4cc BANDERS, WHERE'S YOUR SWEET SPOT???

[TxChelsey 1]

4cc bandsters only, at what fill level did you find your sweet spot? My first fill was only 1cc, and it's like I don't even have a band!! The surgeon requires a 2 month wait after the first fill and won't see me any earlier. I feel I should be a bit more "aggressive" next time.

Edited June 23, 2008 by TxChelsey

[tommaney 0]

I don't think that I'll have the most common situation, but I'm at 4cc in my 4cc band and I finally get what everyone who has good restriction is talking about! I can eat about 1/2 cup of food at a time, and combined with my exercise, it really got the weight loss rollling.

Before this, I felt some good restriction at 2.7cc, which was the total amt. after my 2nd fill, and that was good for about 15lbs. But, that restriction faded a bit after a few weeks and I was stuck a 1 cup of food eating again, struggling to lose.

I've searched the posts on this issue and I've found a couple of people who are like me and have needed the significant fill, but by the same token there are plenty that have lost consistently with much less!

Good luck and try to be patient and hopeful during this time of "bandster hell."

[Brandy~ 2]

I haven't had the band long enough to learn the whole sweet spot thing but I think I am at it now. I have 4cc with 2.0 in it. I can only eat the max of 1/2 a cup of food (I measure it) I can eat most any food as long as I chew it well. I do not have hunger pains so I just have to remind myself to eat

[Alicia99 0]

I am so glad you asked that! I have been wondering myself, what others experiences are with a 4cc band. I was banded on April 3rd, with my first fill on May 31st and second fill on June 7th. I am currently at 2cc. Although I am kind of excited to have some minimal restriction, that is- I got stuck on Saturday for the first time ever and had a pb. At least after my second fill I can tell I have a band, but I can eat way too much. I ate an entire whole-wheat veggie sandwich yesterday, and I didn't get that uncomfortable feeling that comes when you are full full, that feeling that you are stuffing yourself. Know what I mean? I may have had one tiny sip of water!!! :cool2:

Anyhow, 2cc's is not enough for me, but I will err on the side of caution with my next fill. I am really looking forward to finding out where others sweet spots are. Thanks for your post.:thumbup:

[short1 2]

I am at 2.9 cc and fill real restricted. I am scheduled for a fill next Thursday, but probaly will cancel. I am very sensitive to many foods and reflux if I eat past 8 pm. I can eat between 1/2 cup to 1 cup of food at a time. I can never tell and do what my body says. This must be my sweet spot.

[Alicia99 0]

Hi Short1, your ticker says you lost 57 lbs, thats fantastic! Mind if I ask what your weekly loss averages at a fill of 2.9?

[short1 2]

I was stuck for the longest time at 40 lbs then 48 and the last fill really did it for me. I have been loosing 1-2 lbs. a week for the past 5 weeks. I hope to keep up the pase.

[jfc193 718]

I just filled yesterday to 3 cc in my 4 cc band. I do not think I will require any more fills. My last fill before yesterday was 4 months ago with 1/2 cc to a 2.5 cc.

Definitely a difference so far.

[dgarrett 0]

I currently have 3.4cc in my band and have been there for almost a year. It has been great. Some days I am really tight and can't eat much and then other days it seems I can eat just about anything just not too much. I went from a size 18 to a size 4 in a year and a half. It's been amazing, awesome and sometimes very frustrating, experience.

[Kat817 19]

I was banded in April of 06. In June of 06 I got my first fill of 1.25cc's. Minor restriction only. So in July 06 I went back and received .25cc's----major restriction!!! Over time it settled into restriction, but not super tight. I was not hungry, and worked that total restriction of 1.75cc's through until last May (almost 2 years!) when I was totally unfilled for my tummy tuck---when he unfilled me, he pulled 1.6 cc's. I have yet to go back and start the fill process yet. I am still not hungry, so seeing how it goes from day to day.

But I would definitely consider somewhere in there my sweet spot....it worked for me!

Kat

[Boo Boo Kitty 3]

I was banded August 2006. I got 1.00 ccs first time. Didn't do much. took it up in tiny tiny steps of .25ccs at a time to my sweet spot which is 3.25. I am happy there, although I am sure now I need some out!

[hollyberries 2]

I have 2.25cc's in my band and I had to cancel my last appt because I get stuck on quite a few things. I am not sure if I am at a sweet spot because I can eat quite a bit but if I get stuck I can't eat anymore. I am scheduled to go back in July for another fill. I think that I will need to talk with the Dr. about why I get stuck but can still eat more than I should. One good thing is I am doing Water aerobics and losing dress sizes and I am happy about that.

Cindy

[drlukemayes 0]

dont get caought up in other peoples sweet spot. it should be unique for everyone. hang in there. make sure that your doctor is filling your band adequatly. the weight will come off. sometimes it takes a week or two for you body to adjust and then the weight continues to come right off. just remember that 1-2 lbs a week and/or 8-10 lbs a month is great. hang in there you will be fine. not only am i a patient who strugles with the same thing as everyone else but i am a fill doctor too and i have to be willing to take my own advise.

[Jachut 487]

You know, I think I passed it, just a tad. I'm at 3.2cc and I think 3 was absolutely perfect for me. I notice there's a lot of foods I cant eat as easily now (although I did manage a cheese sandwich with the crusts cut off the other day), although that's mainly at period time and the week before. I've been majorly restricted then.

The main thing I notice is that I have to work a lot harder to remember to actually eat meals and not just eat easy foods in small quantities all day long - its not a deliberate ploy to eat round the band, its just how your appetite changes with that level of restriction, I no longer *want* lunch kind of thing, but I know I should and it just sets up a cycle of not eating according to your appetite but according to what you think you should.

I jsut really wanted to get to 67kg, REALLY wanted to, so I went that last fill 3 months ago. I dont think I'll stay here. I've almost done it but to be honest, it hasnt helped that much and very long term, I'm afraid I wont be getting the nutrition I need at this level.

that said I still probably eat more than a lot of bandsters and wider variety because I'm not THAT tight. I dont pb or get stuck often. But I'm not doing the half marathon I wanted to next weekend, I'm doing the 10k instead because to be honest, Ijust havent done the training. And I havent done the training because I just plain cant eat enough to fuel that level of exercise. I need to eat lots of carbs to do it and at this point I cant.

I carbo loaded for an entire week for a 14K back in March and did and did a better time than I did last Sunday in another race because I just plain ran out of energy. There was no way I could down oatmeal or toast and a banana at 6 am so I went in without having eaten very well and it showed.

Edited June 26, 2008 by Jachut

[Kat817 19]

dont get caought up in other peoples sweet spot. it should be unique for everyone. hang in there. make sure that your doctor is filling your band adequatly. the weight will come off. sometimes it takes a week or two for you body to adjust and then the weight continues to come right off. just remember that 1-2 lbs a week and/or 8-10 lbs a month is great. hang in there you will be fine. not only am i a patient who strugles with the same thing as everyone else but i am a fill doctor too and i have to be willing to take my own advise.

I think this is a perfect thread to show how each bandster differs. It makes all the differing information out there easier to take! It is yet one more way to show that the band is not a one size fits all piece of equipment.

I don't believe the OP's purpose it asking was to figure out where their own sweetspot would be....more just a curiosity to get an idea whether being more aggressive would be good or not.

In my case when 1.25 cc did almost nothing, I thought when he only gave me .25cc--less than half what I got the first time, it would do nothing, and I was SO wrong!!!

I totally believe in small steady fills and sneaking up on restriction---I have read way too many posts of large fills being too much, and then back you go for an unfill, which often it seems starts a cycle---and makes finding the sweetspot more difficult. When you are too full and require an unfill, you have begun the swelling issue, and it can be hard to get past.

While I trust my surgeon's and my fill Dr.'s (also a surgeon) opinion, I am the only one who knows how I am actually able to eat, and feel I should have a say in the matter. Lucky for me they agree, and ALWAYS ask about my eating, and my problems, and my weight---all kinds of things before we decide if another fill is needed. I have only had 2 fills, and one total unfill for my TT---but have seen my Dr. over a dozen times easily!

Kat