ElfiePoo

Heather, Some people get enough pressure on the vagus nerves with just the band to shut off the the ghrelin. Some of us need fills. If you aren't hungry, then you're one of the lucky ones. From reading posts though, I think some people are looking for the band to physically restrict the amount they can eat. .

I'm happy just to have a neck. Swan-like...in my dreams. .

I have a 14cc realize band and at 8.75cc I was overfilled according to my surgeon because I couldn't eat my Proteins and vegies without getting stuck or sliming...but yes, I could still eat the quantities I did prior to surgery of many other things. When I finally understood 'restriction' meant cessation of hunger and not physically limiting the amount I could eat at a sitting, I found my sweet spot was 6cc. I can eat a reasonable meal and not be hungry for 4 hours. .

Shads...wait...they moved the old one over your belly? They didn't take it out so you now have two? I'm sooo confused and have visions of you as a teletubby <running...fast> .

Yes, please...I would love to have a face to put to the name. .

It's starting out to be a lovely day...not. I definitely am coming down with whatever my husband had. My stomach has been rumbling and gurgling since I woke up...with headache still intact...and my band is still super tight. Fortunately, I'm happy with a protein shake for breakfast. Shad...I'm assuming you're doing well since I thought I saw a post by you in another thread. How did it go? .

That was the hardest thing for me to learn. I was a chew 2-3 times and then swallow eater..not something I can do with a band. My doctor discourages chewing food to mush and said if I have to chew my food to mush to get it to go down, that's the same as still being on 'mushies' and a sign that I have too much fill in my band. Now it's habit, but at first, I just had to be mindful while I ate that the food in my mouth was a small bite (not an overflowing fork) and that I chewed enough to break it up into small pieces the size of a pencil eraser. Trust me...one stuck episode and you'll find it's a great reminder. .

Just my .02 but I'd up the calories a bit and watch the carbs..try to keep them under 60. I eat 2 eggs and 2 sl of bacon for breakfast (or a low carb/low cal Protein shake with half a banana and a Tbs of peanut butter) and then 3 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and 1/4 cup rice or potatoes for lunch and dinner. I have had Brie and a slice of french bread as an evening snack but when I do that, it's planned and I don't eat the rice or potatoes at dinner. .

Just curious but if you're going to try it on your own and not use the band at all...why get it in the first place? As a self-pay, you've just spent thousands of dollars on getting the band. So by not getting fills, it's a bit like buying a car and then refusing to put gas in it, no? My doctor put 3cc in on the first fill, 2cc on the next and then went up by 1cc fills. If I had know that I was looking for cessation of hunger and not physical restriction, I would have stopped at 6cc...only 3 fills. Well worth the money to get rid of the hunger. If you're one of the fortunate ones, the band alone will give you enough pressure on the vagus nerves to eliminate hunger (except normal hunger right before a meal)...assuming you're eating a reasonable meal. So pay attention to your hunger level...and whether you're eating enough. I'm back to my Protein shake (with half a banana and a Tbs peanut butter) for breakfast. For lunch and dinner I eat 3 oz of protein, 1/2 cup vegies and (maybe) 1/4 cup starch. I'm not hungry for 4 hours after a meal so I know I'm at my sweet spot. As others said, I'd watch those Starbucks smoothies. Most of them contain sugar in some form...and sugar can set you to craving more sugar. Oh, and congrats on the weight loss! .

I do drink at least 64 fl oz of Water a day and I find it does have an impact on my weight loss, although I doubt it's because it 'flushes away the fat'. I did a fitness program years ago and the explanation for why drinking water helps in weight loss is because the organs need that water to work efficiently. When they don't have enough water, they have to work harder and still won't do their job efficiently and we get fatigued. The question though is 'what's enough'? It most likely varies with the person so the 64 fl oz per day is just a general guideline. Some people need more. Some less. I'd just pay attention to your body. If you're tired or having difficulty losing weight and you're doing everything else right, up your water intake and see what happens. .

Christina, Are you keeping track of *everything* you put in your mouth in something like fitday.com? Sometimes when we 'nibble', we can rack up several hundred calories without even realizing it. Are you drinking enough Water (64 fl oz per day)? Our organs need it to function efficiently and I've found that not only am I more tired when I don't drink enough, but my weight loss stalls. You may not be eating enough calories. Some people can lose weight at less than 1000. Some of us don't. Our bodies become very efficient at hanging on to those calories. Try upping your calories to 1100 and see what happens. You may also be more sensitive to carbs. Try keeping your carbs under 60 at least. You are so close to your goal weight (unlike those of us with over 100 pounds still to lose) that the difference between the calories needed to maintain your current weight vs. your ideal weight are probably only a couple hundred calories. You can see what that is by going here. First put in the info for your current weight. Then your ideal weight. You'll probably only have a couple hundred calories difference. Instead of reducing calories to create a bigger deficit, you can also increase your activity. Being so close to your goal weight, the key here is *consistency*. You have to *consistently* create that deficit on a daily basis. If you have one day at 1000 and another at 1300 and another at 900 and another at 1600...it is very possible that you won't lose and, depending on your bodies needs, may even gain. You just have to keep tweaking things until you find what works for you....and quit nibbling out of boredom. .

OMG HB...I'm so sorry...but I'm really laughing with you <wiping tears from my eyes>. Was she a 'young' person because you know they think anyone over 30 should be put out to pasture. Incidents like this always bring to mind the scene from 'Fried Green Tomatoes' where she says, "Face it girls, I'm older and have better insurance." Tawanda!! .

ok so maybe it wasn't the bread. I now have the gurglies. My husband has been home sick for 4 days. I thought maybe it was just something he ate but since I seem to now be coming down with it, maybe not. Interesting that my band has been tight since last night as well. .

huh...and here I thought my husband was referring to me. .

Most 'experts' now count tea and coffee as part of the daily Fluid intake. Most of my daily intake is in hot decaf tea (no sweeteners). It's just too darned cold for ice Water and I don't like room temp water. Melody

LOL...wait until you start strangling the handset. That was me yesterday with the AT&T automated system. .

My first fill was 3cc, my second was 2cc and then they went up 1cc at a time with the knowledge that most people don't hit that sweet spot until 8cc (14cc band). I'd ask them if they'd give more fill in the beginning and see what they say. .

Too true, Mattie. I'm having one of those grumpy days with my band. I haven't had a stuck episode in almost 3 months and for some reason my band tightened up on me last night and I've had several stuck incidents since. I finally said the heck with it and I'm back to Protein shakes for the remainder of the day since I'm probably swollen now. I should probably not respond to posts today. Melody

Mattie, I've lost 40 pounds since surgery (a little over a year). The rest I lost prior to surgery. I have no doubt I would have lost more than that over the last year if it wasn't for the fact that I was one of the hardheaded folk who didn't think I should have to diet (since I was eating half what I did pre-band) or exercise. If I can help even one person not 'waste' that year, then it was a year well spent. Melody

Are you only a month or two...or three after surgery and feel you made a mistake with the band? Then it's time to take a reality check. My .02...there is absolutely no way someone will know within the first few months whether or not the band has failed them. It takes time and tweaking to get to the point where the band is even working...and even longer to be sure it's the band and not just our own unreasonable *or* misinformed expectations and/or time to allow our band area to heal from the abuses we heaped on it with constant stuck episodes...and try again. If you decide that it works by restricting the amount you eat (instead of curbing your hunger after a meal), then you'll most likely have enough episodes of pbing, sliming and urping up the offending stuck item to continue to cause your band area to swell...and to continue to make it more likely you'll have even more of these episodes. I speak from experience because that was exactly where I was right before a complete unfill. I was one of those who came on 9 months after surgery saying the band wasn't working for me. That it absolutely did not restrict how much I could eat and it didn't curb my hunger even though I was constantly getting stuck and sliming. I had a complete unfill in preparation for a revision to a vertical sleeve...but within 24 hours of that unfill I was *starving* and suddenly realized that the band was doing its job all along. A week later I went in and they put 6cc back in my band and the hunger immediately abated. Further proof that the band was doing its job. There may be people who are failed by the band...but this is only discovered over time and with continued effort. .

Unfortunately, too many band patients go into this with the attitude that they're getting the band so they never have to diet again. They think by just cutting their food in half, they'll quickly drop weight. I was one of them. No doubt they'll lose weight but it's going to be *slow*. Then add in the days where they don't cut their food in half but eat as they did preband and, well, it's inevitable that there won't be any weight loss. Once I got my head around the idea that yes I do have to 'diet' because I'm not trying to maintain, but rather want to lose, I started to see progress. .

My life always feels hectic and chaotic but I now make it a point to actually sit down for my meals rather than eating on the go or resorting to a Protein drink because I "just don't have time to cook or sit and eat". I just keep it simple and I plan my meals at least a day or two ahead of time and have everything in the refrigerator ready to go. .

But do you want to eat because you're hungry...or just because you want to eat. It's an important thing to be aware of. The band does take away the hunger at some point, but it won't stop you from 'wanting' to eat out of habit. As someone once said, they should probably band the brain too. .

What does your doctor classify as 'full liquids'? Anything that can be 'poured'? If so, make up a Protein drink and add things to it to 'bulk' it up. I was lucky, my doctor went through the various stages in days so at 2 weeks post op I was back on solid foods. My doctor defined 'liquid' as 'pourable'. If I need a spoon to scoop it out of the blender, then it's 'mushy'. Every 3 hours I'd make up a Protein shake. For my 'meal' shakes (Breakfast, lunch dinner), I'd put half a banana, a tablespoon of Peanut Butter in my Protein Shakes. I'd use EAS chocolate powder from costco along with unsweetened almond milk (to help control the carbs). For my mid-meal shakes, I'd leave out the peanut butter and banana. I don't think I was ever hungry. .

Huggles, If I was your sister-in-law I would be thrilled for you that you had the surgery with no postop complications! I think she will be too. .