I haven't had my first fill yet, and I'm eating like I did before the band! Help!

[LoriEmbree 0]

Hi there, I was banded on October 30th, and had complications - the tubing (to the port) snapped in TWO (can you believe it?). Well a week later I went in for emergency surgery - they fixed the tubing, and now I feel great. Except for one problem. During the week that I was in pain (between the two surgeries), I couldn't eat or drink much of anything. They had to put bags and bags of IV's in me to get me hydrated. Well going without food for so long was so tough! Now that I feel great, and I've been eating again, that's ALL I'M DOING! There's no saline in my band, so I'm eating normal foods. I'm not completely "off the wagon," (I've been trying really hard to eat healthy, etc), but I am eating portions like before my liver shrinking diet. This is why I got the band in the first place! To curb my hunger. I lost 25 lbs beforehand, and it's all coming back because my band isn't filled yet. I don't get my first fill until the 3rd of December, and I highly doubt they will give me enough to really make a difference. I'm getting very discouraged. This is why I got the band in the first place, and I'm just getting down on myself for eating too much. It's a wicked cycle. Anyone else out there going through the same things? Any advice? (besides just "hang in there, eat healthy, smaller portions, blah blah blah - I KNOW ALL THAT SADLY). Will it get better? Will the weight come off again?

[blueyedprincess 0]

Sorry that you have had such a tough time. I promise you that most people ( even if they don't admit to it) have issues before getting banded. You probably don't have much restriction if any at all so of course you can eat normally. Don't give up. Things will get much easier once you start getting fills.

[hpegg 0]

You probably have heard it all but it does get better. I think having gone through all that you have, you may be subconsciously thinking that you need to eat what you can now before you get your first fill. All I can say is that I did a similar thing. Four weeks after my banding, I started eating food that I should not have and gained about 8 lbs in one week. Then I had to almost starve myself the last two weeks before my fill so I could show some progress to my doctor and not be embarrassed. These two weeks were a wakeup call for me. It took me 5 days to gain 8 lbs. but it took me two weeks to take it back off. I could not stop thinking about the fact that even with the surgery and all that I had gone through, I still had not learned to modify my behavior and care enough about myself to stay on course.

Things will get better for you after the first fill but you still need to decide if you really want to commit to this process because you know as well as I do that if we really decide to eat what we want instead of what is good for us, we will find a way despite all the trouble we went through to get the lapband.

H

[sassy37 0]

Hi ya ..

Im in the same boat as u hun , I was banded 6 weeks ago and like u I have no restriction , my surgeon doesnt do fills until 10 weeks

I had a bad time with grazing last week and felt such a failure and so down .

So I thought RIGHT back to basics !

I phoned my dietician this is some of the advice he gave me and its working !!!

15 mins before your meal drink a glass of Water , and stick to 3 meals a day and drink plenty BUT try and leave a good hour or more after your meals before u drink.

I lost 2 pound the first day I went back to BASICS the dietician SAID Think pre op to get u back motivated so Ive kinda programmed my mind to think Im still pre op and my surgery will be cancelled If I dont stick to the rules ..

THE MIND IS A POWERFUL THING !

Im gona give u a typical day plan from my dietician

Before Breakfast : drinks

8am : Breakfast : 3 tablespoons of bran flakes , 1 weetabix , porridge oats , special K , half a slice of toast with scrambled egg or 2 tablespoons of baked Beans or tinned tomatoes .

10am : drinks

10.30 :mid morning : 1 small diet yoghurt or some fruit

12.30: Drinks

1pm(midday) :Maximum of 6 tablespoons for main meal

3pm : Drinks

3.30pm : diet yoghurt or fruit or something healthy

5.30 : Drinks

6pm : Evening meal

8pm : drinks

I hope this guides u a little , dont give up

I felt like u last week and Ive lost 2 pound already this week going back to basics and getting back on track !

[sassy37 0]

Eating little and often keeps the Hunger monster at bay , spreading the day out like above u shouldnt feel hungry .

Your portion size should be 3-6 tablespoons and never exceed 6 .(main meal)

Serve your meals on a 7" plate (tea plate)

Eat slowly take 20 mins per meal

Stop eating at the first sign of fullness, If food is left throw it away

Drink frequently up to 15 mins before your meal and try to leave 1-2 hours after meals before u drink .

Consume a minimum of 2 litres of fluids daily , there is no maximum amount .

Make sure u drink calorie free liquids , avoid alcohol and choose low fat , low sugar foods .

Again hope this helps I know how it feels to feel like your failing ..

BUT WE ARE NOT ! BRING THOSE FILLS ON

Stay focused we can do it !!!!!!!

S x

[Jodi_620 37]

Sorry to hear about the flaw in your band and glad to hear that they got it fixed.

Yes, I think almost all of us have been or are going through bandster hell (that period from surgery to restriction). It is rare for a bandster to not have to experience it and it is common for a person to gain 5-10 pounds during this time. Believe me it is a very normal part of the whole process. Be patient and you will get there.

[~Bridgette~ 0]

So, this is what bandster hell is... I thought it was the liquid diet, LOL.

Seriously, I'm afraid of this time period. I don't get my first fill until Dec 10th and I'm hungry a lot. I force myself to wait at least 4 hours between eating, but it's definitely like dieting right now. Since I started mushies I haven't lost a pound and am scared I'm going to start gaining....

[brownskin82 0]

I completely know what you mean. I was banded don November 3rd and I feel fine. I do not feel like I have the band at all. I have made good food choices but I have a problem with candy. I feel no restriction and I can eat anything normally. I called the dr. to see if this was normal and the nurse told me that it was. We just have to eat minimally and stay focused. It will be a little better when we are filled but we have to work on the food choices.

If you get hungry in between time eat some fruit or veggies. Try some Extra gum. Good Luck!

[HeatherO 7]

We all go through this stage and it is really awful. You feel so hungry you could eat anything . . . and banding isn't making one iota of a difference post surgery swelling and pre-first fill.

As you said, you know what to do and what needs to be done . . . but doing it is easier said than done. None of us found ourselves obese without having some kind of food issue - and banding doesn't make it go away in the beginning. There is no way to make it through except to struggle through it. We made a life altering decision in getting the band . . . it is up to us to make it work. So the only choice is to find the strength within yourself to take it one day at a time . . . and do what needs to be done until you get your fill. I promise it does get a lot easier with time.

You were just banded at the end of October, so you have been banded less than three weeks. At this stage almost all of us are still on mushies and haven't even moved on to solid foods. If you are eating large portions of "normal" foods, then you could be risking the health of your band before you ever got a good start. To allow the band to heal properly and set into your stomach, you need to minimize stomach movement by staying on soft foods and avoiding large portions.

So please . . . for the health of your band, don't risk it by eating outside of your post-op diet . . . and if your post-op diet has you on solids already, you should try to limit the quantities or if you are too hungry to do that, keep it soft.

This early stage of banding is the most vital for your future success. You can do this, it is tough . . . but what is a couple of weeks of hell compared to a lifetime of better health. You know what to do . . . now is the time to do it.

[mahupetesc 0]

I guess I am in the same boat as everyone else. I was banded on the 6th of November and it is really hard to say focused and drink liquids. I stopped the liquid diet after 1 week and went to soft foods. If I didnt do that I was well on my way to stuffing myself with sugary foods. My first fill is in 4.5 weeks and I cant wait. I guess I will have to be strong and look to this website for support to keep me going!

[MississippiGirl 0]

I, too, am in Bandster Hell with ya!

Okay..I haven't been to this site in a long while. But glad I stopped by today. I, too, along with many of you have absolutely no restriction. I have been depressed because I have felt like I've put my family in debt for 15K dollars for another flippin thing that hasnt' worked. I've lost a total of 31 lbs...but it has nothing to do with the band...it is from sticking to a liquid diet.

I had my surgery October 6. I started back Monday on only eating one healthy meal a day and doing slimfast in the morning and evening. I'm just not motivated. I feel normal. I dont' feel like I have a band at all. I'm proud that I've kept what weight i've lost off....but again...do ya'll think I'll feel differently when I get a fill?...i'm just so hungry all the time.... And I know I have to be patient...and 31 lbs is a lot....I know...but 19 of that was lost 2 weeks before my surgery so that is only 12 lbs post op since October 6....

[AuntieGG 0]

Hi there!

I'm so sorry to hear about the band breaking. Thank goodness they were able to fix that for you.

I totally hear ya on not having any restriction. I'm about 3 1/2 weeks post op and have zero restriction. I think my band is more like a hula hoop at this point. I'm really missing the restriction I had from swelling post surgery. It was 2 weeks of zero hunger for me.

I'm trying to focus on getting enough Protein in, watching my calories and staying on soft foods until my fill. Dec 3 can't get here soon enough.

You'll get through it! We have to! We've got a lot of weight to lose, we've got to be ready for that restriction when it gets here.

[mvane08 0]

I haven't been to this site for weeks. I am glad I did today. I was banded on 10/29 and have been eating solid food since two weeks after surgery. I've lost about 28 lbs. total, but the last few weeks, nothing...I too feel i have no restriction and can eat like I did before the two week liquid diet prior to surgery. I was getting so depressed over it, but then i started reading my books and.after visiting here realize i am not alone. Thank goodnness! My first fill is on 12/10 and I cannot wait. I want this to work for me. I still have 120 lbs. to go before hitting goal weight. Now with Christmas upon us, it is even harder. I hope the fill does it for me. I want to feel full quickly and have it last for hours and hours like right after surgery. Please keep me in the loop with you bandsters who have had this problem before your first fill. -Monica:thumbup: