Froggie D

Got my second fill today. I had no fill at surgery but felt restriction from swelling. Got 1.5cc the first fill and felt restriction from that and kept to good choices. Got 1cc today and I am hoping to be back to better restriction in a few days. The last week or so has been much tougher. I asked my doc about how many cc's it takes for people to get to the sweet spot and about the size of portions I should be eating. He told me to stop thinking about numbers of ccs and amounts of food. His goal is for me to be able to eat, feel comfortable, not be hungry for 5-6 hours and still loose weight. If all those things are happening, I am at good restriction. It is a balance. Here is what I have figured out - if I eat lean meats (chicken breast, fish, etc) and veggies, I can eat more quantity and still lose weight than if I eat the wrong stuff (high calorie and especially high carbs). That way I do not have to be over filled and face PBing and vomiting. The restriction I have keeps me satisfied for hours, so portions really don't matter so much. I have always been one to eat a lot of quantity, eat until full (or over full) and eat again as soon as that full feeling goes away (it used to not take very long). If I just chose the right things (low calorie, high nutrition) I can keep that full, satisfied feeling for a long time with less restriction. I can get more quantity for my calories. I like that! This is quite a revelation for me. I no longer feel deprived as I have adequate (but not too much) restriction, I can enjoy a bit more quantity, and am losing well. I have been very scared of getting too restricted and vomiting all the time. I think I am finally getting the hang of this. This band is really working for me. This is so cool!!!!!!

I use the Walgreen brand - 3 heaping teaspoons every day. You do have to add it slowly if you are not used to, like any fiber additive. It wiil cause gas, bloating and pain. Betsy, where do you get the FiberSure? I used to use inulin capsules but did not find it in dissolvable. Is what you use dissolvable? I like the inulin better.

You are likely not at your sweet spot yet. How far apart will yuor doc do fills? It is a process finding the right amount. Just try to keep under control the best you can. If the hunger is too much, have extra Protein like a string cheese or Protein shake. Hang in there - you will get there.

If you are able to keep eveing under control as far as calories and carbs (ice cream, cookies, cake, bread,) and are still losing weight, it is your choice. As that gets tougher, get a fill.

Just because you can eat those foods doesn't mean you should. Early on it is easy to eat more, especially if you eat the wrong things. Avoid carbs and you will be much less hungry. I eat canned tuna with a bit of mayo and canned chicken with mayo, deli sliced low fat chicken, beef, ham, and turkey, grilled or baked fish, fat free refried Beans, whole beans like ham and beans, chili. If your chest hurt, it was just your band telling you it is there. You need to eat smaller bites, chew, chew, chew, and put your fork down between bites and let it settle in. You will find you eat less if you eat slower and let your body register the fullness. After I eat my Protein, I eat steamed veggies like cauiflower, broccoli, summer squash, well cooked green beans, and even raw salad veggies like peeled cucumbers, yellow peppers, cauliflower (make sure you chew, chew, chew). If you get hungry, have a low carb, low fat Protein shake and that will help you appetite stay under control. The goal is to get 60+ grams of protein, go easy on the carbs to keep hunger under control, and lose weight. It is a balancing act. Now is the time to take charge. Good luck!

My dietician recommended fat free refried beans. I love them and they are a great mushie.

What happened to the original poster?

I always figured the 60% average wieght loss was just that - an average. That means those who don't follow the rules and lose only a small amount, those who give up and have the band removed, etc are also counted in the figure. There are certainly many people on this forum who lose more than 60% and many 100%+. I just decided I would be one of those who does the 100%!

Hey Patsal, Congrats on your wonderful loss. I too had that nagging feeling that I would be the one person that did everything just like they told me to and still be a big failure. Instead, I got banded April 7 and have lost 49 pounds total. I am thrilled. No it is not always easy, but it is working and worth it.

My doctor said that the fill can "register" in 1-10 days. He said they do not know why that is, but it is really common.

I find the variety in rules from different doctors very confusing too. I think it is because I would really like to have a nice, neat, clear blueprint of how to do things and get the most out of my band with the least sacrific. I think that is human nature to want that. However, the reality is that this is a journey and I have to find through trial and error (and a lot of hard work) what is effective for me and develop a working relationship between me and my band. I decided to start with the basic rules my doctor gave me, try them out and see what happens. Afterall, he has lots of experience with bands and what works for most people and what does not, while regardless of all my research, I am a novice. I have researched and questioned and talked to my doctor, the dietician, other bandsters, etc to get their insights. But it really comes down to what works for me and my band. I like what one poster said about that old saying, "Insanity is doing the same things over and over but expecting different results." Obviously what I have done over and over has not gotten the results I want. That is why I needed the band. I am trying it my doctor's way now and getting good results. When I chose to break a rule and try something, if I get good results, I will continue. If I get bad results, I will back up and do what was getting me results. The challenge for me is thinking I know more than others and getting caught up in denial and trying to prove I am right. The proof will be in my weight loss, reduction of my medical comorbidities and how I feel. I am trying to let go of being right. I just want to be thin and healthy! I can intellectually argue all day that this rule makes sense and that rule doesn't. What counts in the end is - does it help me lose weight and avoid hunger and cravings? If I lose, it is right for me. If I don't, it is not right for me. As much as I would like it, there are no absolutes, no blueprint. Darn!

My doctor scheduled me for a fill 4 weeks out and I postponed it a week. I still had restriction from the surgery. When I went in at 5 weeks we discussed it and he just did 1.5cc as I was not all that hungry. At 9 weeks I got 1cc (this week) and am feeling restriction. Everyone is different. My doctor suggested thinking about puttin a belt around a balloon so it fits just right. (stomach and band) As you lose it is like letting air solwly out of the ballon and the belt will get loose. My doctor said to just look for a balance between being able to eat, feel comfortable, not being hungry for 5 hours and still losing weight. If you are there, the amount of fill does not matter. If you are not, get a fill. I have found that eating just lean Proteins and low carb veggies really help me control my hunger. I have some fruit on occasion, but no bread, potatoes, Pasta, rice, or sweets. When I did not have enough fill, however, I did get hungry even with the right foods.

So sorry you are having problems. Hang in there - it will be worth it in the end. You have lots of folks here supporting you! I know you must feel down and discouraged, but keep getting fills and you will eventually get restriction. Thinking about you!

So glad what I said seemed to make sense. It was an AHA moment and I feel like now I am abit more relaxed about the process. It is great! Had my second fill on Wed and am feeling it. Feels good to not get hungry quite so fast. Today I entered ONEderland. Hurray! That is a big accomplishment. I am so happy!

Banded April7 and down 44 pounds including preop. Get my second fill tomorrow. Looking forward to it as the last week has been tougher. 79 pounds to go!

My doctor wants no food or drink 2 hours before a fill and liquids for 24-48 hours after a fill.

Kids are the best! If you want to know if you have really lost, ask a kid. They are always so honest. My granddaughter looked at me one day and said, "Grandma your head is getting littler!" You know those comments are straight from the heart!

I was banded on April 7 and have now lost 44 pounds, including my preop. I only have 4 pounds until ONEderland. I am so looking foward to that! I am still losing but everyday it is getting harder. I am starting to think more about food and be hungrier. I get a second fill on Thursday. I am so ready. My problem is exercise. I walked for a while and did pretty good, then my knees swelled up and I felt I had to stop and let them rest. Now I can't seem to get started again. I have always had to push myself to get exercise - I am just not in to it naturally. The women's gym I used to go to closed and I have not found another one. I would be losing more if I would exercise. My bloodsugar goes up when I don't exercise, regardless of what I eat. Any ideas for motivating myself? I need to get moving!:thumbup:

Sorry , it is hard to describe. I feel like I lose from my top roll and my top roll seems to be flatter (the waist on my pants seems to be looser). Then the next day the top roll seems to get bigger again and I feel like I have gained, but I have not gained weight on the scale. The waistband seems to be tighter, but no gain on the scale. Then the next day I will feel like the top roll gets littler, flatter again and my waistband is looser. Maybe it is just bloating. It just seems like a pattern to me. I just wondered if you actually lose from just one spot and then your body redistributes your fat before you lose more, again, from the same spot.:thumbup:

I was banded on April 7 and I have observed something and wondered if anyone else has seen this. Maybe I am imagining it. When I lose a pound or so, my stomach above the waist feels thinner and flatter. Over the next few days, the same area feels like it is less flat - more of a roll - than before, but I have not gained, maybe even lost a little more. Then I will lose some more and I will feel flat and thinner again. It is like a cycle. Am I crazy?

No you are not just fooling yourself - with the band it truly is different!

Wow, I feel exactly like you all do! I have the band and one fill and I have found with some restriction I am not thinking about food all the time and planning my next meal while consuming this one. I can so relate to your observation about obsessing about the french fries left on someone else's plate. I have always felt there was something sick and wrong about me, not just being overweight, but obsessing all the time about food. If the problem were only psychological, I could not have changed my attitude and approach in such a short time. The band has made a physiological change in me. Sure I have issues with food, but I think maybe those are a result of my intense hunger and need to eat all the time, not the cause of it. It makes me so hopeful that there is a life for me not controlled by food! I do think this is what normal people feel like. I have actually experienced not thinking all afternoon about food, but being hungry and enjoying what I eat at dinner. What a change! Congrats to both of you for your weight losses. You have done wonderfully. This last week I have gone back toward the obsessing and I am feeling much less restriction. I go in next Thursday for another fill. I am really looking forward to it. I have always been a good dieter too, but with the band it has been different - so much easier to make a decison of what to eat and stick with it. It is a shame that skinny people do not understand what it is like, that they think we are lazy and have no will-power. I have never been lazy in any other thing I have tackled in my life. I have always been one to set my goals and reach them, except with regard to my weight. My skinny friend who occasionally has to lose 5-8 pounds tells me I am the best dieter she has ever seen. She really struggles with not eating if she thinks she needs to lose a few pounds and has to "diet" for a week or so. She is amazed at my will-power, but the losses never stick. The band is so wonderful. A new life and a new focus for me!!!!!!!!

I am with you. I am afraid to try things like that, not just because of getting stuck, but becaise carbs make me hungry and I do not want to get my hunger going again. I am doing great without it.

Good to know!

Good for you! Very impressive!:biggrin: