July Butterflies Master Thread

[mtnman428 1]

Lovegrapes, I was banded on 7/24, and for the 1st week or so I had no desire to really eat either. Even now, I'm only on full liquids, and I do start to feel slight hunger at times, but I don't have a real desire to eat like before. My thin brother brought home Chinese one night then pizza the next and I didn't really feel like I was missing out. The lack of desire to eat is not as strong as the 1st week out though. So in my opinion, this will probably pass as we heal.

Penny, I think that many Dr.'s have different rules than their peers. Whose to know which Dr. is right and which is wrong? I guess we just have to trust them, abide by their rules and hope and pray that they're correct! My doc had me do 8 days of Clear Liquids, then on day 9+10 add yogurt smoothies, then from day 11-21 (I'm on now) full liquids, like, cream Soups, Protein Shakes, etc... There is no mushy or pureed stage in my diet. After the full 3 weeks he wants me to start on solids. He said that will help me heal better and be less hungry later on and not stretch the pouch. I was thinking the same thing as you, but I guess we won't really know right away. I hope our post-op instructions work and get us to goal! Good luck! :ohmy:

[kimaly 57]

pennylane, my diet is the same as yours. and mushies is just slang for soft foods. you know anything that can be mushed with a fork. can't wait for reg. foods although i'm not hungry anymore. I still want something else, I guess i'm just greedy.

[boos02 0]

I'm on the same food schedule. Right now I'm on mushies. Yesterday I went for a follow-up visit. The doc told me not to eat more than 1/2 to 1 cup of food at any sitting. Having more may stretch the pouch. I was nervous, because I definitely could more than 1 cup. Now I eat smaller portions, just more of them.

[joiful 0]

I was on liquids for a weeks. Then went to mushies for a week and then went I started 3 and 4th week has soft foods. When I started my fourth week (so 3 weeks since I was banded) I got to eat anything. Gosh, can't believe how different every doctor is. I was so confused on this stage cause of it. But I followed the booklet they gave me.

I wasn't hungry for the first 2 1/2 weeks and then it changed. I think my stomach was not swollen around my pouch any more and then I got my regular appetite back. so I am waiting for the fill.

When I was eating hummus I noticed that it has only 1 gram of Protein for 2 tablespoons. Not very much so I am not eating any longer, just thought I would share that.

Orea you are a weight losing maniac!! Go girl!!!

[kimaly 57]

I'm on the same food schedule. Right now I'm on mushies. Yesterday I went for a follow-up visit. The doc told me not to eat more than 1/2 to 1 cup of food at any sitting. Having more may stretch the pouch. I was nervous, because I definitely could more than 1 cup. Now I eat smaller portions, just more of them.

Me to! I keep telling everyone I was hungry from the pre op until I started mushies I try to make sure I don't go over that 1/2 cup to 1 cup rule. I know if I wasn't worried about my band i could chow down. And i agree with jotful, orea you are a weight losing machine

[BeverlyDiane 0]

I'm on mushies also. I eat one cup servings and I could eat more. To have sort-of real food back has also increased my appetite. I hope I can keep it at bay.

[PennyLane 0]

pennylane, my diet is the same as yours. and mushies is just slang for soft foods. you know anything that can be mushed with a fork. can't wait for reg. foods although i'm not hungry anymore. I still want something else, I guess i'm just greedy.

Well, I don't know about mushies--people seem to use that term for everything. I guess I'm trying to say that there is no pureed food stage for me, which gets me nervous.

The lap band site says 2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks pureed food, 2 weeks soft food and then solid food (didn't know about this site before, someone pointed it out to me when I asked): Lapband.com - The First Few Weeks After Surgery

Apparently this used to be what everyone did, but now docs are making the post op diet easier so that patients actually stick with it but also because some people choose their doctor based on the post op diet. Outside the US they still do it this way, and only US statistics on band slips are on the rise (I've been talking with a very knowledgeable band veteran about all this).

I guess I just kind of don't get it--why everyone's instructions are so different when it seems like there is good evidence to support that the correct post op plan is a factor in preventing slips in the future. I'm just frustrated and worried. I could be a professional worrier, you know.

Ack this is maddening.

[joiful 0]

As I was told the stomach churns to help digest food, if you eat food before the band is scarred over that is when you have slippage from the cause food not later. That is just what I have been told by my doctor.

The stomach actually goes inside of itself. The band doesn't slip down any where. This is what i was told also.

I wished I knew about that site earlier the more you know the more success you will have.

[lovegrapes 0]

The lap band site says 2 weeks liquids, 2 weeks pureed food, 2 weeks soft food and then solid food (didn't know about this site before, someone pointed it out to me when I asked): Lapband.com - The First Few Weeks After Surgery

Apparently this used to be what everyone did, but now docs are making the post op diet easier so that patients actually stick with it but also because some people choose their doctor based on the post op diet. Outside the US they still do it this way, and only US statistics on band slips are on the rise (I've been talking with a very knowledgeable band veteran about all this).

Physicians are not necessarily changing the post-op diet to placate their patients. My surgeon changed the post-op diet because the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric surgery has changed their guidelines.

[PennyLane 0]

As I was told the stomach churns to help digest food, if you eat food before the band is scarred over that is when you have slippage from the cause food not later. That is just what I have been told by my doctor.

Yeah, I know. That's why I'm so worried that not doing the right things now will make me have problems later.

It didn't occur to me until now, when I saw someone one here mentioning pureed foods, that I don't have a pureed food part. I knew a while ago that a lot of people go liquids-purees-soft-solid but I just forgot once I'd been through the post op plan with my clinic over and over again. So now I'm worried.

Physicians are not necessarily changing the post-op diet to placate their patients. My surgeon changed the post-op diet because the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric surgery has changed their guidelines.

Interesting...I hadn't heard that one. Do you know what those new guidelines are? It's weird that the lap band's site itself has the "old" guidelines. Or maybe that's just a "what to expect" not a "users manual". Ack, I don't know. Today I've only been doing things that would go under "pureed" so maybe I'll just stick with that for a while--better safe than sorry. I do feel guilty for second guessing "the plan" though.

Man, I am a mess :tt2:

[orea15 0]

Orea you are a weight losing maniac!! Go girl!!!

ROFL I'm the kind of person who loses, stalls, loses again. The 15 pounds includes, I believe, one such loss, two weeks of Optifast hell, the surgery, and the week following it. I'd gladly give back most of those pounds to have skipped the Optifast. The sugar content messed up my blood sugar and left me ravingly hungry. I don't know how long it will take to regain my sane appetite; so far it is nowhere in sight. :thumbup: The say those of us who have more to lose, lose a bit faster at first. I hope it's true!

My surgeon's protocol is full liquids as soon as you leave the hospital after an overnight stay. Seven to ten days later, you have your first postop appointment and are cleared for four weeks of pureed/mushies. Then an appointment with the dietician to start on solids. I'm keeping my meals to 1/2 cup but I'm eating more than three times a day, I can tell you that!

I made a good little meal tonight with 2T rotisserie chicken, 2T leftover steamed green Beans, 1T light cottage cheese, and a little light mayo with seasoned salt. I'm allowed to have 2 Ritz, Townhouse, or saltine crackers sometimes, so I did have that with it. The result was moist and tasty. But that was an hour ago and I am hungry again already! Or hungry still. I'm doing some drinking, then I'll have my second Protein Shake before bed.

Good night!

Orea

[orea15 0]

I have two notebooks of information, one from the hospital dieticians and one from from Brittany, my surgeon's dietician. They are similar but slightly different. The hospital says to puree everything. But even they say scrambled eggs, mashed, are okay. So I am seeing that the line between pureed and mushies is pretty blurred.

Brittany's notes say it's okay to not puree really soft foods like canned peaches as long as you chew them to an applesauce consistency. I think this is reasonable as long as we approach this sensibly and don't try to get away with things.

[thatDEgirl 1]

Quick question, guys (because I've gotten myself all worried that my post op diet isn't conservative enough)...

What was/is your post op diet progression like?

Mine was 2 weeks full liquids (anything that can go up a straw plus yogurt), then 2 weeks soft foods (anything that can be mashed with a fork, and normally wouldn't require much chewing except now chew chew chew, this includes things like tuna, eggs and ground chicken/turkey) and then a slow progression onto solid foods.

No mushy stage and now I'm all worried that this could lead to complications down the road, but even more worried that this means I don't trust my doctor, which then means I don't trust my own decisions which all in all means that I could see this whole thing (the band in general) as a wrong decision/mistake. :thumbup:

Sorry, I have warned everyone I'm neurotic as hell right?

My progression thus far is here...

Life With Da Band | this life of mine

[kimaly 57]

orea, great updated pic. you already look like a new person. :thumbup:

[Momwithaband 0]

Hello again. I haven't posted in a while. I am doing well. Finally off mushies and will get my first fill on August 21st. I can't wait. I am still walking every day and journaling my food and exercise. I have started to get hungrier, but I am still trying to keep it to 4oz at a time. The worst part is the Constipation. The frustrating part is that I still can't get into my size 18 shorts. My tops are definately smaller though. I think it is because I am not allowed to do sit-ups or crunches yet and my skin is even saggier than before. Let's hope that will change. I am so glad to have this place to talk. Thanks to all of you for being here and being so open.