Hi. I just needed to come somewhere and vent. I'm feeling so discouraged. I was banded in May 2013. Almost 7 months later, I am up to 9.5 cc in an 11 cc band and I still feel very little restriction. I have only lost 20lbs so far. I do my best to eat healthy and exercise, but the weight is not coming off. I still can/have to eat as much as usual to get and stay full. On the up side, when I do get full, I tend to stay fuller longer (about 3 1/2 hours). I have the REALIZE band and I have heard that it can take longer to reach your sweet spot with a REALIZE Band, but this seems crazy since it is almost full. I don't know if I should continue getting fills or just give up. Any advice?

Don't give up! I am newly banded and haven't even had a fillet, but I know it takes some people many many fills to get there. What does your doc say?

*fill yet, not a fillet! Which I have had.

LOL! Thanks for the encouragement, I really need it! My doc doesn't seem to think anything is wrong. He gave me the whole talk about all bodies are different. It just seems hopeless since my band is almost full and I'm still not feeling good restriction. I've never experienced any classic Band symptoms such as PB, feeling stuck, or only being able to eat a small amount and feeling full.

It would be sad if you bailed now. You might want to ask your doctor for your next fill to use fluoroscopy. See this video. Catfish is in the green zone and found it fast using this technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjCZ3YjMzE0&feature=player_embedded

Almost full does not equal full! The green zone can be a difference of a FRACTION of a CC! Just because you are almost full does not mean you are FULL! Keep your chin up and don't give up yet!

I'd just mention this...from personal experience. You can have a lot of Fluid in your band system...and have NO restriction.

As my friend TMF said...ask for a fill using fluoro, that way you and your doctor can SEE your restriction level....otherwise, its just a guess. I would have never had correct restriction without it....just my experience. Keep going to your doctor, keep explaining what you are feeling, and don't settle for any answers you aren't comfortable with. And never, ever give up! Best wishes

Thanks a lot guys! I'm calling my Dr. as soon as I get home and requesting a fluoro. I'm determined to hang in there and get healthy! Your support and encouragement mean a lot!

I have 9.5cc in my 11cc Realize band and I was nervous because I was reaching the max. My Doctor told me even though it is an 11cc band they can actually put a little more in if needed. I would not give up and I recommend talking to your Doctor about this. Even the smallest fill can make a world of difference. I have been at 9.5 since last January but I think I am getting close to needing a maintenance fill.

Are you eating a lot of slider foods? Like Ice Cream & shakes, potato chips, chocolates (things that melt) oatmeals, mashed potatoes? Boiled eggs? Steamed vegetables? Etc?

Eating the harder foods like grilled chicken beef fish and salads without any yummy creamy dressings normally are the foods we cant get down as easily and thus, theres your restriction.

I just had to ask because when i cant get the good nutritious none fried foods down i tend to reach for the sliders and i dont see a loss on the scale.

I always worry when I have to go in for a fill because I compare myself to others and their loss and level of restriction. I know I shouldn't do that, but I think it's human nature to try and see how we "measure up".

I thought I had a lot in my 10cc band at 6.5 but I know...still need a bit more Fluid to be at that green zone. I can and sometimes do eat more then band sized portions for weight loss and I'm not seeing the changes that I and I'm sure my Dr. would like to see.

Knowing I'm not alone in needing more makes me feel so much better.

I always worry when I have to go in for a fill because I compare myself to others and their loss and level of restriction. I know I shouldn't do that, but I think it's human nature to try and see how we "measure up".

I thought I had a lot in my 10cc band at 6.5 but I know...still need a bit more Fluid to be at that green zone. I can and sometimes do eat more then band sized portions for weight loss and I'm not seeing the changes that I and I'm sure my Dr. would like to see.

Knowing I'm not alone in needing more makes me feel so much better.

It's funny how quickly the stoma closes off once it gets to a certain point. Seems like you can eat about anything with less chewing effort and then that one .25CC fill can take you right to the green zone. Or, that 1CC fill can take you to too tight and a quick trip back to the Dr office.

@Pepper 28

No, I don't usually eat things like that. I admit I slip up now and then. But, the vast majority of the time I'm eating things like baked chicken, ground turkey, salads, and fish. I go in for a fluoro fill next Friday. Hopefully, I'll finally feel some restriction after that!

I always worry when I have to go in for a fill because I compare myself to others and their loss and level of restriction. I know I shouldn't do that, but I think it's human nature to try and see how we "measure up".

I thought I had a lot in my 10cc band at 6.5 but I know...still need a bit more Fluid to be at that green zone. I can and sometimes do eat more then band sized portions for weight loss and I'm not seeing the changes that I and I'm sure my Dr. would like to see.

Knowing I'm not alone in needing more makes me feel so much better.

It's funny how quickly the stoma closes off once it gets to a certain point. Seems like you can eat about anything with less chewing effort and then that one .25CC fill can take you right to the green zone. Or, that 1CC fill can take you to too tight and a quick trip back to the Dr office.

It's great knowing that we're not alone. Hang in there! We can get through this!

2muchfun, I also worry about getting too tight. I know that once I get to a high fill level that even 1/4 cc can make a huge difference. My doctor is very conservative and told me that if I have to come in for an un filling, he prefers to almost empty the band and start over.

2muchfun, I also worry about getting too tight. I know that once I get to a high fill level that even 1/4 cc can make a huge difference. My doctor is very conservative and told me that if I have to come in for an un filling, he prefers to almost empty the band and start over.

Wow...My Dr. is pretty conservative also, but to start over that seems so extreme to me. How would I be able to find that sweet spot if I didn't know how much was too much, not enough or how much was just right for me. There doesn’t seem to be a one size fits all Fluid measurement for bandsters everyone is at different tolerance levels. To start all over...I would not like that.

It's great knowing that we're not alone. Hang in there! We can get through this!

2muchfun, I also worry about getting too tight. I know that once I get to a high fill level that even 1/4 cc can make a huge difference. My doctor is very conservative and told me that if I have to come in for an un filling, he prefers to almost empty the band and start over.

I have to agree with Lisa on this one. Taking most of the Fluid out and restarting seems extreme to me? Giving up on months of fills just to start over would make me very frustrated. My doc was conservative too and by using very small fills, we snuck up on the green zone. I did go back in at one point because I thought I was too tight and he took .5 out.

Turns out, it was too much. In fact, I think I was never too tight, I believe I was not eating slow enough, small enough and not chewing enough. I eventually went back and had a couple more small fills.

If your doctor usus fluoroscopy for fills I think that would be OK to completely unfill.