I'm Hungry!!!

Thread Starter  

Hello Anyone? I just had my band surgery 8 days ago. Did 2 full weeks of liquids pre-op, and supposed to do 2 full weeks of liquids post-op. I have less than one week to go. Did anyone out there stray a little bit from the liquids? I can't take another protien drink either! HELP!

Amelia,

I never did stray because I was too afraid to. The protein should help you stay full. I don't know if you have tried eating lower calorie cream soups or SF jello or SF pudding for something different. You really shouldn't stray from your liquids as you really want your stomach to heal. Once you start your losing process you should be feeling better a seeing a different light on things. Give yourself a chance with your new friend.

Josephine

Did I stray... let's see... ummm. . YES! I was supposed to do liquids for 3 days and then move on to pureed/soft mushies. By day 4 I was eating regular foods... soft ones, not things that couldn't be chewed down to a very fine puree. When I went back for my 1 week follow-up the dietician looked surprised, but when I explained what I was doing... she felt that it was fine. I, obviously, stayed away from all the forbidden foods like pasta, sticky rice, steak, bread, etc (as I still do).... but did not have any problems at all.

Everyone is different, of course, but I knew from my surgeon that others had veered from the strict liquids and had not had problems. I suppose it all depends on how quickly you heal and how quickly you are able to get back to feeling normal. I went on a 5-hour road trip to Las Vegas on Day 6 because I felt so good.

I don't advise anyone to do what I did unless they are confident that their surgeon is comfortable with such a choice. If I had learned at my 1-week follow-up that my surgeon was strictly against it, I think I probably would have reverted back to the liquids.

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Pre-Op Date: 03 January 2008
Surgery Date: 14 January 2008

Surgeon: Ninh Tuan Nguyen, MD, Univ. of CA Irvine
WestCoastFatGuy

You are probably starting to feel hungry because the swelling in your tummy is going down. Try to increase your protein. I suggest going to the food threads and viewing some of the recipes for the different food stages there. Some people have come up with some really good ones that help you stay full longer.

I would not recommend straying from the diet your doctor has prescribed you. However, if you have tried everything and find you are still very hungry, then call him or your nutritionist. They may be able to suggest something for you or move you on to the next stage a little sooner.

__________________
Banded: 4/28/06-Dr. Herrera-Jacksonville FL

Thread Starter  

Thank you Susan.

Thread Starter  

Thank you Josephine!

Thread Starter  

Thanks for the response. I appreciate it!

My doctor told me to move up the stages as I felt I was ready. I did clear liquids for about post surgery. Then I moved into 2 days of mushies, and after than, little bits of regular foods that I could chew really well. That kept me feeling pretty good, until the week of my period, when I was hungry for 4 days straight! Day five, period gone, and like magic, hunger gone, too. My mom is a dietician, so I asked her about things as I progressed, but she said you can't expect your body to heal well if you're not giving it the nutrients it needs. If you can stomach the protein supplements, I'd definitely take those. Also, I found a scrambled egg to be perfect for a meal as I moved up into the stages. And crab meat---someone on this board suggested it, and it was great. Really soft, easy on the stomach, and so yummy. Good luck!

I moved on to mushies at day 10 after my first post-op doctor's visit. I suppose the original plan was to do two full weeks of liquids, but he moved me up after my visit.

I know it's hard. And I know the worst feeling in the world is to feel hungry, which is why most of us got the band in the first place. It's like a cruel joke -- you've got your band, but now you're hungrier than ever and you can't do anything about it. But now is the time to make really good decisions about your health. Many believe that the reason why we're not progressed to solid foods quickly is to allow the stomach and band to form a layer of scar tissue that will help to keep the band in place for the long term. The band is still fairly new technology (especially the new bands).

When I was in your kind of hell (and still am to a certain degree), I told myself that hunger pains meant that I was healing and that my body was telling me that it was okay and functioning normal. I ended up "eating" soup or liquid every couple of hours and it was frustrating. BUT IT'S TEMPORARY and you can do anything for two weeks, right? That's the beauty of this -- unlike a horrible crash diet, we know that this part of bandster hell is temporary and you can get through it.

It sucks, we've all been there, and you're going to come out on the other side, too. Dig deep and stay strong!

__________________
Banded 1/28/08
Pre-op weight: 296
Surgery Date weight: 284
Current Weight: 230.8 (down 65.2 lbs all together!)
3.1 cc's in 10 cc band and I'm at my sweet spot!

If you are hungry....eat!

I did 1 day of liquids, 1 day of plasma, and 1 day of mushie, then started eating what I wanted. (lots got stuck but you have to learn what you can and can't eat)

Talk to your doc, tell him you are hungry and you have to eat something.

My doctor told me to eat don't make this a misserable experience or it will not work be sensible eat small bites and chew chew chew and stop when your stomach tells you too!! today is my 7th day after surgery I went to him 2 days ago for a check up and he hasn;t tightened the band so he said EAT I said I love you and left and went and ate feel much better