darla24398

You've done great with the weight loss! Congratulations, and good job! Now, your band can't tell you what to eat or what not to eat. If you're used to eating a lot of carbs, you are going to crave carbs like crazy!!! Sure, you can have that junk food once in a while, but you shouldn't make a habit of eating that stuff all the time. As per your other question, my doctor does a fill every six weeks until you're losing consistently and eating three half-cup meals a day without getting hungry in between meals. When I first got my band, my doctor had me make an appointment to get a fill whenever I stopped losing at least 2 pounds per week. If it hasn't been six weeks since your surgery, you probably won't get a fill this early. However, you never know. Maybe you should call back and ask them what their system is - they probably have a better answer for you, since they know your doctor and the way he/she works.

DON'T WORRY! My doctor didn't want to give me another fill until two months after my surgery. I was hungry all the time, but I stuck with healthy eating, so I still managed to lose weight, even though I was eating a lot. I just made sure that I was eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and getting enough Protein. (I love stir-fry! This is the way to go when you're trying to lose weight.) Remember not to drink a half hour before or after eating. This way, the Water won't force the food down, which does happen when you don't have enough restriction. The first couple of fills brought me back to this place, and I got pretty upset, but then they started working. With each fill, I would lose more and more weight. I started exercising almost daily, which made the weight fall off even faster. If you've gotten four fills and still feel hungry after eating a full plate of food, then you can start stressing. :huh2:

I have had LAP-Band since 2007. I got something stuck in my band in early 2008, and the doctors didn't know what was going on at that time. At this time, my band was filled to 7.3ccs, and I was at my "sweet spot". My doctor completely unfilled me, and I was too worried to go back and get a fill. I lived with an unfilled band until August of 2010, which was when I finally had the courage to go back and get a fill. I got a fill of 5.5 the first time, 6.1 the next time, then 6.5, and now 7.7. I have almost no restriction, still. I'm so worried, since I could only eat 2 cups of food in a day at 7.3ccs, and now I'm over that and could eat all day if I wanted to. I'm about to give up. I'm so tired of going in for fills, hoping this is the one that will work, and then seeing nothing but failure and disappointment. It's honestly just depressing me and messing with my head, my marriage, and my whole life. Since the first time I went in for a fill, I have actually gained 5 pounds!!! My doctor doesn't seem concerned. Maybe I should just relax and hope that my next fill of 8+ccs does the job. Maybe my band has stretched out over the years, and I'm just being silly. Do any of you have any advice, or experience in this matter?

My doctor tells us to stick with clear liquids for 5-7 days after each fill. Normally, I do clear liquids for one day because I get so hungry the next day that I have to have something, so I have soft foods. If I ever have trouble getting anything down, I stop eating or drinking for six hours. Sometimes, it's hard. If your blood sugar gets low, suck on a hard candy. This will help! Then, I'll do hot, clear liquids for the rest of the day. This loosens up whatever is stuck, and it helps get rid of the mucous. Every morning, I drink two cups of water. If you have a tight band and have problems eating, try a cup of something hot or warm. Just don't have dairy when you're having band problems because, yes, it will give you more mucous to deal with. I've had the band since 2007; I'm pretty much an expert at this point. :smile: Good luck!!!

No, you didn't do anything wrong. They put the port behind your stomach muscles, and your muscles are supposed to hold it in place. For some people, it doesn't work out the first time. Your doctor will find a stronger place to hold the port this time.

The slime is just mucous. You need to be taking in fluids galore. Drink, drink, drink, and the mucous will thin out. Also, your stomach is definitely swollen now from something getting "stuck". DON'T try to eat for a whole day. Just keep taking in fluids. Let the swelling go down, and try to eat soft foods tomorrow.

The band doesn't tighten, but sometimes it takes a couple of days or weeks for the restriction to "kick in". You're normal, don't worry. :thumbup:

Protein shakes and a multi-vitamin perked up my energy just fine! Before I started drinking my shakes and taking my vitamin, I felt just as crappy as you do right now.

I felt full after eating soup without the band, so why would I stop eating it with the band? Soup goes down the same way. The kinds I eat are loaded with vegetables, low in calories, and extremely flavorful and satisfying. If you like soup, I'd definitely keep eating it unless you find yourself wanting to eat more food on the days when you have soup.

I always defined the "sweet spot" as having just enough restriction to lose weight continuously, without plateauing or gaining anything. I could still eat anything I wanted, but I'd eat just enough to keep losing weight and still have lots of energy.

This is something you should talk to your band doctor about. If you're feeling discomfort, you should definitely have a little bit of fluid removed. It definitely isn't normal. I've only felt that if I was taking bites of food that were too big and not chewing enough. Even then, I never feel it "fall" into the bigger part of my stomach. I've had the band since 2007, and I've had a lot of "weird" things happen with the band, but that was never one of 'em.

See how this fill goes before you go nuts over it! Try to follow the post-fill eating plan as closely as you can, since your stomach will definitely swell and need some healing after being filled so much. Your sweet spot has to be there somewhere; they just have to find it! For now, try to exercise most days of the week. Also, just because you CAN eat a lot right now doesn't mean you SHOULD. Good luck; I hope this fill works out for you!

What kinds of things are you eating in this stage? I only lasted a day or two in the "mushy" stage. It sucked. I was hungry the whole time. Once you start eating REAL food again, the hunger will pass more quickly. Also, do you have a fill scheduled yet? You will definitely need one pretty soon.

When I'm losing and need new clothes, I wait until my clothes are falling off of me, and then I usually shop on eBay for some cheap clothing. Also, Walmart tends to have some cheap options for me. Keep an eye out in ads for cheap clothing, and let family and friends know if you're willing to accept some "donations" of gently used clothing from them. You'll go down several sizes, so even if the clothes seem WAY too small now, hold onto them if you have the room, and they'll come in handy! It's great to buy yourself a very nice outfit each time you go down a couple of sizes. It kind of acts as a "prize" for doing such a great job!