Hey, was wondering if its just me, Here's the deal. I have a 14cc band. I currently have 8cc in it. a few months ago i used to have issues eating. I think at that time I had 6cc in it. I would have the stuck feeling, pressure in my chest, and sometimes I'd throw up. Now I have 8cc and I don't seem to ever feel that way. I can eat pretty much anything without that happening. Why doesnt that happen anymore? my doctor is not concerned he says I just have not hit the right restriction yet. well that doesn't make sense, it was tight now its not. I don't over eat but I eat more than the amount people talk about. I know when I go to the doc he pulls out the amount that was put in previously so its not leaking. I still eat chicken, beef, fish and others and it all goes don't like nothing. By know means am I hungry all day or eating massive amounts of food but its just got me wondering. I lose about 1-2 pounds a week and the doc says that's on target. Guess what I am asking is does anyone truly eat just a 1/2 cup of food and find themselves satisfied for 3-4 hours? I can eat a small-medium plate full. I'm not sure what that would measure out to be but its definitely more than 1/2 cup. Oh I can comfortably eat a 12 inch subway "healthy" sub. Please give me your thoughts. Thanks

Sounds like you're not quite at restriction yet. Don't panic. It WILL happen. It wasn't until around six months that I had the feeling of restriction. Until then I could eat just about anything just like you. The only times that I had problems was right after a fill but that passed after a week or two. Now I have to be really careful about what and how much I eat. Some days I can eat almost anything (no breads or pasta) and others I get stuck on things that didn't bother me before. The main thing is that I can go 4 to 5 hours between meals without being hungry. My portions continue to drop as well. I see my dr once a month now and we discuss wether I need a fill or not based on my weight loss and hunger. Stay with the plan and you will get to your sweet spot too.

Also remember that as you continue to lose weight, the band will loosen around your stomach. There is actually a layer of yellow fat around your stomach that will shrink away, so the band may not be as tight, even with more fluid in it than before. That is why it will often take more fills later on to feel the same amount of restriction as it once did.

Even at 8.75cc I could eat as much as I did preband but I'd get stuck at least once at each meal...sometimes more.

Don't look for physical restriction, look for cessation of hunger. I don't get the 1/2 cup thing. I actually sat down and figured out how much 'real' food that was and I could only fit 1/4 cup of vegies and 1 oz of Protein. I just don't see how it's possible to eat a nutritionally sound diet on 1/2 cup of food 3x a day.

At any rate...my surgeon said the sweet spot is when you can eat a *reasonable* meal (3 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of vegies and *maybe* 1/4 c. of starch) and not be hungry for at least 4 hours. I'm at 6cc in a 14cc band and am at my sweet spot *but* if I wanted I could still eat half a pizza. With the band controlling my hunger, though, I don't want to.

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I'm struggling with this too! Day 12

I asked about the taking all the fluid out bc my dr doesn't do that and they said that you can have restriction one time then all the fluid is taken out and the way it inflates the next time might not be the same or the stomach changes position a little. Maybe that is what is happened

thanks everyone, Its good information for me to think about.

I was banded on 9/30/10 and also can eat larger portions than what I like. I am reducing them with each fill, but also becoming hungry 2 hours after I last ate. I think it is just playing with the right fill you need. Try not to compare yourself to others, as it will be hugely discouraging. You will get there! A friend of mine had to have 4-5 months of playing with fills. Now, 11 months later, he is down 101 pounds.