Not sure what is going on

[jrockwood 7]

I lost 45 lbs with no fills and then I plateaued. I decided to get 2 fills which put me at 6 cc in a 10cc band. I still feel like I can eat just as much as I did before the surgery. What is going on? Did I completely sabotage the entire surgery and stretch my stomach out or do I just need another fill? I don't feel like I have any restriction what so ever.

[hely88 883]

Unfortunatley for most people the band does not stop us from eating. The only thing that works for me is measuring my food so I know when to stop. Make sure you are eating high Protein solids and spending calories on shakes (unless your doctor says to) or other liquids. Also remember that your brain takes about 20 minutes to recognize that you have eaten. If I am still hungry after a meal I wait for a while and see how I feel later. Most times I forget I was still hungry. Best of luck. Maybe post what you are eating for your meals.

[jrockwood 7]

hely88, Thanks for responding. I really thought that I knew so much about the lapband before I got it but I am really confused on one thing. Isn't the band suppose to stop you from over eating? I thought that if you over ate that you would throw it up? I can eat a lot more food then the 1 cup that I should be eating though I try not to.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

That's a big misconception. The band isn't supposed to physically stop you from eating anything. This is exactly why it's so important to stick to band sized portions. When you hear Portion Control, it's about feeling satisfied after a band sized portion, not making you stop eating.

The band is there to allow you to feel satisfied on much less food for longer periods of time. Have a look at this link, I think it will really help: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

[2muchfun 8,927]

Receiving the correct fill and right restriction is a trial and error if your doc is not using floroscopy for fills. It took me 3 fills to start to feel some restriction and the 4th really did it and I started to feel much more satiated on less food. This enabled me to feel less hungry between meals.

Keep getting fills till you feel some restriction. And unfortunately for most of us that equates to having some stuck episodes along with sliming. It's all part of the journey.

tmf

[jrockwood 7]

If I can eat anything without chewing really well, which I eat really fast, and don't have stuck episodes but maybe once a week which lasts about 10-20 seconds then I am thinking that I do not have the restriction that I need. Do you believe this is the case that I need another fill?

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

If I can eat anything without chewing really well, which I eat really fast, and don't have stuck episodes but maybe once a week which lasts about 10-20 seconds then I am thinking that I do not have the restriction that I need. Do you believe this is the case that I need another fill?

How much and how fast you can eat has nothing to do with whether or not you need another fill.

It's about satiety. Can you go at least 4 hours on a cup or less of food without hunger? Then you probably don't need another fill. If not, then you may need another one.

Read the link I posted above. "Restriction" isn't at all what band patients think it is.

[mrsto 2,925]

If I can eat anything without chewing really well, which I eat really fast, and don't have stuck episodes but maybe once a week which lasts about 10-20 seconds then I am thinking that I do not have the restriction that I need. Do you believe this is the case that I need another fill?

I'm doing pretty well, but I'm somewhat in the same boat as you. I can take larger bites than what I read here, and though I chew it pretty well (most of the time), I don't have the feelings that I read from others. I DO know when it's time to stop, and that is somewhere between 1/2-1 cup of food; lets say.....chili. But even if I take a bigger bite and don't chew it to a pulp, I still do not have any issues.

I've had one fill since surgery, and now have 6.4 cc's in my 10 cc band. I'm also wondering if I need another fill. I have an appointment with the nurse on Monday, and I may ask her to put in another 1cc. It would be great to stay satiated for a full 4 hours or more. Sometimes I wonder if it's actually the plication that's doing the job. I guess I'm up for a stuck/slime episode, to make sure I have the right amount in my band.

[2muchfun 8,927]

If I can eat anything without chewing really well, which I eat really fast, and don't have stuck episodes but maybe once a week which lasts about 10-20 seconds then I am thinking that I do not have the restriction that I need. Do you believe this is the case that I need another fill?

I believe you probably could use a fill but I also believe you're not eating like you should if your eating large bites, not chewing and eating too much. Slow down, look for the satiety signals and then evaluate if you are still hungry or just craving food?

And you really need to read the article from Dr Simpson that Missy posted for you. You don't seem to understand how this all works. Here are some other aids to help you understand this process:

Part 1

part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[jrockwood 7]

First of all I didn't get overweight by being satisfied after eating and not eating again until I was hungry. I got over weight by over eating and not only when hungry but when ever I felt the need. If the band does not help with Portion Control then why did I get it? Isn't portion control and how often you eat the same thing as a diet like all the diets I have done previously and failed at? How is this not what I got out of 8 months of classes and 2 different Dr's? If I could lose the weight by portion control and how often I eat then I would have been able to do it on my own. How is it that the majority of the bandsters have throwing up and stuck episodes from over eating if the band is not suppose to restrict the amount of food you eat? I am starting to think that I waisted my money and should have gone with the sleeve.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

First of all I didn't get overweight by being satisfied after eating and not eating again until I was hungry. I got over weight by over eating and not only when hungry but when ever I felt the need. If the band does not help with Portion Control then why did I get it? Isn't portion control and how often you eat the same thing as a diet like all the diets I have done previously and failed at? How is this not what I got out of 8 months of classes and 2 different Dr's? If I could lose the weight by portion control and how often I eat then I would have been able to do it on my own. How is it that the majority of the bandsters have throwing up and stuck episodes from over eating if the band is not suppose to restrict the amount of food you eat? I am starting to think that I waisted my money and should have gone with the sleeve.

I'm truly sorry you feel this way. I'm also sorry you didn't receive helpful information before you got the band.

But you need to realize that would be the case no matter which WLS you choose- band, sleeve, or bypass- they are just tools. It will always be up to you to make smart food choices. It will always be up to you to control yourself so you don't over-eat. You can over-eat with any of the surgeries if you want to. In fact, this is exactly why we're seeing so many band over bypass patients- because they've chronically overate and stretched their pouch. The same happens with the sleeve.

And btw, the majority of bandsters do not have throwing up episodes. In fact, vomiting is very dangerous with the band and should be avoided at all costs. Most of us never have them unless we're ill.

I understand what you're saying about eating beyond satisfaction. A lot of us have done this chronically before WLS. Myself included. There is a very popular saying around here "the band goes around your stomach not your head". That's because while the band can greatly help deal with the physical aspect of hunger it can't change our unhealthy head habits when it comes to food.

You have an amazing tool at your disposal. Why not learn to use it rather than giving up before you even start?

Best wishes.

[mrsto 2,925]

If you are not having the sense of satiety from much smaller amounts of food, then you should talk to your doctor. It does sound like you need a fill. The difference between dieting on your own vs. dieting with the band, is that it helps with not feeling hungry all the time. YES, you have to do the work. I'm not sure why your doctors didn't drum this into you. I was told ad nauseam that the band is JUST a tool; from the first seminar, and every single visit since.

If what your looking for is rapid weight loss where you have little to do with it, you probably should have gone with the gastric bypass. With that procedure, you have the "honeymoon period" which lasts 12-18 months. During that time, the weight melts off due to the lack of absorption of what you eat. A lot of weight can come off during that time, but then it balances out and you have to do the work. ALL of these procedures end up on the same page, where weight can be gained if you continue to "exercise" old habits. All bariatric surgeries are not a panacea. They are a tool for YOU to work with.

FYI - None of what I'm saying, is to say that I don't completely understand how you feel. I've had my own frustrations, but keep plugging away at it. I gave it a LOT of thought prior, and continue to work with my tool.

[jrockwood 7]

I am really glad that you took your time to post on this subject but have you ever read what Lapband.com has to say about this? It clearly states in the first sentence that "The lapband system reduces your stomachs capacity, restricting the amount of food you are able to eat at one time". I trust my Dr 150% and he would not have told me this was the case had it not been. I also read on 3 other websites that the band "limits your intake of food". It no where says, except Dr Simpson, that you the patient can eat as much as you want with the band unless you control it.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

I am really glad that you took your time to post on this subject but have you ever read what Lapband.com has to say about this? It clearly states in the first sentence that "The lapband system reduces your stomachs capacity, restricting the amount of food you are able to eat at one time". I trust my Dr 150% and he would not have told me this was the case had it not been. I also read on 3 other websites that the band "limits your intake of food". It no where says, except Dr Simpson, that you the patient can eat as much as you want with the band unless you control it.

It will restrict the amount as far as size of bites and how fast you can eat. Definitely. You will definitely get stuck if you try to mow through a pile of food like you used to. But stopping you from eating? No. I'm here to tell you that if you want to eat a pile of food you will. People eat around the band ALL the time. It's very easy to pace yourself and ignore "stop" signals if you really want to.

There is another good article called "Tighter isn't always better". What you're expecting the band to do, physically stop you from eating, is exactly how people end up with bands way too tight and slips because of it. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/page/index.html/_/support/post-op-support/tighter-isnt-always-better-r118

I'm truly sorry either you got bad information or didn't understand the information given to you. You have been given all the correct and necessary information from various sources on this thread. What you choose to do with that information is completely up to you. Just remember though- just because you don't like the truth doesn't make it any less true nor does it negate the consequences for ignoring it.

Best wishes.

[2muchfun 8,927]

Maybe if you sat down and spoke with your doctor about how this works he might be able to explain it better? Dr O'Brien, the doctor who has performed more surgeries than anyone, also states the band will not stop you from eating too much. It will only help you feel satisfied sooner and longer. If you would take the time to view the videos I posted above you might learn how this works?

It is true that the Lapband site states it restricts how much you can eat. That's flat out not true. Watch the videos.

tmf