The "Red Zone" Sucks!

[kelsey94568 0]

I'm just venting because I haven't been able to eat solids since June 7th when I had my last fill. I've lost 16 pounds since, and I am so excited to go to the doc tomorrow and have an "un"fill. I've become way more obsessed with food than I ever was before. I'm over the vomitting and tightness now. I liked losing weight with a little restriction and calorie counting.

But...I was banded March 25th and have lost 45 pounds now. I haven't been at this weight since I was a freshman in high school.

Have y'all ever reached the "RED ZONE"?

[adagray 1]

I was overfilled on my last fill, but I didn't last more than one day that way. I called the next morning and they got me in the same day for a slight unfill. I guess, technically though, I was really beyond the red zone because I was having trouble w/plain water... took forever to gurgle gurgle gurgle down.

[kelsey94568 0]

Thnx for ur reply! How much did they take out?

[Jachut 487]

No, never. I was well and truly strongly int he green zone once and I didnt like that either - had a slight unfill although i went back to that restriction later. It wasnt as tight the second time around, go figure.

I didnt like how my diet deteriorated, I literally couldnt be bothered eating well because it was so much effort and I just started eating crap that went down easily. Lost weight, but it wasnt worth it.

[vlp1968 83]

I have had trouble after my last 2 fills. Eventually (almost a week) later, went in for unfills. The last time (yesterday) I saw a different doctor. To my chagrin he took out more than the previous fill had been (fill was .2, he took out .9). He said there was swelling. I go in 2 weeks from monday to have a fill. He says I'll be hungry, hopefully I can still stick to the eating plan I've been following.

[pitterpat79 0]

The "red zone" does suck. I was there for about a month after my last fill and I finally had enough of feeling like crap and eating a couple of bites and feeling sick because of it. I went yesterday and my Dr. took out a 1/4 of a cc and poof, instantly I felt better. I was able to sleep comfortable last night and not wake up with that acidic feeling this morning. I don't know why I waited so long to get an unfill (probably because I was loosing so well). I feel like a whole new person today. Good luck!

My surgery was 4/17/09 and as of today I am down 90 lbs. and feel better then I ever have. I love my band!!!!:thumbup:

[adagray 1]

Thnx for ur reply! How much did they take out?

With my last fill, I got 1cc, taking me from 6.5cc to 7.5cc in a 10cc lapband. When I went back the next day because I was too tight, she took out 0.5cc. So, I have 7cc right now. Sometimes I feel like I could go back for 0.25 now. I am getting hungry sooner between meals. But, at this point, I'd rather focus on exercising more than restricting my diet more. I like that I can still guzzle Water. I get really thirsty when I work out. And, I like that I can eat pretty 'normally' (much less than I did before, but not itty bitty portions either).

[sixtythreenova 0]

UUUGGGHH... you guys i want to get to this point that you've reached with restriction and losing weight...!!! I'm almost 4 weeks out and going for my first fill on tuesday... But while i eat nothing i'm not losing weight... I just want to get to the point where i see loss and keep up the enthusiasm for losing. It's so upseting and perplexing to me that i'll lose weight with eating once filled and not eating now and not losing.... Okay, enough griping.

Jacqui... If you're back reading this... From what i've read you began running long distances? I am a cyclist and although "fat" ride 100 mile centurys several times a year and train for those by riding anywhere from 25 to 70 miles a day.... my question is how did/do you find you get enough hydration with the band at optimal restriction... Has it been a problem for you?

[Jachut 487]

Not at all, I really dont keep tight restriction. I can drink fairly normally, I cant REALLY gulp but I can drink fine.

[TracyNYC 4]

I think I am too tight, but am not losing. I have been feasting on slider foods b/c it is all I can get down. Went last week foe check in, and hoped for unfill, but they canceled all office hours and did not tell me.

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

My third fill (in March) was fairly snug from the beginning. I averaged 1-2 pounds the first couple weeks then 2-3 pounds for a couple weeks. I had to really watch what I ate but I was "okay" probably very far into the "green zone". But I kept saying "it'll loosen up, it'll loosen up, it always loosens up". Nope. Around the first of May it started getting tighter, and tighter, and tighter. Again, I watched my diet and I did okay for a while but by the first of June I was essentially back on a pureed diet. I was losing 4-6 pounds a week, which, yay, wahoo! But had to sip and then listen as even Water went drip drip drip gurgle gurgle gurgle. Then I got hit 2 nights in a row with reflux in the middle of the night. I NEVER have reflux....at that point I caved and went for a slight unfill...should have done it weeks before but just knew the darn thing was going to loosen. They had put in 1.2 in March and took out 0.8 in June. I've done fairly well since. The first couple days I was hungry but I think it was all mental since I hadn't truly eaten real food in a month and a half. I got attacked by cherries on Sunday (first time I'd tried to eat them since getting banded...apparently my band doesn't like 'em so much) and I did have a bad fickle band day yesterday all day but today seem relatively normal again. As long as youre keeping fluids down you're okay but don't stay at that point where you can't eat for long, and absolutely if you're throwing up or can't drink go get 'er unfilled. Good luck!

[attitudz 0]

Ok, you guys are so helpfull, I got filled yesterday and am a little uncomfortable. Water has to gurgle gurgle down, same with yogurt and my coffee w/ Protein mix as creamer gave me heartburn, yesterday after the fill I was fine. Any chance it will be ok in a day or so or should I call for an unfil? (2.5 hour drive)

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

Ok, you guys are so helpfull, I got filled yesterday and am a little uncomfortable. Water has to gurgle gurgle down, same with yogurt and my coffee w/ Protein mix as Creamer gave me heartburn, yesterday after the fill I was fine. Any chance it will be ok in a day or so or should I call for an unfil? (2.5 hour drive)

Non-professional, free opinion (you get what you pay for!). If it was ME and I was tolerating fluids okay I would stick with liquids over the weekend and see what happens. Two of my 3 fills have loosened after 2-3 days...I would stay away from the coffee though. If you're keeping the heartburn or struggling to keep liquids down I'd go for an unfill...if you're unsure or concerned call your doc and run it by him....Good luck!!! (admitting I needed an unfill was so hard and just seemed SOOOO wrong!!!!)

[~amy~ 1]

UUUGGGHH... you guys i want to get to this point that you've reached with restriction and losing weight...!!! I'm almost 4 weeks out and going for my first fill on tuesday... But while i eat nothing i'm not losing weight... I just want to get to the point where i see loss and keep up the enthusiasm for losing. It's so upseting and perplexing to me that i'll lose weight with eating once filled and not eating now and not losing.... Okay, enough griping.

I had your same problem at first, too. Turned out, I wasn't losing weight because I wasn't consuming enough calories. My body was hanging on to the fat for dear life because it thought it was starving. My nutritionist told me to consume AT LEAST 800 calories, which was a challenge at first. But once I was able to do that, I started dropping the weight very quickly. I'm now kind of plateaued, though - so I'm going to increase my exercise and see what happens. :bored: Good luck to you!

[patsal 1]

I, too am wandering around in the "red zone". Final exams and all that grading made it impossible for me to do anything about it for the past two weeks. If things are still miserable next week I am going to call and go in to get .25 taken out. I know I was in the place between green and yellow before the fill of .5, but now I am not able to get anything but liquids down until late afternoon. Then I can get tiny bites down. I am not getting enough calories and I am not losing any weight. I caught myself making some bad choices last week and reigned it in, but the whole stuck thing is not working for me! At least I am not ever feeling hungry!