Question:
Did I stretch my pouch

I am two weeks post op (lapband) and I can take 6oz or maybe more of full liquid 3x a day. I am always hungry and I haven't lost any weight in the last week. I read somewhere that i should only be taking in only 3oz 3x a day. Please help, I am scared!    — myemie (posted on September 6, 2008)

September 6, 2008
i have been told by my surgeon that you won't really lose too much weight until after you start getting fills. i am 6 weeks out and awaiting my first fill and i can pretty much eat normally (for the most part). the surgery is just to get the band in place, but there won't be much restriction until the fills are started. i think you are ok :)
   — buttrfli1

September 6, 2008

   — cancelsbronx

September 6, 2008
Hi Emilia! I am 5 weeks post op and had my first fill at 4 weeks. THAT was the first time my surgeon told me to make sure I only eat 4 oz 3 to 4 times a day and liquids in between all day. The first 3 weeks after surgery, I lost no weight. You really have no restriction because all that was done is placing the band on your stomach and you are in the healing mode. My surgeon said that I could eat as much as I felt I could hold but to stick with the liquids, then purees, then soft foods in that order. I did that and still lost no weight because I could eat as much as I wanted. You're fine. Don't worry. When you get your fill, it will give you a little restriction so you're not so hungry BUT it may take 2 to 3 fills before you have enough restriction to start really losing weight. Hope this helps! D. Black
   — Donna B.

September 6, 2008
The best i have ever heard it explained about the band after surgery is that now you stomach is like an hour glass. So liquids will go right through. Until you have restriction you will be able to eat or drink just about anything. This is when you dig deep and find the will to make your band work for you. I am 5 weeks out of surgery and have lost about 8 pounds in the last 3 weeks. I feel great and can't wait for my first fill to really get the weight loss started. The best of luck to you and all will be fine.
   — tinajohn

September 6, 2008
Hi Emilia. Don't worry at all. Right now you're in what we call "bandster hell". That's the time after surgery and before fills when you can still eat much more than you think you should. I've been banded almost a year now and I finally love my band. I've lost 90 pounds. I think before my first fill (six weeks out) I might have lost 8 or 10 pounds so I was VERY discouraged. I didn't feel really good restriction until my 3rd or 4th fill. But then it really started coming off fast. So don't worry and remember to drink your water and get in your protein. Your skin and hair will thank you later!
   — Carla_B

September 7, 2008
You did not stretch your pouch. You are on liquids and they go right through you. The 1st 2 weeks after I got my band, I was on liquids andd I would eat anywhere from 2-4 ounces but not long after I would be hungry again. By the time I got my 1st fill, I had lost 25 pounds. My brother-in-law also got banded and in his 1st 6 weeks he lost 30. But we have both eaten less since our fills and continue to lose weight, he is down 90 and I am down 88. I'm 11 months post op and he is 9 months post op. Everyone is different. My surgeon wanted me to get up to a cupof foodd per meal which is where I am at right now. Can't eat like that all of the time and had trouble until recently but it will all work out. Just sitt tight and try not to stress out too much.
   — ImanAbdulaziz

September 8, 2008
Perhaps you CAN take in 6oz., but the key phrase is that you SHOULD only be taking in 3oz. Try not to test your limits, just follow the rules. The journey is a step by step learning process and each discovery is vital to the next step. Good Luck!
   — bariatricdivalatina

September 8, 2008
You have NOT stretched your pouch. Liquids will go through the stoma at ALL stages of your journey. That's the reason they tell you not to drink when you eat at the solid stage. It washes things through. The other thing you need to realize is that liquid calories usually add up faster because you don't realize you're taking in so much. With the liquid calories going through so fast and you feel hungry faster it's really easy to do. If you want to loose weight prior to getting restriction, you will need to count calories. Yep, the dreaded calorie counting. The amount you should be taking in with the lapband is 3 oz of dense protein (like meat) and about 1/2 to 1 cup of produce. If you're hungry after that, you can add some fruit or whole grains. The object is to keep it under 1200 calories. You can also have a PLANNED snack in the afternoon. A lot of what we hear is bypass information. Keep in mind that the band has only been in the US for 7 years. Jessie Adhroni is a bariactric nurse that went to Mexico 10 years ago to be banded. She has written a wonderful book that answers all of the questions that might come up. I kept it with me through my journey. No, I'm not selling the book or making anything for this comment. It's just a great resource for banded people. There are several others out there to. She is part of another lapband forum. If you would like more information, please feel free to PM me. I'm under Vicki J on this forum. Good luck and if you follow your doctor's orders and work a little bit you'll be amazed at this journey. Vicki
   — VickiJ

September 8, 2008
Emilia, Liquids will NEVER stretch out your pouch. They simply flow from the top of the stomach through the band down into your larger stomach. I drink right upto eating my meals. I drink water or Crystal Light. Just be careful with empty calories that provide no nutritional value but just put the weight on, i.e., mocha, latte..... Good Luck, Jen
   — wilkin

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