street

Most doctors recommend just eating liquids and soft foods for 2-3 days after a fill. Your stomach usually swells when you get a fill so you will always feel tighter for the first few days until it subsides.

I currently have 10.75 cc in a 14cc band. I do have some restriction, but it is mostly in the morning. I eat a lot less than I was before but usually more than 'a cup' of food. I feel like I need some more fill still as I will get hungry late at night (this is new for me). I'm still losing weight since I watch what I eat and track calories on myfitnesspal.com - 50 pounds since May when I had the surgery. I'm getting fills every 3/4 weeks now, for a while it was every 2 weeks - my doctor is good about letting me get them as I think I need. Also, important to mention is that my 14cc band can actually hold about 2 - 2.5 cc more because of the tubing/port holds some liquid. So my 10.75 is actually like 8.25 in the band (according to my doc). Don't get discouraged - do you really have 'no' restriction at all? or just not a enough? it has been a gradual process for me but if I think back to how much I used to eat I am definitely eating a lot less now. I rarely have a problem eating foods. I've only thrown up/PB'd twice and it was just recently after my last fill. I was really hungry both times and started eating too fast...came right back up, the pain/salivating happened. I was actually happy to know that the band is starting to work.

Thanks, I'm going back this wednesday for another fill. I think maybe .5 cc will do it for me - I'm hoping anyway. I have 6.5 in a 14cc band right now and last time I was there they overfilled and I got that feeling you described - I drank some Water and it felt like it was just sitting there so they took 1 cc out (they had put in 2cc) you sound like you are doing great now and good luck to you! it sucks that you had to go through a second surgery but I'm sure it will all be worth it in the end.

Anita, thanks - I couldn't eat bread when I was on liquids or mushies but I can eat bread, Pasta, or whatever I want now. The only rules I have are no carbonated beverages and not to drink before and after a meal for 20 min. I was told that bread, pasta and rice can bother you so to be careful when you eat it. Of course they suggest that you eat Protein and veggies before anything else, and they would not recommend eating subs all the time, but it is perfectly fine to have some bread once in a while. I actually force myself to eat healthy and try to aim for only 1200 calories a day (a 6 inch sub isnt all that terrible, most are less than 500 calories and I was dragged there by my coworkers.) and I have lost 45 pounds since May. But I feel like most of my success so far has been my own willpower and NOT the band itself. As I said, I do feel some restriction, and when I cook at home I will measure out only 4 ounces of meat with a small salad or veggie on the side and its usually enough to satisfy me, but i'm usually hungry again in 2 hours. But this is all besides the point. My question was what does it feel like leading up to the green zone? Before you were getting stuck, after say your first and second fill - were you getting full on a cup of food for 5-6 hours? could you only physically eat that cup and nothing more? Did you have to chew slow and take small bites or else you would get sick? I have not experiences any of that. I would be thrilled to get some sliming or get stuck so I knew this thing was working correctly! One thing I have noticed is that right after a fill I get full very quickly (even just on liquids or soft foods that they tell you to eat for 2 days after) but a few days later I am able to eat more again. I have read that there is some swelling that happens and that is why. I just wish that 'swelling' would stick. Like that first week after the surgery, I could barely get two shakes down a day...It was awesome.

for those that started out not in the green zone and then got to it. was it a gradual process or just that 3rd or 4th fill or whichever and then it hit? The reason I ask is that after a couple of fills, while I definitely fill up faster I can still eat a pretty large amount of food. I can eat a six inch sub and chips with no problem but I probably could not eat a foot long. I dont really have to eat slowly or chew my food that well. i try to, but i dont really have to. I have never felt like been at risk of sliming, pb'ing, or throwing up. the most feeling ill get is maybe my first bite or two of a meal I'll feel pressure like i have to burp, and then i'll burp, and then I can eat fine after that. im hoping that the next fill gets me there. last time i was there there they actually put in 2 cc's but when i drank Water it felt like it was just sitting there so they took 1 cc out. maybe i need another .5

from what my doc said, the 14cc band has about 2.5 cc extra that is held in the port/tubing. so the real size is 16.5 cc's. so your 8.25 CC - 2.5 CC = 5.75 CC in the actual band.