Hello everybody,

I need some help and advice, and I really don't know if this is the right forum or not, but I thought since I'm asking about a possible fill, I'd try here.

I was banded on July 26th of last year, and I've lost around 65 pounds. But, the problem is, I have only lost 4 pounds since the first of March.:think I haven't had a fill since December, so I have one scheduled for in the morning. The problem is though, I am terrified of being too tight. Right now, I still get a "stuck" feeling when I first start eating. But, after that passes I can eat quite a bit more than I could right after my last fill. I think maybe the stuck feeling is coming from the fact that maybe I still don't take small enough bites and chew enough, but I'm not sure. So, I guess my question is, do you all think I should get a fill? Ugh! I wish I knew what to do! Thank you for all of your help, and I apologize if this is a stupid question.

I experienced that as well and called my doctor. He apologized because he said his staff should have told me the following...

Take a very small first bite and chew until it's mushie! Wait up to 3 minutes before taking another identical bite. Wait another couple of minutes and then you should be fine. It relaxes the throat or something like that so that you can finish eatting. Hope this helps, Susan

P.S. I also got a great (and even better) idea from someone on this board. She said she sips hot tea before eatting and it has the same effect. I tried it and it works.

Susan,

Thanks so much for the advice! I know that I need to take small bites and chew REALLY WELL, but I've never thought about actually wating a few minutes between bites. That's a great idea, and I'm going to try it! Thank you!

Jack,

You are too funny, and so right! I did get a teeny tiny fill this morning, but the biggest change that I'm going to make is taking smaller bites and chewing more slowly! It's amazing what you can realize you are doing (or aren't doing) when you really think about it. Thank you for your help, and for congratulating me on my progress so far! Sometimes it's hard when you think you are doing pretty well and then you see someone who's had RNY or something and they are losing twice as fast as you are, but I KNOW I made the right decision and don't regret for a minute.