With everything we hear about our bodies going into "starvation Mode" if we eat too little - won't this happen (after awhile) if we are eating very little food? Our bodies will simply hang on for deal life to every calorie we put in it. That's always been my understanding as far as wgt loss goes.

So, ideally if it were possible wouldn't the best thing to do in the beginning is to establish an appropriate/good fill level before your body knows you are going to reduce it's caloric intake and then when your wgt loss slows or comes to a complete stop - have an unfill and maybe even put on :hungry:

a few pounds. Then get a fill that is appropriate/good and begin the lower calorie/amount eating regiment, again. Continue with this regiment until you are at your goal.

I've read studies on this phenomenon and have actually met people who did this regiment on their own (I wasn't able to do it because once I went off the low cal part of this - I couldn't get back on the restricted calorie part of it - but the band would really make this easier/simple to do.

Have other people researched this - or tried this way of working with your band?

I am newly banded - only one week out. I feel great and the band alone seems to be helping to controll my appetite. I'm hoping it will last until I get my first fill. But I'm thinking about how to use the band in the best possible way in the future.

Patti

Actually having a fill that is too tight is dangerous to the band and absolutely not recommended. You will lose slower but not because of starvation mode....you will lose slower because you will only be able to get certain things through the band and you'll make poorer food choices...getting into mushy syndrome instead of eating how you are supposed to (hard proteins).

I was overfilled and it was miserable and my weight loss slowed a lot.

My doctor and I had a talk and he told me that too tight drives bad behavior plus puts you at a real risk for slippage.

His philosophy on fills is thus: "I'd rather have you be a bit loose and able to eat a bit too much of the right foods than too tight and making poor food choices"

Folks think that being "too tight" would be super, that you'll just never want to eat. That's not the case. It's frustrating as hell because you'll be hungry but not able to eat and you pb all the time. NOT good.

You should aim for "just right" restriction because then you can eat small meals and be satisfied and not be hungry for several hours.

Sorry - I used the wrong terminology (I'm a newbie) - I should not have said "a nice tight fill" - I should have said "a good/appropriate" fill. I will try to edit the original before too many people think I'm nuts!

Thanks,

Patti

I think you should be trying to find the balance between eating the most you can and still lowing weight. Better for you allround. Health wise, metabolism wise, sanity wise.

I've been too tight a time or two and my weightloss definitely slowed/halted during those times... plus I was miserable til I had a slight unfill.

After the unfill I generally started losing again.

I think I might br too tight it seems like I can only eat like 4 or 5 small chewwed bites and I feel like I want to pb, I have a 2cc fill done in december and I can not eat unril almost 4 or 5pm although I do try a few slices of grilled chicken during the day and it just is painful, my doc said to have hot tea in the am to open the band due to hormones etc, any one else feel this, but like at 7pm wich is a bad time of the day to eat I am somewhat open to a small meal, it just varies from day to day and can be so frustrating:angry

Too tight will definately slow down your weight loss..you will fall into the soft food syndrome and the liquid calories syndrome both offer no restriction to the band and therefore you will eat more calories & eat more often. Not many soft foods or liquids that have a whole lot of protein either..Being too tight can also cause other problems with your band as well..not worth it..this is a life time experience..no need to rush to have too tight restriction.