I have had a hard time ever since I got my fill a few weeks ago. It was tiny, but I had restriction originally. I just thought I needed more restriction b/c I was not sure I should have been able to eat as much as I was. Now though, I have a hard time with anything that is not blended or liquid. I am back on protein shakes, and watching my nutrition, so my question is -- is it bad to be over filled? Can it lead to erosion quicker, or esophagus problems? I just don't want to abuse the band or my digestive system anymore! Shoud I get unfilled?

I am kinda of the opinion that if you have to ask whether or not to get an unfil, you probably already know the answer...

Of course, I am NOT an expert in these matters - but I have read that eating solid foods is a REQUIREMENT of a happily functioning band. I have to vote for small unfill. (if you're taking votes.)

Good Luck!!

:]

I suffered through being overfilled for a month, won't do that again! I kept thinking I was probably swollen, not, I was too tight. It was such a relief to have a little taken out.

Soft food syndrome is NOT your friend. You NEED hard proteins in order to lose and allow the band to do it's job. If you are overfilled, you need to have an unfill, otherwise, you risk esophagitis, band slippage, pouch dilitation, etc..

Thank you for posting about this problem...I wrestle with this decision every day. I want to lose faster, but do not want to be too tight, and have those problems. I might be able to handle another .2ccs but for now, I'm staying with what I have. Don't be in such a hurry that you damage your band! I'd vote for a slight unfill.

Cindy

Most people really don't lose when they are too tight anyway. When you have to do the soft foods to eat anything, then you defeat the cause of the band and still don't lose.

Had my first fill 12/15...don't know how much...had no swelling prior and could eat just about anything if done slowley before fill..........now really don't get full right away and can eat still most anything except sticky breads and beef....can eat rice...pasta ...crackers....chips with no problems - so scheduled to have a little more fill next week???? Should you get that full feeling or is it just the fact you can't get it down in the first place????

Cause my head and my stomach don't feel full most of the time??? HELP?

I've been overfilled and I had the doctor take some out. Now they are going slow with me, giving me only small amounts at a time. I am going back on January 12th to get just a bit little more. 1.2 is not quite enough. I am trying to get to the sweet spot. I made it 2 weeks being overfilled and I was miserable. Couldn't eat anything without PBing. .5 unfill can sometimes make a difference. Try not to let them remove too much because then you'll be like me...having to do it slowly with just a little fill each time.

There is a fine line between being tight and being too tight. I felt that I was a tad too tight and called to my doctor about a slight unfill. After talking to him I realized that I am really not too tight for the things I should be eating. I have no problem with the soft foods, but can also handle fish cooked any way, chicken if very moist, and most all veggies. I was having major problems with steak, pork, and breads. The things I am/was used to building dinner around. My doctor actually advised holding off on an unfill and cutting out the things that I had problems eating. I guess my days of steak and rolls are over. In my case it was not the band being too tight but what I was still wanting to go through the band that was the problem. (However, doc did say that if I was having problems with liquids and soft foods that would definitely call for an unfill.)

Very good point, Lianna. We tend to want to eat the same foods we've always eaten. Which is exactly what got us here. Most of the literature says, NO bread, no rice, no pasta, no potatoes - both because they don't go through the band well, but also because they are the basic products that got us here in the first place. The band is only a tool, learning to make better food choices MOST of the time and beginning to exercise is really the key to the actual weight loss.

now if I can only curb my sweet tooth.....hate the fact that chocolate can still make it thru

That's funny Lianna -- I talked to my surgeon today and got basically the same advice. He said if I can't eat hard foods -- don't. He said things like ham, chicken, beef are slow to digest and hard to chew enough to pass through a properly restricted band. He said if I could eat oatmeal, cottage cheese, well cooked veggies etc that I was not really over filled. He offered to unfill me but added I would probably regret it within a few weeks....I've decided to do the soft foods for now and if I can't handle it after another week to go for a partial unfill. I need to better examine WHAT I am eating rather than HOW I am eating it I guess. Thank you all for your advice!

My fill doctor, who is a Bandster herself, said one time she was overfilled and was to proud to go back. She couldn't eat for the first three weeks or so, and finally the restriction went down and she could eat. I think you might want to go see the fill doctor now if he/she is local. If he/she isn't local, I would wait two or three days to see if that helps if it doesn't go down, make an appointment and go see the doctor!!

Best of luck!

Trouble is that things like chicken, and occasional red meat are valuable foods in a balanced diet. I dont understand why they should be avoided in any form, I'll be arguing hard when/if I get to that point. Its my body and I can lose weight at the rate I want, I'll take slower weight loss for greater variety in my diet anyday. I'm doing this for my health afterall.

Nobody really needs fluffy white bread, what a shame, lol. Or any other processed carbs for that matter.

What a shame we cant make the band sensitive to just certain foods, or turn it off for a few hours when we really want to eat something.

I think its a matter of learning to cook meats differently though, I will definitely miss a nice piece of barbecued sirloin but I've just made chicken burgers to take to a New Years Eve bbq tonight that were done in the food processor and are very suitable to a mushy diet. Where there's a will there's a way! I'll pull my finger out and post the recipe, because I tried one at Mums the other night and they were very nice.

Here is an excerpt from the Inamed handbook that is valuable to your situation

With the Lap Band system in place, you should be able to eat only small ammount so the food you eat should be as healthy as possible. Do not fill your stomach pouch with :junk: food that lacks Vitamins and other important nutrients. Your meals should be high in Protein and vitamins and low in carbs. solid food is more important then

liquid food or soft food. The lap Band system will have little or no effect if you only eat liquid or soft food. It passes through the stomach outlet very quickly and does not make you feel full.

Here is another excerpt form the book

If the adjustment (fill) results in too tight of a stomach opening you could have a hard time eating most foods, sometimes this causes people to avoid solid foods. They may drink liquid meals or soft food meals and this may result in weight gain. A band that is too tight may cause reflux symptoms and can also cause frequent vomiting and possible slippage

I hope this helps

during one of my fills I got to play with a band before Jessie finally had to take it away from me. Facinating gadget.

Overfilling is bad also because it will PINCH a bit of your stomach, and this pinching can lead so some serious damage. Being over filled will not help you lose weight faster or more importantly BETTER.

If you cannot eat hard protien like chicken, beef or pork, then you are TOO TIGHT. Just becaue we are fat doesn't mean we deserver to suffer.