I will be banded 1 yr on June 13th, woohoo, my bandiversary, although my weight loss has been slow it's been steady, with that said, the scale hasn't moved in the last 3 weeks! The last time I was in for a fill which was a month ago he didn't put any in because he insisted I was in the green zone, I wanted more fluid, he said no. I get hungry about every 4 hrs, I think that is normal right? If I don't eat any protein for breakfast I will get hungry before then but my go to snacks are greek yogurt or low fat string cheese. I have absolutely NO and I mean NO energy all the time. Do I feel restriction, well I'm not sure, I'm still able to eat bread, rice to some extent which I limit these foods as they are carbs. Early on in this journey I was not able to eat bread of any kind or rice I would get stuck and puke, what is the difference now? Why all the sudden I can eat it? Oh and I can eat at least a cup's worth of food and sometimes more. I just feel like I need a fill. I see my surgeon day after tomorrow for my monthly ck up and to also discuss a colonoscopy that I have to have coming up next month so I'm hoping he doesn't do an unfill for that procedure. The gastroentrologist that I'm seeing recommends drinking a gallon of gatorade with stuff and a 2 liter of ginger ale, well we all know that won't happen with a lap band patient. My surgeon suggests 2 bottles of magnesium citrate and pills which I will have him prescribe this for me to take with me to the gastro dr in a week. Do ya'll think I'm in the green zone? I mean I can pretty much eat anything and I mean anything I want.

In the beginning when we were getting my band properly adjusted, my Dr. would point to this chart he had hanging on the wall and ask me to point EXACTLY were I though I was....he would then ask a few questions, look at my weight loss/gain since last visit, then make his decsions.....

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So, looking at the chart...are you NOT hungry? Do you have GOOD weight loss? Good Portion Control? and most of all Patient satisfaction...are you happy?

I've had good results since my banding four months ago. Since my third fill, I've been completely satisfied after eating my small meals with no hunger or craving for at least four hours. I have NEVER been stuck or vomited. There is nothing I cannot eat provided I chew well and follow the rules. I've lost 40 pounds. I agree with B-52. Look at the chart and let that be your guide. You can do this!

To me, sounds like your borderline. I would talk with your dr. about exactly what your eating and what your hunger is like. Take notes and bring them in. You don't want to be too tight, believe me. Been there, done that. I have had as small as a .1 fill bring me from hungry all the time to not being able to keep down protein shakes.

Green zone has nothing to do with what you can eat, it deals with satiety when you eat the right things. I just got out of my monthly checkup without a fill. Why? I'm usually not hungry for 3-5 hours after I eat and I lost 6 pounds last month, I can eat anything (Well I don't really know that for sure, I haven't tried everything). Could I be tighter? Probably, don't want to find out.

Terry is right. Satiety is what matters more than the types of food you can eat.

Measuring, putting Protein 1st, logging, drinking Water are all important. Pay attention to when you are physically hungry. If you want something specific like chips or something sweet, that's head hunger. If you just need to eat and you don't care what it is...that's hunger, at least that's what my nut told me. For me that works to tell the diff.

Your band doesn't know the diff between potatoes or lean protein but your BMI will. It's up 2 U 2 make the right choice. I don't eat bread, crackers other processed carb because its not a healthy choice not cuz my band stops me.

I think I'm right on the border of being in the green zone.