I too am coming out of hiding...but HELLO SWEET SPOT!!!

[abeaher 0]

Second fill yesterday. Apparently my surgeons puts in 4 ccs at the time of surgery and doesn't tell you so when he put in 1.6 ccs and said "ok that is 6ccs" I said "WHAT!" I thought I only had <1. He said "its my little secret"...UHHH OK. I don;t feel betrayed or anything, but it caught me by surprise.

So anyways at 6cc I can't eat anything......it's AWESOME!! I ate one bite of banana......FULL! So cool! I hope this lasts! I also am reading the book "The Skinny Bitch" It is harsh but brutally honest and has really changed the way I think about the food I put into my body. I definately reccomend it!! I am not going all vegan yet but I am trying to cut out all dairy and meat slowly. I was so down yesterday from only having lost 2 lbs in 8 weeks but I feel energized now that I have restriction! Best Wishes!

[Mom2_4 0]

Congrats on your success! I just had my second fill as well and seem to have found that sweet spot. It is amazing how much of a difference it makes!!

[StLouisGal 1]

Congratulations. This band is a life changer isn't it. I've had one fill but due for another one. I am pretty close to my sweet spot with only 2 ccs. Go figure!

[coolcrystal 1]

Is eating just one bite of banana exactly healthy? it sounds like you are too tight. You should at least be able to get your nutrients in. Nobody can survive on just one bite of something for each meal and you are rejoicing about not being able to eat "anything". That's almost like being anorexic. I hope you are drinking Protein shakes or something else for calories and Protein. :wink2: Eventually your body will go into starvation mode and you won't lose anything. Your signature says you are on your way to "healthyville" but that's just not very healthy. I'm not trying to be rude or tell you how to live, but I saw my dear friend Dawn get the band and become anorexic. One time she didn't eat for 4 days and passed out. Then became bulemic and slipped her band. Please be careful.

Just worried.

Edited May 5, 2008 by coolcrystal

[abeaher 0]

I appreciate your concern, but I am being VERY cautious about what I put in my body. I don;t eat ice cream, mac and cheese, pudding etc so the foods I eat (fruits and veg) are difficult to get down. It is just the way it is with the band. I could probably eat a bowl of mac and cheese or a peice of cake but I choose to not put that stuff in my body so if the choice is between being able to only eat a tbsp of fruit or veg at a time or a bowl of ice cream.....I'll take the one tbsp of fruit and veg. THAT to me is healthy. I know my body needs nurishment and I have seen all to often the band fail because people can't tolerate not being able to eat so they unfill thinking they NEED to be able to eat more. Not so in my opinion, there is a HUGE misconception in our society that we NEED to eat a ton of food to be healthy for example, the milk ad that recommends 24 oz of milk daily for weightloss???? that is rediculous, eat a few extra servings of broccoli instead. I just think that the publics opinion of "healthy" is very misconstrude and influenced by the media who only want you to buy their product. Just my rant but again I appreciate your conern.

[coolcrystal 1]

Did I say to eat a bowl of icrecream or mac and cheese? no.. that's not what I'm saying at all... what I'm saying is, that proper restriction and doing this band thing right is actually being able to eat half a cup to a full cup of food..IE.. chicken, fish, veggies, tofu,fruits, etc. That is achieving the proper amount of restriction. If you are only able to eat 1 tablespoon of healthy food, that's not being healthy at all. You are starving yourself and your muscles. People UNFILL when they can't eat because their fill swells up after a week, which happens quite often.. or vommiting in their sleep or constantly getting stuck and uncomfortable... not because they want to eat "bad stuff".. give me a break.... they aren't failing and feel like they need to eat more.

You SERIOUSLY need to go to your nutritionist and have a talk with her.

What's sad is that people were cheering you on up above and congratulating you for not being able to eat... PEOPLE, THIS IS NOT WHAT THE BAND IS ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JaxBandster 11]

I have to back Crystal up on her comments. The band is not about starving or depriving oneself of essential nutrients. One of the reasons that people choose the band is because other weight loss surgeries have a tendency to result in malnutrition. The wonderful thing about the band is that it allows your body to absorb the nutrients that you consume. The optimal band restriction should allow you to eat at least a few ounces of Protein, a quarter cup of veggies and maybe a few bites of carbs if you have any room left. Protein is extremely important to our diet as well as fat. You HAVE to have a little fat in your diet. I know this for a fact as my best friend has been going to an endocrinologist for her weight problems. She weighed over 400 lbs and has lost 50 by barely eating anything. The doctor just told her yesterday that she is suffering from malnourishment especially a Vitamin D deficiency which is mimicking the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The woman is living in pain because she isn't getting the nutrients she needs because she is desperately trying to lose weight. As it turns out, her weight problem is specifically linked to a disease which is attacking her thyroid. She is under strict instructions to immediately begin eating again in order to get the nutrients she needs.

My point is that we can take our efforts to lose weight too far to the point of it being detrimental to our health. Trying to feed your body one bite of food at a time and expect it to burn fuel efficiently is unrealistic. Give your body the fuel it needs to keep your metabolism fired up and you will lose faster than if you starve yourself.

Be healthy.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

I have to back Crystal up on her comments. The band is not about starving or depriving oneself of essential nutrients. One of the reasons that people choose the band is because other weight loss surgeries have a tendency to result in malnutrition. The wonderful thing about the band is that it allows your body to absorb the nutrients that you consume. The optimal band restriction should allow you to eat at least a few ounces of Protein, a quarter cup of veggies and maybe a few bites of carbs if you have any room left. Protein is extremely important to our diet as well as fat. You HAVE to have a little fat in your diet. I know this for a fact as my best friend has been going to an endocrinologist for her weight problems. She weighed over 400 lbs and has lost 50 by barely eating anything. The doctor just told her yesterday that she is suffering from malnourishment especially a Vitamin D deficiency which is mimicking the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The woman is living in pain because she isn't getting the nutrients she needs because she is desperately trying to lose weight. As it turns out, her weight problem is specifically linked to a disease which is attacking her thyroid. She is under strict instructions to immediately begin eating again in order to get the nutrients she needs.

My point is that we can take our efforts to lose weight too far to the point of it being detrimental to our health. Trying to feed your body one bite of food at a time and expect it to burn fuel efficiently is unrealistic. Give your body the fuel it needs to keep your metabolism fired up and you will lose faster than if you starve yourself.

Be healthy.

Well said, 100% agree. People, please do not starve yourself or deny yourself a properly balanced diet.

We chose the band because we wanted to know how to eat like a healthy normal person. One bite of banana isn't necessarily doing that.

[kjeter 1]

I've now had 4 fills, and am at 7.4cc in a 10cc band. I think I've finally hit my sweet spot, too. However, even though I don't feel hungry, I make sure I get three MEALS a day. I do this because I don't want to end up looking sickly or losing my hair. Skinny but bald ain't pretty, people! Remember, eat Protein first, then veggies, and if you still have room, carbs. I know from past dieting experiences that loosing your hair due to low protein intake is a very real thing! The good news is that it is easily reversible once you adjust your diet for the proper nutrients.

[losingjusme 12]

yikes, ONLY 1 tablespoon of food, that's not enough to feed my 4 year old, much less an adult.

the band is placed so you can eat a "normal person's" normal meal. i do not see any normal people (aka not fat) only eat 1 TBSP. you need Protein and veggies and i dont see that coming from 1 TBSP of food.< /p>

i strongly suggest an unfill.

good luck