To fill or not to fill that is my question

[asr2468 25]

Hi all! I'm a little over 3 weeks out of surgery and in about a week and a half I go in for a phase change and I'm meeting with the nurse practitioner as well. I have a few questions the first is in order to actually gauge if your in the green zone or before you get a fill do u have to be on solid food? I was filled at surgery to 3ccs and am on soft food right now. Secondly, as far as restriction goes I've lost about 24 pounds since surgery and can tolerate my 1 meal a day of 3 oz of Protein and 2 shakes... My question is I eat but am able to control the amount I eat. While I'm eating I never get to a point where my band tells me I'm done I actually tell it . I kinda act like I better stop now because in an hour I may regret this.

I'm eating all the right stuff but am not sure if I'm supposed to make sure I get the 3 oz in or tell myself that was enough and stop. Today I actually used a scale to portion out 3 oz of tuna and when I looked at the amount I thought omg that's a lot! I ate slow but wanted to see if I could tolerate the amount recommended by the doctor. Of course I did not force myself to eat it but 2 hours later I'm ok... But if I had had 1 oz I could have told myself I was fine... Does this have anything to do with needing a fill? I do stay full or am really not hungry but have no signals except for an hour after ( as I've learned) I could get nauseous so that's why I kinda tell myself that's enough the nausea only happened once now that I tell myself ur done... Any advice?

[Holly Dolly 575]

You are only 3 weeks out from surgery, still in the healing phase. Your hunger will more than likely come back. I measure out my 3 ounces of Protein and if I feel I have had enough I will stop around 2. It's not that I feel full, but I feel satisfied. I had my first fill 5 weeks after surgery. I had quite a few fills also that first year. Once you do start having fills you will know you prob need another one when you don't go 4 to 5 hours before needing your next meal.

Unfortunately for me, I don't go that long before feeling hungry. But I choose not to go tighter because I do not like getting things stuck. I have done well because I measure, weigh, and track everything I eat.

Good luck!

[asr2468 25]

So it's not that I'm going to feel the full I felt preband its the being satisfied on the correct portion and what the right things? Why do people say the soft stops let them know they're finished? I don't have that?

[Holly Dolly 575]

Everyone is different. I never feel full like I used to before. But then again I was eating probobly 3 to 4 times the amount of food and in about 10 minutes or less for a meal! I would eat dinner til I was stuffed. When I first was banded it was hard to wrap my head around the want for feeling stuffed. Now I am very happy to walk away from a meal and feel satisfied. Especially when I go out for dinner with friends and they walk away complaining how full and sick they feel!

If you see Mis73 posts, look at the bottom of her post and there is a great article about the lapband.

[Holly Dolly 575]

here is the link. http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html