eatoandc

aaaaaaaaahhahhaha thats all i can say right now!!

Thank you for the input. I am new at this and being filled now reality is really settling in. So I will be carefully and sipping on liquids for a day or so.

Hi there, I hear you on the solar plexus pain -- just went through this yesterday myself when I got stuck on mushrooms. I have heard that eggs can be problematic because they are often two textures -- the whites can be rubbery, for example.
I think every one is different as far as how and when their bands feel tighter or how long it takes to completely feel the effect of a fill -- and of course other factors like flying, weather, time of the month, etc. Isn't it something figuring all this out!? I am feeling tighter myself all of the sudden. Had my last fill on January 6th and am scheduled to go back the 20th. I have had four fills and I will not get another next week since I'm feeling restriction, not eating more than my tennis-ball sized portion, etc. Sometimes I do get hungry again before the 4-5 hours have elapsed but I think I need to be with my band the way it is for a while while I get used to everything. It may be that I'm in the green zone already.

Thank you... I do forget sometimes, especially if I'm really hungry. After the episode this morning I'm feeling sore so I guess I'll be on liquids for the rest of today. That ugly feeling in my chest was not fun!

Hi I got my band on Oct. 10Th and have had two fills.. it's been right at a month since my second fill. I am scheduled for 3rd fill this next week. Anyway I am just now feeling like I have a band and I'm having a bit of a hard time eating just the last 3 or 4 days all of the sudden. I m wondering if I'm just now noticing the 2nd fill. Would it take weeks to notice the difference? I'm hoping nothing is wrong. I was away on business for a cpl weeks wonder if stress and flying would make band feel tighter or what? Today was the first time I kind of threw up my food. It was eggs. Maybe Im eating too fast? I have a few more days til I go to Dr so wanted some input or opinions please..

Is there always pain if your band slips?
I ask because im wondering if this is why im having issues and doc isnt just doing the unfill, but having me do a barium swallow first? Is she looking to check for slippage? I asked the nurse that called me back and she said she wasnt sure, but that this is just what the doc was having me do.
Most of what i have eaten since my band fill last monday, i have logged in my food journal as what i prepared on my plate, but prob half of the "meals" i didnt even finish and the ones i finished didnt always stay down...I have had a few PB's everyday at some point or another.

After attempting to eat a hard boiled egg this morning, and having PB;s of "slime" for over an hour after only eating half of it...I called doc to say i think band is too tight..they cant get me in today so i go tomorrow, but she wants me to go to radiology first to do a barium swallow and make sure nothing else is going on i guess.

Normally with my fills i ddrink some white chalky stuff (tastes diff then what they gave me at the barium swallow after my surgery) and she looks on the screen to make sure everything goes down ok. So im not sure what she is looking for this time that she needs me to go to radiology as upposed to the GI lab where we normally do the fills. Has me a little concerned..but im gonna go wtih the flow, listen to what she says, and see what happens. I was even having trouble keeping some liquids down and my Water intake has been about half of what it should be.

Since the 21st I have lost 6 lbs..im thrilled but its a little too much in just 10 days, and losing it because nothing is staying down is not the healthy way to do it lol.

Although I have not had a slipped band, (I've had a dilated pouch with my old band which is a precursor to band slippage) .
Over 7 years ago, my dilated pouch was caused by my surgeon filling me too tightly and I traveled unknowingly and I suffered horrible tightness, chest pains, reflux, severe burning that acid reducers barely helped.
I have never know ANY one to suffer band slippage with a "loose band" everyone that I've known that suffered band slippage had the SAME issues:
1. Too tight band for too long (longer than 6 months)
2. Vomiting daily (pbing) several times a day due to being too tight
3. Reflux due to the band too tight.
So basically a too tight band too long will cause band slippage and other issues. When the band slips you will know it because you will be in SEVERE pain, burning, accompanied by chest pains, and frequent vomiting, different than your regular Pbing and getting food stuck.
It does NOT matter how well your band is stitched, type of band, old or new, a too tight band too long will cause problems. Sometimes it take a few years before problems start and you suffer issues from frequent Pbing, I've known MANY to have issues after 5-7 years when initially every thing was ok.
So to minimize issues with the band is not keep the band too tight, avoid frequent vomiting (Pbing) and eating too much on a very tight band and purging.
Most people get their first fill at around 6 weeks post op, and each subsequent fill 4 weeks apart to prevent piggybacking, which means, sometimes it takes up to 3 weeks before a fill settles in and you feel it, and this way you can avoid getting too tight with subsequent fills.
Good luck

That is the worst feeling. Glad to hear you got it worked out. That is one of the gnarliest feeling I've ever felt. Recently I forget to eat lunch (it happens to all of us with busy lives), got home and started to eat dinner entirely too fast. It took 2 bites before my body went into "Def Con 4" mode. The meal was so for me at that point.

I was banded on September 11, 2013. I had my first fill on November 7th. I had my second fill January 9th. It is January 17th and EVERY SINGLE DAY since my second fill I have been (almost) stuck!!!
Let me start by saying that my band is NOT too tight! I get my fills under fluro and that takes the guesswork out of it. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!!!!!!!!
I own it. I am eating too quickly. My bites are probably a little too big. And as a result, I get stuck, kind of. It's not horrible like others have described, but it's enough to get my attention.
Before this second fill, my band was filled enough to keep me satisfied after eating but during the meals I didn't really have to pay much attention to what I was doing.
HOLY COW is it different now!!! And I'm not complaining! This is the way it is supposed to be....this is what I signed up for. I just got comfortable and complacent and now I am wide awake.
I am working on developing better habits so that I get the most out of my band. I refuse to be that patient who doesn't follow the rules and then tries to blame the band or the surgeon.
So I am putting it out there. I am taking ownership of my mistakes and publicly (sort of) making a commitment to change.
ok, that feels better now. Thanks for listening.

With all of the information sharing we do on this forum, nothing you read or research will help YOU understand how YOUR band works. I'm 6 months out and I realize I am JUST NOW understanding how MY band functions in MY body.
To help any newbies that might be interested, I've learned:
1. I can't eat when I'm cold. I don't care if I take sliver sized bites...it's not going down if I'm not warm all over.
2. I can look at something and know if I can eat it. Even leftovers from the day before could be disasterous.
3. If you have to slime, slime.
4. I have to sip when I eat. It's not making a difference in my weightloss and it's easier to get food down.
5. Even though you're not hungry - EAT something. I went almost 4 days on less than 2,000 calories, it will catch up with you.
6. If I'm hurting, I'm not getting enough Protein.
7. Try not to worry excessively about your sliming/stuck episodes, just pay more attention to how you're eating and get control. You're not going to prevent all of them...it's a fact of life, it's going to happen.
Non-Band lessons:
8. Fat people need more sleep/rest, I can't stay in bed for more than 6-7 hours now. I could EASILLY sleep 12 hours before and this crazy energy of mine...off the chart. (O_O) who needs sleep?
9. You look good, accept the compliments...they are genuine.
10. The mirror is lying to you...you're much smaller than your reflection.
11. You have to be really careless not to succeed (bad devices, bad surgeons notwithstanding).
12. Your biggest critics are the ones who are most envious and threatened by the new you.
13. You are an inspiration...to somebody! Even if they never tell you so,
14. Life is better now.
15. I find myself setting new goals on things I've never thought of doing before.

It will get better after a few fills but it is gradual and be grateful for that because it takes time to learn to eat with a restricted band. Each fill, I've had to adjust how I eat a little more. As for tips, just follow your drs orders. My fills are pretty in eventful. Go in, get weighed, fill out a little questioneer, dr asks me a few questions gives me my fill has me drink and I'm done. Small pinch with fill. Some use fluoroscopy and also deaden, mine does neither. But he relies completely on what I tell him, so honesty is truly important to get my fills right.

I'm curious what you mean by too tight - can you explain what your are experiencing? I got my 2nd fill on Monday and I feel tight too, but when I eat, as long as I eat slow and feel the food go thru then I am feeling like I'm probably not at that "green zone" place... but I am not sure - i've only been banded since Oct. 23rd - so still very much feel like a newbie.
Jammiebp - What are you experiencing? Details please :)

Hi there, I was banded November 5 and I've had four fills. No fill in band at time of surgery and I don't know how many cc's are in my band. It's kind of irrelevant since what matters is how the individual is doing with portion sizes and time between meals. Since the last fill I'm feeling restriction for the first time and not like I'm dieting. More like I'm not really hungry and I'm satisfied on a small amount of food. Yippee! I don't last the 4-5 hours, though. Am scheduled for next week so I'll see then whether I will get one more small one and then let that settle in. I think I am very, very close. Good luck to you! These are exciting times........down two jean sizes and feeling all the hope and possibility.

I just walked in from my fourth fill..... Banded 8/22/13. No real appetite, no cravings, five or so hours in between meals......BUT, definitely eating more than a half to one cup of food when I do eat. Because of the meal portion size, the Doc and I both feel I'm not "green" yet. He told me that since I'm super close to getting there, from now on, fills will only be 1/2 cc from now on out. If you are still eating a larger portion than your doc suggests, then maybe you will be getting another fill too. Portion size and hours in between meals are the questions I'm asked when deciding on another fill.

Hey my fellow Banded friends!! I'm new to the forum and also pretty new to the whole "Lapband life"!! I recently had my surgery Nov. 8, 2013. With my Dr, I didn't get my first fill until 6 weeks post-op. Well my first fill went great!!! But the only thing is I'm still hungry between meals and I also feel that my portions are too big. I purposely watch my portions, but sometimes I can eat more (at least more that what I feel I should be eating)!! I guess what I'm trying to ask is, is it common to have more that your first fill before you are truly where you should be? I don't feel that I'm "in the green" yet, could this be true, and that I really do need another fill? I have 4cc In my band now, but I'm not quite sure how many cc my band holds. What do you think??

I'm sooooooooooooooooooo with you Mcnay1! I was banded on Oct. 23rd and I've got 6 cc's in my band. I am restricted but i'm not really feeling it as much as I thought. I have not had any food come up, I have had the chest pain and now this past few days I'm getting a bit of pain by my port after I eat. I'm down 20 lbs, I really enjoyed my holiday (prior to 2nd fill) and although I didn't over eat I did have more carbs and sugar than I had had since before surgery - then my husband and I went to New Orleans for a long weekend - our first trip without kids since we've been married 13+ years ago - I had a blast and ate well. Came home and had 2nd fill the very next day, so 10 days ago.
For breakfast I have hard boiled eggs - two of them plain with salt (that is usually around 8 a.m.) and I eat them too fast I know - old habits. Sometimes I'll take fresh spinich and put it in a pan with spray and sprinkle fresh salsa (not jar but the stuff from the deli area) on top and cover for a minute then I crack two eggs on top and cover until they are done - that's very good too. At 10:00 I usually have one of those 90 calorie cottage cheese cups and then for lunch I have a 1/2 chicken breast with the Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie to-go cups - I mix that and celery and onion with the chicken (sometimes I throw in an egg if I didn't eat it for breakfast).. usually no more than a cup of food. I eat a SF pudding cup around 2:00 - so the day is usually good for me... it's this next portion of the day that I am weak b/c I'm hungry and really need ideas of something to eat when I walk in the door so I don't nibble before dinner. I've been eating a teaspoon of Peanut Butter. Then dinner is Protein (fish, chicken, taco meat, ham, turkey - whatever I'm cooking the family) and then I will have some roasted potatoes or rice - I will not eat any Pasta or bread. I do eat veggies but very few. I will have breaded pork chop but know that I shouldn't. When I go out to lunch I get salad and usually fish (I love Tuna) or chicken that is grilled. I will eat Soups but worry about them b/c they can be high calorie and high carb. I'm trying to stay under 50 carbs a day and no sugar.
The # one thing that I believe has been saving me is my consumption of liquid - no calorie Arizona Tea with Ginseng and Honey - I am getting in my 80oz a day with that and it helps with hunger.
I don't know about you, but I can totally drink and eat at the same time - I'm TRYING to cut it out, but it's REALLY hard for me. My next fill is scheduled for Feb. 3rd.
I look forward to the point when I don't have to worry so much about WHAT i'm eating as much as how much b/c my band won't allow anymore than a little bit - I'm not there by any means but I do consume WAY less than I have before surgery. It's the Journey - right - slow and steady. And my expectations are 10lbs a month - I hope I see that come Feb. 1 I hope this helps. and I hope to hear and see more suggestions.

It's not about being full its about being satisfied between 3 and 4 hours on a small amount of food. This is the time to control your portions and get acclimated to a new way of life. Two cups of food is too much at one time even if it will go down. Once your band is filled to the proper amount, eating two cups of food can back up into the esophagus causing it to dilate which is not good or force food into the band and over time causing erosion of your band. Just because you can eat 2 cups of food doesn't mean you should. Right now is when you need your strength. Its time to practice what lies ahead for you in the future. Some people the band will control the amount of food you eat but for most of us that is not true. The only thing the band is supposed to do is keep you from being hungry for three to four hours. If you get to the point where it stops the amount of food you eat then good for you.

My first fill was 4 cc's in a 10cc band....4 weeks after that for my 2nd fill...in between I GAINED weight....
2nd fill...things were 50-50...did not gain, but did not really loose either...was ok between meals, but no restriction on how much I could eat.
3rd fill was the charm for me....portions limited, hunger non-exisitant...that was over 2-1/2 years ago, no fills since then...have same amount of restriction now as I did then....
Everyone is different, not a good idea to compare fills wit another...some do fine with no fills, others are different...

Lapbandchic,
Your doing great, the lapband is not about "restriction" in the sense that it holds food in a pouch until your full and you stop eating. You never want to be "full" with the band. You what to be satisfied and not hungry 3-4 hours between meals.
Reading your posts it sounds like your pretty much there already, even with only 2cc. There are some members here who have had NO fills and are at their green zone and have lost over 100 pounds.
Here is a link that has gone around and I find it very helpful to explain the band and what restriction actually is.
http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

looking forward to my first fill on the 30th ... god knows why and is it sore ? but I've had a really negative day today regarding my band and I know by reading every ones lovely messages and ideas it will get better .. having such a life change and change of routine is difficult but I know im not the only one sailing in this boat x good luck to every one who's going for , post opp and experienced banders,,, its lovely to be able to chat on here with like minded people xx

It's gonna take some time to get to that green zone and it is different for everyone. I am up to 6.5 cc in a 10 cc band and just now starting to feel as if my toes are on the line of the green zone.
It's making sure that the 2 cups are nutrient rich foods and not garbage that I believe is key. Easier said than done (yes that's a BIG key!!!) As you move forward that gets to be a bit easier, I have gone from never cooking a meal at home to cooking dinner nightly for myself and my husband and even my grown kids who now WANT to eat that vs. McDonalds
I work 10-12 hours a day out of the house from 7-7 M-F and making dinners is not the easiest thing to do, but I have worked it into my life.
Gulping is one of those eating mechanics you want to stop doing now before you get to the green zone. You will be sorry to test the band when your close to that zone and you gulp anything trust me. That pain the middle of your chest over a huge mouth full of Water is not fun and the shower you might have to spray right after it is going to make anyone around you angry
Some banders are filled right up to the green quickly. In my humble opinion moving more cautiously is going to be the best overall to learn to live with the band for life and make your life style changes gradually so it's not a shock to the system.

"What next" - that's a GREAT question LBChic73! I'm on fill number two and although it's a bit tighter than I felt with fill #1 a month ago I'm still not feeling completely restricted and more importantly I'm still feeling hungry. I'm a Protein kind of a girl, so I am eating predominantly chicken, turkey, fish and ground beef - little to no carbs but I'm not staying full - and I honestly believe that the food is going right thru the band.
I have a 10cc band, he filled 4cc's on 1st fill and 2cc's this 2nd fill - and said that it usually takes 6 months to get it right (aka green zone). I can eat more than a cup of food at once - but probably not more than 2 cups. It's making sure that the 2 cups are nutrient rich foods and not garbage that I believe is key. Easier said than done
I can still gulp Water and drink at least a cup in a matter of seconds... I wonder if that is supposed to happen - I guess I expected that I wouldn't be able to gulp - when does that change?
Anyway - good question Lapbandchic73 - I'm interested on hearing more answers, especially from those who are banded 6 months... sure wish there was a search or filter feature to connect with those who are at a certain stage.
Albeit - I know that we're ALL different and our doctors are ALL different too. It still nice to hear peoples experiences.

Well yesterday I had my first fill. And as all of you have said it was painless. It was need to see the x-ray part where I had to drink the barium swallow stuff and I could see it go into my stomach. I have a 10cc band. And they just put 2cc in. I dont feel much restriction. Is that normal? Im still able to eat, I was on 24 hour fluids after. Then today I ate and it wasnt that much. So is that what its suppose to do..Just make me want to eat less. I really gotta get the chew, chew, chew chew thing down. But Im not hungry..guess thats the point. Anyway..1st fill down..Many more to come.
Lapbandchic73

It'll prolly take a few fills before the band works well for you. Use this time to practice your Portion Control, food choices and of course chewing and pacing yourself. Too many folks get in a hurry and regret it. Sit back and enjoy the ride, it's not as long as it seems. You'll look back in about 6 months and wonder where the time went.

OK GOOD!! thank you for your input. Congrats on your cosmetic surgery i bet you look like a million more bucks when you fully recover! That is very exciting!! post some pix when it starts looking better!