Have had up to 9cc's and no real difference

[KyGirl-Momof7 0]

Hello, I am new to all this and I have the some of the same concerns. I had my surgery on Oct 20, had my 1st fill Nov 18th (3cc), 2nd fill Jan 7th (1cc). I have only lost 22lbs since the surgery date. I can still eat what I want and when I want. Sometimes I get to that full feeling. I have never had the pains in the chest, Water mouth feeling like a need to throw-up. Not that I want to feel this way, but I want to feel like I am full. When will this happen. I go for my next fill on Feb 18th. I have not lost any weight from my 2nd fill yet. Still waiting on the weight to go down.

[luvmy2dogs 2]

chaise, do you have the Realize band too. Just curious. I would be interested to see how many people with this problem have the Realize band. We should take a poll. :-) I too have never slimed, pb'd or thrown up. Have trouble getting full.

[KyGirl-Momof7 0]

No, I just have the lap band.....to be honest I did not know there was any other kind until I read the post.

[lapbandmom89 0]

Wow lapband967!! I am not banded, my 19 year old dauaghter is. She too had the Realize band and had surgery in April (4), 2008. She has lost between 17 and 19 pounds. She is at 8.5 cc in what I think is a 9cc band and she said she feels little or no restriction. I worried about this, but I think even though maybe she may not always make healthy choices she will have to be eating less and that in itself should work. help.

[Vangirl 0]

Lapband967,

I feel like I'm experiencing the same thing as you, except I have 3ccs in a 4cc band. So I'm at 75% if my maximum restriction. This is from my first fill and I'm going to go in next week and try to see if a bit more helps. Right now, I am frustrated as well because I'm doing all of the work, and while I can with willpower keep calorie levels within the dieting range for a period of time, eventually I'll crack and give into the cravings. That's why I got the band in the first place, so that it wouldn't let me give in. I hope that you're able to experience more restriction with increased fill. I was also reading on another thread that a person with a similar problem was having a leak, but when the dr. used something called omni and not regular saline, it resulted in restriction.

[lapband967 0]

:mellow:Hi all

Sorry I started this thing and have not gotten back. I work and take care of mom who has dementia. Just wanted to update you. I went to the doctor (not the physician's assistant) this past Tuesday and he saw where the PA had was noted that I had a 9cc fill--so he talked to me about how I was eating, whether I was doing it correct, said I should probably visit the nutritionist or maybe I was ignoring the restriction blah, blah, blah. I really began to get frustrated :bored:and told him that I went into this thing with the expectation that I would feel a definite restriction and If I could do this thing mentally I would have done so and I would not have undergone a entire surgical procedure. I felt so unhappy :thumbup: that I started to cry--finally he checked to see how many cc's where there and was only able to draw out 3cc's. So now he and the physician assistant have to get together and explain why--after 4 fills--she was not able to find any problems. He put in 7cc's and I go next week to see if the 7cc's are stil there and to take a full xray to detemine if there is a leak. If one is found then I will have it fixed--but will find another doctor--I intend to change doctors anyway. While I did not want any problems I was happy to find out that there was something wrong that could possibly be fixed--if not I would be right back where I started. From what hear from those who do lose weight - most cannot eat more than 4 ounces(at some point)--if they try more then they feel discomfort. To 'Ilovemytwodogs' I would suggest you get a second opinion too--if you get to the highest fill and still have problems. I will definitely post a message once I come from the doctor next week. Thanks for your support I really appreciate it and will definitely continue to need it since it may look like I may well be going through another surgical procedure.

[amberstar 1]

I had a feeling that was the problem!! At least you know you're not crazy! lol. Good luck with it and I hope whatever it is gets fixed.

[vegors 0]

Oh am I so glad to see that I am not alone in this problem!

My husband begged me this morning to get on line to see if others were also having this problem and unfortunately for you, you are! I am at 9cc and I have a 10cc regular band. I had my sweet spot back in May and lost 12 pounds in one month and thought that life was good. That was the last of my weight loss and now have spent the rest of my time trying to keep it off. This past month I have just given up. Oh sure, I have some restriction in the morning, ate half an omelete and a few bites of pancake at 11 yesterday while the rest of my cousins ate all of their food and of course, they are all tiny little things! I drank Water with lemon before hand, but one or two tiny, tiny sips afterwards just to wet my throat as I have been fighting a cold. By 2:00, was starting to feel hungry, so ate a bit of Jerky and by 4 was really hungry( or at least I think I was) and pretty much ate a bag of the Quaker Oats rice crisps cheddar Snacks, and it was the bigger bag. No restriction and my husband just looked at me mortified that I could do it. He kindly approached the subject this morning and said I need to find out what in the heck is going on. All the old feelings of failure, inadequacy and why can't I control my eating are back. I am assuming you guys know those feelings. The ones we got every time a another diet failed. I thought that this would be it, the control that I needed to succeed in weight loss. My husband over the past 1 1/2 years has lost over 100 pounds on his own, eating Fiber One bars and chicken breasts. He started it when we originally started looking at both of us doing the band surgery and he decided he was too chicken to do that, so would let me do it first and then if I succeeded, he would do it. But until then, he got some phen phen(yes it is still out there, but in a healthier version and prescibed by our family doc) and started eating less. He stopped the phen phen after 6 months and has continued on without exercising! He now weighs probably about 15 to 20 pounds more than me! But he has the will power that I have never had and can just pass up a meal and eat less at other meals. He wants to see me happy and knows how much of a failure I feel like, so that is why he wanted me to find out if I was alone in this. I am going to start that 5 day pouch test tomorrow as I feel that that might be part of the problem. I need to shrink my pouch and start all over. We do this surgery knowing that we have no will power, if we did, we wouldn't have needed the surgery! But for so many of us, it just doesn't seem to be doing for us what seems to be so easy for others. Guess I could piss and moan and say why me? But I just want to find out how to get it to work and get back to the weight loss again. Will keep you posted as to how the pouch shrinking goes.

Thanks to all of you who have posted your same problems and frustrations. I pray the best for all of you and that some day very soon, we all find our sweet spots!

[luvmy2dogs 2]

vegors: What kind of band do you have? Also, did you try eating Protein instead of that big bag of quaker oats cheddar rice crisps. My surgeon told me that crunchy stuff breaks down real small when you chew it up, so it goes right through the pouch. Which is probably why you could eat the whole bag. Some lunch meat chicken breast, or tuna, or something else with dense Protein may have been a much better option. Not to sound harsh, but some of the food choices you have made are not the best in calories/fat, and also not realy good for the band. The band works better with heavy Proteins, and not slider foods, or foods that turn very small like chips when you chew them up.

I understand the frustration you feel regarding the restriction, as I just found restriction with my 3rd fill. I'm at 8.1 cc in my 9cc realize band. But... I never sit down and eat an entire bag of chips, or beef Jerky. That stuff is loaded with fat/calories. A protein like chicken breast or something is going to hold you much longer than a beef jerky, or bag of chips as well. Just a thought.

Also, I know the restriction will loosen. He told me that you can be tight, or to your sweet spot, and then drop 20 lbs, and it puts more space between your stomach and the band. Then you need more fill. Again, I feel the frustration you are having, but the food choices you are making need to change as well. We can not justify our anger at the band, if we are eating all the wrong foods. We can eat chocolate milk shakes all day, and the band will not work. As hungry as I've gotten, I haven't cracked and gone totally overboard. I still count everything I put in my mouth.

[vegors 0]

Oh you are so right about the rice snacks-I ate them because they were on the counter open when I came home. No thought to eating Protein over snack food. But you are wrong about the jerky- 1 oz(28g) of the Jack Links has 80 calories, .5 grams of fat and 3 grams of carbs, plus it takes me awhile to chew it! All the things that are suppose to be what we are looking for in a protein, right? Any way, my point of saying that I ate the bad food was that I had given up on making those good food choices. I was always feeling hungry in between the meals and was always eating more than 1/4 cup as some sites say, and more than 6 oz. that other sites say. You still have a great mind set to make good food choices, I have pretty much just about given up. After reading more info on the 5 day pouch test, I really think that it will be the motivater and the kick start that I need to get back on track. That and meeting with my doc in another week with an upper GI to see how the band is working.

I do appreciate your reply as you are right-I can't be upset with the band if I am not making good food choices. But I can when I know I was making those good choices and still nothing was happening on the scale and could not feel any restriction.

[luvmy2dogs 2]

You are certainly right. That can get very frustrating. Especially when you're making good food choices, and you're hungry an hour after you eat. Oh, and I don't eat the 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of food people say they eat. I don't know how they do that. I've never had that much restriction. Even with my 3rd fill and at 8.1 cc. So.. if that is what we are supposed to eat, I'm still not there. lol Today for lunch I ate about 4 oz or so of chicken and a piece of cheese. That is more than 1/2 cup. I told my Dr. that I don't eat 1/2 cup and he said everyone is different. Do you know approx how many calories you eat a day. I have to count all of mine. Some say they dont have to count anything and I'm like... grrr....

[luvmy2dogs 2]

I had my band checked for leakage at my 2nd fill. He took everything out to see how much was in it, and then put it all back. He did say the Realize and the new A/P band is more flexible, and it takes more Fluid to get restriction. The good side of that, he said, is that people do not throw up, get stuck, etc... the way they did on some of the other bands. I certainy feel your frustration. I had one night where I really felt like throwing in the towel. I cried and said "I'm a failure, and this is never going to work for me" I thought... Why did I have to be the one to have this surgery, and not get restriction until my band was full. UGH! I feel like I have some now, although I dont' know how long that will last, and I really don't have much room in my band for anymore fluid. I only have 1 cc left to fill. I feel like I will get to that 1cc long before I have lost my other 50 lbs.

[vegors 0]

This 5 day pouch tests has a journal to print off to write down everything that I eat, which I know is what I need to do. Too many licks of this and tastes of that can add up in no time. I have a very sneaky feeling that I, too, will have to measure calorie intake. May I ask how many you have day. I know in the Biggest Loser they recommend 1500, but I do not want to lose weight that fast nor work out that many hours a day!

[luvmy2dogs 2]

WOW! They eat 1500 and lose weight. hahahah I usually eat between 1200-1400. Since my fill the other day I'm staying closer to 1000-1200 these last couple days. I just had my fill Thursday. I am a slow loser believe it or not. It came off quick at first, but now is just a pound a week. My surgeon told me 1000-1200 a day is good. I was starving on that before, and usually ate about 1400. Sometimes a smidget over. I was sticking to that, and burning off 400 a day on exercise, and ony losing 1 lb a week. It's not been easy for me. Some say it's been so easy and they never counted a calorie. I've struggled with every pound after the first month. It's very frustrating. I definitely feel like this is just a tool and not an easy road. I count everything, exercise every day, and still 1 lb a week. UGH! Some drop it and dont even work that hard.

[luvmy2dogs 2]

I know it sounds like I lost quick, because I dropped 50 in 4 1/2 months, but most of that came off the first month or two. I've only dropped about 8 lbs since my last fill before this one and that was almost 7 weeks ago. I'm averaging a lb a week.