Howdy GREEN ZONE!

[TheProfessor 378]

This post is such an important one for me. I AM FINALLY IN THE GREEN ZONE. Huzzah! Celebrating over here! Wanted to share it with you.

A little patience and my surgical team's insistence on my "creeping towards the green" through small to tiny fills rather than BIG ones has been one that I have fully subscribed to. And now I AM THERE and have nothing but success and wellness to report!

A warm, welcoming HELLO to the Green Zone. My friend, I have been waiting to meet you for 5 months. My history if you're interested:

Banded December 18th, 2014. At that time I had 4.1 ccs of Fluid in the band.

Fill #1: Jan 2, 2015 - .5 ccs

Fill #2: March 18 - .3 ccs

Fill #3: April 9 - .3 ccs

Fill #4: April 29 - .2 ccs

Fill #5: May 28 - .1 ccs

Now here I am, at 5.5 ccs in a 10cc APL band, and I am in the green zone. That tiny .1cc fill a few days ago did the trick. What a feeling!

Here's how I know I am in the much talked about (and celebrated, and elusive to many) Green Zone:

• I am not hungry. Period. I have a background feeling of satiety 24/7.
• I can only manage very small portions of food. (One small chicken thigh, 3 string Beans and a bite of salad. DONE). I have no desire to eat more. Zero.
• I find myself getting a "soft stop" signal from my body when its time to stop eating. When I've had enough, I sigh and have a 100% "NO MORE FOOD" feeling. I push my plate away. I've not had this consistently before, and now here it is every meal.
• I can go hours and hours between meals. I was at 3 hours satiation, but now I'm at 4-6 hours. Wow. Like, not even tempted.
• NO desire to snack in the evenings. No desire to nibble, even as the husband is grazing on handfuls of nuts or chips. Zero temptation. Total disinterest in food. My husband is as astonished as I.

I realize now, having had only 1 vomiting episode (my fault - ate too fast!), how important and crucial it was to have patience with these small fills. My first fill I had gone in expecting a 1 cc to be putted in the band. When I shared this with my nurse this (after she gave me what she called, "A BIG FILL" of .5ccs) the horrified look on her face was priceless. "1cc! Are you mad, woman?! We'd never do that to you - that's asking for an emergency de-fill!"

Have to admit I left there a little disappointed. I took a breath and realized that I was in amazing hands. I had to TRUST the process and the team, and abide by the rules. So I did. And now I am here, and feeling terrific! (And smaller!)

The bigger the fill, the higher the chance of the band being tightened too fast. Remember that many bandsters will report that a fill can take up to 2 weeks to 'settle' and take effect, so that's why they are spaced out so much.

I was told to watch out for night cough, heartburn, frequent stuck episodes, sliming and vomiting. With the band too tight too fast, you ultimately gain weight because you develop an Intolerance of regular foods, resulting in maladaptive eating - soft, slippery, slider foods that tend to be fat and calorie-dense. (Ice cream, pudding, cream Soups, etc).

At every one of my 5 fills, my surgical nurse(s) have encouraged me not to get too hung up on the amount of Fluid in the band, nor what 'other peoples' bands are filled to. Every BODY is different. 10% of lucky bandsters never need a fill EVER. Most people need 4-6 fills to get to the Green Zone.

I'm down 46 pounds and feel TERRIFIC. Its taken 5 months, but they have flown.

HOWDY Green Zone, glad you're here! Slow and easy wins the race...!

[Bandista 7,466]

Yippee! So happy for you. By the way, are we married to the same guy? (chips and nuts all evening long....)...... My surgeon was also of the small frequent fills school of thought and I think that was very good for me. He does not share the amount of the fills but I know I have had a couple of super-tiny fill/unfills in my process. I think I'm at 7-8 overall visits now, possibly 8 -- banded November 2013. Could be thinner by now but a little too happy just where I am. Quite fit.

Good luck with all -- you are doing beautifully!

[B-52 7,113]

I agree 100% with everything you say....I have no hunger 24/7 also, and I can, and have gone all day without eating when I am occupied doing other things....I have to remind myself to eat, at least look for some Protein....

A word of caution...it may wane after a while as you loose weight, but that is no big deal...normal...you are there now and know what it is all about.

I have been there without any issues or changes for about 3-1/2 years now.

There is one or two little tricks I have learned as far as any maintenance goes, but that can wait....

Congratulations.....I love reading posts like this from fellow banders...

[Sue Can Do 12]

Love your post, it gives me hope that the next small fill will be the one. I think I am close but just not there yet. My doctor also does the slow, gradual approach. This surprised me at first and I got impatient but now I am just waiting for the right amount. I have never vomited. I have had a few times if I ate too fast or too big a bite when I felt that lump in my lower chest area but it went through. I think that is because I have never had too much fill.

[Letsgetskinny 24]

I love your post...it is so motivational and inspiring. Thank you for sharing and I think you have done a great job with not only your patience but your persistence to stay strong. What an awesome achievement in such a short space of time always better to be safe than sorry with the small fills ????????????????????

[TheProfessor 378]

Aw thanks, Letsgetskinny! This is a lot more work than I anticipated but it's not as hard as 'dieting'. A worth every penny.

I have to say I love it when others notice the gradual results - just yesterday I wore a pair of 'slender' (well, slender enough for a size 16, which I haven't been in a decade!) black dress pants and a form-fitting blouse to the College (professional wear for meetings) and a colleague who has no idea I had WLS came up to me and whispered that my ass looked great.

We had a good giggle and she said, "I have GOT to lose some weight, seriously - my knees are giving out me... you are an inspiration...!" and then we giggled some more about the caloric evils of black Russians and red wine, and that if she gave up her BRs and I gave up Cabernet, we'd both be like Twiggy.

I felt like a million bucks for the rest of the day.

[lizals 3]

Thank you so much so inspirational.. I was banded last end of November having my 4th infill next Friday..not got that green zone feeling yet, but hopefully that will be arriving very soon.. I have lost over 40 lbs but that is due to dieting and watching what I am eating. Cannot wait for this green zone, was beginning to think it was me and I was doing something wrong so feel happier now so roll on next Friday Green Zone here I come. Thanking you great reading different people's experiences with their bands. I will let you know.

[Drband14 8]

Congrats!! What a wonderful feeling to hit that green zone. I hope to be with you with my next fill which is due today at 1:45 pm. I feel like I am so very close! Keep up the great work and the motivation/inspiration for us!

[TheProfessor 378]

Since I started this thread on May 31st, I am watching the scale needle go down... I was stuck for a long, long time (more than 8 weeks).

Being in the Green Zone is great, as there is that constant background of satiety, and even when hunger does come on for me, it does so in a "hmm.. I should eat now" kind of way, rather than the voracious gut twisting way it used to pre-WLS.

That said, I am rigidly sticking to low/no simple carbs, high Protein, and steamed veggies. Haven't touched junk or fast food for months and have just a few days ago given up my #1 vice - red wine.

Being "in the green" has also brought about a change in my desire to MOVE - I have started walking on the treadmill, and burning a delicious 300 calories in 50 minute, 6.5 km sessions 3-4 times a week.

Yay green zone!

[arimerm1 20]

I just had my first fill. They put the band in empty and they put in 3.5 ml in the first time. My surgeon and I had a serious conversation, and he said that they take the process really slow and never rush anything. He said it'll take 3 fills to hit the green zone. Until then, I'm watching my calories and food intake. Looking forward to the green zone.

[TheProfessor 378]

@@arimerm1 Hello there! Sounds like you are doing everything right while creeping up on the Green Zone!

I'm curious that your surgeon has told you exactly how many fills it will take to get you to the Green Zone. That goes contrary to all the research I've done around fills on this forum.

I've learned that there is no predictable magic number of fills that a person can be guaranteed that will get them into the Green Zone. This is supported throughout the forum by hundreds of posts from people like you and me!

How many fills and the quantity of the fills (ie; a teeny .1cc fill versus a whopping 1.5 cc fill) is something that varies wildly from bandster to bandster... a band can be placed with no Fluid in it and an individual may be instantly in the green zone with not a single fill (rare), or a bandster may be on fill #7 and still not quite there.

Everyone reacts differently to fills, and often the effect of the fill can take a couple of weeks to "settle" in. Its great that your surgeon likes to get you to the Green slooooooowly. I have lived that, and although it was frustrating not losing a lot of weight for the first few months, now I am full steam ahead and grateful that the process was a slow and steady one.

Keep us posted! You are doing AWESOME!

[Sue Can Do 12]

Back May 31st when I also responded to the first post I thought I was one fill away from the green zone. Well, it hasn't quite happened yet. I had the nurse count this week and I have had 10 fills. I really do feel like I am close, so she just put a very small amount in this week. She didn't say how much. I am doing better and not as hungry and am eating smaller amounts. I still feel I am almost there! Losing slowly and some weeks none at all. Maybe next time.....

[JustWatchMe 7,117]

I just had my eighth fill this past week. I am at 7.90 in my 14 band. We have added 0.1 at the last several fills because it is that close. I don't want to overshoot and regret it.

[Hope41 13]

Banded October 2014.

9 fills 7.2cc in a 10.0cc band and still not in a green zone, haven't lost a single pound in 7 months but haven't gained any either. Only after last fill I can control hunger for about 3 hours but I can still eat bigger portion than I should. I asked the nurse to remove Fluid and check the total amount that's in the band and my Dr refused to do that saying that the band is settled in the spot right now and if he removes the fluid potentially could slip so he told me not to worry I will get there. Patience with yourself is the key, okay I guess I will try to be patient and not to think how I paid 16G for this and wait for a year or so before starts working.

I will be celebrating one I hit the Green Zone that's for sure

[Sue Can Do 12]

You are very patient, Hope41. I have never been patient and this is killing me. I am beginning to think the green zone is just a myth. I can still eat most anything as long as I chew and I'm feeling hungry and thinking about food a lot. There have been a few times I would eat a small amount and be satisfied and didn't get hungry for hours but that was just a few days here and there. If I had been able to control my hunger, I wouldn't have needed this band. I was told I wouldn't be hungry.