Green Zone???

[enjoythetime 1,457]

I had my surgery on May 30th. I lost 16lbs. During the pre-op diet and 41lbs since my surgery for a total of 57lbs. So far. I get what the green zone is but how do you know for sure you're there?? Once you get there can you ever get out of it? I know this sounds silly but I've not had any issues with stucks or things coming back up even though some times I forget and take too big a bite or eat too fast. Ive only had 2 fills since my surgery and have 3.5 cc in my band. I dont eat till im full i stop myself before that.How do people in the green zone know and does it wear off (salene reduce in time)?? Do you stay at this place with no need for additional fills?? Just wondering how this all comes together. I know everyone is different but any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! I truly LOVE my band and the new lifestyle that I have!! Thx!!

[this sucks 557]

My experience had been that the green zone changes-by the day, by the week, by the minute sometimes. In my case, it changes with the weather, how much sodium I've eaten, how my allergies are doing and by the time of the month and sometimes it just changes for no rhyme or reason. Instead of wasting too much time worrying about whether I'm in the green zone or not, I just try to make good choices, eat enough Protein and drink enough Water. It sure sounds like you are doing things the right way- like eating by measured amounts instead of eating until you are full.

Keep up the good work!

[GoingforGoal 1,734]

Hello

Well first and foremost, congrats on a tremendous job. Sounds like you are doing great

I'm going to answer your q's in backwards order.

Can you get out of the green zone... yes..and here is how/why:

1. Usually when you get a fill you will have some inflammation for a few days. Unfortunately as the swelling subsides your restriction is looser which can be enough to put you into yellow again.

2. In time, saline evaporation does occur. However, this is on such a small scale. To give you an example. I went 3 years without a fill and never losing restriction. So I am inclined to say it would take a considerable amount of time to notice evaporated Fluid

3. Sometimes we leave the docs office comfy and than in 1-3 days it turns out we are tight and in the red. This is no longer due to swelling and we need unfills.

So what is green? In reality, everyone of us will define this different. When you speak about technical definitions, its when your food is restricted to about 1 cup per serving, when you feel satiated between meals by at least 3-4 hrs, when you do not suffer from adverse symptoms like gerd, vomitting or inability to eat most foods. It is also when the band is restricted enough that food stays in your upper pouch for at least a few minutes before sliding into your lower stomach. These few minutes allow feeback to occur to the brain giving you a sensation you are done eating to prevent overeating.

Now there's lots of room for interpretation here. Some like to eat more and have better control of eating small volumes without the bands help. So what is yellow for me is green for someone else. In reality, its about you as a person and how much you can control vs how much you rely on the band to help you. Somewhere in there you define the perfect band restriction.

With this being said, it's important to express that unfills are as important and necessary as fills. We are so focused on getting tight and reaching green, we forget that its about finding our own personal target zone. Too many people say they get filled and are too tight yet are afraid to get an unfill because they want to lose weight. The logic is just not there.

So practice introspection. How are you doing on the band at its current fill? Individualize it so that you feel the band is working AND you are in control adn that you at a place you can live with long term.

[enjoythetime 1,457]

Hello

Well first and foremost' date=' congrats on a tremendous job. Sounds like you are doing great

I'm going to answer your q's in backwards order.

Can you get out of the green zone... yes..and here is how/why:

1. Usually when you get a fill you will have some inflammation for a few days. Unfortunately as the swelling subsides your restriction is looser which can be enough to put you into yellow again.

2. In time, saline evaporation does occur. However, this is on such a small scale. To give you an example. I went 3 years without a fill and never losing restriction. So I am inclined to say it would take a considerable amount of time to notice evaporated Fluid

3. Sometimes we leave the docs office comfy and than in 1-3 days it turns out we are tight and in the red. This is no longer due to swelling and we need unfills.

So what is green? In reality, everyone of us will define this different. When you speak about technical definitions, its when your food is restricted to about 1 cup per serving, when you feel satiated between meals by at least 3-4 hrs, when you do not suffer from adverse symptoms like gerd, vomitting or inability to eat most foods. It is also when the band is restricted enough that food stays in your upper pouch for at least a few minutes before sliding into your lower stomach. These few minutes allow feeback to occur to the brain giving you a sensation you are done eating to prevent overeating.

Now there's lots of room for interpretation here. Some like to eat more and have better control of eating small volumes without the bands help. So what is yellow for me is green for someone else. In reality, its about you as a person and how much you can control vs how much you rely on the band to help you. Somewhere in there you define the perfect band restriction.

With this being said, it's important to express that unfills are as important and necessary as fills. We are so focused on getting tight and reaching green, we forget that its about finding our own personal target zone. Too many people say they get filled and are too tight yet are afraid to get an unfill because they want to lose weight. The logic is just not there.

So practice introspection. How are you doing on the band at its current fill? Individualize it so that you feel the band is working AND you are in control adn that you at a place you can live with long term.[/quote']

What amazing answers and guidence!! Thank you soo much for taking the time to go through this with me. You answered my questions and are a true inspiration. Thank you!!!!

[dawalsh 919]

First off, I think you have accomplished a great feat with that awesome weight loss since May, Secondly, you seem to be doing everything right. You seem to be at the green zone but it doesn't last forever. You'll sort of know when you're out of the green zone. I've been banded since Dec and still have not gotten to green. You will still have to go for fills but less frequently than you did in the beginning and that will be an ongoing thing. Your surgeon may require quarterly visits instead of monthly visits. Whatever you do, don't stop going to your surgeon all together that's when failure is bound to happen. Too many people get to the green zone and stop seeing their surgeon all together. Then they have a weight gain and say they're going back to the doctor because they are gaining weight. So keep in touch with your doctor and you are sure to keep losing weight and keeping it off.

[BringingSexyBackToTX 51]

Hello

Well first and foremost' date=' congrats on a tremendous job. Sounds like you are doing great

I'm going to answer your q's in backwards order.

Can you get out of the green zone... yes..and here is how/why:

1. Usually when you get a fill you will have some inflammation for a few days. Unfortunately as the swelling subsides your restriction is looser which can be enough to put you into yellow again.

2. In time, saline evaporation does occur. However, this is on such a small scale. To give you an example. I went 3 years without a fill and never losing restriction. So I am inclined to say it would take a considerable amount of time to notice evaporated Fluid

3. Sometimes we leave the docs office comfy and than in 1-3 days it turns out we are tight and in the red. This is no longer due to swelling and we need unfills.

So what is green? In reality, everyone of us will define this different. When you speak about technical definitions, its when your food is restricted to about 1 cup per serving, when you feel satiated between meals by at least 3-4 hrs, when you do not suffer from adverse symptoms like gerd, vomitting or inability to eat most foods. It is also when the band is restricted enough that food stays in your upper pouch for at least a few minutes before sliding into your lower stomach. These few minutes allow feeback to occur to the brain giving you a sensation you are done eating to prevent overeating.

Now there's lots of room for interpretation here. Some like to eat more and have better control of eating small volumes without the bands help. So what is yellow for me is green for someone else. In reality, its about you as a person and how much you can control vs how much you rely on the band to help you. Somewhere in there you define the perfect band restriction.

With this being said, it's important to express that unfills are as important and necessary as fills. We are so focused on getting tight and reaching green, we forget that its about finding our own personal target zone. Too many people say they get filled and are too tight yet are afraid to get an unfill because they want to lose weight. The logic is just not there.

So practice introspection. How are you doing on the band at its current fill? Individualize it so that you feel the band is working AND you are in control adn that you at a place you can live with long term.[/quote']

Thank you for this explanation! It is very helpful for me, a newbie (one month post-op and just had my first fill today).

[BringingSexyBackToTX 51]

Hello

Well first and foremost' date=' congrats on a tremendous job. Sounds like you are doing great

I'm going to answer your q's in backwards order.

Can you get out of the green zone... yes..and here is how/why:

1. Usually when you get a fill you will have some inflammation for a few days. Unfortunately as the swelling subsides your restriction is looser which can be enough to put you into yellow again.

2. In time, saline evaporation does occur. However, this is on such a small scale. To give you an example. I went 3 years without a fill and never losing restriction. So I am inclined to say it would take a considerable amount of time to notice evaporated Fluid

3. Sometimes we leave the docs office comfy and than in 1-3 days it turns out we are tight and in the red. This is no longer due to swelling and we need unfills.

So what is green? In reality, everyone of us will define this different. When you speak about technical definitions, its when your food is restricted to about 1 cup per serving, when you feel satiated between meals by at least 3-4 hrs, when you do not suffer from adverse symptoms like gerd, vomitting or inability to eat most foods. It is also when the band is restricted enough that food stays in your upper pouch for at least a few minutes before sliding into your lower stomach. These few minutes allow feeback to occur to the brain giving you a sensation you are done eating to prevent overeating.

Now there's lots of room for interpretation here. Some like to eat more and have better control of eating small volumes without the bands help. So what is yellow for me is green for someone else. In reality, its about you as a person and how much you can control vs how much you rely on the band to help you. Somewhere in there you define the perfect band restriction.

With this being said, it's important to express that unfills are as important and necessary as fills. We are so focused on getting tight and reaching green, we forget that its about finding our own personal target zone. Too many people say they get filled and are too tight yet are afraid to get an unfill because they want to lose weight. The logic is just not there.

So practice introspection. How are you doing on the band at its current fill? Individualize it so that you feel the band is working AND you are in control adn that you at a place you can live with long term.[/quote']

Thank you for this great explanation! This really helps a lot!

[Toddy 758]

I read the posts about being in the green, only to fall back to the yellow again. The opposite happened to me. I was blissfully in the green zone for three months, then for no explainable reason, I started regurgitating occasionally, and then progressed to the point where I couldn't even comfortably eat Soup. Went and had a 1/2 cc unfill and everything was fine -- except for the fact that I could eat everything as much as I wanted. I let things calm down for a month and went back in and had a 1/4 cc fill today. The whole band thing has been very frustrating for me... but I wouldn't go back and undo it for anything in the world!!

[enjoythetime 1,457]

First off' date=' I think you have accomplished a great feat with that awesome weight loss since May, Secondly, you seem to be doing everything right. You seem to be at the green zone but it doesn't last forever. You'll sort of know when you're out of the green zone. I've been banded since Dec and still have not gotten to green. You will still have to go for fills but less frequently than you did in the beginning and that will be an ongoing thing. Your surgeon may require quarterly visits instead of monthly visits. Whatever you do, don't stop going to your surgeon all together that's when failure is bound to happen. Too many people get to the green zone and stop seeing their surgeon all together. Then they have a weight gain and say they're going back to the doctor because they are gaining weight. So keep in touch with your doctor and you are sure to keep losing weight and keeping it off.[/quote']

Thank you so much for being so supportive and encouraging and mist importantly honest. I am someone who has to be held accountable so I know i have to cont. The visits to the dr. Thank you again for your time and awesome response it helps so much!!