AngieB

Paul - at a week post op I avoided lunch dates too. However, as soon as I hit the soup stage I went along a few time. I could that most places had soup. My favorite was Panera Bread. I chose the broccoli cheddar soup....yummo! It was a nice treat and served me well! Getting use to ordering differently felt strange.....but I did it and lived to tell about it. Now, I do not get near the enjoyment out of eating out. Still do it, but my choices have changed and I no longer get my old favs anymore. Which can feel good or bad depending on my day! LOL Most of my friends understand the fat girl in me. I talk frankly about my unhealthy relationship with food.....It gets better.....lots better!

At my fill level right now, I can eat bread. Example I had a chicken sandwich this week. One slice of bread, grilled chicken, mayo. I was able to eat it and a Tbs of baked beans. When I have rice, I again have a Tbs of rice. When I have french fries, I have 4 or 5. I do not eliminate foods, just limit them. I will say this as well. I don't eat bread often, or rice for that matter. Maybe once every few months.

I had the golf ball sensation in the back of my throat once....it felt icky. Try sipping on some hot tea, or coffee. Warm liquids help open your band. Sounds like you have tight restriction. If you feel any reflux, it may be wise to get a tinsy wincy unfill. Sounds like dairy is your nemisis. It causes you to much gas and discomfort. I know there is a product you can purchase over the counter to help aid in the digestion of dairy. Don't ask me what it is called....your pharmacist would know though. I would take it if you are going to have dairy....

Debbie! You look fabulous! Wow! I completely agree with Sabrina! LOL What a knock out you are! Woot!

I would highly suggest, you get use to this fill before going in for the "next learning phase." Feeling full is a different feeling for me with the band. It is not the tummy full I once had. It is pouch/stoma full. This sensation to me is different. Even a little extra bite can take me from satisfied to an uncomfortable acheness. Take that a bit further and you have the "one bite to many" syndrome. Which for me ends up with me at the sink of a garbage can. Lovely. Here is the best suggestions I can offer. A. Limit your portion. When you serving is done, so are you. At this point once you get food in your system, the hunger goes away. So eating after that is a choice. B. Chew Chew Chew living with the band -you have to learn this fine art. Before the band I was a terrible chewer. Now, I am pretty darn good at it. In fact, there are some foods I use to love but now don't enjoy at all. Example bacon....emmm I loved bacon before. Now after I am finished chewing the living day lights out of bacon, it makes me want to barf. It is nasty in texture and flavor by the time I am finished with it. Ewh! C. Cut you food in small bites. When I eat steak, I cut my pieces into the size of my pinky finger nail. Small. I am VERY careful with " Rip Foods" Rip foods are those you hold and bite off a piece. Like pizza, sandwiches, hot dogs in the bun. I proceed with EXTREME CAUTION. If you are able to learn from someone who chased the fill, I am referring to myself here. Learn this. Reaching restriciton faster, is not always better. I adapted and now have habits that I didn't have. Do yourself a favor and practice these steps before you filler up!

Food for thought....if you are lactose intolerant, and have felt gas pressure before with dairy, having the band can make it worse. To me it sounds like gas is going down through your system....not so much up in burps. Gas x strips or beano may help....not sure. Is it with all foods or just dairy???

Welcome to the loosers bench!

Hey Janet. I have read articles on both sides of the fence. So Dr.'s are saying it is fine to enjoy a carbinated beverage, while others advise against it. I had a near beer at 4 months out. Have pry had 3 sodas/pops the entire year of being banded. Had pry a 6 pack of near beer in this time frame as well. I know first hand the pressure that can be felt, as one day I was having a tight band, high stress day and took a drink of a carbinated beverage. No kidding it was like a volcano of carbination/foam that shot back up and out of my mouth. Lovely! Yes it was an eye opening experience. Anyway, that is all I have to offer on the subject.

The band takes some getting use to. This will be a good time for you to really pay attention to what you are eating, how fast, and how fast you are chewing. Each of us has the learning curve. Depending on the food, or the day with the band I can gauge how long it will take me to eat certain foods. Listen to you body. Start to pay attention to how your stoma, esphogus, and body feels. S-L-O-W down, chew chew chew. Take it easy. If you have a PB, take it easy on your body. There are certain foods, I can eat with little or no problems and then others where I have to pay close attention to what I am doing. Given you have reached restriction FAST. You need to slow it up and really be mindful of what you are eating. This is where you are learning to live with the band.

The post-op diet is directly after your surgery and it is 21 days of liquids. First week is clear liquids, 2nd week you get to add drinkable yogurts, 3 week is full liquids no chunks so soups protein drinks ect. It is so your band will heal properly and stay in place. You will not be eating anything to heavy that might put pressure on the band. It is a time for healing. HTH Angie

Mind you this list is more along the lines of after the clears. 1. Active Lifestyle Gellatin Cups - loaded with 4 grams of fiber per serving! Flavors are better than Jell-O! 2. Mishima Miso Soup poweder mix - comes in individual packets that you just mix with hot water! Only 35 calories a pop. 3. Cool Whip Lite or Cool Whip Free (great with the Jell-O. Feels like you are cheating when you are not) 4. Nestle Rich Hot Cocoa Powder with Caramel - A liquid Candy Bar! 5. Bigelow Vanilla Chai Tea Bags - A box of 20 (Try with a dash of skim milk and you would think you paid $3.5 for a cup at Starbucks! 6. Campbell's Soup At Hand "Blended Vegetable Medley" 7. Imagine Organic Creamy Tomato Soup (comes in a rectangle carton) 8. Yonique Low Fat Yogurt Drinks (Pina Colada is awesome) 9. Lifeway Lowfat flavored Kefir (found this at Whole Foods) 9. Slim Fast Optima Shakes (The only protein shake I like) 10. Benefiber individual Drink Powder (like Cystal Light except 3 grams of fiber per pouch - sold in the Metamucil Aisle. Flavors are awesome. Mix with bottled water.) 11. Original V8 - I love this at room temp or heated on the stove as a soup. 12. Naked Fruit Smoothies (variety pack of 10, 10 ounce bottles found at Costco for $13. I use these for breakfast!) 13. Applesauce cups (mix it up by buying flavors like peach or strawberry) 14. Amy's Organic Tomato Bisque Soup

For me personally, I needed an intervention. I had not had a "stop" button or "full" stop eating for a long while. I wanted portion control and some balance. Hope, my band as provided me with a full button, along with many others. LOL

(BIG HUGS) Shelby! Sorry about your grandpa passing....

Welcome back! Start with the rules again. Hard protein first, no drinking with meals, limiting your portions, and getting moving! Go in and get a fill or check on your band! Let us know how you are doing! Stay plugged in here.....come here and talk ask questions and get plugged in. Sounds like you had a ton of stress.

Call and talk to the OCC. They will be able to help you trouble shoot better than anyone. You deserve to talk to a medial professional. Let us know what they say.

This is a hard time for many. Hang in there, restriction is built more often than not. Those who follow the rules do well. Stick to it! It will happen, just not overnight.

I would suggest you do a day or 2 of soft proteins or liquids. Since you have been getting stuck frequenty, you could have some swelling that is adding insult to injury. Also you would do well to chew the heck out of your food. This is a learning curve and it is time to fine tune your listening to your body/stoma. My restriction level keeps me chewing things to bits. Every so often I have a day where I am wide open and can eat nearly like a normal person as far as chewing my food to bits. Also Malox is a good addition if you have swelling. It helps sooth the tummy and lining. Hope this helps!

Excelllent! So glad to hear you are off and running! Keep us posted on your progess!

I hear ya loud and clear on the learning curve! I really feel like the first year for me was a getting to know and understand the in's and outs of my band. After over hydrating for a fill, I soon understood that lesson loud and clear. I am gonna go in for a tweek on my fill level next month. I put it out a ways to see if eating more per meal would help my metabolism or not. If it does, then I will cancel the fill. I am a work in progress and still learning as I go. Your 2nd fill news is such a let down and expensive. It will be interesting to see if they will accept the accountability of a botched fill or not. I hope they do.

wtg! very very cool!

Hey Kim - I am still sending you ((BIG HUGS)) This guy clearly does not appreciate what the band helps us to accomplish....which is sad. Especially since he has been with you for a while. One would think he would at least understand that. My sweet hubby is not an overweight person. Never has been and so he totally doesn't understand me at times. From you comments, you sound like having the band has been an ongoing struggle on and off. That really stinks!!!! The fact of not being able to find a reasonable level is hard enough, so my heart goes out to you. I think it is awesome you are working to find the best spot for you, as I am sure it has been a real bitch! The band is not an easy way out. Not at all. It does make my life easier, that is for sure. I hope you are able to brush his hurtful comments off and not let them cut you. That is a hard task with someone you love. Those words cut. At anyrate, I really like what Kim said about the leg....right on Kim. Thank heavens for the band!!! Hang on and hang in there! I of all the people on this board have no room to judge, so sorry if I over stepped with my comments on the previous post. I hope I didn't offend you. If I did, please know I am sorry and I meant the best out of those words. I was talked to critically when I was young about my weight and food, so I think that is a soft spot for me. I struggle BIG time with my food addiction and binge behavior. We are all hear for support, and knowledge. I wish you health and wellness! Hangin in here banded sista!