B-52

I am never hungry, and have no interest in food most of the time...24 hrs a day, 7 days a week.........as far as head hunger, I used to get it all the time.......for instance I would dream of cooking something that sounded fantastic...say, something my Mother used to make,,,I would go to the store, buy all the ingredients, spend the afternoon cooking it.....then, when it came time to eat it...my band took over and slapped me...so I would wind up throwing it all away, and eating very little of it....same is true for doughnuts, and other things...throw them away...after a while, when a head hunger craving comes on, I can immediately dismiss it....and now I don't get those cravings all that often. The band is in charge..... Now you will read different experience here...some say not hungry in between meals, some say hungry all the time but with will power and determination can make it work....many differences with this WLS...I have my theories as to why, but it is none of my business........as long as they're happy and successful, it does not matter.

Depends upon your Dr. and how aggressive He/She is, and how you react to moving fast or slow.... I know someone whose Dr. only puts in 1/2 cc per visit, per month...at that rate one year would be 6cc's.....she felt he was milking the insurance and went to a different Dr...got on track real quick...and started meeting her goals much to her pleasure. But to answer your question, I had 3 fills...the first was 4cc's, 2nd was 2cc's, and the 3rd...was 1 cc.... Each fill was one month apart, so it took me a little over 3 months.....and don't get me wrong, it was not easy during those first few months...a lot of adjusting and behavior modification...but I have not had a fill since, and that was over 2 years ago.... And everything became as easy as can be about 6-8 months after surgery.

9.2 cc's in a 10 cc band? I'm going to guess with those numbers someone miscalculated...I know it's a 5cc difference, but still.... Have you ever had any restriction or feedback from your band?

I know EXACTLY what mean....walked the aisles and left empty handed myself...also stood with the refrigerator door open....only to realize I really did not want, or need anything....people speak of being "Full"...your explanation and mine show that it's Mental...the band tells our brain we do not need to eat, as though we were full....but we are not.

I had that in the beginning, along with my hunger and desire to eat disappearing.....then it returned as I healed....it took another 4 months, a few fills, to get it back permanently...the Green Zone.... I now have all cravings gone, along with hunger....but it took a bit to get there...

I have never vomited as a direct cause of the band....if you are vomiting and feel it is related to the band, then you need to call your Dr. ASAP....if you don't have a virus or stomach flu, then someting is serioulsly wrong..... People do not vomit because of the band.

I have never felt full with the band....i simply do not, and cannot eat anymore....it is as though I walk around all day long with the "Mental" thought, feeling, that I have jus finished a 5 course meal, even if I have not eaten anything since the day before.... The band tells my brain I am full, MENTALLY...so I do not have an interest in eating, or food....so no hunger or cravings....my tatstes have also changed...things do not taste the way the used to and after one bite I spit it out.... can you recall, say at a Thanksgiving dinner, where you ate so much that when someone put another slice of pie in front of you you waved it off and said you cannot possibly eat another ounce? Well, I have that feeling all day long, menatlly not physically, 24 hours a day..... But you were just banded this month.....it took me a few months and a few good fills to get to that point....and even then I had to learn to understand and adapt to what was happening.

The other day I was watching TV and eating grapes...I realized I was biting the grape in half, chew and swallow before eating the other half....I was not doing it because I was told to, I was doing it because it was comfortable and easy with the band.

Gotta love it...the sky's the limit when it comes to ingredients...I have been having a high protein smoothie, all my own recipes, since 2 months after being banded....and I can get 35gm of protein for breakfast.... ( I can't eat solid foods first thing in the morning)

I've had water come right back up on me, even if I have not eaten for 12 hours....especially when I'm running and forget..... That is also why I cannot drink while eating for it too will over fill my pouch and come back up.....it is a good trick when one gets stuck though.

Depends upon how much restriction one has.....it takes me the longer side for food to pass through mine....I eat till I cannot eat anymore....and that is a very small amount...I have to stop.....giving me automatic portion size and control....another characteristic of the Greenn Zone..portion control. Also, I have drank Water 20-30 minutes after eating and had it come back up with some of the food that was still in the pouch. I cannot drink while eating, or for a time there after for that reason. Other people will have different experiences....again, depends on the restriction one has.

I never heard of a "Soft Full" I always feel as though I just ate, 24 hrs a day....therefore I am not that interested in eating. But when I do, I will simply eat until I cannot eat anymore...what the band will let me....which is very little, small portion.

For years I have been hitting the gym first thing in the morning, around 5:30 am.....with nothing in my stomach but 2 cups of coffee and my Vitamins......I knew I was getting fantastic results but had no documentation to back it up.....untill now...I found this.....I knew I was doing something right. http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/morning-workout-tips?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-Prevention-_-fitness-fitnesstips-_-7StepsToLoveMorningWorkouts

Having lost all my excess weight and in the green for 2 years now, the only posts that concern me here are about "slippage" and "erosion" and I always pay close attention. It is a topic I always bring up with my Dr. on my visits also.... This is my opinion.....not that it does not happen to people, and I have my therories as to why it happens, but the majority of people here talk about "slippage" being caused by just about everything....it's like the "You'll shoot your eye out kid" syndrome.... Don't do this or your band will slip, don't do that because your band will slip.....it's used to justify about everything.... No one ever stops to ask "How" will doing this or that cause a band to slip??? No one seems to stop and examine it closley.... I read a post the other day and someone responded by saying you should not do that because it will cause your band to slip..."WHAT?" I wanted to jump through the computer screen.....then I look and see this person has only been banded less that a year...so, consider the source.... I have asked my Dr. about this and that, and he always gets a good laugh and asks where the heck did I ever hear that??? Just go and live a normal life and don't loose sleep over it.... The same is for ports flipping...it does happen, but do people really understand and ask themselves "Why?" and "How?" that can possibly happen? I have my therory(s) why it happens to some people.....and doing everyday activities is not one of them...(unless your band - port was never properly installed in the first place)

I had 3 fills total...first one was 4 weeks after surgery, then 2 more 4 weeks apart each..... Total of three fills, within 3 months of surgery....4cc's, 2 cc's, then finally 1cc....all the while using the "Yellw-Green-Red" chart on the wall as a quide..... That was 2-1/2 years ago, have not needed a fill since, and hav been in the green since 4 months after surgery.... Yes, my Dr. is/was very aggressive.....and he knew I was agreesive about this also so .....4 months to get to the green, then another 2-3 months for me to adjust myself to cope with the band, develop new skills and habits... I had difficulties and struggles within those first few months, but I'm glad I never backed down.....now it's a everyday, common, lifestyle without giving it much thought or worry... Only thing I need to be concerned about is that I rememebr to eat enough per day, and be sure i get all my daily Protein and Water requirements.... I also pay very close attention to posts concerning slippage and erosion, etc, and so far I have not seen anything in common.....a lot of therories as to why, but not much with a sound foundation.

If I drink while eating it does not push the. food through, nor does it make me fuller....it overfills the volume in the puch and comes right back up and out....so I cannot do it....unless I want an embarrassing mess on my hands. I It's like pouring Water into a funnel when there is something more solid there slowing down the passage, it overflows..... If you can drink with no problem while eating, then it's a question of how much restriction you have. As far as filer longer....I feel like I just finished a large meal 24 hrs a day....and if I feel like I just ate, then I feel like I do not need to eat anything more..therefore I have no interest in food, or eating..... Has nothing to do with drinking....it's there all the time, because my band is there all the time. And it's really more Neal than anything....the band telling my brain I am satisfied, even though I ave not eaten. Perhaps all day....

Yes, that would be painful......hurts thinking about it....

Under your ribs? Sure that's you port? How do you get fills..... Or do you mean on your abdomen below your lower rib.

Over eating, as well as smoking, gambling, chewing nails, etc, etc can all be attributed to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anti-anxiety meds can help and alleviate it. I have been on every diet known under the sun before being banded....including these types of meds....helped a little, but like everything else not for very long.... Weight Loss surgery is/was the ONLY thing that took care of my overeating by automatically setting my portion sizes, and taking away my hunger - cravings 24 hrs a day... I will have to say it was not easy in the beginning...it is a big learning curve, learning new habits to cope with the levels of restriction I gained from band adjustments.....but after 4 months I reached that "Green Zone" and everything has been as simple as can be ever since....loosing all my excess weight in the process..... I believe in the band and what it can do if people let it and don't fight it.

Sounds like the band is trying to tell you something.....

I never understood the fear........it's not like the airlines serve full meals anymore..... I fly all the time on business....no difference....maybe it's the Vodka Tonics.....

I burp when I drink too much carbonated drinks....always on a empty stomach because of the band. Hiccups are another thing.....

I cannot live without my coffee.....started drinking it less than 24hrs after my surgery. I start the day with 2 cups before heading to the gym, then a few more cups during the day....give or take. I like it black....drank nothing but double espressos on vacation....I know with espresso they have to make it fresh from scratch with every order....

In a 14cc band, don't be surprised if it does not last...happens to everyone...at least you getting a taste of what it is all about, and things to come if you don't back down and resist change.... I've only had 3 fills, in the first 4 months from surgery, for a total of 7cc's, but in a much smaller band.....have not had, or needed a fill in over 2 years...I can "tweak" my band myself, routine maintenance, by paying attention to the feedback I get from the band, (portion sizes) and go straight liquids from time to time for a few days to let things settle out and return to a optimum state....

I know people who do not have regular 3 ,meals a day, but have maybe 6 healthy Snacks a day...works for them. It all comes down to how many calories consumed in a 24 hr period, versus how many burned.... For me, the band took care of head hunger....I may think I want to eat something...like a dough-nut in the middle of the day for no good reason, but one bite and my band immedialtley slaps me back into reality and I throw the thing away....after doing this 100 of times those head hunger cravings no longer exisit...kicked the habit by behaviour modifiction thanks to the band........plus I am not hungry 24 hrs a day....never understood the "just between Meals" thing...my band is there 24 hrs...not just between meals.