What is eating like after your fill?

[apryl]

I am so nervous because I am having my fist fill on Saturday. My friend, who has had her band for over a year now, said that after my fill I will only be able to eat liquids like smooties and soups. I know we have to be on liquids right after the fill, but she said that she wasn't able to eat anything "soldi" for many, many months. Is this true? I thought we were supposed to avoid "liquid" calories because they go right through the band and defeat the purpose of it. What do most of you eat?

Thanks!

Oh...one other question...how big of a bite should I be taking. I read somewhere that bites should be about the size of a pea.

[Shell]

If your firend was only to eat liquids and smoothies for months, then girlfreind her band was TOO TIGHT! The band was NOT designed to only eat soft foods and liquids. Any bandster that knows the rules will tell you this. Let me ask you this, how is her weight loss been? Typically people who are consuming liquid calories and not solids there weight loss wil lbe much sslower then a bandster who is able to eat solids. How is your friend getting in all of her protein? Is she drinking it? You are right we are supposed to stay away from liquid calories. They go right through the band which is why people who do this do not have as good results as someone who does not drin k any liquid calories. Do not waste your calories on liquids my friend.

This is from the Inamed Handbook we all get after surgery

Have your friend read it

With the Lap Band system in place, you should be able to eat only small ammount so the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your stomach pouch with :junk: food that lacks vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in protein and vitamins and low in carbs. Solid food is more important then

liquid food or soft food. The lap Band system will have little or no effect if you only eat liquid or soft food. It passes through the stomach outlet very quickly and does not make you feel full.

Here is another excerpt form the book

If the adjustment (fill) results in too tight of a stomach opening you could have a hard time eating most foods, sometimes this causes people to avoid solid foods. They may drink liquid meals or soft food meals and this may result in weight gain. A band that is too tight may cause reflux symptoms and can also cause frequent vomiting.

If you can only drink your meal and are avoiding solids, your band is too tight and you need to have some saline removed. PERIOD!

I have lost 95 lbs eating solids, there has NEVER been a time I have NOT beeen able to eat solids and I have had several fills. Bites do not need ot be the size of a pea but they do need to be small, I use a small crab fork to help me take smaller bites, it works great!

I hope some of this info has eased your mind a bit..good luck toyou

Dr. Martinez is the master of fills, he will not fill you too tgiht, and yes there is a 3 day of liquids after your fill.

[apryl]

Thank you so much...I feel so much better now. She has lost well over 100 pounds, but it has not been easy for her. Her band has slipped twice, and she has been quite miserable I believe. I thought that what she was telling me went against what Dr. Miranda told me, but I just thought I would ask someone else!

[Shell]

Its no wonder her band has slipped twice, when you have a fill so tight you can only drink liquids and NO solids, slippage can happen easier, Just The reason why no one should ever have their band so tight they can not eat solids, that is deprivation, I did not get the band to drink my calories.

I.m glad my post made you feel better

[jeanette]

Thank you for th info...I didn't know that I had to be on liquids for the first few days after the fill. I had my first fill on Oct. 8 and I can definetly feel a change in the amount I can eat. I lost 20 lbs. in the first 6 weeks, but that was a struggle on my part. Now I feel it may be easier, I feel way more constriction and my meals are 'wow' way smaller. jeanette

[inny716]

I had lap band surgery on 1/8/08 and just recently had my fourth fill on 11/7/08. The last fill was 1cc and brought me to a total of 4cc. The reason I had the fill was because I was basically able to get anything and everything down. I was back to eating huge meals and my weight was up 5#. Now that I had this last fill I am having a hard time getting certain things down. I tried to eat shredded chicken just keeps causing me to vomit. However I can get toast and crackers down. Does it sound like my band is too tight? I am trying to stay away from the carbs but its getting to the point I need something.

[Jann]

I had lap band surgery on 1/8/08 and just recently had my fourth fill on 11/7/08. The last fill was 1cc and brought me to a total of 4cc. The reason I had the fill was because I was basically able to get anything and everything down. I was back to eating huge meals and my weight was up 5#. Now that I had this last fill I am having a hard time getting certain things down. I tried to eat shredded chicken just keeps causing me to vomit. However I can get toast and crackers down. Does it sound like my band is too tight? I am trying to stay away from the carbs but its getting to the point I need something.

Yes, and incredibly unhealthy but forced food choices as well. I would go back and get an unfill and re-fill with an amount that is healthier. Your body HAS to be able to process SOLID proteins. If you are not able to you are too tight.

Jann

[mona-camille]

I had lap band surgery on 1/8/08 and just recently had my fourth fill on 11/7/08. The last fill was 1cc and brought me to a total of 4cc. The reason I had the fill was because I was basically able to get anything and everything down. I was back to eating huge meals and my weight was up 5#. Now that I had this last fill I am having a hard time getting certain things down. I tried to eat shredded chicken just keeps causing me to vomit. However I can get toast and crackers down. Does it sound like my band is too tight? I am trying to stay away from the carbs but its getting to the point I need something.

Lots of people cannot eat shredded chicken. Especially if it is dry. If you can get toast and crackers down, that doesn't automatically mean you are too tight. If all you could get down was liquid, then yes you would definitely be too tight. Have you tried some tiny bites of tuna? How about trying some tiny bites of a hard boiled egg. It's seems odd to me that you can get toast and crackers down when those are usually the things that can get you blocked up so that doesn't sound too tight if that fits down there easily. If you have been vomitting a lot, you are probably very swollen in there and you most likely need to go on a liquid diet for a few days to settle things down. Thats usually what they advise you after a lot of vomitting. Maybe a piece of that chicken just got stuck in there and it's still trying to come back up. I would definitely do liquids for a few days.

[Jann]

I read your fill date as July -- the Canadian form of your shortcut not November. We do it differently here. It's not unusual a week after a fill to have these experiences. Reintroduce protein to your diet and learn what works and what doesn't work for you. Some can eat bread, some can't, some can eat chicken, some can't, etc. You have to learn what works for you. If you are concerned that you can't swallow, eat any form of solids other than carbs, etc., my original advice stands. Speak to your fill doctor. As I said, your body HAS to be able to process SOLID proteins. If you are not able to you are too tight.

Jann

[determination]

Hello Everyone,

As I am reading these blogs, I keep seeing PB, and LBL. I understand LB, but what is LBL & PB?

None the less, I really enjoy reading all of this information. And thank you Dolittle for list of advice. I am not getting banded until the 15th of Dec., so I am trying to educate myself as much as possible before the big event. Anne

[nothereanymore]

Hello,

Congrats on your decision to get the band!

LBL is a lower body lift (At least for me)

PB is Productive Burping (PB'ing)

This is from Dr. Ortiz's site, you can find a lot of great info there:

A common occurrence for banded patients is regurgitation of non-acidic swallowed food from the upper pouch, commonly known as PB'ing (Productive Burping). This is not to be considered normal. The patient should consider eating less, eating more slowly, or chewing their food more thoroughly. Occasionally, the narrow passage into the larger / lower part of the stomach may become blocked by a large portion of unchewed or unsuitable foodstuff.

A single episode of regurgitation can be caused by:

• To large of a bite

• Swallowing a second bite too soon

• Eating too fast

• Not chewing thoroughly

• Eating too much

When regurgitation is frequent or even a daily event:

• Your band may be too tight

• You may have a swollen stomach due to food dislodged or repetitive vomiting

• You may be frequently displaying the behaviors listed above

Best,

Lisa