Is this Bandster hell?

[stormy]

Kidding, trust me. I have not touched any REAL food. ok, I have once. But has anyone noticed that every commercial is FOOD. COME ON, KILL ME!!! How unfair. My mind says I am starving to death, I even get pains that feel like hunger but then again, I am not hungry. I dont know what this is. My port hurts a little. I get these strange pains in my chest that I am not sure what they are. I bet I am not getting enough calories and protein. I think I need to get back on that counter thing, to make sure. I want to pick this glue off the incisions. Maybe that means they are healing. It is a very confusing time for me. 14 days left and I have already decided I want a grilled chicken breast and either french fries or mashed potatoes. This is crazy.

[Kittycat]

Hi Stormy, what you are feeling is totally normal. Drink or eat your soup when you feel hungry..don't count calories right now, your body needs nutrition to heal...when you are hungry, have a yogurt, a fudgecicle, soup, pudding...something...this is the not the time for weight loss.

Bandster hell is before your fill or between fills you are hungry 24/7. I actually felt a dumping affect after I lost restriction after surgery..I would eat a portion controlled lunch and within 20 minutes I felt hungry again...first fill, not much change, second fill, huge change...I have 5cc in my 9cc band and restriction is sweet...I think for now I have hit my sweetspot.

Try to distract yourself my food, go for a walk, play with your son, do a puzzle...anything but food. It's tough at first, but eventually you will view food for nutrition rather than for fun. Eating becomes a chore after awhile..chewing, chewing, chewing makes you tired and sometimes you just don't want to eat anymore. I know that sounds impossible right now, but mark my words...some day.

Take care and keep up the great work!!

[OSuzanna]

Kidding, trust me. I have not touched any REAL food. ok, I have once. But has anyone noticed that every commercial is FOOD. COME ON, KILL ME!!! How unfair. My mind says I am starving to death, I even get pains that feel like hunger but then again, I am not hungry. I dont know what this is. My port hurts a little. I get these strange pains in my chest that I am not sure what they are. I bet I am not getting enough calories and protein. I think I need to get back on that counter thing, to make sure. I want to pick this glue off the incisions. Maybe that means they are healing. It is a very confusing time for me. 14 days left and I have already decided I want a grilled chicken breast and either french fries or mashed potatoes. This is crazy.

"I have not touched any REAL food. ok, I have once."

Okay, I'm going to be blunt........... OMG, it has just been a week since you got banded and you're already eating real food????? What are you thinking, your tummy is still healing - do you want to screw up the whole thing?

If the commercials bother you, don't watch tv - go for a walk, get your mind off of it!

Stormy, your lap band is a gift, it can change your entire life - be good to it.

[BandDiva]

"I have not touched any REAL food. ok, I have once."

Okay, I'm going to be blunt........... OMG, it has just been a week since you got banded and you're already eating real food????? What are you thinking, your tummy is still healing - do you want to screw up the whole thing?

If the commercials bother you, don't watch tv - go for a walk, get your mind off of it!

Stormy, your lap band is a gift, it can change your entire life - be good to it.

Just to Clarify, it wasn't like she chowed down on a meal, she sucked on a piece of chocolate. LOL

[stormy]

Can I have a milk shake??? I want a chocolate Milk shake. I could blend it real thin. Is that a bad thing right now?

[OSuzanna]

Okay, I know I was being harsh, but I guess I just can't get past anyone even thinking about real food after one week and I know everyone is different, but come on - 1 week? At 1 week post op I was still so excited and so determined to make my band work, plus at 1 week your still so bloated and for sure not hungry - were you?

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, but this entire proceedure to me is so huge - such a big step and totally life altering, I just get so sad when some bandsters don't seem to take it seriously.

[stormy]

Okay, I know I was being harsh, but I guess I just can't get past anyone even thinking about real food after one week and I know everyone is different, but come on - 1 week? At 1 week post op I was still so excited and so determined to make my band work, plus at 1 week your still so bloated and for sure not hungry - were you?

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry, but this entire proceedure to me is so huge - such a big step and totally life altering, I just get so sad when some bandsters don't seem to take it seriously.

I am taking is seriously, I paid alot of money for this, plus put in a lot of time and effort to go through this, left my child behind and put all my personal feelings and fears aside to go to a strange place with people I dont know, to have this done. I was wondering if I could have a milk shake because it seems like my stomach is upset. Excuse me for not knowing what I can and can not have. I thought that is what this forum is for!!! This is very important to me, or I wouldnt of done it. It was so important that I asked instead of just doing it. Some people just dont have any consideration for others, a simple answer would have been nice. If you dont want to help me, then just plain DONT!

[BandDiva]

I am taking is seriously, I paid alot of money for this, plus put in a lot of time and effort to go through this, left my child behind and put all my personal feelings and fears aside to go to a strange place with people I dont know, to have this done. I was wondering if I could have a milk shake because it seems like my stomach is upset. Excuse me for not knowing what I can and can not have. I thought that is what this forum is for!!! This is very important to me, or I wouldnt of done it. It was so important that I asked instead of just doing it. Some people just dont have any consideration for others, a simple answer would have been nice. If you dont want to help me, then just plain DONT!

Stormy, please don't be upset. I don't think Suzanna meant to offend you. Ofcourse the forum is for you to ask questions and for help. Ya know, I am not sure about the milkshake (as I have not been banded yet). But, I do remember you can start drinking protein shakes at the end of week 2. Not sure if this includes just plain milkshakes or not. Hopefully, someone can clarify.

[teyann]

I have not been banded yet and reading some of this is rather scary to me. I am looking at this as the start of my life. I see everyones progress on here and it is soooo where I want to be.

Sorry to say this and it is not to affend but hopefully put you in the right frame of mind (as I would want someone to do to me) But you need to maybe post some pics of how you want to look on the fridge or anywhere you may be looking alot.

I have a journal and I have started cutting pics of clothing I want to fit into to, Bodies I wish I looked like etc... Motivation! You have to change your mind set to succeed.

We are saying this to help- Not criticize. We all know how it is to feel overweight......we want everyone to suceed. Sometimes tough love is needed!

You made it this far DO NOT THINK OF ANTHING BUT SUCEEDING!!!!

We only care!

Have you seen the DVD The Secret? It is about achieving what you want by being positive and picturing yourself there. If you start to act and think like your thin, your sub-consious starts to kick it into gear. It is a great DVD or book to get...... Just some thoughts...

I am curious, do they not make it clear after the surgery as to what you are allowed to eat, drink etc???

[shadiggty]

stormy, you can do this. dont be mad at OSuzanna, i truly believe she wrote that out of concern for your health. let your stomach heal. read the success stories. focus on the future.stay positive. im sorry youre going through this, but YOU WILL GET THROUGH!

[stormy]

I'm sorry, I dont mean to be harsh. I just dont feel well. I haven't for the last couple of days. I am drinking as much water as I can, but I am concerned that it is not enough. I feel gross. My stomach feels gross. I was only looking for a remedy for this. Milk sometimes helps. I take this very seriously. I dont want to hurt my stomach or the progress that I have made. I can tell already that I have lost weight and I am liking what I see. I seem to be having a sore throat. Not sure why. It is very dry. My body is achey. I may be getting sick, I am not sure. I already have photos all over the house of what I used to look like before I got FAT, so I dont need that. What I need is to make sure I am getting enough nutiential/vitiams for my body so I dont get ill. Which I am afraid is happening. I went on that site where you track what you eat and I am only getting 600 calories and only 14 % is protein. This is very alarming to me. It also said I am not getting enough fat intake. I can't get sick. I have a very serious job that is demanding and I need to be there. I found someone on this forum that is willing to help me. She said I can call her and she will give me a list of what I can drink that the OCC did not have on theirs. There are a lot of people on here who came up with their own ideas and that is why I was asking. A milkshake, would meet the fat content that I need on the list, plus I would think the cold would help swelling. But by everyones reaction, they did not understand. My stomach seems to be upset. I think it is the pills I have to take. Not sure. I am doing this right, but I am not getting enough stuff and I am on the verge of getting ill. I call this person on the forum and then call OCC Monday and compare notes. It's not just me I have to take care of over here, it is my husband too. He is having some real emotional issues because of this and I am dealing with his anger. He can no longer stuff his feeling, so here they come. It is very hard. He has already lost another 10 pounds. Meanwhile I am on my cycle and have lost nothing. It is frustrating but I know something is changing because I feel different. I really am looking for support here, not people yelling at me.

[Kittycat]

Hi Stormy,

I hope you feel a bit better today...have a milkshake, it's liquid and it's fine....drink it slow and stop when you feel full.

We are here to support you through the good and the bad. We will kick your butt when you need it and give you hugs too. That's what we are all about.

Although it may seem harsh at times, it's only because we want you to succeed.

We all make mistakes, we are not perfect...it's not easy. As long as you realize what you have done and get back on track you'll be just fine.

So your butts been kicked, out of love and go have your milkshake and go for a walk.

Take care sweetie!! Every day get better, promise!!! XO

[nursemom]

Hi Stormy, I haven't ever written to you, but I have read lots of your posts. I felt like you at one week out. I am now 2 1/2 weeks out (feeling MUCH better) and hardly an expert, but I do know how you feel. I felt achy, gross, shoulder pain, nauseated, rib pain, sore throat etc.... I felt like I was such a wennie because here I am a nurse and survived birthing two kids and having two major back surgeries and felt like CRAP after a simple laproscopic proceedure. I had to quit being so hard on myself. What I have learned from others is that we are supposed to drink, drink and not worry about calories for now. Having a slim fast seems to help when I am hungry and I love the hot tea to calm down my stomach. I agree that the pills could be causing you to have an upset stomach. You could try taking them with a bit of milk or something thicker than plain water. Also, I know when I felt really run down, I was dehydrated. I know you have heard all of this before, but I guess my point is... hang in there - at least I know how you feel. Don't be to hard on yourself! Try not to get to anxious, because it might make the nausea and everything worse (I know - easier said than done ) I agree with you about the food channel and those terrible commericals - it is sad how focused our society is on food... I have picked up a good book and turned off the TV!!!

[BandDiva]

Hi Stormy,

I hope you feel a bit better today...have a milkshake, it's liquid and it's fine....drink it slow and stop when you feel full.

We are here to support you through the good and the bad. We will kick your butt when you need it and give you hugs too. That's what we are all about.

Although it may seem harsh at times, it's only because we want you to succeed.

We all make mistakes, we are not perfect...it's not easy. As long as you realize what you have done and get back on track you'll be just fine.

So your butts been kicked, out of love and go have your milkshake and go for a walk.

Take care sweetie!! Every day get better, promise!!! XO

This is great to know, I really hope the milkshake makes her feel better! Get some rest Stormy and maybe once you are through with your cycle you will feel much better also.

[OSuzanna]

Stormy,

I was not yelling, I was just trying to make you understand that you can screw up your band if you don't follow the rules.

Also, I wasn't talking about your milk shake, I was referring to your comment in the first post about having real food. A subsequent post from another bandster said you just sucked on some chocolate, which I didn't know. So for that I apologize, I thought you did in fact eat "real food" and that concerned me.

I too paid out of pocket, I actually raided my 401K and that made my DH pretty upset, but this was something I wanted so badly that to me it was worth it. He now sees how much it's doing for me, not only my weight, but my self esteem - I'm just a happier person and he supports me 100% now.

The 21 days after surgery suck - no question, but it passes and when you stick to what your supposed to do, it's so satisfying. To me it was like "hey I made it through the first three weeks, if I can do that, I can go all the way".

I'm not saying I'm perfect either, I have major problems not drinking something when I'm eating and for me that is a huge struggle and a lot of times I fail.

Everyday has it's struggles that we all have to endure and this forum helps tremendously, but take the praise, the encouragement, the LOVE along with a kick in the butt once in a while - isn't that why we "confess our sins" in the first place, so someone will step up and say "hey, stop screwing up and get back on track!"

Suzanna

[nothereanymore]

Anyone who has the band has been there, and its hard - but its doable. Most of us have jobs and kids as well - we just deal with it in different ways.

Expect someone to jump and yap at you if you talk about cheating, you’d rather we do than Dr. Ortiz, he most likely wouldn’t be as nice as we are. He has very little tolerance for those who can’t make it past the 3 weeks.

It doesn't mean we don't love you, it means we care and we don't want you to hurt yourself and we want to succeed. And I totally respect Suzanna for showen her tough love. Its much easier to be the nice person than to say - hey you don't want to do that.

Take care - you'll make it though, if we did it - you can too!

Lisa

[stormy]

Oh I completely understand. I thought I was being yelled at for wanting a milk shake. Which I did have by the way and my stomach feels so much better. My sore throat is better too but I think it will come back. I dont plan on eating anything real for 13 more days. Then I plan to eat a chicken breast and mashed potatos and I hope I can keep it down. I did take a drink of the milk shake at first and I think I had to much because it felt like an air bubble and I burped and it came back up. Not good. So at that point I took a spoon and spoon fed it to myself. That was much better. So that has taught me to take things very slow. When I do get something to eat, I am going to eat so slow, it will take us forever to finish. My husband is being very good. He hasn't had anything that he was not suppose to, I am very proud of him. He is losing weight like crazy. He said he had to put a new hole in his belt. I think he is excited about all this. My son even tried to give him a french fry and he said no. I told him to blend it up and then we laughed about it. No way GROSS! I think the hard part is remembering to sit up straight, when I slouch it makes the port hurt. I have never sat up straight, so I dont know how that is going to work out. I think once I lose weight it will be ok. So feel free to yell if you want but if I ask a question, I am asking because I just dont know, not because I am going to run out and do it. I definately am not stupid. I have waited a long time for this. I am determined to make it work. Thanks

[Kittycat]

Hi Stormy, I am glad you had your milkshake and are starting to feel better.

Drink and eat slow, stay focused and you will be just fine, we are all pulling for you and want you to be successful!!

Have a great weekend!

[FRANCIE]

Hi Stormy: Glad you're doing better. Hang in there because I don't care what they all say IT IS BANDSTER HELL!! I had a very rough time getting through those 21 days, they stretched on forever and I was a total bitch. But...I lost 17 pounds and I am doing great. Bandster hell is just a dim memory to me now. I am going for a fill Monday so I hope I don't find out what "real" bandster hell is!!!

Just a question for you: You said you were on a website that counted your calories?? What web site is that?

[doinitagann]

Hi Stormy,

You know, I am almost 4 weeks post op and I had to go thru the 21 day liquid phase more recently so the emotional part of the struggle is still very fresh in my mind. I was so easily upset and so much wanted a frigging hamburger. I woke up on day 22, went to the kitchen to make some eggs and realized, I wasn't hungry. dang it, all that time and i wasn't hungry? This three weeks not only lets your tummy heal but it also changes your habits. Food is really not what it used to be to me. it is a pain in the ass to chew 30 times. You are going to make it., this 3 weeks feels so long but in hindsight it is just a tiny amount of time. Keep your mind busy, avoid stressful situations as much as you can. You are seriously just at the beginning you can do this.

[shadiggty]

:-h

stormy, maybe you can find some good stuff on the recipes subforum?

or please post the recipes you get from the other poster there?

http://www.lapbandforum.com/index.php?show...amp;#entry52403

im not banded yet (*sigh* still saving... 6 more months...) but i'd like to be able to try the things you all are trying when my time comes, im bookmarking pages.

[momonamission]

My tips that made me make it thru bandster hell. Fill free to add.

soup from to go chinese restraunts. there broth is good.

lots and lots of popscilies (fudge one's are real good)

protien shakes 2 to 3 a day

cream of brocolli and cheese soup (very yummy when your starving)

FUZES (it's just a drink, but mentally it made me feel like I was drinking soda)

I even had a few milkshakes ( not too many)

cream of potato soups

yougurt

pudding

homemade icee's

Just do not eat to much in one sitting. Your body might warn you with sholder pains or hiccups. Do not let yourself get to weak.

[cckcsharp]

Stormy,

I just went through this and I totally understand what your saying. My stomach felt sooo upset. It started the day after surgery and didn't go away for several days. What fixed it?? I ate yogurt. Maybe it was cheating, oh well. I ate it slow and even tried to thin it out in my mouth(that sounds a little gross) But my stomach felt like it was on fire and the yogurt soothed it. I am sure the milkshake had the same affect for you. The only thing I can say is that I would try not to choose the milkshake too often. Try yogurt or fat free sugar free puuding. The calories are far less. And what you said about water. Before my surgery I was drinking like 96 OZ a day of water. I am have just started to get back up to 64 oz a day. I seriously drank maybe 8 oz of water a day for those first two weeks because I just couldn't get anymore down. You will be okay. There is fluid in the soup, protein shakes, pudding, yougurt, etc. So you are getting enough to survive until you can work up to drinking the right amount of water. And all I got was about 300-600 calories in the first 2 weeks too. It will graduaully get better day by day. You will start to eat and drink more until you get to the point where you actually wish you couln't eat as much. That is where I am now. So where you are at now, goes by in a blink. Rest and take it easy the best that you can. And don't weigh yourself when your on your period. It will only make you sad. I never never never weigh during that time because the scale is always higher. Wait until it's over and then check the scale. You will be surprised at what you see. And don't compare yourself to your husband. Men always lose weight faster and easier. I promise that it does get easier and you will start to feel better. I honestly thought I had made a mistake in those days following surgery because I felt soooo crappy. But each day I got closer and closer to feeling better and you will too. Your doing awesome. Just keep on truckin and this will be over before you know it. Best wishes, sweetie.

[stormy]

So far this weekend hubby and I are just laying around. I am tried. My sore throat, I think is getting better. I get weird pains once in a while, like muscle aches in my stomach, lower left side. Kinda by the port but not real close to it. I have been taking my pills whole, I hope that is not hurting my stomach but it is necessary for my medication, they are not large pills so I think it is ok. I take 4 of them at night. They probably sit there a while. I can hear my lower stomach growling, it is strange. I think all these aches and pains will go away and my cycle I think is ending. The scale says I have lost 5 pounds, I wonder it is is right. That is pretty good so far. I am happy. I wonder when I will be under 200, I will celebrate big time for that!