fill or not

[terrydumont46 1,954]

i will check this post tomorrow morning before i go to the doctors' i am scheduled for a fill. i know i can only eat the amount we are allowed to eat and be satisfied even before finishing the meal but .......i am hungry 2 hours later. the question i have is should i still get a small little fill just to judge whether i can eat enough but stay satisfied longer? any thoughts would be appreciated. thanks.

[Wendydarling19 310]

Although I am not banded yet (being banded today at noon), my advice would be to talk to your doctor and see what he says about it. You may just need a small adjustment. If worse comes to worse you can always take out that little bit if it bothers you. Good Luck Terry!

[parisshel 1,892]

Boy, this is one of those tough decisions. I can relate to what you are describing. Thing is, when I am overfilled I can't get in the solids I need to even hit the "not hungry two hours later" mark.

This is where the tweaking begins, right? It's such alchemy between choosing the band-compliant foods (the ones that promote fullness) and having the correct level of saline. And both can vary according to the hour!

Still learning my band. This morning I learned not to eat a scrambled egg in the morning, whereas eggs are fine at noon or dinner. ::burp::

[kll724 3,055]

That will be up to you and your doctor to decide. I, personally, can't tolerate too much, but have tried the tweak thing,too. You sound like you know yourself and band well, so, if the tweak would give you support, try it. Best wishes, Karen..aka.kll724

[Bandista 7,466]

I know that my surgeon is going for both and like you I am satisfied on the small size but don't yet have the duration. I don't want to be too tight either, but I do want the full benefit of the band. I skipped my last fill and will go back 2/10 for a possible small one. I've been wondering if this super cold weather has an effect on the band. Obviously it does on the body in terms of wanting to go in a cave and store up calories. Good luck to you. I hope your doctor will have some good advice for you, not in a rush, etc.

[lisacaron 5,075]

I know that my surgeon is going for both and like you I am satisfied on the small size but don't yet have the duration. I don't want to be too tight either, but I do want the full benefit of the band. I skipped my last fill and will go back 2/10 for a possible small one. I've been wondering if this super cold weather has an effect on the band. Obviously it does on the body in terms of wanting to go in a cave and store up calories. Good luck to you. I hope your doctor will have some good advice for you, not in a rush, etc.

Good Morning!!

Hi Terry,

When I see my Dr. it's more the time between meals and the hunger factor that determines the fill for me. Volume is pretty well controlled and was never really my issue to begin with. I eat within the 1 cup depending on what the item is for the most part.

I was having issues of being hungry again more often and not holding between meals, so I had a small fill again this time. So far all is well.

@ Bandista, I have noticed in the cold that my band is a bit tighter then normal. It goes away as I defrost...but while I am out in the cold I can actually feel it get tighter. I don't have the feeling or need to want to eat more...but I am looking for more "homey" and warm feeling foods like Soup which is a slider..so I made some fresh chicken Soup with large chunks of vegetables, and whole pieces of chicken to make it a good combo of solid and soft and AWESOME for 9 degree weather

I also made a pot of Turkey Chilli, with the same parameters so that it satisfies all needs on these cold days. Brrrr...Hope you are all staying warm!!

[2muchfun 8,927]

My opinion? The band is so different for each of us? Take B-52 for instance. He's seldom hungry and can go hours between meals and eat just a little. I've never been able to go 4-5 hours without feeling hungry. Maybe it's head hunger maybe not? I sure wish I could go 5 hours without feeling deprived but it's never been that way for me.

Some folks prefer a very tight band but I've never been like that. I struggle every day trying to not get stuck on simple foods. Sometimes I go weeks without being stuck and then I get stuck every day once or twice. So, one more small fill just isn't in the cards for me.

So, I've adapted by having a small snack 2.5 hours after Breakfast and lunch. Maybe a small apple, pear, cheese stick or beef Jerky. Go for the fill and let me know how it works for you? I too fumble around with this dilemma.

GO BRONCOS!!

[parisshel 1,892]

So, I've adapted by having a small snack 2.5 hours after Breakfast and lunch. Maybe a small apple, pear, cheese stick or beef Jerky. Go for the fill and let me know how it works for you? I too fumble around with this dilemma.

GO BRONCOS!!

You know, tmf, this is my post-op directive for life. My prescribed way of eating is what they call "fractioned" and it consists of 6 small meals spread out over the day. I have mandatory (per my surgeon's nutritionist) Snacks that must be eaten between all meals, and after dinner. Of course "snack" does not mean cupcakes (alas). It is exactly what you are eating: a small fruit, or yogurt or small bit of cheese or Protein.

When I went in to ask for my last fill, my surgeon told me that I could get the fill, but he preferred that I remain compliant with the "fractioned" way of eating (which I wasn't doing, admittedly...I just have a hard time scheduling in those snacks). He said that if I respected the small Snacks, I would find it would help me stay out of the hunger zone. And he doesn't want me to come to the table starving, because it is then that I set myself up for eating too fast/too big of bites and experience discomfort.

So just know that you are practicing a legitimate post-band way of eating, at least for us here across the pond.

[terrydumont46 1,954]

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!

My opinion? The band is so different for each of us? Take B-52 for instance. He's seldom hungry and can go hours between meals and eat just a little. I've never been able to go 4-5 hours without feeling hungry. Maybe it's head hunger maybe not? I sure wish I could go 5 hours without feeling deprived but it's never been that way for me.

Some folks prefer a very tight band but I've never been like that. I struggle every day trying to not get stuck on simple foods. Sometimes I go weeks without being stuck and then I get stuck every day once or twice. So, one more small fill just isn't in the cards for me.

So, I've adapted by having a small snack 2.5 hours after breakfast and lunch. Maybe a small apple, pear, cheese stick or beef Jerky. Go for the fill and let me know how it works for you? I too fumble around with this dilemma.

GO BRONCOS!!

[terrydumont46 1,954]

thanks everyone. i really appreciated the quick response and you all have helped me make a decision. at least to be able to talk to my doctor about what i am thinking. love ya guys

[Pepper28 82]

@terrydumont46

So did you decide to get the fill?

Did your Dr agree to giving you the fill? How much did you get?

I do struggle with this dilemma as well.

If I judge between the green clean unprocessed foods, I can not tolerate another fill. 1-3 bites is all it takes of any meat or any vegetable, steamed or uncooked.

However, if its junk food, ice cream, chocolates, anything processed or liquefies in my tummy, yes, I need a fill, because those things will never fill you up. They only satisfy the craving, not my hunger, so you'll end up hungry within the next 30minutes to an hour.