kandiceb

I've been back to the NWLSS center 11 times for fills/unfills. Other than always giving me back 1/2 of what they took out on my emergency unfills, they let me do what I want. I can't eat eggs or most chicken unless I am very careful. I'm not much of a meat eater so I don't miss that. I've taken up spicey tofu and seem to survive on that and cheese. I also still use my Protein powder (Isopure) twice a day which gives me 50 grams of protein. I mix that with Brown Cow whole plain yogurt. I don't do bread but I can eat small amounts of rice. I eat out daily so that makes lunches a challenge. Chili works or cheese casadias. Looking at what I just wrote, I guess I am probably too tight...but it works for me. I just have to eat slowly, which I usually don't. All this only works because I walk at least one mile every week day and sometimes two if it isn't raining. Also, I drink fluids constantly. I don't eat sweets except my sugar free pudding. Prunes play a big part too. :wink2: Bottom line, I've never lost 66 pounds before so I am very pleased. Hang in there everyone. It all takes time and the journey is different for each of us.

In my jillion fills and unfills, or so it seems, I've found that we aren't always where we think we are. I've had the Fluid taken out about three times and completely put back in to test my level. Some nurses can pull all the fluid out and some can't so it isn't as cut and dried as we think. That having been said, I think I'm at 7.5 now. 8.25 and I couldn't swallow spit. 7.75 and I couldn't swallow mushies. To be honest, I can't eat much in the way of solid things now. I can eat very rare steak and extremely moist chicken. I can eat some ground beef if I'm careful. I can definitely fill up on mushies if I am not careful. I am never really hungry. Head hungry...yes, but not hungry. I still have to make the decision to eat what is good for me. I was upset when one nurse told me it is 10% band and 90% won't power. But she was right in a way. However, I've never lost 65 pounds in my life so I don't care if it is me or my band. It is working.

Name..............Start...........Current..............Goal........ To Go CindyG..............210................210..................198....... ....12 TxArcher...........308................308...................285....... ....23 Foofy...............235.................235..................225...... .....10 Skinny_Jill..........173................173..................163...... .....10 Hollyberries.........257...............257..................247....... ....10 Stephanie...........173...............173.................159......... ...14 gabeekeeper........246..............246.................236.......... ...10 Sades................197...............197.................185..............12 shortgal..............175...............175.................165....... ......10 Momto1plus1........210..............210..................198.............12 Shalee04.............187...............187..................177.............10 osangriared..........248................248.................228..............20 lindata................181.5.............181.5...............176.5............5 kuchiegrl1............262.5.............262.5...............252...........10.5 kandiceb.............175................175..................165.............10 Just got back from my cruise to Alaska. I didn't gain any weight!!!! I am very pleased because they had so much food there. I couldn't eat much and didn't feel deprived because I ate a small bit of my favorites a couple times and that worked. Not sure I can do 10 pounds but I'm going to try!! I'm going in for a small fill tomorrow morning...maybe .1 or .2 if I can.

Name..............Start...........Current..............Goal........ To Go Lizzie_07.........233...............228.....................220 .........8 Osangriared.....252...............245.5.....................232 .....13.5 Skinny_Jill.......180...............175.....................168....... ....7 Sades.............197...............197.....................185....... ..12 kandiceb..........187...............175.....................175....... ...0 shortgal............183..............175....................175....... ....0 TxArcher..........328..............315......................308....... ...7 Peaches11........217..............208.....................199......... 10 Momto1plus1.....223..............212.6..................210......... 2.6 zippykat...........173..............167.....................160....... ...7 Trixie...............219.5...........209.....................199...... ..10 wnt2lose..........219..............213.6...................209...... ..4.6 plump_princess....215.............208.....................199.......9 Mariegabrieleee....250............250......................239...... 11 Foofy..............239.5............236.....................230....... ...6 Shalee04..........196..............187......................185....... ..2 Hollyberries......267...............257......................254...... ...3 CindyG............215...............211......................199...... .12 MollyBrown......258...............251.......................245....... .8 lindata............189?.............185.......................180..... ...5 Finally!!! I've been on a plateau and now I've made my goal. YES!!

I asked the same question a couple weeks ago and my fill was so tight that I couldn't eat "real" food. I'm going on a cruise this coming Sunday. I was at 8.75 in a 10 cc band and now am at 8.25. I can actually eat some food. I am stuck on a plateau but after loosing 63 pounds that is to be expected I guess. I'm certainly not going to stuff myself on the cruise, but I didn't want to throw up everything all the time while on the trip as I was. So as soon as I return, I've set an appointment for another fill though it will be very small. It is counter productive to be too tight. It also really annoys your friends that go to lunch with you when you have to run to the john every couple minutes. I knew you would get flamed. Everyone means well but we are all coming from differing experiences so do what works for you. Have a good vacation.

Name............Lbs Lost........% of wgt lost.......BMI Foofy..............37.5..................14%.................38 Sades.............31.5..................14%.................36 Shalee04.........61.....................24%.................31.1 Bandpal...........66.8..................24%................36 Skinny_Jill.......48....................22%..................32.7 Stephanie.......60....................26%..................27.1 Hollyberries.....95....................27%.................38 linda..............42.5..................19%.................31.6 Abbisgood.......53....................23%.................?? want2lose.......76.4.................26%..................33.5 kandiceb.........63...................26%...................27.6 I'm stuck on a plateau and I only have one more pound to loose for the Cinco de Mayo contest. Nice time to be stuck. Oh well. I've 37 to go.

Name..............Start...........Current.................Goal........ To Go Lizzie_07.........233...............228.5.....................220 ..........8.5 Osangriared.....252...............249.5.....................232 ..........19 Skinny_Jill.......180...............176.....................168....... .....8 Sades.............197...............197.....................185....... .....12 kandiceb..........187...............176.....................175....... ....1 shortgal............183..............177....................175....... .....2 TxArcher..........328..............318......................308....... ....10 Peaches11........217..............208.....................199......... .10 Momto1plus1.....223..............217.2..................210........... 7.2 zippykat...........173..............167.....................160....... ...7 Trixie...............219.5...........209.....................199...... ....10 wnt2lose..........219..............213.6.....................209...... ..4.6 plump_princess....215.............209.....................199........1 0 Mariegabrieleee....250............250......................239........ 11 Foofy..............239.5............237.5...................230....... .7.5 Shalee04..........196..............189......................185....... .4 Hollyberries......267...............262......................254...... .8 CindyG............215...............212......................199...... ..13 MollyBrown......258...............253.......................245....... ..8 lindata............189?.............185.......................180..........5 One pound is better than none for this week.

Sorry you only read my initial post and not my clarifications down below. I got a .5 cc unfill because I couldn't eat solid food. I was going to go on my cruise in that state, but it gets embarassing when I throw up anything more solid than cream of wheat and usually the cream of wheat also. I agree, I wouldn't open up the restriction to just be able to eat MORE...but to just be able to eat PERIOD. It wasn't a good post. I just keep my restriction too tight because I am driven to reduce my weight. It is counterproductive and I didn't loose any more weight during that last week though I lost 7 pounds the week before. Sorry for the confusion.

I did get .5 cc removed Friday morning. It was a very good thing for me. I can finally eat solid foods. I also lost another pound. I still only eat very little and only Protein and veggies. Yes, I could eat garbage, but we've all worked too hard to ruin this now. No chips or Cookies or ice cream or anything like that. But eating half of a moist chicken breast tastes like the best ice cream ever when you haven't been able to eat anything solid for two months. I guess I am a slow learner. I'll be fine on my cruise. Thanks for listening.

I guess I wasn't very clear in my original post. If I could actually eat solids, I would have no desire for any amount of unfill, cruise or not. But since I can only drink, I will go for the slight unfill in a couple hours. I will ask to go down to 8.25 from 8.75. Normally fills are done by their nursing staff and these "emergency" unfills are done by the surgeons on Friday's as the fill nurses aren't there. There may be some surgical nurses but probably I'll get a surgeon and a lecture for being too tight. Sigh. Also, I wouldn't mention why I need an unfill other than to say I can't actually eat. I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. :thumbup: Take care.

Thanks Julie and everyone else who responded. I guess I am my own worst enemy when it comes to the band. I love the weight loss and don't give myself enough credit as far as making good food choices. I'm on a MISSION and I will succeed. So after throwing up after I ate three peas of my hot bean curd w/peas meal at the Chinese across the street, I called in for a slight unfill tomorrow. I'll probably get back to about 8.3 or so. Again, thanks for all your words of advice.

I would agree on both your comments. Thanks. But since I can't eat anything now, I am really running too tight. I have NO desire to overeat. I just wouldn't mind being able to eat SOMETHING. I will probably not go more loose with my current restriction. My surgeon said that doesn't really happen. I don't agree as it did happen before after about three weeks, but I'm down 62 pounds with only 38 to go to be at a weight I think I was at when I was nine months old. This isn't something I would do easily or frequently but I've been advised from others who watch me throw my food up daily that I might want to revisit my restriction...at least for the cruise.

For those of you who had an unfill for either a vacation and/or cruise, how much would you recommend? I am at 8.75 and can't really eat much that isn't mush. This restriction works for me. However, I am going on a cruise to Alaska the first of May and I would like to be able to eat something. Has anyone done an unfill for this reason and how did it work? I'm getting filled back to normal when I return. Thanks for your help.