I have been maintaining at 63.5 (ish) kg / 139lbs for almost a month now. I am finding it hard to eat more calories (as advised by my surgeon), so I have decided to have a teeny unfill this week.

[i must qualify why my Dr told me to eat more calories.. I work out daily, 1.5 hour walk, and an hour of resistance training, and 3 days a week I run, or jog (depending on my knee) for about an hour. And I would rather not give up any of my physical activity. Losing weight gave me back the ability to do all of this, and I am not going to give it up, or slow down for all the money in the world. But at the same time, I am finding because of my muscle mass, I am fairly thin for my weight, and would rather not lose any more weight, so I was told to eat at least 1500 calories a day, but with my current fill of 2.8, in a 4cc band, I am finding it tough to get in even 1300 at times. I know I could eat a bar of chocolate, or something like that, but I would rather not go back to the type of things that made me big to begin with. I want to eat more, but better quality foods. And now I am rambling.]

If any of you at goal / maintaining had an unfill, how did it work out for you? Did it help with maintainng your weight? Or did you have to drop some of the exercise too?

I've often wondered about this, whether you need an unfill.

I guess try it, because of course, you can always get a bit put back in.

You're so sensible, not wanting to just add empty calories. Good for you. And I wouldnt want to give up the exercise either, it does way way more for you than just help you lose weight.

I asked my surgeon about getting unfilled at goal, and he said "no way". He gave an example of one of his patients who insisted on being totally unfilled, and who was back two months later and 30 kgs heavier. That completely freaked me out. Of course, he was talking about a total unfill, and I doubt the patient he was referring to was doing any exercise. In fact, it seems like s/he must have just gone back to the exact same eating habits that made him/her fat in the first place. What concerns me though is that I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life being tight and eating minute quantities, but does it mean that as soon as you start eating a bit more, you're bound for weight gain? It sounds as though you're committed to a new lifestyle that includes a lot of exercise. For that, you also need to be consuming an adequate amount of calories, and if that means getting unfilled to a certain point, then I'm sure that's what you need to do. It would seem that it would be a question of finding the right level of restriction (like when you were trying to lose) that enables you to eat enough to maintain, despite the amount of exercising you do, but not enough to gain.

BTW, your weight loss is completely inspirational. Congratulations!

I think I am going to ask for a 1cc to be taken out. For a couple of reasons.

One, So I can get more of what I am eating now in (high quality, nutritious foods) And two, I am having my TT next week, and I am still not convinced, despite my GP, Band Doc, and PS telling me I will be ok with my fill post op... My band tightens up with PMS, so I cannot imagine what swelling from PS will be like (I was assured by all three doc's that I would be ok to leave my fill in, because I will be in the hospital that George Fielding built his banding practice in, so they know all about bands)

So, yeah. I have made up my mind to ask for a little unfill on Thursday.

Thanks Jacqui, and Anaed2.

Instead of an unfill, you may want to add a protein type drink/shake to make up the 200 calorie difference that you are not able to eat. Liquid calroies go down easy. The extra protein will also help you post op for wound healing.

Just my 2 cents.

Melissa Lea

I was going to suggest Protein drinks as well. When you get home from the gym, you should down a good shake that's loaded with protein and good calories. It will keep you from losing muscle mass. Here's one I drank right after surgery:

1 Cup Skim milk (90 cal, 8g prot)

1 scoop strawberry whey Protein Suppliment (120 cal, 23g prot)

1/2 banana (50 cal)

1 can Slim Fast vanilla shake (180 cal, 10g prot)

1 tsp Splenda

----------------------------

total 440 cal, 41g protein

So many variations can be made to these shakes. P-nut butter is a great addition, sf puddings can thicken and add great flavor. Get creative

WOW you have done fantastic! Congrats!

I would be afraid to have an unfill especially if all of your Drs said they didn't feel you needed one.

Good luck with the PS I am begining to think about that but I will most likely wait another year or so.

Thanks for the suggestions, however I have never been a big Protein shake drinker.

I have always had solid foods (I only really ever had shakes when I was a brand new post op). And at this stage, I don't really drink anything milk based, or eat a whole lot of meat (I get a lot of my protein from meat substitutes and fish) This is not because I am too tight or anything, I am just far more aware of what goes into my body than before. And I am not real keen on how meats and milk products make me feel.

My diet has changed to the point, where I no longer crave fatty calorie laden foods. I just want to be able to eat a little more of what I am eating now. So I am very confident that I will not gain weight. I just want to stop losing.

My surgeon agreed that given I will be having my tummy tuck on Tuesday, that he would take out 0.5cc (I was at 2.8 in a 4 cc band) and he did express a concern that any post op swelling may make me tighter, and to tell the nursing staff ASAP if that did happen, and he would come in and unfill me totally. He just doesn't like playing with a patients fill level too much. I understand his point. But I am not "playing" with my fill. I am having plastic surgery next week, dammit! LOL (I am pretty sure he misunderstood me when I told him the date over the phone... Hence not wanting to give me an unfil at this appointment. He was surprised it was only next week)

I just had lunch, and I must say that there is very little difference between 2.8 and 2.4 cc. But I think (provided I don't need the unfill in hospital) that it will be a good fill level for me.

WOW you have done fantastic! Congrats!

I would be afraid to have an unfill especially if all of your Drs said they didn't feel you needed one.

Good luck with the PS I am begining to think about that but I will most likely wait another year or so.

It wasn't so much that they felt I didn't need an unfill. It was more like "If you do need one, and you very well will, you are in good hands" Type of thing.

I am so so so happy I didn't get an unfill for my TT or my Gynecological surgery with MiniTT.

OMG.

All I could think is that I'd be stuck around the house, recovering, and snacking.

Whereas luckily I stayed at the same restriction level and ate normally but still managed to maintain (well after the fluid retention & swelling of the surgery, of course).

Now, of course, you should do what's right for YOU = but since I'm still not at goal, I am grateful for not having to be even slightly unfilled at my surgeries.

Happy Healing after your TT - when it's all said and done, you'll be so pleased.