Sugargirl

Ok I was tryn to stick it out but when I wake up suddenlu about to throw up it's a problem...I have dropped 10 pounds in a week...yes my hunger is gone and I really just eat cuz I know I need the nutrition..but not being able to sleep cuz of a gurling band is so annoying...I just want like. 3 cc's out so I can eat comfortably...ohhhhh how I wish fills were an exact science! Ugh! This is the part I hate about my band and wasn't prepared for.

I just go with the flow....I'm glad as all heck the band is doing it's job. If I find it hard to eat some day, so what. I don't eat. Simple.
It makes up for the days it's loose. But I like knowing it's there with every swallow.
I have not been able to eat Breakfast for nearly a year now. So I have a high Protein smoothie every morning.

Thanks for your responses. I think I will go in for a small fill but I can typically only get. 5 at a time bagged I'm very sensitive and swell shut at anything higher. Maybe I'll just get life half that and see how it goes. Glad to hear this is normal for y'all . Inconsistencies make me worry.

There's a lot of good info and support in this thread. I got my band in Feb 2009. As long as I followed the rules the band worked great. I gradually started eating things that I shouldn't eat, started drinking soft drinks, and snacking all the time. I ended up with a stretched pouch with inflammation of the banded area and a lot of heartburn. I had all my Fluid removed from my band in Nov 2011, and have been eating everything in sight! I've gained about 35 pounds since then and feel miserable. I'm going tomorrow, April 26, to start getting my fills again. I am excited, almost like I was when I was going in for my surgery. I hope and pray that I can stick to the rules this time and can be a successful bandster! Wish me luck and I'm sure I will be back on here looking for support and advice.

Elysabeth! I will start with you if you want.. We can motivate each other !

Sounds good n i will start asap because where i work theres A LOT of potlucks and no where healthy to eat.

I eat Peach Chobani with 0% fat. It is a complex carb. Simple carbs like Pasta and bread you want to avoid. Complex carbs like low fat dairy, fruit, and vegetables are fine in moderation.

1shauna1- well ill go ahead and try those tuna packets and greek yogurt, does it have to be plain greek yogurt?? cuz i know those tend to have a lot of carbs.

well im lost myself i got my surgery back in may of 2010 and have lost 50lbs and have been up and down on weight BUT it has been my fault because ive been snacking on the wrong stuff and now that i know i can eat a bit more i do it or else i get bad headaches if i dont eat when my stomach asks to, i tried going on JUST Protein Shakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner but man i just cant and feel like i need solid food and makes me mad because before id be able to even if my stomach talked to me and was able to ignore with no headaches after, NOW i want to start over and do it because i know i did not go thru all of this for NOTHING, but i do need help with snack foods, know of any good ones?? i got tired of cottage cheese and sugar free Jello. HELP!!

10cc in how large a band?? It is possible your pouch stretched a little, happens all the time from overuse, eating.
When I begin to feel that I'm eating more than usual, I go on liquids for about 2 days to give it a rest.
People call this the 5 Day Pouch Test. You can google it.

Hi guys, I just joined yesterday looking for help and support. I have had my band for almost 3 years. In the beginning I make have only lost about 10-15lbs. I am soo confused to whats going on with me. I have a 12cc band, and I am at 8.5cc. I have not found my green zone at all. I am lost on what I should do. I had my last fill in January 2012, my Dr. also checked for any problems, I had none. The worst part of it all he said the band may simply not be for me. I hope not, I really want and need this to work. Any advice, I am open to anything. Please help :-(

whats the 5 day pouch??

thank you I hope they figure out whats going on with yours as well good luck to you

Eat more! I wasn't eating a lot either, but I upped my Protein intake and am trying to eat more balanced meals, and it worked. Your body needs to have a certain amount of calories to burn fat, and you might not be getting enough. You might try Weight Watchers online - there are lots of things you can eat and there's a support group on this site. I'm losing an average of 2 lbs per week (down 25 since my surgery on 12/30) and while that doesn't sound like a lot, 1-2 lbs per week should be your goal.
Exercise, too, is key. I'm working out at Curves 3 days a week and trying to use my stairclimber at least 2 days. If I don't exercise, I don't lose.
Most of all, don't get discouraged. This is a journey - check with your doctor to see if maybe your band is too tight - and know that we'll all support you here!

Congrats on all the bambinos! Glad all is well. My surgeon has all his female patients take pregnancy tests right before surgery, literally right before, like when ur getting iv hook ups, if test is positive, he will not do the surgery.

Hi my name is kim. I just came back to this site and posted my first post in 9 months. Then went to read through post and found this one! So funny how this works out! I will paste the message I posted on the main page. Id love to stay in touch with you and we can maybe be a support to one another since going through the same thing!!! Heres my story....
I'm baaaack!!!!!! So I was banded on July 7th last year, and three weeks later didnt think I was healing very well so I went to the dr and found out band was ok, but I was 8 weeks PREGNANT! So yes, I was 5 weeks pregnant when I had surgery. 13 years of never being able to concieve then SURPRISE!!!!!!! Thankfully my baby survived surgery,xrays, lots of test, rapid weightloss, B12 absorption issues and extreme anemia, oh and pre-eclampsia.
I did not have a fill after my surgery, because of the pregnancy. It was left with the small amount that was put in during the surgery. I had no problems eating whateer i wanted. I did feel full quicker but also got hungry quick too. After I delivered my little miracle baby, within a day I noticed a huge difference with my eating. I started feeling really full really fast, couldnt eat bread or eggs without getting stuck, and couldnt drink while eating without feeling really uncomfortable. I talked with my OB about it and he said that during pregnancy the blood flow is so increased that digestion speeds up, so that is why I probably didnt have a problem while pregnant.
My baby girl is now a month old and I have lost 35 of the 55 pounds I gained. (I lost 35 pounds my first trimester) so I am 10 pounds less than my surgery day weight. I am excited to finally getting to utilize my lapband, but very nervous!!! I have not followed any of the lapband rules, and I am scared I wont have the results I may have had if I had had time to work the band before hand. But I am ready to give it my best. I look forward to seeing my surgeon May 3rd, and hope I will get my first fill and start seeing results.

I haven't been blessed with a baby since being banded (if I had been, I'd earn an entry in the Guiness World Book of Records), but I've had an experience that seems worth telling you about.
When I was about 20 months post-op, my band slipped and I had a complete unfill. The unfill worked to cure the slip, but when I was in the middle of getting refilled, my port flipped so it was nearly impossible to get fills. I had to postpone surgery to fix my port because of personal stuff going on, including the deaths of my mom and my mother-in-law. So another year went by before I got close to the level of fill I'd had before the slip. And lo and behold, that time around, my experience of restriction was nothing like the first time. I felt like a baby bandster who had to re-learn all my satiety signals. Once I got it figured out, I started losing weight again.
So, my message to you is that a fill level that worked before may not work later, but that doesn't mean your band is never going to work again. Maybe you just need another fill. Even a small fill could make a big difference, and if necessary, your band can be filled beyond its official 10 cc capacity.
I know it's hard to return to the same level of excitement and commitment to weight loss as you had as a new pre-op, especially when your life has changed in such a major way. I don't know you and don't know what deeply motivates you, but if I were you, I'd want to become the healthiest woman possible so I could see that baby grow up. If you can't do it for you, do it for your child!

Congrats on the baby. Some people really need a lot of Fluid in their band to feel the restriction. Funny how different it can be for everyone. Good luck to you! YOu can do it. You exercise so that is a big plus. Maybe if you have been doing the same thing for a while you could change it up. I lost 130 some pounds and came to a screeching hault! OMG I have never been so frustrated in my life. I knew I didn't need a fill and I was eating well and exercised very regular. Went and visited my Dr and my dietitian and they suggested starting a strength training regiment. I now go to "body pump" at the gym. After 2 weeks of doing it (3 times a week) I have lost 9 pounds in a little over a month. Maybe it was because of that, maybe my body just finally gave in to the plateau... anyway it seems to have kicked me back into loss mode.
Good luck to ya!