I need help

[ButterflyBandita]

Hi Everyone,

I was banded on 1/21/10 and have lost just over 15 lbs - but I basically lost that during the post op phase. I've had 2 fills and am at 8.5 in an 11 cc band. I am currently at 190 lbs.

I can eat large quantities of food, but will have sometimes have trouble with rice, bread, chicken breast, etc or if I eat too fast. If I stick to protein and veggies, I don't really feel any restriction.

Do I need another fill to assist with portions? I probably eat between 1500 -2000 calories on any given day and I exercise with weight training and interval cardio.

help

[macleay]

Good question and I am very interested in hearing others' responses. It took me 5 fills to get where you are (actually I'm at 8.1ccs at this point), and I don't seem to have any problem eating meat and vegetables--I can eat as much as I want and don't seem to get full at 1/3 of what I used to eat. I haven't tried bread since my last fill (one week ago) so don't know if that will be a problem.

I am planning on giving it a month or so and trying to eat right before I get another fill, but expected a little help from the band.

[Dolittle]

Hi Everyone,

I was banded on 1/21/10 and have lost just over 15 lbs - but I basically lost that during the post op phase. I've had 2 fills and am at 8.5 in an 11 cc band. I am currently at 190 lbs.

I can eat large quantities of food, but will have sometimes have trouble with rice, bread, chicken breast, etc or if I eat too fast. If I stick to protein and veggies, I don't really feel any restriction.

Do I need another fill to assist with portions? I probably eat between 1500 -2000 calories on any given day and I exercise with weight training and interval cardio.

help

Your probably in that grey area of restriction. Do you learn to live with the small amount of restriction you have now, or tweek the band a little more? I have the 4cc band and I've found that even .1cc (one tenth) can be to little or too much restriction. I'd consult my fill doctor before I'd do anything.

[Lindsay]

I took my fills very slowly; that's the way I was taught to, esp if you're doing blind fills.

You should be waiting 6-8 weeks between fills, before determining whether it's time for another.

It took me almost a year to find my perfect fill point - I think it was a total of 6 fills, before hitting it. It's normally not reached in a 'fill or two', for us blind fill people.

I'm going to assume you're getting blind fills done, and not done by x-ray, which I find are far more accurate by the sounds of it.

You will NOT have full restriction, even if you're at your 'sweet spot'.

You'll still be able to eat rice, bread, etc.

This is a misconception with the band.

That some how, some way, the band will prevent you from putting things in your mouth. Or it miraculously forces you to make health food choices.

Please post a few days worth of your eating.

Including portions.

This is usually the tell-tail of why weight loss is stalled;

Underestimating cal's taken in, and overestimating cal's burned while exercising.

It's a long(er) than expected process for the majority of us.

While those who have a lot more to loose (100+lbs) will drop quite a bit in the first 6-8mths, the others, like us, who only have 30-50lbs to drop see things happen at a completely different rate.

Don't compare your weight loss to anyone else, and concentrate on adjusting your lifestyle & eating habits.

[EcMjawad1]

The adivce here is awsome...join one of the many food tracker's out there online. This will help you A LOT!! I myself use CalorieKing...for the last four years and am continuing post band...its a wonderful tool.

[janellody]

You will NOT have full restriction, even if you're at your 'sweet spot'.

You'll still be able to eat rice, bread, etc.

This is a misconception with the band.

That some how, some way, the band will prevent you from putting things in your mouth. Or it miraculously forces you to make health food choices.

I am going to disagree with this part of your post since I know many people (myself included) that DO have problems eating bread and rice or other food groups. That doesn't mean EVERYONE has that problem, but some of us do. I steer clear of bread products most of the time because it HURTS going down, and I am not even at full restriction yet. So yes, the band has stopped me from eating these things.

All in all, we do need to make better food choices and get in our exercise, but if we were good at any of that stuff, we wouldn't be having weight loss surgery, would we? Lindsay's post made it sound like the band really doesn't do much at all, and if that were the case we wouldn't all be shelling out thousands of dollars to get the band.

I need more fills but already have felt restriction on how much I can eat, which is the reason I got the band in the first place. If you can eat 1/3 of what you used to eat and be satisfied, then you are at a good spot, but if you are still eating more than that, I say you need to get another fill. I don't wait 6-8 weeks between fills because it isn't necessary. You can tell the restriction and the band has settled around 7-14 days after a fill. If you aren't getting the restriction you need, then why wait around another month or two? There really isn't any reason to. You got the band to lose weight, if you aren't losing weight because you don't have enough fill, then get another fill.

[Lindsay]

I am going to disagree with this part of your post since I know many people (myself included) that DO have problems eating bread and rice or other food groups. That doesn't mean EVERYONE has that problem, but some of us do. I steer clear of bread products most of the time because it HURTS going down, and I am not even at full restriction yet. So yes, the band has stopped me from eating these things.

All in all, we do need to make better food choices and get in our exercise, but if we were good at any of that stuff, we wouldn't be having weight loss surgery, would we? Lindsay's post made it sound like the band really doesn't do much at all, and if that were the case we wouldn't all be shelling out thousands of dollars to get the band.

I feel giving people the misconception that once you get the band, and fills, you'll be making better food choices, which is completely false.

OR, you 'won't' eat white rice, breads, and other foods that are relatively empty in calories.

And there are many ways of 'cheating' the band, even with the appropriate amount of restriction.

[jojobeans]

I haven't had a fill yet but I've been banded in feb. I cannot eat any type of meat unless it can melt in my mouth! Lunch meat I can handle. Breads, pasta, really anything dry I have a hard time eating it . And at this point, I second guess anything in put in my mouth because if I know I shouldn't be eating it and have a chance of it getting stuck and going through that pain ,, hmm.. not worth it ! I am very care full in avoiding foods that will hurt me, even uncooked veggies,I can't do. I love the band but sometimes I get SO fustrated because I can't really eat much of anything, Small bites or anything! Now, I wonder if I should even attempt a fill .

[macleay]

I feel giving people the misconception that once you get the band, and fills, you'll be making better food choices, which is completely false.

OR, you 'won't' eat white rice, breads, and other foods that are relatively empty in calories.

And there are many ways of 'cheating' the band, even with the appropriate amount of restriction.

I don't think I was ever told that the band would make me make better food choices, in fact, just the opposite. I was told the band was a tool and that I would have to do the majority of the work, by making good food choices, exercising, and working WITH the band. I saw from reading others' posts that some people had trouble with certain types of foods and others didn't. I also was aware that I could easily sabatage the band by eating the "wrong" foods.

I certainly can't speak for Kris, the original poster, but her situation sounded similar to mine. I've had several fills now and am doing my best to eat the right foods--lots of protein first, then veggies, then carbs if I have room. And that's the problem--I always have room! I don't feel like I'm tring to cheat the band at all! Isn't the band supposed to help me restrict my eating when I'm doing my part by eating the right foods, not drinking liquid before and after meals, and exercising?

The good news for me is, I've lost the 4 pounds I'd gained since going off the liquid diet in January (refused to move the ticker up! lol), so I hope I'm finally on my way. But I feel like I'm doing it totally on willpower without help from the band. I know it will help me once I get the proper restriction and will just hang in there until that happens!

[macleay]

I haven't had a fill yet but I've been banded in feb. I cannot eat any type of meat unless it can melt in my mouth! Lunch meat I can handle. Breads, pasta, really anything dry I have a hard time eating it . And at this point, I second guess anything in put in my mouth because if I know I shouldn't be eating it and have a chance of it getting stuck and going through that pain ,, hmm.. not worth it ! I am very care full in avoiding foods that will hurt me, even uncooked veggies,I can't do. I love the band but sometimes I get SO fustrated because I can't really eat much of anything, Small bites or anything! Now, I wonder if I should even attempt a fill .

Wow, sounds like you have a good amount of restriction just with the band. I know that some people have trouble with meats that aren't very moist and with breads. I'd be interested in seeing what you are able to eat in a day and also, if you're losing weight? I certainly would not get a fill at this point--it sounds like you have good restriction and I have to admit, I'm kinda jealous! Not trying to minimize, your frustration--I'm sure it must be difficult to all sudden not be able to eat so many things. For many of us, it's a very gradual thing as we get fills.

[ButterflyBandita]

Thanks everyone for chiming in on this. I did my first fill at OCC and received 5 CCs. The next was at a local doctor in San Jose, and it was 3.5 additional CCs - not under flouroscopy. I was concerned about this at first, but felt very comfortable with the doctor and his method for finding the right amount of fill during my visit.

I do think I will call my local fill doctor to get his opinion on getting a fill. I feel like I need one. I had a nice level of restriction for about a week. But that has gone ... although I do have a few lingering effects of restriction including difficulties with rice, bread, etc.

The doctor I visited here in Nor Cal told me that with the 11 CC band, patients typically need 9-10 CCs to get at their optimal level. So one more fill will get me there.

Thanks again for the advice and input. Sometimes this is just so frustrating because I am not losing and do not have any significant level of restriction.

A typical day might look like:

Breakfast: 2 eggs

Snack: yogurt

Lunch: Vegetables, Chicken

Snack: Hard boiled egg, Cheese stick and apple, yogurt or cottage cheese

Dinner: vegetables, shrimp, maybe a carb

I eat very healthily for the most part and will occasionally have a glass of wine or a cocktail.

I exercise at least 3 times a week with high intensity circuits.

I'm sad I'm not losing and am ready to give up ... but I'll call the doctor and give this one more chance.

[jhawkchick75]

It is possible you might need another fill. Not sure what Dr. O's policy is on it, but my doc I see for aftercare says I should not get hungry b/t meals and should not need to snack. For the most part I don't and what I eat at my meals keeps me full. Also, are you getting a lot of water in?

I eat around 1,000 to 1,200 calories a day and if it is a day where I work out I try to get a bit more, but sometimes it is a struggle. I would check and see how many calories a day they say you should be getting. When i'm eating like I should I have a hard time getting enough calories in that they recommend.

Good luck!!