Not So Fat Cat

I asked my doctor how he knows how much is in there. He said that during the fill, he actually removes all the fluid, checks the hypo, then re-injects the fluid, plus the fill amount.

Hi Dmoore, I think the real trick to making to band work is picking foods that work with the band, i.e. pick something that will stay there long enough to make you feel full without plugging you up completely. If you're getting hungry again in less than a few hours, it might be worth either eating something a bit more solid or getting a bit more restriction (I ended up needing a LOT of restriction. I'm at almost 9 out of 12) Right now, after a meal, I don't get real hunger cravings for at least 4 hours. I still keep the Protein shakes handy for my between meal Snacks. I guessing I'm at just under 900 calories a day right now but I don't feel the least bit hungry.

Hi BellPepper2, I remember my doctor was very strict about me transitioning to anything more solid than broth for a week. Also, this soon after surgery, the tissue passing through the band may still be sore and inflamed, which can make it even tighter. A few other tips: the band tends to be tighter in the morning when you haven't eaten for several hours and, cold liquids can make the band tighter. The night after my surgery, I was worried that the band was too tight because it took me ages to drink a few cups of cold Water (I found out they hadn't filled the band at all until my first follow-up). Hang in there! It will loosen up!