Banded with doubts

[step587 0]

I was banded 4-1-09. I have been starving ever since. liquids are meant to flush the body, but that's all I've been able to have. Also you can only eat so much Jello and pudding. I don't think I've had 900 calories per day since the surgery. I honestly feel hunger pains. Supposedly I am not able to eat "mushy" food for another 2 weeks.

I don't think I am going to make it.

[sassysara 0]

Try Special K Water, either bottled or in the packets, like crystal light. They have 5g of Protein so that might help you with your pains. I found them in the diet aisle of the grocery store. I have heard that a bouillon cube with water also helps. You might want to do a search for POST-OP diets and see what others recommend!

[nicanette 0]

I agree the special K hepls as well as the south beach flavored drinks. I think they have a lil sugar in them but not too much. It has Fiber as well as Protein so it might help with the hunger pains. I know how u feel.....I was soooo tired of Jello that I dont even eat it anymore..lol

[plain 12]

Hey step......The reason for the prolonged liquid and mushie diet is not to "flush" the body, but because if you eat substantial food, the digestive movements of the stomach can potentially mess up your band.

So stick to the liquid diet. I know it sucks, but it's not worth maybe having band problems down the road......so let your band "heal in" and stick to the liquids!!

[PharmaGirl 0]

Hey Step,

Hang in there. Not much longer to go and you'll be eating some real food. As people below have said, the hunger should start subsiding once you start getting your fills.

In case you might be interested there's a forum for all of us being banded in April HERE and we've added you to the list of April bandsters HERE. Some are going through similar experiences.

[Jachut 487]

You need to be creative to get Protein and carbs in though - so that you hve some substance to what you're eating. You're right, you cant live on Jello. Nor is it a healthy food.

For instance - choose a Soup that has some meat and Pasta in it and blend it down. Blend it to a consistency suitable to what you can handle at your stage with extra broth or milk (great for more protein). Have THAT instead of rubbish like Jello or pudding and flavoured Water and you will probably feel loads better and less hungry.

You can make it as liquidy as you need to, just sip it as often as you can without inducing a stuffed full feeling.