vangirl

Hi Rhondasue, I too had a lot of difficulty with hunger and just feeling like crap during the pre-op diet. I was on the pre-op for 4 weeks, and actually found that much harder than the post-op diet. Good for you for recognizing the triggers for falling off the wagon. Being at Xmas parties while on the pre-op diet is like expecting a recovering alcoholic who's just decided to get sober and is going through major withdrawal to spend a lot of time in the bars where his/her friends are drinking. It's better to stay away from the environment and stick to it than to risk going off the plan as well as deal with having to explain why you're not eating. I personally feel that while the pre-op diet was such a hard and miserable time for me, I am glad that I went through it and did not cheat during the 4 weeks I was on it. I felt that it prepared me both physically and psychologically for the band and the post-op period. Your stomach shrinks and you do in fact go through withdrawal from all the sugar, fat, carbs, chemicals, and addictive junk and processed food. But once that stuff is cleansed from the system, I find that I don't crave those things nearly as much as I did earlier on. And if I do indulge in the craving, the band will help me from going overboard. Once I get that to that sweet spot of course Hang in there, and believe everyone here when we say it does get better! -vangirl

I finally succumbed to what is going around and am sick with either cold or flu. Can't really tell at this point. And just before Xmas too The irony of it all is that today is day 2 of solid foods, and what are you actually supposed to eat when you're sick? Liquids! Soups! To think I had done with those, or so I thought! What have you all done food/menu-wise when you've been sick?

Today is my three week bandiversary, and this is what I ate: Morning, I had my one of my bottles of high protein nutrition drink, as I didn't want to eat any solids before and while I was at work. At work, someone brought a package of Lindt chocolate balls, and I had two of them, slowly over the course of the day. I didn't really count this as solid foods because it was melted by the time it went down. I wasn't planning on having chocolate, but it just so happened that it was there and I thought I'd test it. Dinner was preceded by a small homemade cookie, which I chewed and ate very slowly. No issues. For dinner, I was able to eat just the tender part of the chicken breast I cooked for myself, a small spoonful of homemade salsa, a baby carrot, and half of a six-inch diameter non-fat quesadilla. I ate the whole thing very slowly and was trying to pay attention the whole time to signs of fullness. It was very difficult to interpret what was going on in my body, especially as I've been feeling under the weather, but I was able to stop before I had any uncomfortable feeling. While I would have liked to eat more, I don't feel hungry for having eaten the little that I did. This was very much an exercise of determining what is body versus head hunger and making sure that I paid attention to my body. I did fail to follow the guideline of starting with the protein first and then going on to veggies and then to the carbs. The reason was that the chicken felt dry and like it was not going down as easily as the quesadilla. And I liked the taste of the quesadilla and so wanted to eat as much of it as I could. Had I finished off my chicken first, I probably would have felt fuller faster. I also mixed it up, in that I'd have a bit of chicken, and then a small piece of quesadilla, and then a bit of salsa etc. I felt very deprived of water. I SO badly wanted to have water with my meal, as I always have water with my meals. Overall it was a very healthy meal (much more healthy than I was anticipating to have as my first meal) and I took it very slowly and cautiously. I did not count calories or measure my portions. I didn't follow all of the rules of eating solids, but it was all right in the end. I probably exercised more willpower than bandpower because I didn't let it get to the point where it felt uncomfortable, but I did feel a definitive moment where I felt mentally/intuitively that I should stop eating, and I did. Prior to getting the band, I would have kept eating for much longer. So that was my first day of solid foods. Now what to eat tomorrow...

Well fellow bandsters, I am on day 21 post-op, which means tomorrow I can start solid foods! I'm happy about this, but also cautious. I have a long work day ahead of me (which is all people-oriented, so I can't afford anything embarrassing to happen), so I've decided to go with liquids all day until I get home, and then have something solid. People have asked me what I want for my first meal, and I honestly don't know. I keep thinking about a burger, which I've fantasized about since I started the pre-op diet, but most likely I will go for something easy like oatmeal, and maybe a piece of cheese. I'm going to be careful the first few days. My weight loss has been slow (in my view, relative to others), but I have lost about 9lbs post-op. I'm ok with this. As long as the scale keeps going down I'm happy. Painwise, things are a LOT better. It's amazing, especially when reading others' experiences on here at pre-op or 4 or 10 days post-op to see how quickly I have moved from where I was at earlier stages in this process. If I have any advice to give to people who are at an earlier stage than I am, it would be, whatever it is that you are struggling with, whether it is pain or gas, it does get better! I found the biggest improvement in the pain happened from day 10 onward. Now, I mostly feel a soreness in my abdomen (mainly my port area), which is most pronounced when I'm getting up from a sitting position or when rolling over from one position to the other when sleeping. Still unable to sleep on my stomach, except sort of on my right side, and for a limited time. So sleep is not that great right now. But everything is slowly improving, and I'm looking forward to the next stage! -vangirl

Well I have a doctorate, so that trumps both of you! Just j/k Seriously though, my OWN approach was to follow the rules as presented to me, which was 21 days liquids only, with nothing blended or pureed. I did have puddings, but not jello. I had some confusion as to whether these were allowed or not, but it was too late by the time I realized it. No harm done, as far as I can tell. Whatever the reasons were for coming up with this particular 21-day plan, I figured that it's not going to hurt me by following it to the letter (and to the best of my knowledge). On the other hand, breaking those guidelines carried some risk of stretching the pouch, which would defeat the purpose of the band, and all the money I spent on it. After spending so much money and getting cut open and all of that, why would I risk effing things up just because I couldn't exercise some discipline and stay on course? 21 days is not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. I think that the pre- and post-op diet is more than just a diet. It is a way to help focus and get kick-started into a healthier way of eating. Tomorrow I start solid foods, but I'm not about to go and gorge on the pizza and burgers. Had I not done 7 weeks of pre- and post-op dieting (which admittedly has been hard as hell), I might have gone and gorged, and then created some major grief for myself. I think these diets are a mental as well as a physical test and preparation for major, permanent changes in eating and approaching food. I see the band as a tool to assist in maintaining this permanent lifestyle change. -vangirl

Thanks for the suggestions guys! And that soup recipe sounds yummy. I'm going to try it after I start solids, so I can eat the meat I had thought puddings and jello were allowed in the post-op diet. I've been having pudding actually..

I was on pre-op diet option #2 and it was hell, with the hunger and getting used to the protein shakes. What helped me was cooked spinach. I bought a big plastic tub of pre-cut, pre-washed baby spinach, and every day I'd take a bunch and put it into a nonstick pan (no oil necessary because once the spinach wilts and moisture comes out, the pan gets wet). I then added a 1/4 tsp of crushed garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Occasionally I'd add Mrs. Dash to flavour it even more. I cooked it just long enough for it to get soft and dark, and then ate it warm. It was yummy and really helped satisfy the cravings. Plus it was a good source of iron.

I'm two weeks post-op, and I'd say the gas stopped being painful in the last couple of days. It's still there, but doesn't hurt the way it used to. The exception is at night time, when I'm trying to turn over, but that might be the pain of the band and port. Hard to tell sometimes! -Vangirl

Hello fellow bandsters, I am in the full-liquids stage of my post-op diet (am on day 15) and will be going to an Xmas potluck party on Sunday. They know I won't be able to eat solid food, but I want to bring a dish that all of us can enjoy, not just me. I was thinking something dessert-y. I was wondering if I could get some suggestions of something that would appeal to families with kids, but that I could enjoy also, even if it's just a small amount. Your ideas/recipes are greatly appreciated! Thanks! -Vangirl

Mmmmm the Cream of Potato and Cheddar sounds like a great combination. Did you have to blend it, or was it creamy enough to start out with?

That's awesome! And the compliments are just going to keep coming!

Alas due to my IBS, the only time I can take fibre supplements is when I'm extremely constipated, otherwise I get severe diarrhea But all things considered, it isn't too bad. I try to remind myself that no matter how hard this post-op period is, I found the pre-op diet much harder! Thank goodness for the band. Imagine how much hungrier we would all be!

It's amazing how quickly time flies, and all the crazy changes that happen in just a short period of time. And yet it feels like I just got the band.

Lol I was choosing between the gift box and the snowman

Let's see if this works.

I'm on day 14, and the same thing is happening to me. Today for the first time I was ravenous! Can't stop thinking about food. Part of the problem is I'm craving variety. Can't wait to start the solid foods again.

I know you've only got a couple of days, but I might suggest won ton soup (without the won tons). I also recently went to a Vietnamese restaurant and asked for their chicken soup, just the broth only, and it was actually quite delicious, not at all like the yucky boring regular chicken broth. I was very happy to get out of the clear liquid stage. There's more variety with the full liquids/creamy soup stage.

I'm on day 12 post-op, and I feel like I've noticed the greatest amount of improvement pain-wise in the past couple of days. I'm able to touch my incisions without hurting them, and have started to rub vitamin E oil, as they've gotten dried and callousy around the incisions. Blech! But the pain of getting out of bed has drastically improved, and the worst pain is the gas, which usually bothers me at night, when I'm trying to roll from one position to another. Still not able to sleep on my stomach yet because of the port pain. The swelling has gone down (though not completely). I'm burping a lot. The back pain is a lot less, as everything else has gotten better. So it does get better! Gradually, slowly, but surely.

Did anyone else notice the See's Candy wagon at San Diego Airport? *sigh*

This is exactly how I felt about my experience at OCC. That I was treated like a person as opposed to just a patient. Was so impressed with the level of professionalism, skill, and warmth too. The nurse, Carmelita, is a sweetie, and Dr. Acosta is a cutie! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend OCC to anyone. And had no problems in Mexico either.

Hi Carla! Congratulations on getting banded! And yes all of your experiences are normal. I experienced all of those. The gas does get less, and the pain on burping also gets less. I'm on day 12 post-op, and I think this is the first time I can burp without wincing in pain. But I do get that really tight, uncomfortable feeling in my chest when I drink too much or too fast.

My scale is evil too. It was evil before the surgery and even more so after. When I got back home, I had GAINED 7lbs with all the swelling, water retention, constipation, etc. In the first week, I dropped the pounds I had gained but hadn't lost any. Now I'm day 12 and down about 4 lbs from my pre-surgery weight. I know it's hard not to look at the scale those 1st 21 days, especially when you're eating so little that you expect weight loss. Right now, I'm just happy as long as it keeps going down.

I'm on day 10, so am ok for the creamy soups. The gas bubbles sound right. I was having them all night long, and still do. Maybe the paranoia/obsessiveness will go away with the gas

I'm on day 10 post-op, and I have been feeling restriction since day 1. Much more so on days 1-4, but I do have restriction, and can only drink certain amounts at a time. I was curious how much, in terms of volume, others have been able to drink at this point after the surgery. The maximum amount of water I can drink is 4-5 glasses, and then maybe 2-3 cups of liquid (in the form of soups, shakes, etc.) on top of it. I can drink more than 1/2 cup of liquid at a time, but not more than 1 cup. And I have the uncomfortable feeling when I get full.

I feel slightly better today than yesterday. It seems like this is just part of the healing process unfortunately. Hopefully when my stomach swelling goes down (I honestly feel like I've got a water-filled balloon in there!) it will stop pulling my back muscles.