How in the heck can I be at 3.25cc in my 4cc band and only feel restriction in the morning. I am frustrated. I have another fill appointment on August 15. From the beginning, the doc thought we would have to go all the way to 4cc for me....something about not a bunch of fat pads in my stomach. Any advice from people who have bands almost filled to capacity? :help:

I am not near capacity, but wanted to let you know that I have heard of cases where the 4cc band was taken to 5 cc's successfully (under the supervision of inamed). So 4cc's really isn't the end of the line if you need more restriction.

Good luck!

Not yet, I'm at 2.5 but it seems very hard for me to achieve restriction in the sense that others talk about it, not that I really want or need to anyway as I seem to be able to work with what I have.

I said this to the doc the other day, that I assumed I would have a larger stomach because I'm tall and big and he said not at all, that you can never tell, and whilst he couldnt remember my particular insides, I had a BMI of 35 which he said can often equate to most of the body's fat stores still being under the skin and not visceral. I certainly hadnt developed a huge belly by that stage.

So some people's physical make up simply makes it harder to get good restriction.

Its bizarre isnt it? People talk about not being able to swallow their own saliva at 1.6 and here I am eating bread at 2.5.

I just found that I had to sit and think about what the band is doing for me. The restriction is there allright, since I can certainly stick to eating way less than I did, I now eat slowly, etc. Instead of thinking "where or where is my restriction" so that I can eat 800 calories a day and lose weight fast (not that that's automatic either) I decided to be thankful for the chance to work with what I have, to still enjoy a wide and varied diet, to be able to go out and eat with friends, and to never have to worry about pbing and sliming AND still get to lose weight.

You've had fantastic weight loss, you're halfway there! Its working!

Thanks a bunch Sarah and Jacqui.

I definately eat less than before and I am not gaining. I also like the freedom to eat out with friends and not worry about PBing (only happened once at home). I am slowly learning to make my better food choices. No sugar, soda or milk since banding and I don't seem to miss them anymore. Thank goodness for ice cream with Splenda.

My next doc appointment is the 15th and I always go in armed with a list of questions. My fill is definately at the top of the question list.

Thanks again for your responses and any future responses. I am so glad I found LBT. Everyone here is fantastic. Hugs to you all.