Banded yesterday - diet advice?

[scorpioGirl]

Hello all,

I was banded yesterday, just got home from hospital and I'm feeling a little frightened. I'm struggling to know whether I'm hungry or it's jut pain from the operation. Just managed a glass of juice and a bowl of soup - shouldn't this be too much?

 

[top_kat]

would depend on the size of glass and the bowl. just take it steady, spread the fluids out, but I could easily manage that when on liquids post op but did it half tin soup size, and about 200mls liquid sipped slowly to begin with

If you feel pain take the painkillers you should have been given, don't struggle on.

Welcome to banded life

 

[Helski]

Hi, welcome to the club! I know exactly how you feel I was banded one month ago tomorrow. I felt hungry the day after the op but the nurse from my provider said that she didn't think that could be the case.... what do I know?!
Just take it easy, sip rather than gulp and make sure your fluids are thin enough that they could go up a straw. Not to use a straw but runny enough to do that. I found the liquid stage very boring, but it goes quickly and before you know it you'll be on puree foods.
This forum is a great place for advice and TKat is one of the best. Good luck, be careful and I'm sure you'll be fine. I've lost 15 lbs since I started this journey and I'm very happy about that.

Good luck x

 

[scorpioGirl]

Like a pint glass of fresh juice and a small bowl of soup. Had a sleep and bloated now! Just managed to get some soluble cocodamol from local gp but god knows how I'll fit them in !

 

[WeightlossDreamer]

its funny isnt it what your portions are reduced to my booklet stated to have no more thn 200ml in one sitting, but have little and often if you know what i mean rather than a large amount in one go x

 

[top_kat]

Like a pint glass of fresh juice and a small bowl of soup. Had a sleep and bloated now! Just managed to get some soluble cocodamol from local gp but god knows how I'll fit them in !

A pint of fresh juice in one sitting along with a bowl of soup is a lot and that's why you feel bloated.

When you eat with a band with the soup, take small spoonfuls and work to a 20/20/20 or 30/30/20 rule, so you "chew for 20 or 30 seconds, as it for 20 or 30 seconds and only eat for a max 20 mins, this will really come Into play when on normal foods but you slow everything down. Stop when you no longer feel hungry, not eating until you feel full (there is a difference).

Don't be afraid to take the pain relief, it foes get easier from day 4-5, sometimes around day 7 for some, but yes, spread the liquids out and eat/drink slowly.

 

[scorpioGirl]

I am having real trouble distinguishing between hunger pain and general post op pain/wind pain. Hospital have only given me paracetamol which usually doesn't even shift a headache for me. Feeling very tearful and questioning my decision to have this done today

 

[Helski]

Give yourself a chance, it's too early to properly know how you feel. It's a very strange thing. I am one of those convinced that it won't work for me. But I've lost 15lbs so far and that is more than I have lost on my own in the last couple of years, so far, so good.
It is almost easy for me to think that I don't even have a band, but I have eaten too quickly on two occasions, and then believe me you are reminded! It's not nice. But I'm seeing this as a long journey and it will happen in time, I am determined that this will be a permanent solution for me, and I'm sure it will for you too, if you just give it a chance.

Good luck. x

 

[top_kat]

I am having real trouble distinguishing between hunger pain and general post op pain/wind pain. Hospital have only given me paracetamol which usually doesn't even shift a headache for me. Feeling very tearful and questioning my decision to have this done today

You may feel hunger feelings, but I'm not sure whether it should be as a pain so much. If you spread out what you drink or have in liquid form through the day then you will probably find it's not from hunger.

Head to your GP and get some stringer liquid orcsoluble painkillers and take them regularly during these early days. Anaesthetic can make you feel emotional and on top of the post op pain it can feel overwhelming,

It will get better, so hang in there - what have you tried for the wind pain?

 

[scorpioGirl]

I had real trouble before the op knowing when to eat, I had two settings - full to bursting and so empty it hurt (which would in turn lead to the former after a good binge!) so I really will be learning how to eat again. For the wind I have had wind eze, peppermint tea, massage, walking around, hot water bottle...it seems better today but my port site is still extremely tender. On the plus side, I have lost 5lbs

 

[Yaranak]

What I did was have half a cup or even 1/4 of a cup of clear liquids every 3 hours (so around 5 times a day) right after my surgery. Sip very very very slowly, you should be able to feel the liquid go down. And take little strolls around the house whenever you can.
Basically, this helps me ward off any feelings of hunger (which I wasn't sure was head hunger or actual hunger at the time) and I was able to stay hydrated all the time.

 

[scorpioGirl]

I feel no restriction at all, I can't feel anything go down and I can easily eat the quantities of soup that I did before :/

 

[top_kat]

I feel no restriction at all, I can't feel anything go down and I can easily eat the quantities of soup that I did before :/

It can take a long time to get to restriction. I'm 16 months post op, having had 12 fills and I still do not have it. Just because you can eat that amount, doesn't mean that you should.

Eating more than the suggested portions, eating the amounts you did preband can cause some serious issues. It can stretch the pouch that is above the band. It can cause strangulation, it can cause slippage.

It's really important to work with the portion guidelines that come from your provider, and to slow down your eating and drinking because it takes 20 mins for the brain to register that you're no longer hungry. This is why the 30/30/30 or the 20/20/20 helps, because it gives the food time to pass through the band, but also registering that you're not hungry.

It can take a lot of work to work out the difference between real hunger and head hunger, unfortunately the band doesn't go around our brains (how I wish mine did lol) but its so important to limit the amounts you eat, to follow the guidelines and to avoid what could be serious implications for you with a band.

Even after a few fills, you may still feel as you do now. I rarely feel anything pass through my band and currently have 11.6mls in a 14ml band. However, I had a fill which took me to 12mls and took me over restricted which meant that nothing passed through it, which at the end included my own saliva!

So, I had a defill and am now working back up, but its so important that even if we haven't got or found restriction that comes into play with how, what we eat or when we feel hungry, its just so important to limit the portions to the guidelines we have and slow it down, because when you do have fills, when you do start working to restriction, you will have issues if you eat too quickly. Also, the wind pain, with a band, is very common if you have too much food, too much drink or eat too quickly, so slowing it all down should help with that too

 

[scorpioGirl]

I haven't had very good advice from my provider, I've had no guidelines on portion sizes just been told that I can have as much liquids as I want. When I say I can eat the same amount as before, I mean it takes me that much to stop feeling hungry. Feeling a little lost with it all

 

[flutterby1966]

Has your provider got a website ... Often their guidelines will be on there. Or pick up the phone if you have aftercare support as that's what they are there for. If you are still on liquid stage, their guidance may be to drink as much as you like/are able as your body is still recovering. Its one step at a time, even though many of us like to know what's coming next. While there are lots of people on here happy to share their own knowledge/experience, providers guidance can vary ... So you should always try to follow your own providers guidance first and foremost x