I have just been so hungry this past week and not losing any weight. :glare: I was so sure I needed to make an appointment for another fill ASAP. But, then this morning I just got the most stuck I have ever gotten. First of all, let me back up and tell you about the most horrible recipe for any lapbander...

I've been looking for new ways to cook chicken. I'm trying to 'lean in' to the whole organic/kind eating (a la recent Oprah show). So, when I was at Costco the last time, I bought two whole organic chickens instead of the conventional parts I normally buy. I figured if I learn some new recipes for cooking the chickens whole then I will save money (whole chickens cost less than parts) and everyone in my family can be happy (DH prefers light meat and the kids and I prefer dark). First recipe tried was roasted chicken from the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook. Delicious! And, no stuck episodes.

Second recipe was from a low-carb crockpot recipe book I took out from the library. You cook the whole bird upside down in the crockpot. Tastes OK, but this method literally boils out all the fat and juices from the meat. Last night I got a little stuck w/it. But, this morning I got stuck the worst I have ever gotten. Still, I could not PB it even though I REALLY REALLY wanted to. I finally tried the Papaya Enzyme tablets I got for just such an 'emergency'. I don't know if they helped or not, but the evil crockpot chicken did eventually pass. Suffice to say, I warn you all, do NOT crockpot a whole chicken like this. It is not 'kind' to the band!

Please don't let this scare you away from soupy/stew type crockpot recipes, though. I have a great chicken chili recipe (uses boneless thighs) which is wonderful for the band. But, if you want to do a whole chicken, roast it in the oven like the Barefoot Contessa.

OK, so back to my 'Restriction Roller-Coaster'. I just don't know where to go from here. I was so hungry this past week that I figure I MUST need a fill, but maybe I will put it off a week just to make sure I really understand what my current restriction is first. Its hard trying to figure out what is the right level of fill when you feel like your restriction is all over the place... totally unrestricted one day and getting mega stuck the next day. I realize some of this is just the learning curve of what foods work w/the band and which ones don't. And, its really a combination of the food AND your fill level (as well as other factors like water retention).

This band is a complicated thing really. I can understand why a lot of people get freaked out that it won't work for them or give up on it. Not saying that I'm feeling that way. I understood it would be a process to get to the right level of restriction, but I guess you can't understand just how complex it is until you actually have the band and are working with it yourself. :wink2:

Just want to make it clear that I am still really really happy w/my band. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm not. Even w/the ups and downs, its still a great ride and I'm very happy w/my weightloss. :smile2:

Well, I decided to err on the side of being aggressive w/my fills and called to make my next appointment (thinking they'd be able to take me towards the end of next week). Turns out they don't have an appointment available until 3/29 (two more weeks). Ack!

But, the more I think about it, the more I think maybe this is for the best. I have not gone a full four weeks between fills yet. And, since my restriction seems to be all over the place, maybe its good to just settle in w/this one for awhile to see how it feels for the full month.

I seem to roller coaster quite a bit too. I will be eager to see what you think after your fill!

I think you and I are living parrallel lives. I went in for my 3rd fill this morning. I wasn't thrilled with my weight loss, but my doctor told me not to get caught up on the numbers. He's please with my progress but I think I should be losing it more quickly.

As far as restriction; I too am still trying to figure it out. When I review my food log I'm amazed at how different some of my days are. Though I'm still not eating more than 1 - 1 1/2 cup of food at each meal; there are some days that I can barely eat at all. I'm at 5cc's now and will be curious to see how I do once I can eat solid foods again.

Take care!

OK, I got stuck AGAIN tonight on 'Fish Provencale' which is basically a fish stew (mahi mahi, tomatoes, onion, bacon, sherry, and spices). I think I must be pretty tight right now (could have some swelling from this morning's episode). So so glad now that I am giving this a couple weeks to figure out where I'm really at.