B-52

you are well on your way, learning what's important. And it's life changing! When people want to hold onto their old ways...well...let's just say it's their life. I can tell you're going to do fine! You're excited and motivated with the changes taking place.

First off, I have never felt "Full" since being banded. I'm not sure where that misconception came from. According to the definition - description of the "Green Zone", it says you will be "Satisfied" not Full. I have been in the green Zone for almost a year, and have found my "Groove". I can go all day, and I have, without even thinking about food let alone getting hungry. After 12 hours of no eating, you can put a piece of cheesecake in front of me and I will say "No Thanks, I feel fine" That's being satisfied! The presence of the band, adjusted properly, sends a signal to the brain telling it you are full. Satisfied.Don't need to eat. But physically you are not full, you may have not even eaten for many hours. The trick to being successful with the band, is learning how to listen to it. When adjusted properly, it sends you feedback all the time.

Perfectly normal...welcome to the club. You just had a lesson from the school of hard knocks. We all have bad, old habits we need to get rid of, and what you experienced is but a part of the process. Most importantly, ask yourself what was it you did that caused this episode? It can be HOW you ate, and/or it can be WHAT you ate. I've got stuck on certain foods more than once until I got it through my head that those foods are off limits to me. Or perhaps, I had to remind myself the only way to get through a meal is with very small bites and swallows, and take my time between each one to let the food get down passed the band. There's a lot to learn to be successful. There's a lot of behavior modification that needs to happen. And it isn't always easy considering we have been taught improperly sometimes all our lives. that's why they start teaching you before it even applies to your situation, But eventually it all will. This is the hard part...the early months. But trust me, it does get easy...a way of life without giving it a second thought! I hope you learned your lesson....there will be more to come. we cannot hold onto our "Fat" life when we want to be "Skinny" We have to learn to eat like skinny people do, not gluttons. Incidentally, you say you're upset...myself and many other people I know, were thrilled to know the and is there and starting to do everything I was told it would do!

I would say 1 week is plenty of time. Also, your first fill I would not expect too much, if any, effects from it.

I'm 14 months out, and i was having them about 2 hrs ago, while I was eating (too much at one time, too fast)

Didn't mean to be so hard, but i did mean to be straight forward. I detected right away that you did know what you need to do. 98% of the people here are newbies, and you should be advising them. perhaps this will be a learning experience that you can help other people with, once you turn it around, which I know you can and will. Newly banded people should take note: , a lot has changed in your life and you got distracted, as you said. Just about every story I hear from someone who feels they have failed,or the band has failed, usually also has a story about something happening to them personally in their lives, that distracted them. Be it a severe illness, a divorce, loss of a loved one, financial, etc. Very rarely is is directly contributed from the band itself. just an observation. Turn it around! You've already been there, so you know what it's like!

That's between you and your Dr. I say go liquids for a few days and give it a rest.

My last fill was last May. Was doing just fine. Then hit a plateau, as you describe. was loosing and gaining the same 5 lbs for 1-1/2 to months. Went back to my Dr. a few weeks ago. We both agreed I am doing fine, definitely in that "Green Zone" without any hunger, no cravings, good portion control. But, just as a experiment to see what would happen, he suggested I get 1/2cc more, not that I needed it, but to see what would happen. Well that gave me the kick I needed, and started dropping the weight again. I'm now stalled again, but it is because there is not much more weight I can loose without squeezing every last ounce of fat out of me. I go back to see him the first week in May, and I am going to ask to have that 1/2cc removed. The experiment is over.

The more you do, the better you get at it, which makes you want to do it even more! That is what fitness addiction is all about.

All I can say is if you where fine 2 years ago, and are at that "Sweet Spot" as you call it, then there is not much anyone can tell you here. YOU KNOW what it is like to be successful, and it is up to you if you want to be there or not. We have all made the decision to get banded because we want something. Question is, do you want it? The majority of people here are just starting out. You have been banded for 2 years and know what is needed to make it work better than most people here.

8.5cc in how big of a band? And when was your last fill? My band is pretty tight. However, for some reason, and there are many theories, it does get loose?? My band gives me feedback every time I eat, controlling my food intake and my hunger cravings. But there are times that I realize I am eating more "Freely" than normal, bigger portions with little or no feedback. The common term is that the band loosens. Personally I think this is impossible, but what does happen id your pouch stretches from use, allowing more food than normal. When this happens, I go on full liquids for a day or two, allowing the pouch to relax and return to normal. After that I am good to go again. Someone put together a schedule one can follow. One or two days liquids, them mushies, etc, etc. It is called the "5 Day Pouch Test" Don't know why they call it a test, but it will return the pouch back to a normal state. You can google it and see the schedule someone put together. Myself, one or two days usually does it. This may be what you need to do. But it will only return you to the way you once were, not put you in a state you have never been.

I gave it up long before I was banded. But I do drink beer! Not a lot, and never with food. I've gone to ball games and had 2-3 for the day. Slow and easy, and always on a empty stomach. I told my Dr. He just looked at the ceiling shaking his head.

Where in NJ? What hospital? There is a Social group here for NJ Bandsters. Go there and introduce yourself.

I was just reminded of something. A few weeks before my scheduled surgery were very chaotic, getting all the approvals, signed releases, forms, etc all lined up. Waiting for this Dr. To fax that Dr, who's off till Monday, etc, etc. I recall, the Thursday before my Monday scheduled surgery, driving down the interstate, yelling in my cell phone "what do you mean my cardiac clearance is no good! It was ok last week!" In other words I was a stressed out S.O.B.! But the surgery did go as scheduled. Now to my point.....2 days after surgery I had a huge giftbox sent to the office, filled fruit, breads, Cookies, brownies, etc. etc, just to show them I'm really not a S.O.B. I got phone calls from each individual person there thanking me. Even now, over a year later, they have not forgotten and I still feel the love every time I show up.

Cannot eat wraps for various reasons. One of which is I have to take very small bites and swallows. VERY small. How do you do that with a wrap? I will buy a wrap and dismantle it, and eat it a little piece here and there with a fork. I cannot eat tortilla's.

The last few lbs are the hardest. You are dealing with things other than fat, such as the amount of muscle mass you may have, and perhaps excess skin. If you go by BMI's alone, I'm still 20lbs overweight, yet when I get on a Body Fat% scale, I'm less than 15% which puts me above normal in the "Fit" range. So everything is relative at that point.

Banded in December, but you say nothing about your band. Any fills? How much? Have you ever had any restriction? I have dieted for 30 years, and everyone started out good, but the failed miserably, sometimes gaining back more than I lost. That's why I needed surgery! Just because I had surgery did not automatically change my behavior. Not at first. It took a few fills and a lot of restriction to force me to change.

You would not believe the pills I have to take every morning, including 4 large liquid hell caps. My band is tight, 7.5 cc. And I have never had to crush or liquefy any of my meds. I just take one at a time, with my morning shake, slow and easy. And of course, never with food or near eating solid foods. I would not want a pill to sit in my pouch causing irritation to the banded area. I rather have it go straight into my stomach. I did get a pill crusher early on because I was told I needed to, but only used it a few times. May not be true for everyone, just sayin. I have found there are a lot of things they teach you to do when banded, but have found that many of them may or not apply once you get in a groove.

Did she tell you how much she put in for this first fill? And when do they want you to come back...

elcee hit it on the head!!!! I have been stuck many times, and not once did I think I vomited. I "Regurgitated" and spit it all up, but never vomited. Two entirely different things. That's not to say that if you were to get stuck, and did something like stick your fingers down your throat, sure you will vomit. But that's not needed to get un-stuck. But to answer your question, yes, vomiting can be harmful to your band. I have been told it is the most common reason for band slippage. The band is designed to let food pass SLOWLY from the top down. NOT sudden large eruptions from the bottom up. But if you are vomiting from the band, then there is something wrong going on. People refer to it as a PB = Productive Burp, which I totally understand. It is the same thing as burping a baby after feeding, Few pats on the back and it's all over your shoulder. But it is not vomiting!

I have learned over the years, that when it comes to big decisions, life changing decisions, it is best not to try to persuade someone to do it. Only YOU can make that decision, and you have to want it! If you are not sure, then you're not ready. When I made my mind up to have this decision, nothing was going to get in my way, and nobody was going to talk me out of it. I knew what I wanted, and that was to be fit and healthy, and yes...Normal again. I think that determination has stuck with me and maybe that's why I respond to negativity and quitters the way I do. I'm not into astrology, but people who are can pick me out of a crowd. They say I'm classic textbook!

I think the goal is to eat "SOFT" foods, so as not to irritate a already inflamed area from the band. Same is true following a fill. I can chew hamburger into a mush, but it still is a rough texture. You start with liquids, which is about as soft as you can get, then heavier liquids such as creamed Soups that are strained, then soft solid foods, AKA Mushies.

Sounds like me. Seems that is my comfort food, along with either crackers or sliced cucumbers. Our local Deli sees me coming! I'm too lazy to make my own.

Can only speak for myself. I have experience the same thing and it usually gets better in a few days. Probably inflammation. My last fill was that way for a week. It's just me, but I'm aggressive and I would think if I went back to get a unfill so soon, I may regret it a week later. BTW, I cannot take large swallows of Water. Never without feeling something adverse.

I was fine for months where I was at...7cc's. He recently gave me 1/2cc more, just as an experiment to see what would happen. Even though we both agreed I really did not need it and I was doing fine in the Green Zone. But I was stuck in a plateau, was not loosing any more. We were not sure if I was indeed finished loosing, or just stuck. 1/2cc did kick me into loosing another 10lbs, but now it has stopped again. So I am satisfied with were I am at. Lets take that 1/2cc out and see what happens the other way I guess this is what they call maintenance. A little tweak here and a little tweak there.