I was banded on Sept 10 and have lost a total of 20 pounds, however I do not feel it is due to the band. I have been filled 3 times and the funniest things happen. Some days I feel restriction and other days NONE!! Can someone please tell me how to know if you need a fill or not?? I chalked the pbing up to not eating slowly and properly. I was able to eat a whole steak sub with no issue, I feel my portions should be alot less. Just wondering if anyone has this issue and if you are at your "sweet spot" how do you know that??

KP

I hate to be the one to tell you this but your band is new and YOU have to be in charge of portions. You should not be eating more then a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at any one sitting. You can stretch your pouch and cause your band to slip in these early stages. Eat smaller portions and alittle more often if nesasary. It takes a long time for a lot of people to reach proper restriction. For me it was about a year and a half before I hit my sweet spot. Just take it slow and follow the rules. It's not always easy but well worth it in the end, It has been said quite often on this forum that slow and steady wins the race. Good luck and best wishes:biggrin:

Thanks for the reply, however I think the whole purpose of the band and the 14,000 that I spend was to control my portions for me. Otherwise, I could just do another diet plan. I realize that it isnt a cure all, but there is a device stitched onto my stoma that is supposed to do that for me.

I also was banded Sept 10th and just got my 3rd fill this week, I was talking to my surgeon and told her the same thing.. some days I have restriction and can only eat a little and other days its almost as if I didn't have the band. She said she felt I was getting close to my sweet spot since I am getting restriction half of the time. Since she believes I am getting close, my fills are going to be small until I finally hit where I need to be.

I wouldn't worry about stretching your band unless your ALWAYS over eating all day. Spoke with my surgeon about this as well. it will take A LOT of over eating over time to really stretch your pouch.

Just curious......Are you drinking while you eat?

No, not normally do I drink while I eat, sometimes I forget and take a small sip. It's all a learning process. Went today for my 4th fill at my office, I can go every week if I want too, and since I am a self pay it is included for two years. So, the nurse said that the "sweet spot" is anywhere between 3 and 6 fills. I guess I will see how this coming week goes. Thanks guys!

Thanks for the reply, however I think the whole purpose of the band and the 14,000 that I spend was to control my portions for me. Otherwise, I could just do another diet plan. I realize that it isnt a cure all, but there is a device stitched onto my stoma that is supposed to do that for me.

Kimaly was right.

The band is not supposed to control your portions for you. The way the band works is to diminish your hunger so that you can make better choices.

Until you get enough Fluid in the band, it is a struggle to eat the small portions and not get hungry in between.

My surgeon recommends 3oz of Protein and 1/2 cup of low carb veggies for a meal, with healthy Snacks in between if needed. If you don't have a scale, 3oz is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand (minus the fingers). 1/2 cup of veggies is about the size of tennis ball.

My nurses say a bandster should be eating about a cup of food per meal.

I too could eat large amts at the beginning. I remember one day I ate 3 bratwursts wrapped in tortillas. Some other bandsters I told about that were horrified. I know where they were coming from now that I finally have enough fluid in my band.

The changing tightness of your band (where one day you feel full on very little and the next day you could eat everything in the house) is also very normal. I know someone who says "the band is a fickle b*tch". You just have to work with it as best you can. Days when you are loose, drink more fluids to help curb the appetite. Cold drinks will help tighten the band. When you are too tight, the converse is true, warm drinks will help loosen it.

I too did not get to a really good fill level until the second year of banding. I still lost weight because I followed the lean & green plan. Or as another bandster puts it.. Protein, Produce & Fiber.

Reduce the white carbs if you can.. they tend to make you hungrier. Replace with whole grain if you must have bread.

You're doing the right thing to continue to get fills.. hang in there, it gets better.

even at your sweet spot restriction fluctuates. some days you will be tighter than others. and usually in the morning you are tighter than in the evening. its a learning process. everybody is different. you have to pay attention to your band and learn how it works. you will, it just takes time.

I was banded on Sept 10 and have lost a total of 20 pounds, however I do not feel it is due to the band. I have been filled 3 times and the funniest things happen. Some days I feel restriction and other days NONE!! Can someone please tell me how to know if you need a fill or not?? I chalked the pbing up to not eating slowly and properly. I was able to eat a whole steak sub with no issue, I feel my portions should be alot less. Just wondering if anyone has this issue and if you are at your "sweet spot" how do you know that??

KP

Please keep in mind that you still have to make the choice about what goes in. There is no reason you should have even tried to eat that sub. Bread usually doesn't go down well and beef is hard for many people to do. You could be setting yourself up for a really bad situation. The pain that will be involved will let you know that the Band has the real control. For me temps, what I ate the day before as well as how fast I eat make a difference. Make good choices and try to keep the food at 1/2c. It works if you work with it.

KRP- I agree with you. The purpose of my band purchase was to create a smaller area for food in my stomach, thus making me feel fuller sooner....although healthy food choices are an imoprtant consideration...it is still not the purpose of the band...i too do not have much restriction, and I am at 6cc's....i am hopeful that a couple of more fills will get me where i need to be to HELP control the QUANITY of food I eat, not the quality. Good Luck to everyone!