13 days post-op and feeling desperate

[choopie 0]

hi guys im also in the same boat i can eat without feeling full quickly i dont get sick or feel like im gonna vomit my dr said its normal for some people to eat the same way they could before surgery pls dont worry about eating to much its ok if u gain some weight before your 1st fill remember it is a time for healing not for losing weight we will have plenty if time for that once we get an adjustment in my case i was on fluids for 10 days post op and i was not really hungry now im on mushies and yea i fell hungry alot and yea i do eat when i am hungry the difference is that instead of grabbing something that is not going to help me i grab a healthy snack applesauce, tuna, egg beaters a Protein Shake, sugar free pudding that way i know im eating and feeling satisfied but not guilty of course follow your Dr.s rules but pls understand that now is a time to heal get yourself healthy for the wonderful journey ahead for you. Good luck!!!!

[Jef 0]

Thank you all for the great support...I will be on here daily I am pretty sure.

-jef

[mac281 0]

Helpppp! I need some positive words of encouragement. I can eat a large amount before i feel full. I am scareddd. when i first came out of surgery and for the following few days, it only took about 4 oz of food to fill me up. all the paperwork i have from the doc and dietician says to eat until i feel full or until i feel pressure. The problem is i can eat as much as i could before being banded and still don't feel pressure. It takes a lot to fill me up (3 cups easy). I do not eat and drink at the same time. I am eating what i am supposed to and i have 2 more wks before my first fill. I have gained back 5 lbs of the 12 i lost after surgery. I am really feeling discouraged and frustrated. I'm not ready to give up but am seeing it impossible to lose weight when i am allowed to eat this much. Did anyone else experience this before their first fill? PLEASE RESPOND. i need to know i am not alone in this.

Hi LaFrogura,

I was banded on 7/10 by Dr. Collier w/Journeylite also! I am so glad to hear I am not the only one experiencing this! I have become so frustrated that I am always hungry & feel like I can eat whatever I want! I am still only eating mushies, but as you can imagine there are only so many "healthy" mushies out there & without the restriction I feel I am eating too much! Everything stays down, I haven't had any trouble with that.

I have started to keep a book, writing down everything I eat so that I can take it into my 1st nutritionist meeting next Monday, maybe that will help. I finally go in for my 1st fill on the 6th...all I can say is I better start seeing some restriction then or I'm gonna go CraZy!!!!

Hang in there! It's really hard right now for me too, I'm sure it's that way for a lot of banders out there.

[jpell1275 0]

Im currenly 7 days post op and have not progressed past liquids yet .... @ days 7- 14 i am only allowed to eat 2 tablespoons of puree ( oatmeal , cream of wheat ) w/ 3 Atkins shakes a day .... then progress to soft diet for 3 weeks only allowed 1/4 cup ( scrambled eggs, tuna , pured meats ) .... im not sure why you are eating solid foods so soon, but all Dr. do it different. I can tell you that i have already lost 36 lbs including my two weeks liquids pre-op and im not feeling hungry...... maybe you can try these guidelines and achieve greater success ..... also remember they say the first 5 weeks are healing time and not to be suprised if you dont lose .... i can feel your pain though .....stick w/ it and give it your all ...... i heard this one time ( inch by inch, life is a cinch - yard by yard , it can get hard ) ..... hope some of this helps

[ktb224 0]

I was banded on the 18th.so I am 10 days out. I feel the same as you, hungry like normal. I did liquids/blended soups/slimfast for about a week and now I am on to mushies. Today I ate oatmeal for Breakfast (1 packet) then went to the gym...(45 minutes of cardio and about an hour of weights-go me!)... I was starving when it is time for lunch, but I ate a packet of tuna with a bit of light mayo. I was not at all full when I was done, but I thought about all that hard work I did at the gym and waited an hour or two then I had TWO tubs of sugar free Jello, only 10 calories each! I ate as slowly as I could and that held me over for a while. Those are really saving me right now. Every time I think I need to eat, I am grabbing one of those, eating it and waiting at least 30 minutes before making another decision. So far I have had three so far today and I will probably have another now and dinner in an hour. I figure if I eat 10 it is only 100 calories. I am sure I could eat ten, but I doubt I will. Anyway, it is helping and I have lost 10 pounds in 10 days. I did start working out day 7 and I think that helps. I get my first fill in 8 days and I can't wait! Good luck to you and remember all you can do is your best!

[wendy poston 0]

Hi I was the same way.Some people just wont feel full until the first 1-2 fills. Just try to eat the four ounces and wait 20 mins. They say that it takes 20 mins.after you eat for your brain to realize that your full! dont give up.It will work out so keep the faith!

[Songstress 0]

Jef,

Oh my god, I've been hungry since I woke up from surgery 10 days ago. I was freaking out about it for days until about two days ago when I started eating thicker Soups (still liquid) that seemed to help curb the hunger. I would not worry about calorie counting right now---you have enough to worry about. Just drink as much as you can to get through the hunger pains. I'm waiting until the first fill, to start my serious calorie counting.

[BellaPerdente 0]

I am 12 days post-op and I feel hungry too. Some days are worst than others. Today, I had coffee for Breakfast and didn't feel hungry until about 2:00 p.m. I had a Protein shake. Around 3, I warmed up a can of Healthy Request Cream of chicken Soup and sipped that for about 2 hours. We all went to dinner for my daughter's b-day and I ordered a side of mashed potatoes (not many choices for mushies). I was feeling a little sorry for myself at the restaurant because the other ten people were ordering steak, chicken wings, giant burgers, etc. and I had an ice cream cake for my daughter. Every thing smelled sooooo good. How easy it would have been to just take a bite of this or that. Well, that was my old ways and I have GOT to make a permanent life style change.

I really notice that if I drink at least two Protein shakes and lots of Water, it helps me fight off the hunger. I am usually not starving like my mind says I am. I JUST WANT TO EAT!! Like I said old habits die hard. I am trying so hard to listen to my body and not mindless eating.

KTB224: Try drinking more Protein shakes in between meals. I know they are more calories but they are more filling than Jello cups (and you need the protein).

[pjd3253 0]

I hiccup alot - I did not know that meant food had gone into the larger stomach. No one told me that - wondered why I was hiccuping so much - I too can eat way more food than I think I am supposed to eat. I am 5 weeks out and was told to eat regular food at 3 weeks post-op. I am depressed today because I feel like I eat almost as much as before but have this big lump on my left side and wondering if it was worth it - maybe it is too soon to give up - I didn't have willpower before so why would I have it now if I have no restriction?

[1bayougirl 0]

Helpppp! I need some positive words of encouragement. I can eat a large amount before i feel full. I am scareddd. when i first came out of surgery and for the following few days, it only took about 4 oz of food to fill me up. all the paperwork i have from the doc and dietician says to eat until i feel full or until i feel pressure. The problem is i can eat as much as i could before being banded and still don't feel pressure. It takes a lot to fill me up (3 cups easy). I do not eat and drink at the same time. I am eating what i am supposed to and i have 2 more wks before my first fill. I have gained back 5 lbs of the 12 i lost after surgery. I am really feeling discouraged and frustrated. I'm not ready to give up but am seeing it impossible to lose weight when i am allowed to eat this much. Did anyone else experience this before their first fill? PLEASE RESPOND. i need to know i am not alone in this.

first to remember-YOU ARE RECOVERING.YOU MOST LIKELY still haVE some SWELLING STILL, SIMPLY DON'T FEEL VERY GOOD. That in itself it discouraging. You most likely do not have anything in your band yet-my dr left mine empty so the swelling would have time to go down. This is ok and you will be as well. It took me 4 fills to really notice it. What I did was stay on softs like applesauce, sugar free Jello, protien juices and baby food until my first fill. When I was hungry I went to the sugar free Jello and pudding.

You will be ok. You are changing your body and change is uncomfortable. Don't fret just yet. It will get better.

[1bayougirl 0]

Try shaved ice for the hiccups and productive slimy burping or nausa, shaved ice is a miracle!

[SheriGone 0]

I was banded on the 14th... I can co-miserate! Oh, it sucks! Bandster Hell! I have been craving food! I am not a big meat eater but wow, have I been craving it!

Let me tell you though, I experienced my first blockage on Sunday because I thought I could eat ... and I did! Oh holy cow!!! The only thing I can compare the pain to is child birth. I have a pretty decent tolerance, I have taken NO pain meds since I got home from surgery... I only took tylenol after surgery in the hospital... and the blockage - hurt exponentially worse than the surgery! So, be careful!!!

I feel for ya, but talk to your doctor.

[skinnymike 0]

this is probably because right after surgery your innards are swollen and you couldnt eat as much .now the swelling is down but you probably have no restriction yet so you can eat like you can

[lafrogura 0]

Well, i weighed myself again today. last time was 4 days ago. I have lost 7 LBS!!! my weight is all over the charts. I am now at 350. This is unbelievable! i gained 5 lbs and then lost 7 lbs in less than a week. I have been doing 2-3 Protein Drinks a day since surgery. I have stayed away from carbs except for 1 cup of Cereal sometimes in the morning. I don't eat cereal every day, though. I have a very small menu.. i am still on mushies but have tested the waters with solids just to cut the hunger and have never been uncomfortable after eating, nor have i ever thrown up or felt like throwing up - never PB's either... not sure i ever want to experience that from what i've read. i am so confused about what is going on with my weight .. i wouldn't think that i would still be losing Water weight 2 wks after surgery, but then again, i'm not a nurse or doctor and don't know the correct answer to that ... thank you all again for your support in my time of need ... it means a lot to me!!! i hope i can help you all someday to return the favor :wink2:

[dancinglamb 0]

You, my dear, are in bandster hell. :party:

Yes, I was hungry when I came out of surgery! However. And this is the important part. You need to behave as though you already have restriction. I'm not saying that you have cut back to 1/4c of food. But you have to start thinking like one of those people that we are not. You know, those normal thin ones? The ones that stop at one sandwich or a half a sandwich and a small cup of Soup? Them.:wink2:

If you eat s.l.o.w.l.y. it helps. I'm not good at that (go to the thread about me and the ham earlier today for a point of reference:sneaky:), but it really does make a difference. The longer you take to eat, the more full you will feel. I know you're probably only now to 'people' food and off the mushie parade. Take it slow. This is not a sprint. There will be days that you will be up 2lbs, and then you will hit the scale and suddenly be down 5lbs out of nowhere. Lo the mystery of strange bodily events. A good poo can be a glorious event.:hurray:

So, don't despair. We've all been there. Some days you're going to feel awesome. Others, well, not so much. And that's why this Board exists.

But yeah, you'll feel hungry for a while. But you know what? That's OK. None of us are going to drop dead from malnutrition, kwim? Stick it out for a couple of weeks. Have a glass of Water. See what's on Oprah. Go give the dog a bath. You'll make it. Really.

hugs

-m

Oh, and congrats on the 7lbs. How cool is that?!