Trying to figure out if I'm too tight

[Woodslass 22]

I've been banded 3 1/2 months now. Doing pretty well, all told.

However, I can't eat Breakfast. Just can't. It comes up every single time. I've been able to get down a cup of nonfat milk now and then, maybe with some Carnation Instant Breakfast. But usually no breakfast.

lunch is iffy. Sometimes I can eat it, sometimes not. It definitely can't contain anything between two pieces of bread though - I can usually get a hamburger and eat the burger, lettuce and Tomato, or have a salad with some sliced meat. I'd say at least 2 days out of the week, it all comes back up. I've mostly had success if lunch is later, around 2pm. If lunch comes back up, I eat some pistachios or pita crisp crackers which seem to stay down okay.

dinner is usually fine, and I can get down at least a cup and half, sometimes 2 cups depending what it is. I can usually eat some bread if it's something like toasted garlic bread, or a dinner roll. Sometimes it comes up, sometimes not.

I will say though, not a day goes by that I don't PB in some fashion. I have 7.9cc's in a 14 cc band, and I'm due for a fill next Thursday. Last fill I only got a tenth of a cc put in, but I have noticed I'm feeling hungrier earlier lately. Even if I'm hungry in the morning, I still can't eat. I can drink just fine though, and am getting in at least five or six 16.9oz bottles each day.

Do you think I'm too tight? Sometimes I think I am, but then again I'm not losing weight too fast - I average about 2 lbs a week, sometimes only 1 lb.

[Snoopyloverny 3]

1-2 lbs is normal. Obviously talk to ur Dr before your fill

[Melissannde 41]

If you're refunding food daily, you are either too tight, or you are still taking too big of a bite and/or not chewing well enough.

I would rather err on the side of being a little loser, rather than risk having a slip.. which you might be risking with daily vomiting. And while you may want to call it pb'ing, refunding, whatever, I know one bariatric surgeon who's opinion is "if it comes back up.. it's vomiting" ( I see his point, but I also know there are degrees of how forceful the returning food comes back...)

Personally I wouldn't let them add more Fluid and I would seriously consider having .1 or .2 taken back out.

Best of luck to you.

[Woodslass 22]

If you're refunding food daily, you are either too tight, or you are still taking too big of a bite and/or not chewing well enough.

I would rather err on the side of being a little loser, rather than risk having a slip.. which you might be risking with daily vomiting. And while you may want to call it pb'ing, refunding, whatever, I know one bariatric surgeon who's opinion is "if it comes back up.. it's vomiting" ( I see his point, but I also know there are degrees of how forceful the returning food comes back...)

Personally I wouldn't let them add more Fluid and I would seriously consider having .1 or .2 taken back out.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks, my appointment is next Thursday, and I do plan on telling my doctor what's going on.

[Rachel412 116]

In my opinion, yeah, I'd say you're too tight. Even a tiny unfill can make a difference.

[Woodslass 22]

I do still struggle with chewing enough, I have to admit. And I usually PB the first three or four bites. After I get rid of that, I'm usually okay and I tend to eat slower after that. There are definitely foods I can't eat and I still discover one here and there. For instance, I knew shrimp would make me PB, but two days ago I found out that crab does too. Salmon and regular fish is fine though. It's still a learning game for me.

[brenda62 47]

Try drinking something hot first thing in the morning. It helps to open you up first thing. You are doing great!

[Paws 1]

It's like reading about me. My band is 7ml and I thought I had a restriction of 6.25ml. For the last 2 years since my last fill I have not really been abe to eat much. No point in even thinking about breakfast, a cup of tea on waking and then nothing before 10am. lunch was usually Soup and some melba toast. dinner had to be something like cottage pie. bread totally out of the question. Was sick most days sometimes 2 times a day. Tired all the time and generally felt like plop.

Last week I had my band de-filled and taken down to 3.5ml and I am in wonderment at eating. I get up and can have Cereal and a cup of tea straightaway. I can have a slice of bread with no problems. Although I am eating more I am now losing weight as I can eat properly and am kicking myself for living like I did for 2 years.

Love and hugs

[kll724 3,055]

As far as breakfast goes, my surgeon has been banded for over 5 years and still can't do breakfast! I generally do a fruit smoothie for breakfast, myself. I can't do any other fruit, so I get my fruit in smoothie form. I couldn't do shrimp the 1st time I tried it. I can do it if I am real cautious and aware of what I am doing! I am good with crab; it is one of my staple along with fish.

I do think that you are too tight if you pb that often. Good luck, everyone is different. I think I would die with 6 1/2 cc's. I have only 3cc's. Karen

[Pita625 1]

You are probably too tight. I went through a period where I was in the doctor's office once a month (or more) with fills and then taking some out. I'm now at that sweet spot but still can't eat breakfast. They say drinking a cup of hot tea helps - but I haven't been that lucky.

[Woodslass 22]

Good tip on the hot tea - I'm going to try that tomorrow.

I think today was the first day in a long time that I didn't PB all day long - yay

[YngGram 73]

Good tip on the hot tea - I'm going to try that tomorrow.

I think today was the first day in a long time that I didn't PB all day long - yay

You might not be to tight, but you don't need a fill. Try the hot tea in the am, you still might not be able to do Breakfast but it might make lunch easier to deal with. Eat slower, chew more and chew some more. Also, if you have had the refund going on, try a couple days of liquids. Your throat might be swollen and is the cause of your problem.

I am a strange band bird. Some days I can eat breakfast, most days I don't want it. Next, hot weather makes me tighter. Last summer it happened to me and daily I was making toilet deposits. Finally went to the doc and he said I had irritated my throat and should have done the liquids to let it repair. Unfill, weight gain because I was scared to refill. I have been told this is silly because our internal body temp remains the same. I haven't wanted food all day today, it was over 100 and I felt like nothing would go down if I tried. I had a Protein drink and for dinner 2 chicken strips. I haven't been hungry and have felt FULL the entire day. In fact I have felt this coming on for the past couple of weeks as the temps went up.

I seldom am hungry and eat because I know I need to. It's hard sometimes because to me it's the same as stress eating. I usually don't want anything and will eat only the fun/wrong stuff.

[mindy327 1]

Sooo, I stumbled upon this post looking for answers that I cant seem to find. My situation is just the same. I was banded June 2, 2011 and I was fine "sweet spot" for the first 6 weeks... Then suddenly my band got TOO TIGHT all by itself. I did have 2cc put in during surgery, and last wednesday I had 1 cc taken out by the nurse. I slime and through it right back up usually daily now... I dont want to slip. I just want to know if this is normal or should I get the last 1 cc taken out? I eat, or try to eat anyway, to stay alive. I havent been hungry and I cant eat breakfast or lunch. While before the first 6 weeks, I could eat anything and eat 1 cup and be full. WTH!? I am so lost and just want to have some comfort to know that this is normal or not normal. DO I TAKE SOME out or NOT? I like you, am finding this band thing is a whole different way to live. I knew it would change but to be uncomfortable everytime I eat is horrible. If I vomit, its the slime that has multiplied and needs to come up. I have tried warm drink in the am, but again just vomit the liquid right back up. Am I too tight, or will this go away soon? I tried liquids fo r 48 hours with liitle relief..;Anyone have some suggestions?

[Woodslass 22]

My surgeon told me that the band sometimes gets tighter 2 weeks after a fill. I went in last Thursday and told him what was going on, and he agreed we won't put any more in but he didn't take any out. I told him I did think it was mostly me, I probably wasn't chewing and I had some experimenting in eating bread, which I know now I just can't eat, period. And I can't eat rice, or Pasta, or any kind of shrimp. So since that time, I've only PB'd once, and that again was me trying to eat a piece of garlic toast (why do I keep trying?) But I've been doing much, much better and the hot tea is definitely helping.