Is it just me or..........

[maddieking 0]

Hi everyone,

I have a feeling this post be somewhat long so I apologize in advance!

I was banded in Prague on 9th June.

I have followed the diet to the letter and as of monday this week, I was able to try pureed food.

So I did and I gave myself the amount they suggested and I cant say that I felt "full" after it.

I had a telephone call with the dietitian yesterday and she suggested i was ready to go onto soft food.< /p>

So, I ate a ready meal which was low fat mashed potato, chicken and vegetables.

I thought that I would start eating and then I would get a "full" feeling then I would stop.

I polished off the whole lot, I think it was 450g or so.

Surely, I shouldnt have been able to eat all that without some discomfort??

She said for me to start on bread today also but Im not going to as ive heard from alot of people that bread is the one thing they cant eat.

I have always had big portions of food, hence why I got to the size I am.

I wanted to have the band fitted so that huge portion sizes were a no no as I would be restricted by having the small stoma.

The dietitian said that everyone stomachs are different sizes.

I was under the impression that there is a certain part of the stomach that the band can only be fitted so surely that would make us more or less have the same sized stoma?

I also mentioned about the lack of info that I had been given from the clinic rearding fills etc etc as it does say in the booklet i was given that it isnt really until your first fill that you start losing the proper weight and it goes on to say so use the time before your first fill as a run up to the real fat melting.

However, she told me its her job, to ensure that I DONT HAVE A FILL.

That through diet and exercice, I will be able to lose the weight.

Now, excuse me if I appear stupid, but isnt having the fills quite important to reach your "sweet" spot

If I wanted to lose the weight with diet and exercise alone, id have stuck to a vlcd which i was doing previously and not spent near on £5000 to have a band that I thought would enable me to feel full at a much earlier stage than before.

she also went on to say that if i wanted a curry, then to have only a small bit and if you want a burger, just have a small one

I was suprised at this as at no stage did i mention that I craved curry or a burger.

Am I missing the point?

I know the band isnt a cure and i know its a tool.

I had it done because as i said before, I have huge portions, so when you read that the band will create a small pouch which your food will sit there for longer making you feel full for longer, I thought this is exactly what I need.

I dont want to be able to binge eat like i did before

I am well aware that food can slip through the band like chocolate, crisps etc etc but I wasnt actually planning on eating anything like that anyway.

If I ate to much with this band, would i feel uncomfortable?

Maybe a whole 450g isnt alot really and im making to a big a deal out of it but when theyre telling you a couple of teaspoons here and there and then you will feel full, my 450g seems a huge amount.

I basically heated it up and started to eat and as soon as i got that feeling of fullness, i was going to stop then i could look at the dinner to see how much of the 450g was left, but i ate it all

maybe i am worrying about nothing.

I hope there is someone who can explain to me where I am going wrong so to speak, maybe my mindset is wrong or something

Thanks alot for reading.

Tracie

[gg2007BandSTAR 0]

Hi Tracie

Im not to sure why your dietician is telling you that you don’t need a fill, because like you said your first fill should be 4-6 weeks after your surgery. Did you pay for an aftercare package with the clinic you went to? If you didn’t you can go to other doctors to get a fill done, if you are not happy with the service. Of course by eating the right things and doing exercise will help the weight come off, but you are meant to have a fill to get restriction and from what you say, you don’t have a lot of restriction.

Again with the bread situation, everybody is different and some people can tolerate it and some cant, I think that is all part of the journey to try all foods, by doing that you will know what food does and don’t agree with you. Eg I have friends who have been banded, one can eat bread and the other cant but they are both having good losses.

[Jeanniepenini 0]

Hi Tracie, Great read that's just how i felt when i came back from Prague when you find the answer please let me know i have only lost 8lb in 11 months and i am on my 3rd fill everyone is different keep going i am and hopefully next year we will be there.

[bigsiqc 0]

Hi,

I was banded 51 weeks ago in Prague and so far have lost 32 kgs ( 5 stone).

I sympathise with your concerns.

I spent 30 odd years over eating and so my definition of full... was literally that... no more space in my stomach for anything... and the associate discomfort that comes with that. After the surgery I too didn't feel full but had to learn what satiated feels like. It is sort of like not feeling hungry anymore. I reach this point then stop. I could continue to eat (and on occasions have ) but if you can learn what satiated feels like.... and then have the courage to stop and give it a try, you will loose weight. It is not easy... in my mind I thought I needed a whole plate of Pasta but in reality just three spoons full would stop me being hungry. I found this info on an American site written by a dietician who has a gastric band herself and so can explain things very well. I am sorry but I can not remember (or find again) the site ... but a bit of googleing and i am sure you will come across it.

You ask if you will feel discomfort from over eating.. well I don’t... unless I really over do it when it makes a rapid reappearance ... which can be a bit embarrassing... especially in a restaurant!

As far as the fill is concerned, I didn't have a fill for 7 months and then only a small amount of saline was required. I understand that they put some saline in the band at surgery and that is n effect the first fill many others (particularly those operated on in the USA) talk about.

Bread is a funny... some days I can eat it ... but others I can't. All I can say is when it get stuck.... it really does get stuck.... which is not a pleasant experience! But you won't know until you try.

Anyway, please don’t despair... I have friends who were banded in the UK and have lost nothing and others who were banded abroad (without the support of dieticians) who have lost loads.

I would give it a week or two to let your surgery settle down then why not try eating a small amount, stopping but promising yourself you can eat again when you feel hungry. when that happens... just ask yourself "am I really hungry or am I just eating out of habit?". It has worked for me.

GOOD LUCK

Simon

[Milly 0]

Hi there, I was under the impression that the initial weight loss following surgery can be temporary because all that is giving a person the feeling of 'restriction' is oedema following the op. It could be that you don't have much swelling following the op and thats why you aren't feeling restriction. My surgeon told me a couple of days ago that come a fortnight after the op I'll probably phone him and say ....whats going on, I can eat anything. He says I probably will be able to but I should try and use some willpowere not to regain the weight I will have lost by then, that if all I can do is stay the same till have my first fill 7 weeks from now - I will have done great. He says he wouldn't consider filling before I'm 2 months post-op as filling too soon after the op increases the chance of slippage.

I think maybe you have to try and kind of tread Water for now, I know it's hard to concentrate and try to eat less but I think a person would get quite a kick out of managing it - even for a couple of weeks.

Oh and just to add, my doctor didn't do a fill durng surgery, he says the swelling is enough.

This is my first 'advice' post as a bandster - I hope it makes sense.