Almost 4 weeks out and almost no restriction

[Percy15 0]

Hi all! I was banded on Feb. 2nd. I have had a very painful and rough road up to this point, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. Point is, I am finally starting to feel like myself again. But I do have a concern. At first, I was barely ever hungry and when I did eat, it was very easy for me to know when to stop. And I couldn't eat much, either. Now, almost 4 weeks out and I feel almost no restriction at all. I haven't had a fill yet, so that might be part of it. But when I'm eating, I'm waiting to feel that "feeling" to let me know I'm done and I never really feel it. I have tried to be good about smaller bites and chewing thoroughly and eating slower. I tend to not eat as much as I did before the surgery because I am afraid of pushing it too far. Only once (last night) was I aware that I had eated too much. I am just afraid of the pouch expanding since I have like no restriction at all. I have nothing telling me when to stop right now. And my first fill isn't for another few weeks. I should probably be honest and say that I haven't followed the post op diet to a T, either. I'm not eating things like breads or meats really, but I have experimented with foods that I'm not supposed to be eating for another week or two. I've made sure that they are absolute mush before swallowing them, though. But if I ate the foods that they wanted me to eat right now (cottage cheese and stuff) I would ALWAYS be hungry. I'm just frustrated because I'm not losing any more weight because of the amount of food I can put down there, but I am also scared of stretching the pouch. What should I do? Anybody else in my position? Thanks!

[GuyMontag 1,264]

You need filled. Don't get discouraged.

[HeavensAngel1978 0]

I understand exactly how you feel. I was banded on 1/23 and I have not had my first fill yet. I get my first fill on 3/9 but can eat almost anything. I don't feel any restriction although my surgeon did not put any saline in my band the day of surgery. I eat but dont get full or close to it. Although I am eating small portions b/c I am afraid of risking a slip, or stretching my band. I am 4 wks post op today and can start eating puree foods, but I feel fine, and eat everything as long as it's soft, not fried, greasy, or spicy. I chew my food to mush, but sometimes I forget and don't chew too thouroughly, or i swallow too much at one time. The discouraging part is that I don't have that feeling/sensation that I have eaten enough. Maybe once I getnmy first fill I will be able to feel the difference. Good luck to you and keep me posted. We will definately get through this.

[inspectorgadget 0]

Same here, I was banded on 2-3-09 and I feel ashamed of myself. I followed the diet really strict for the first 2 1/2 weeks, but I've started eating a little more lately. I stop myself, but I feel I eat too much sometimes. My surgeon said that once I get a fill I will feel the restriction. I eat less because my stomach shrank during the pre and post op diets, as I'm sure yours did. We just need to hang in there til our first fill and try not too eat too much and lose what we can basically on our own til the fill. Good luck!

Hi all! I was banded on Feb. 2nd. I have had a very painful and rough road up to this point, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. Point is, I am finally starting to feel like myself again. But I do have a concern. At first, I was barely ever hungry and when I did eat, it was very easy for me to know when to stop. And I couldn't eat much, either. Now, almost 4 weeks out and I feel almost no restriction at all. I haven't had a fill yet, so that might be part of it. But when I'm eating, I'm waiting to feel that "feeling" to let me know I'm done and I never really feel it. I have tried to be good about smaller bites and chewing thoroughly and eating slower. I tend to not eat as much as I did before the surgery because I am afraid of pushing it too far. Only once (last night) was I aware that I had eated too much. I am just afraid of the pouch expanding since I have like no restriction at all. I have nothing telling me when to stop right now. And my first fill isn't for another few weeks. I should probably be honest and say that I haven't followed the post op diet to a T, either. I'm not eating things like breads or meats really, but I have experimented with foods that I'm not supposed to be eating for another week or two. I've made sure that they are absolute mush before swallowing them, though. But if I ate the foods that they wanted me to eat right now (cottage cheese and stuff) I would ALWAYS be hungry. I'm just frustrated because I'm not losing any more weight because of the amount of food I can put down there, but I am also scared of stretching the pouch. What should I do? Anybody else in my position? Thanks!

[TQUAD64 9]

Hi Percy15, get back on track with the post-op diet. I know it's hard, we have gone through it too, but you really don't want to take chance with the healing process.

Call your doctor and let them know that you are starving and if you can go to the next post-op diet stage. I had the same issues as well. Very hungry and not feeling a sense of fullness. I called the doctor and they allowed me to have yogurt and mik during the full liquid diet stage. It cannot hurt to call your doctor to get his/her feedbak.

I was banded in November, but I knew by the time I started solids the second week in December that I was not going to make it to my scheduled fill a couple of days before Christmas. Because I spoke to my doctor and told her my concerns, I was able to get a fill on December 10, two weeks early.

Find out if you can get a fill sooner than what is scheduled. It does not hurt to ask.

[kiz 1]

I was allowed to start a regular diet on my fourth week from surgery. I measured my meals to not over-do it too much and added a fourth 1/2 cup heavier snack/meal (tuna, Greek yogurt w/high Fiber Cereal, etc). My doctor's goal is satisfaction with 1/2 cup meals, but before your first fill (sometimes after until you get better restriction), and after your swelling has subsided, you're pretty open. I kept my three main meals under just under one cup, and made sure I had good protein/veggie rich meals and added that extra heavy snack (rather than say a sf jello). This was with my doctor's approval and kept me out of "bandster's hell".

Edited February 20, 2009 by kiz