I was banded 12/06. I started losing in 2008 and was very successful. In 2009 I found out I was pregnant and I just had my baby in January. Now that she's 6 months, I'm attempting to get back on track but it's the HARDEST thing to do! I almost feel like I'm totally new at this thing and am wondering how to get back on track. The fill center I was going to prior to my pregnancy is no longer my choice location. The fill tech is no longer there and the new one refuses to fill me to where i feel i should be. Just to be clear, I'm not one that wants to only be able to take in liquids! However, I don't believe i should be able to digest breads and pastas. Am i incorrect? Anyway, I'd just like help and maybe a little motivation to get back on track! I gained 30lbs while pregnant and my overall weight loss before my pregnancy was 75lbs...

HELP!

Congrats on ur new baby!!

Well umm I hate to say this because I want to be on ur side. Put I would still go to the same place. Because most dr.s won't fill u up to wear u wana be right off the bat. My dr filled me a little at a time until I got to where I needed. I wanted to be filled all the way at first..but she explained to me that its not beneficial because ur training urself. And in ur case retraining urself. Because if u get filled a lot u may not realize what and how much food u can handle and end up pbing or hurting ur band. Plus ur fills make u swell..a big one will def swell ur pouch thus making it inaccurate bc u may be too tight right off the bat makin u get unfilled a lil..it takes a few days for swelling to go down for accuracy. I think its best to do a lil at a time to make sure u can build up to ur sweet spot..don't wait months for the little fills maybe do a lil fill every 2 weeks or so until you get to ur sweet spot. Just my opinion..good luck

Well, I think that maybe you'd have more success getting to where you want to be, fill-wise, if you phrase it differently to the fill tech.

If you communicate to the tech that you still get hungry 1.5 hours after a meal of dense Protein, you'll likely get a tech who says, "Hm, yes--a bit of fill would be a good idea, then." But telling the same tech, "I want to be tight enough that solid food can't pass through the stoma" is apt to elicit the response you've gotten so far.

Most techs/doctors determine the necessity for a fill based on two things: your description of your hunger level, and how well you're losing. Even if I am losing very well, my doctor will fill me if I tell him I'm losing because I'm white-knuckling it, but am really still hungry.

If you want to avoid starches--and I totally get this, because it's what I do---then it's very possible to do so without extreme restriction. When you reach your sweet spot--the place where you're comfortably full after a few ounces of food, and remain sated for 3 hours or so--then you won't have the space for breads and pastas

I think that it's probably not realistic to expect your level of restriction to create an "inability to digest" breads and pastas. Because if you're that tight, you'll have trouble getting the other nutrients you need from other solid foods.

Edited August 15, 201016 yr by BetsyB