I wasn't sure where to post this exactly so I decided here since it does involve meals and food but also the surgery itself. My gf has had an 8 cc band for the last 1 1/2 years. She got put to a 5 cc fill about a month ago. She has gone from about 250lbs down to about 190. She has always had trouble keeping food down. Mostly things like bread. I think because she tends to fast that she doesn't really chew anything very well either. Just my guesses, I'm not doctor.She also doesn't eat much. I think its out fear of getting sick with each meal. However, she became dehydrated a few days ago. She was vomitting alot and complained of lightheadness and simply not feeling well. She went to the doctor and had them take out half a cc or so. She is doing a little better, even though her skin is dry and she looks 5 years older. The doctor has her drinking things like orange juice, Water, and tomato juice. She said the doctor said that someone people have to be a certain range from their "sweet spot" or else they get dehydrated. How is this so? Her meals haven't consisted of much. Some days I ask her what she has eaten and its never anything enough to sustain a person for a day. I really don't remember the last time she even had two decent sized meals a day. She never eats 3 times a day(which may not be necessary for some lap band patients i suppose). Can I have a list of what others with lap band eat in a day? Whether its 1 or 3 times or more a day? I'm just not sure she is doing this right or quite possibly I just don't understand that this is what happens. I'm not in the medical field so I may know absolutly nothing. Any info, thoughts, comments, corrections, are welcome.

I'm newly banded, but my dr gave me a lot of info about what to eat at each stage. In the final stage it says to eat about 1 cup of food 3 times a day plus 48-64 ounces of water. I hope this helps you and your girlfriend!

Many, if not most, banded people go through a period where they keep getting fills and end up with a band far tighter than is necessary or optimal. It's the thought process that if reduced food intake is good - then even less food must be better. We label food as the enemy and at times are scared to even eat. Some even end up on the extreme end of the scale and cinch their band to the point that they can't even get liquids or their own saliva to pass through the band.

What people don't realize is they are setting themselves up. A person who eats very low calorie day after day after day will eventually stop losing because your body will adjust your metabolism for survival. You literally end up at the point where someone eating three times as much as you is actually losing three times as much as you... Most newly banded people poorly understand their body - which is what got most of us here in the first place. This thing is a journey and it sounds like your gf is struggling through one of the tough spots.

It's very important to get a solid understanding of what's necessary to lose fat, retain lean muscle tissue, and how the band fits into that equation.

Brad