, change of needs. Go play with the pets, kids, or SO. Walk down and check the mail. Get in the car and go to the hardware store, buy a lightbulb.

Especially in the early stages, according to my doc, hunger can be head hunger, not true "hey, I'm starving here" hunger. Get out of the habit of feeding yourself everytime you are hungry; train yourself to focus on mealtimes, not the in-between.

[FeliciaLevy75 0]

I found this on womenshealthmag.com today. Thought it was interesting:

Break out the air freshener. A group of overweight people who inhaled sweet smells (green apple, peppermint, vanilla, or banana) when they were hungry lost an average of 30 pounds in six months.

Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, believes the scents suppressed rather than stimulated appetites. Can't stand room spray? Go au naturel: "Just having the smell of a green apple on your desk could suppress your hunger," Hirsch says

[Bizzy Bee 1]

Great info Felicia! Thanks for taking the time to post it! I noticed you live in Sin City, do you have a spare room for a band sister to come for a visit :sad: Just kidding. Have a super day!

[FeliciaLevy75 0]

My roommate and I have 2 spare rooms, actually. :sad:

[amsderb 1]

Felicia! Great post..we are eating about the same way! I am not hungry too often so stay away from white carbs bandsters! I fully enjoy my Protein shake in the morning at it lasts me for about 4 hours!

Keep posting folks! Shelley

[Bizzy Bee 1]

WOW! I made it through summer school. Well, I have 1 little bitty day left. Preschoolers are a whole 'nother animal! The energy, poking, yelling "TEACHER!!!" I can't believe I made it through. The first week was rough, liquids and lower calorie count than I have ever had before, not to mention the trauma to my body. I was beat at the end of the day. Well I still am, but I feel so much better. I am down 30 pounds since preop diet. Woo HOO!!

[amsderb 1]

I am glad you have some time off now Shelly....I have been so lazy this week..it is heaven!