Relatively New - Banded 1/4/11

[angelb-anded 0]

Hello everyone,

I'm a college student and I'm 20 years old. I've browsed the site for a while to see what everyone else says, and to see if they relate to my issues, but finally decided to join and post something on my own. Go me! Haha. Anyways, theres a few things I'm wondering about. Whenever I look around at other patient's starting weights, they seem fairly...low, compared to what I initially weighed. I started off at 360, at my highest, on this journey, and decided to start doing the 6 month process before I got the surgery. My dietician reccomended watching what I ate, and just by doing that I dropped down to 337 by my surgery scheduling, 6 months later. Between that time, and the day of my surgery, I went down to about 330 - 327, via the pre-op diet, and one month after the surgery I was at 305.

I thought this was all well and fine, and I was feeling mostly restricted, but apparently, as a lot of others have found out, after the swelling leaves, the hunger comes back. So, now it's March, and I've returned to the Dr's for my second fill, (5ccs/10cc) band, and I expected to have a large restriction, but yet I feel nothing. Recently, for lent, I've decided to do only grilled meat, veggies and fruit, and I swim about 30 laps in a Fitness Swimming Class 3 days a week. But, the weight is dropping slower, and I'm getting frustrated.

So.... What does it really mean to hit the sweet spot? Sometimes i FEEL full, then I burp, and the fullness is gone. Or I get slightly full, but still feel like a bit more food to get to the definitive full. Would I not feel this at the "Sweet spot", and is restriction literally the feeling that if I put anything else in my mouth, then I would pop, after 4 oz of food? Someone who feels like they're close, let me know!! Lol. Also, does anyone know if my starting weight was too much for the band to really get me to my goal of 180? Or, do I simply have to wait to get to my spot, and then I lose steadily. My nurse said 5 pounds a month was good, and that I'm on track, I simply just don't feel that way.

Thanks much!

[bigtom1948 8]

Hello everyone,

I'm a college student and I'm 20 years old. I've browsed the site for a while to see what everyone else says, and to see if they relate to my issues, but finally decided to join and post something on my own. Go me! Haha. Anyways, theres a few things I'm wondering about. Whenever I look around at other patient's starting weights, they seem fairly...low, compared to what I initially weighed. I started off at 360, at my highest, on this journey, and decided to start doing the 6 month process before I got the surgery. My dietician reccomended watching what I ate, and just by doing that I dropped down to 337 by my surgery scheduling, 6 months later. Between that time, and the day of my surgery, I went down to about 330 - 327, via the pre-op diet, and one month after the surgery I was at 305.

I thought this was all well and fine, and I was feeling mostly restricted, but apparently, as a lot of others have found out, after the swelling leaves, the hunger comes back. So, now it's March, and I've returned to the Dr's for my second fill, (5ccs/10cc) band, and I expected to have a large restriction, but yet I feel nothing. Recently, for lent, I've decided to do only grilled meat, veggies and fruit, and I swim about 30 laps in a Fitness Swimming Class 3 days a week. But, the weight is dropping slower, and I'm getting frustrated.

So.... What does it really mean to hit the sweet spot? Sometimes i FEEL full, then I burp, and the fullness is gone. Or I get slightly full, but still feel like a bit more food to get to the definitive full. Would I not feel this at the "Sweet spot", and is restriction literally the feeling that if I put anything else in my mouth, then I would pop, after 4 oz of food? Someone who feels like they're close, let me know!! Lol. Also, does anyone know if my starting weight was too much for the band to really get me to my goal of 180? Or, do I simply have to wait to get to my spot, and then I lose steadily. My nurse said 5 pounds a month was good, and that I'm on track, I simply just don't feel that way.

Thanks much!

First of all you are doing awsome and I have had the exact same feelings that you describe. I just had my first fill today and brought up the slowing down of the weight loss with my doctor. He said that losses of1-2 pounds per week are considered good. I retorted that I wanted more than that and he suprised me with his answer. He said that that desire is normal but unsustainable and not in our best long term interest. Now the suprising thing, He said that almost all his patients say the same thing and his insight is that its becasue we as a group are High Achievers and expect great or even exagerated results. When this doesn't happen as fast as we expect we get depressed. I know that I am an all in kind of guy. Any new adventure I undertake has my full attention almost (heck no almost about it) to the point of compulsive focus. This was a real eye opener for me and I am going to pull back and work to become more mellow and self forgiving in my outlook in this effort.

As far as the sweet spot is concered, don't have a clue, guess I'll know it when I see it. The starting weight issue you bring up isn't really an issue according to my doctor he routinely sees folks male and female over 350 pounds at the first consultation, and you sir, are doing a super job. Tip of the hat to you and I hope to break through to the 200's by this July for my 63rd birthday

Keep up the good work and don't get discouraged.

[vickyd 24]

Hello everyone,

I'm a college student and I'm 20 years old. I've browsed the site for a while to see what everyone else says, and to see if they relate to my issues, but finally decided to join and post something on my own. Go me! Haha. Anyways, theres a few things I'm wondering about. Whenever I look around at other patient's starting weights, they seem fairly...low, compared to what I initially weighed. I started off at 360, at my highest, on this journey, and decided to start doing the 6 month process before I got the surgery. My dietician reccomended watching what I ate, and just by doing that I dropped down to 337 by my surgery scheduling, 6 months later. Between that time, and the day of my surgery, I went down to about 330 - 327, via the pre-op diet, and one month after the surgery I was at 305.

I thought this was all well and fine, and I was feeling mostly restricted, but apparently, as a lot of others have found out, after the swelling leaves, the hunger comes back. So, now it's March, and I've returned to the Dr's for my second fill, (5ccs/10cc) band, and I expected to have a large restriction, but yet I feel nothing. Recently, for lent, I've decided to do only grilled meat, veggies and fruit, and I swim about 30 laps in a Fitness Swimming Class 3 days a week. But, the weight is dropping slower, and I'm getting frustrated.

So.... What does it really mean to hit the sweet spot? Sometimes i FEEL full, then I burp, and the fullness is gone. Or I get slightly full, but still feel like a bit more food to get to the definitive full. Would I not feel this at the "Sweet spot", and is restriction literally the feeling that if I put anything else in my mouth, then I would pop, after 4 oz of food? Someone who feels like they're close, let me know!! Lol. Also, does anyone know if my starting weight was too much for the band to really get me to my goal of 180? Or, do I simply have to wait to get to my spot, and then I lose steadily. My nurse said 5 pounds a month was good, and that I'm on track, I simply just don't feel that way.

Thanks much!

My weight before starting the 2 week pre-op liquid diet was 325 and at the time of surgery I was about 315 so we started roughly at the same point. My surgeon never said that my weight was too high to lose all of the weight that I want to lose. They did initially suggest that I also look at the sleeve but when I told them that I had done the research and was comfortable with my decision they were fine with that. Now, a little over 3 months after surgery, the PA who sees me each month tells me that I am a model patient and my weight loss has been nice and steady. It has definately slowed up a lot but they want me to lose 1-2 lbs a week and that is where I have been thus far. Like you, I would love to lose it sooner but I realize that it is safer for me to lose it slowly and I am trying to be patient and accept that. My goal weight is 175 (again, close to yours) and I feel confident that if I do what I am supposed to do then I will get there.

I, too, have 5ccs in a 10cc band and my idea of restriction is that when I eat 4 oz proten and 1/2 cup veggies then I am satisfied (not hungry anymore) and can go 4 hours without feeling hungry. I used to eat to the point that if I ate another bite I would pop and that sensation always made me feel horrible...I don't want to feel that way again...that's just me. I feel like I need to learn to exercise the self control not to eat until I feel that full and I don't look to the band to do that for me...again, just my opinion...lots of people on here feel differently.

Good luck to you! It sounds to me like you are doing everything right!

[mominoc 11]

I haven't had a fill yet. Banded Feb 7th. Fill on Mar. 24th. Down 35 from 305. I can't eat any bread, pastry, soft taco, pizza. I feel foods going thru port and when I do, I stop eating. I have kids, so took a bite of their pastry and it got stuck. Same with pizza. I feel a lot of foods have been removed. With a fill it may be more so, I don't know. I don't mind, actually makes it easier. If I feel too full my port will hurt even from too much Water. I'm still figuring the band out, but it sounds like 1 to 2 pounds a week is normal. High weight doesn't matter, you can still lose a lot of weight. Don't know anything about the sweeet spot. Sorry.