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Mandies journey

Hi Top kat, thanks for the reply.

A typical day for me eating would be nothing until lunchtime as i have never eaten in a morning. i would then try and have a sandwich on brown bread. very rarely eat the bread and just tend to eat the cheese from the inside. Sometimes it stays down and other days it doesnt. If i feel that its too tight i tend to have a soup.

For my dinner at home i would usually have, baked potatoe , again with cheese which again, somedays i can tolerate depending on the kid of day i am having. I try and have chicken salads but to be hionest i find i cannot eat chicken at all as it is very painful and ends up coming back up.

I am constantly slicing pieces of cheese for something to eat. I find that in the evening there is more chance of me keeping something down on a good day. I have managed a ready meal moussaka on a couple of occasions and managed to eat it all with no problems at all.

I ant understand why it is so different from day to day. im frightened of going out with my husband because i have ordered so many meals only to have to leave them after a few mouthfuls and spend the rest of the time in to toilet :( not much fun.

I have been back and forward countless times to be filled and de filled and feel like i am a constant pain in the bum to the two nurses. Dont get me wrong they have been fab and its never too much triuble for them. I find if i have a slight defill i can then eat far too much but when i have .2 put back in i end up like this....im really down about it and am considering having it removed because i am scared to eat wherever i am.

Thanks

mandie
 
Hi Mandie

Sorry to hear of your struggles. Its a bit of a vicious circle you are stuck in.

It sounds like you are not getting anywhere near enough calories in and the ones you are higher fat and / or carbs.

Have a look on this thread for some ideas:

http://www.wlsurgery.com/wls-banders-faqs/135438-post-op-eating-tips.html

Also this one for how bands work:

http://www.wlsurgery.com/wls-banders/147823-newbies-have-gander.html

There is also a thread on daily food exercise, a lot of us also use my fitness pal to track calories.

In my humble opinion, as you are still fairly new post op there are things you can try to help get you back on track, feel free to ignore if you don't feel its appropriate advice or it differs from what your provider has said:

Firstly you need to eat - if you don't as well as your body going into starvation mode you could become ill.

Do you like slim fast ready made shakes, soups etc? if so maybe you could go back to liquids for a few days and build up the calories to 1000 -1200.

Then when you have managed that maybe move onto mushies.

Finally after say a week, onto 'normal' food. It sounds like bread for you will be a no no, I was told not to bother with it. It seems like meat may be an issue for now too - this could change though. Again there are ideas on the link for the first thread.

I can relate 100% to eating out and worrying, unfortunately though worrying does make it worse! You could try going out and having a soup (no bread roll). When you feel comfortable and ready try something else, don't worry if you cant eat it all - relax and enjoy.

Keep posting and let us know how you are getting on xx
 
Hi Mandie,

I was going to suggest what Mazza has in terms of starting over, back to fluids/liquid diet and then on to mush before going onto "normal" foods. You will also find that a lot of people cannot tolerate bread post band op ... and some find brown bread even harder.

Chicken can also be difficult ~ it is something I eat a lot of, but have to be really careful how I eat and chew it.

But going back to the liquids, building up, protein shakes, milk, yoghurts, fruit and vegetable juices, soups without bits ~ often like we do post fill for a few day. And then moved onto the mashed food and try this for a few days, and then move onto more normal food.

This may well enable the band to settle, whereas if you're being sick or PBing, then it can cause the band to tighten and its a vicious circle.

During the mush stage I found Sainsburys good to you (low cal meals) a godsend, their cottage or shepherds pies are quite nice, but very easy to go down (often easier than home made versions)

With having fills and defills it maybe that there isn't enough time to recover after them before hitting the food and a real good plan is to go back to liquids for a few days and build up from there.

Don't give up and don't feel a nuisance to your provider either . . .but its certainly worth a go and going back and starting over in order that you can move forward.

Some weeks ago, I was experiencing a pain where I'd done an exercise in the gym I shouldn't have, and it was causing a lot of pain around my band and stomach . . .I went back to the liquids for a couple of days and it really helped . . .its certainly worth a shot hun :)

 
Good luck Mandie hope all the above advise helps xx
 
Thanks so much to both of you.

Its just so hard at times. I didnt for one minute think it would be an easy way out but think it has shocked me in terms of how much it affects me.

I PB so much somedays (not every day) that the following day my gullett feels quite bruised and sore. Its usually on these days that i stick to soups and if im honest slider foods just to get some calories in.

I have tried cottage pies and on a good day i have no problem with them. i think my biggest problem is wondering how i can stay the same weight week after week when half of the week i dont feel i am consuming very much food at all. I am going to stop even trying bread at the moment and try crackers as you suggest.

A couple of times i have panicked thinking it must be too tight so had a de fill only to find it possibly was just a bad day if that makes sense. I have decided to stick with it at 5.2mls for now.

How can it be so different day to day amazes me.

I have read the links mazza and will definitely take your advice and see how i go.

No one said it would be easy and i guess i just needed some reassurance from people that understand.

I am praying the scales move again soon as im very down about how its making me feel considering the huge change in my eating habits.

Thanks again tho mazza and top kat :)

Mandie
 
Hello there


Sorry to hear your having a rough time of it, I agree with Mazza also, please take into account that every time your vomiting etc really does aggravate the pouch and can cause it to swell hence why your not able to eat much the days following. go back to basics and see how you get on from there ( I would defo leave the bread alone and as for the moussaka perhaps some of the veggies in that are not agreeing with your pouch) Wishing you all the best - BlueDiamond xx
 
I had a band before I had it converted to a sleeve. I found I couldn't have bread at all, even when my band was near empty bread still wouldn't go down. I found one day I could eat certain things and if I tried them again the next day they wouldn't go down.
I hope you manage to find your happy-medium! Those links are great. Also, I used to never eat breakfast (pre-band) and my surgeon told me I had to start eating something in the morning, even if it was just a plain biscuit or a cracker, just to get my metabolism started for the day. If you don't eat until lunchtime, and you have calorific foods, there won't be much weightloss. Can you eat bananas or blueberries in the morning? xx
 
But 13 kilos in 6 weeks is not too bad. It does take time. I've had mine for three years and the main issue is to change your lifestyle as well to encourage your body to lose it's own weight as well.

If you're being sick then eat less, but do so more often. A bit of advice I got was if you put a reel of sellotape over it then it's about right. Sounds awful, but if you're doing that five times a day you're body gets over the shock/panic cycle.

Heck, I'm a fine one to talk as I've gained, but that's my own fault.
 
Like you hun, I do not eat in the morning, I rarely feel hungry and while I have a lot of fluids during the early day, I don't normally eat until 1230ish, at that point I only have a yoghurt and then I eat what would be lunch mid afternoon (around 330ish) and then my dinner meal around 6-7pm depending on when Im hungry.

But if you do feel bruised etc then I think taking it back to the beginning, moving forward with the liquids and then onto mash may well help.

Someone I know who has a band, also is using Slimfast, so has a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and then a small dinner. She does also have fruit snacks mid am and afternoon, but finds with her band that it is much tighter in the morning, but the slim fast or protein shake is getting the goodness and calories that she needs, she may have a soup in addition to the shake liquids.

I hate the shakes and soup so my liquid is mainly milk based, but I also know that when things are a bit uncomfortable that you then turn to foods which are easy to go down, and its those foods which are the ones with high cals and fat etc and although it may seem as if we're not eating a lot, what we are eating isn't the correct stuff.

If you want something try melba toasts, they sell it in most supermarkets and they come in little packs of 6 biscuits, they do "melt" in the mouth quite well, but are also good with quark or a soft cheese on top, and you may find that it goes down easier than bread but its a good thing to have as a snack. I find ryvita goes down easier than bread, but bread is my downfall so I do not eat it out of choice rather than because I can't.

With the moussaka, some skin on vegetables can be harder to digest, courgettes, aubergines etc you may find that with too. Its hard to find what does or doesn't work, and it sounds like you've been through a right up and down time with the fills and re-fills. But one thing I was recommended was that if things aren't going right or its uncomfortable, to take it back to liquids for a few days and then move to mash.

Has your provider given you guidelines and help as to what foods they suggest you should be eating? Or have you just been seeing the nurse who has done the fills etc?
 
A lot of banders are tight in the morning, but try to get something down even if a protein shake, milky drink or slim fast just to get the metabolism working. I am sure that will help. It may also be easier for you having something warm rather than cold.

As the other ladies have said, go back to basics and don't stress. Good luck x
 
I have texted my bariatric nurse this afternoon as I feel so down. I came home from work and my hubbie had made a cottage pie. Two forkfuls later and I was sick :( I have just had a soup but can't believe this is how it's meant to be. Top kat I am going to go and get some crisp breads and give them a go :).

I have only really seen the nurse, as it is her that does the blind fills. I had my last de fill around three weeks ago where they took .2 out I think. They wanted to check the band hadn't slipped but it hadn't.


They have asked me to go and see them on Thursday morning at 10. Told me not to get despondent and they will get it right ! So I'm off to see them and might ask for another tiny bit out as really don't feel I can go on like this. I think I am going to write down what I am trying to eat and see if they think its the wrong type of food.


I have never eaten fish but decided to start as I thought it may be a good band food. On a good day it does go down ok. A typical week in a brief way would be jacket potatoes with cheese and salad. Pce of fish usually youngs bassa fillets with veg and white sauce. Pre packed lasagne or moussaka which one day I can eat and others it just won't digest at all.


Takeaway on a Saturday would consist of chicken tikka and rogan sauce , absolutely a no go and vomit for ages after trying.


I love vegetables and actually crave to be able to eat sprouts, carrots, cauliflower etc but the last few times I have tried even if I swamp them with gravy they just comeback :(


Am I expecting too much or am I eating the wrong things and kidding myself?? I find because I can't eat any of the above I end up having chocolate just so that I have eaten something. It really isn't lack of trying to eat nutritional good food tho.




Mand xxx
 
Dry fish can be difficult to eat sometimes. Likewise cheese can sometimes be a problem when cooked as it goes stringy and can stick. Don't be despondent. It does sound to me like you may still be a little tight, but hopefully the nurse will e able to help you discover what the issue is when you see her on Thursday. Big hug :)
 
If you don't want to go back and start over with liquids and mash, focus on a diet of protein first, followed by vegetables with carbs last. This is something that works for a lot of people ~ the protein fills you up but also helps with the weight loss.

If you resort to foods such as chocolate, they will go down easily, but you won't lose the weight and could put it on. It is about making the right food choices for the foods you can (and should) eat, of finding a healthy balance.

A lot of people cannot eat pasta (hence the reason why a lasagne may not be good for you) a lot of people find that potatoes with skin does the same. Also, when you can get onto "normal" foods, the drier and crunchier will keep you fuller for longer. The downside of eating things in a sauce, whether it be fish, or curry is that they slide down easily, but you're then likely to feel hungrier more often and eat more of the wrong things . . .another reason for limited or no weight loss.

And please don't take this the wrong way . . .but takeaway curry, while you maybe able to eat it, contains a lot of cals and fat . . .it will slide down easily . .. but isn't the best of things to be eating to help with the weight loss. As my provider said to me, it will be possible to almost eat any food post band, it has to be a personal choice not to eat these foods.

It really has to also be about making healthier choices in the foods that you eat to work along with the band. Drier crunchier foods will keep you fuller for longer, limit the cals, and also check your protein to carb intake. Try using myfitnesspal, a great way to record all of your eating, and it gives you the breakdown.

One of the longer term banders here often suggests of limiting carbs to 70g max and having a higher amount of protein . . .it really does kick start the loss. Drink plenty of fluids too (water, NAS squash) and that can help too. . .

With veggies, try going for lighter things to start with . . .carrots, swede, mashed cauliflower. It maybe if they are all coming back that the band is too tight. But also slow down the eating as this is a real reason for PBing.

Some people have guidelines of small morsel, chew for 20 seconds, wait for 20 seconds and then eat for a maximum of 20 mins. My provider says chew for 30 secs, wait for 30 seconds and then eat for a maximum of 20 mins.

But, its good that you're going to see them, its what they are there for. And if they do a defill, ask them what they suggest for after and whether they suggest you going back to liquids for a couple of days, then mash, then normal food :)
 
How about trying to confuse your body by eating at different times then you normally would and also always have breakfast,even a protein shake or a milky coffee would be a big help xx
 
I agree with Tracey, confusing the body can work wonders. I do it. I am still losing weight at c 1500-1600 cals a day now believe it or not because my metabolism has been given a bit of a jolt.
 
Help Needed

Hi all

I havent poste don here for quite a while. I had my band on 6th June last year. I have lost a fair bit of weight and have gone from 105 kilos to 87. I have been stuck at 87 kilos now for about three months. I just need some advice. I currently have 6.5ml in my band and feel the restriction is good. I struggle to eat large amounts and to be honest i dont eat very much at all. Some days i cant manage anything with any texture, yet other days i can eat quite a bit.

on the days where i cant eat at all i have to fill up on slider food just to ensure i am getting some calories. I know this isntthe right way to go but what is the alternative?? My skin is dreadful and i am sooo tired all the time. GP is doing some blood tests this week to check there is nothing going on that im unaware of.

I just dont understand how i am staying at this weight with how little i eat compared to before i had the band. Its really getting me down and i am quite dis heartened if im honest. i always thought it would be a steady 1 to 2 pounds per week but nothing i find unbelieveable.

Any help would be much appreciated. I have had the band loosened to enable me to eat a little more but then i find i can eat far too much so end up having it tightened again.

Im desperate for some advice as to why this is happening because at the moment i just feel like its been a waste of money as i still have approv 1 and a half stone i need to lose :(

Many thanks

Mandie
 
Hi Mandie, I'm really sorry I can't help as I am pre op for the sleeve but I really hope you get it sorted hun.

Take care :)
 
Hi Mandie

I can't offer any advice as to why it is happening but if it offers any comfort I am the same. I was banded Feb 2012 have lost 2.5 stone and have been stuck for a good few months. There are days when the slightest of things stick but then there are days when there is just no way you would know I had a band...I too was feeling very run down, tired all the time and generally feeling low..the doc tested me for iron vitamin B, thyroid etc and all came back clear..I honestly think I am feeling this way because I am stressed the band is doing what I hoped!! I had to cancel my last appt with my provider as I was unwell but they are so busy I then couldn't get one for another 4 weeks..my intention is to go tighter I have 7 in a 10ml ut if I go tighter I don't know how I will manage on my already tighter days!! oh it's hard :( I feel your pain!!

xxx
 
Thanks for the replies.

Its just so disheartening to be eating very little and not seeing results :( i just dont get it but at least im not on my own.

I guess i just gotta carry on. like you i wory how i will manage at all if i go any tighter but then feel it may be the only way to start seeing my weight going down again but then with the tiredness etc i dont know how i would go on .....tough decision.

Hope yours starts to move again cause im right there with ya x x x x
 
Hi Ladies

Me too!! I had my band fitted on July 20th last year and initially lost quite quickly but have stalled for a while now. I have gone from 94kgs to 79kgs at the lowest. I have a 10ml band and the most I have had in it was 7mls but after 24hours had to have 0.5mls removed as couldn't swallow my saliva. Then I left it for 2 months and was getting hungry again so got filled to 6.9mls and within 4 days was in hospital getting 1ml removed as again I couldn't swallow my saliva. So now I have had another 2 fills of 0.2mls and am back up to 6.4mls. I have not lost any weight since January and decided I needed to exercise more so went back to the gym and got a personal trainer. Result......I went to the clinic for the second 0.2ml fill last week and weighed in at 82.4kg!! I don't feel I have a lot of restriction most days but there are some things which I know I can't eat I.e bread, pasta, noodles and rice. Like both of you I am now feeling quite disheartened as had expected better results than this. I spoke to the dietician at my provider and she said to not count calories but eat plenty of protein so now try to keep my protein above 70kgs a day and only eat slider foods when I get up after a night shift and am not working again that night. When I work a night shift I eat as I would on a day shift. I am scared by the thought of getting too much more in the band due to the previous experiences of the band being too tight to swallow.
Not sure what the answer is but I feel better knowing I am not alone with this. Not that this is of any help to you.
Let's hope we all start moving downwards again soonest xxx
 
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