having a hard time - three weeks to first fill

[Amanda2008]

I haven't been doing that great since going back on solids the past few weeks. It's three weeks till my first fill at the OCC.

I don't know if what I am doing is cheating the band or pushing the band, because i''m not sure what the band is doing for me right now with no restriction. Basically I can eat whatever I want, because I eat it really slowly. So basically I ate way too much food over a slow period of time.

The past few days I have been PMSing, which is normally the time I would really eat out of control.

I am feeling lousy and I hope the fill can somehow get me back on track. The first three weeks after surgery was great, I was fine. It has been adding food back that make it hard.

:(

[vangirl]

Hi Amanda,

I feel like I'm in the same boat as you. I was fine for the first three weeks and two days, and then all of a sudden after starting solid food, all that hunger, cravings, and old bad habits have come roaring with a vengeance. I keep thinking about my first fill now, and am praying I don't gain any weight between now and then, let alone lose any.

-vangirl

[jhawkchick75]

Right now is the time when you have to rely on counting calories and poriton control. I know it is tough, cravings can really suck but this is what i've been told one of the hardest parts of the journey. I've lucked out and haven't been too hungry and when I have been it's mostly mental and those bad habits and cravings we all have. To help with this, remember the basics:

* Water - many times it's not we are hungry but we are thirsty

* Make sure your first priority in food is protein - helps fill you up

* Protein bullets, benefiber, metamucil, all that good stuff. Do mine at 10 and 3 and it helps

As we get tighter, the importance of chewing a lot and getting the right types of food in will become even more important. Since we should only be eating around 1200 calories a day, I want to make the most of the food I get. For instance, today I brought pasta for lunch so I also brought some cubed ham to put in it to get some protein. I do this a lot and it helps. I also put veggies in my pasta as well. We have to do these things to help our bodies along.

And remember, you should be chewing well and eating slowly. That will be so important as you get tighter so practice it now. I've also been weaning myself off bread since I know that won't be an option as I get tighter.

Good luck!

[Amanda2008]

I'm doing a better now that my PMS is over. I was absolutely ravenous!

Now I am eating a lot less. Definitely looking forward to the fill!

[lapbandbound]

This is the part they call 'bandster hell'. I ended up painting half my house just to keep from eating. Drove me insane...I was so hungry all the time!

The one poster was right about protein...also remember that as fat people, our idea of 'full' is totally screwed up. Whereas most people will quit eating when they're not hungry anymore, we tend to eat until we're stuffed. With the band, you'll have to retrain yourself to stop when the initial hunger is gone. I promise you that you DON'T want to overeat...I was banded October 1st and overate on Thanksgiving. I thought I was having a heart attack, it hurt so bad.

Keep busy and pay attention to the cessation of hunger as opposed to being full. Also, the fills will help!