Here is info will come in handy when thinking about fills/adjustments. Great information. I have seen this information before and it is really good.

How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted

You are losing 1-2 pounds per week.

If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week:

A. You may need an eating adjustment

1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day

2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber

3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories

a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome”

b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram

(1) It’s also a stomach irritant

c. fruit juice is just sugar Water

4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of

foods?

a. Are you avoiding soft foods

b. You can’t just eat what’s easy

c. cheese is glorified fat

5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day between meals

6. Are you eating too much junk

a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly

processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a

healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you

feel deprived.

b. Stay out of fast food places

7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily

8. Do you always eat the protein first

9. Then the vegetables or fruits

a. Five servings a day

b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable

10. Is your portion size appropriate?

a. meat or fish

(1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards

b. Vegetables

(1) ½ cup – the size of your fist

c. Starch

(1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need

much

(2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta

11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners

a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the

appetite

b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar

c. They teach you to like things too sweet

d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner

than people who don’t

12. Avoid most diet foods

a. Real food usually tastes better

b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes

c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not

that great

(1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet

margarine

(2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats

a. They may go into permanent storage

b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove

hydrolyzed fats from the body

B. You may need a behavior adjustment

1. Are you eating only when you are hungry?

a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait.

2. Are you eating three meals a day?

a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks

3. Are you sitting down to eat?

4. Are you eating consciously?

a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper

away, pay attention to your food and your companions

5. Are you eating slowly?

a. Put the fork down between bites

b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal

c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying

6. Are you taking small bites?

a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork

7. Are you chewing well?

8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals?

a. Practice water loading between meals

b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal

9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness?

a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough

b. Hard stop versus soft stop

10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing.

11. Do not eat when you are not hungry

C. You may need an activity adjustment

1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3

times a week?

a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day

b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week?

c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes?

2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your

physical activity?

a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators

b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding

c. Parking your car further away from the entrance

d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through

e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination

f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash

g. Playing with your kids

D. You may need an attitude adjustment

1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey?

2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are

eating and exercising?

a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days

3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional

issues?

a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your

eating?

b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those

emotions?

c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor?

4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings?

5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends?

6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically?

7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss

journey?

8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating?

a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts

(1) Obsess about something else

b. Perfectionism

(1) All or none, black and white thinking

c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss

9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards?

10. Have you learned how to take a compliment?

11. Are you giving up diet mentality?

a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day

b. Stop dieting

c. Stop depriving yourself

d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad”

e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food

12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place?

E. You may need a band adjustment

1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate

portion sizes but getting hungry between meals?

2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large

portions.

3. You are having to struggle to lose

4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and

having a good mind set.

F. You may need your band loosened

1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down

2. You are vomiting too much

a. How much is too much?

3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night?

a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating

b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime

c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime

d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux:

(1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods

(2) Chocolate

(3) Caffeine

(4) Alcohol

(5) Some fruits and vegetables

a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers

(6) Peppermint

a. Baking soda toothpaste

(7) Carbonated drinks

e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals

f. If you smoke, quit smoking

g. Reduce stress

h. Exercise promotes digestion

i. Raise the head of your bed

j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist

k. Stress increases reflux

l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning

m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime

(1) Tylenol is OK

n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring

o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications

p. See your health care provider

4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if

a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest,

especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is

accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast

heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack.

b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise.

c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you

also have nausea or fever

d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee

grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar

in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.

(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your

stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.)

e. If your pain is severe

BJean,

I am terrified that my band will slip or erode because I was a self pay. I don't know if insurance would cover that expense or if I would have to pay for that too if it happened to me. I try very hard to baby my band by reading the signals that go off in my head when I eat. Now that I had a small unfill and can eat solids, I am paying attention to what I put in my mouth.

You are right, I think I am at a good spot for now. But I have more than 22 pounds to go. I have 58 more to go. I have lost 22 pounds so far. But I will take it. It is much better than gaining it. Hopefully now that I am able to eat I will drop some more weight. Today, I bought a salad and I was only able to eat a quarter of it before I got full, so my band is working great. I do love this band when I am not extremely tight.

The Dr I had set up to do my fills has moved out of state:sad:

So does anyone know of any Dr's that will do Fluoro fills for someone who was banded on Mexico??

Thanks!!

I'm glad to hear you feel good and even a little hungry as I have read so many others that are feeling miserable with the larger amounts of fill. I had my lap band 1/17/08 and am getting my first fill on 2/28 and am hoping for 1 cc to let my body adjust. I keep thinking that losing 1-2 pounds a week gives your body a chance to adjust to all the changes. Losing too fast because you are not eating solids doesn't seem like a long term goal. Mari

Here's a question to those of you who have a 10cc band. When you received your first fill, how much did you get, and did you notice it? I am going in for my first fill today and am curious as to how much I would get?

I have the new Realize band--my first(only) fill I gotr 5 cc put in--BUT--that was with flouro by my surgeon.

I have the new band and my first fill was 3cc. I felt a difference for about 2 weeks and then it loosened up a little. My band was empty after surgery too.

I got my first fill!!! The Dr. put 3 cc in, and I am feeling really good.

biggestloser2b, How are you feeling now after your 3cc fill? You said it had loosened up, but are you still feeling any restriction?

Mellis, how are you feeling after getting the 5ccs? Are you feeling restricted?

How long did you guys wait to eat?

I has by surgery done as Dr. Ortiz as well. But I went for my first fill to a Fill Center in Las Vegas, which is much closer to my home in St. George, Utah. On the Obesity Center's website there is a link to fill centers usa where you can find a fill center closer to your home. I had a great experience with my first fill, and it was done with fluro as well!!!

I got my first fill!!! The Dr. put 3 cc in, and I am feeling really good.

biggestloser2b, How are you feeling now after your 3cc fill? You said it had loosened up, but are you still feeling any restriction?

Mellis, how are you feeling after getting the 5ccs? Are you feeling restricted?

How long did you guys wait to eat?

Juleih,

After my first fill of 3cc it loosened up after a couple of weeks. I went in for my second fill of 1.3cc but was to tight. After 9 days I went in for a small unfill of .5cc (total in band was 3.8cc). I got my third fill of .5cc and for two weeks was way to tight and went in for another small unfill of .3cc (now have a total of 4.0cc. This is a good fit for me. I am able to eat solids now and get my protein in without slimming or being very uncomfortable.

Don't rush for big fills. Everyone is totally different. Some people need more fills than others and some don't even need any fills and they lose weight. Just make sure that you are not to tight and slime all the time because you can do more harm to your band with either eroding or slippage and then you will have to start all over again. Best of luck and luck and let us know how your doing.

I have a 10cc band with 6 cc in it (after 5 fills). My question is.....how do you know when the fill is set correctly? I was originally told you would only be able to eat not more than 1/2 cup at a time and feel full without drinking before/during/after meals like we were taught. I can feel the food "plopping" right through the band and can still eat 1 cup or so of food. My last fill the surgeon wouldn't add more saline because he said it felt too tight.

I realize I still need to exercise more and that I'm eating too much on occasion, but I end up famished by dinner time. That spells disaster for keeping portion size in check. Even though I had blood clots after the surgery that slowed me down, restricted my exercise time, and kept me from getting fills right away, I wish I were further along with my weight loss.

Any thoughts or ideas are very appreciated.

Banded 6/27/07 - Dr. Erbella and Dr. Bunch, Bradenton, FL

Current weight 261, loss of 34 lbs.

I learned from others on the forum that you will know when your filled correctly because you will only be able to eat at least 1 cup of food. They explained how hard that was for them to get used to but it completely was a benefit because they lost a lot of weight. I understand you believe me. We need to get to a point where food just isn't as important to us. We have gotten so use to tasting different foods and I tell myself daily I need to get back focused on my goal!! Getting healthy and doing what I need to do to get to my goal weight.

Good luck to you!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for responding!!! I am so excited about the journey with the band. I am not fiilled right now and I am able to eat whatever I want. This makes it hard. I actually went back on a liquid diet to keep me on the right track, is that ok??? I really am not sure but I need to be filled immediately. I get filled on the 11th of March. I would like to loose more weight that 1 to 2 pds a week but I'll take it. I have a thyroid condition already and I am wondering if because of my metabolism is it ok to do liquids. Any advice will help!!!

Thanks

Tyme 2 shine. I am hypothyroid, which makes it a little harder to lose weight without the band as is. So with the band like w/ medication it's helping to lose weight. I am a strong advocate of measuring foods as we're told to do. I eat 4oz of protein, 4oz of veggies and 2oz of carbs per mealtime. I take 2oz for I gain weight if I eat carbs like I'd like to. I don't know how losing weight works if you're hyperthyroid.

You may want to put this on the general forum to get info. Invest in a food scale and find out what your calorie intake should be for you to lose weight. I went to NutritionData.com and found out how many calories I should be eating. Especially for the weight I want to be. Those are the calories I am eating. It also lets you know protein, fat, carbs and other nutrients you should have daily. Eating liquid is okay, but not if it is because of being to tight.

As you've read so many times, the band is a tool. As with tools, if you don't use it properly alone or w/ other tools, it won't work and you won't get the results you're looking for. Measure, measure, measure. This is a life style change of eating habits, hence the word, change. You've gone thorough the first step of change. Now take it to the next level. Manage your food intake. We're all still learning and adjusting our way of eating and finding out what works and don't.

Keep coming back for more info and let us know what you've found out also. You are not alone in anything you experience and don't think we won't understand. We do.

what a brilliant helpful page.... many many thanks.. ill be calling in from time to time to keep tabs on myself..

cheers banded for 7 weeks and a loss of 7.5kg

Since my last fill on 3/5/08, I have reached my "sweet spot". After many trial and errors of getting here, this is it for awhile. I'm losing weight again and have been motivated to exercise. Working on losing 5 lbs by the end of the month. 16 days and counting. I'm confident I can do this.

My next appt. w/ the dr. is 4/16, at which time I won't need an a fill. Hoping this will hold me at least till July or further. Experienced the frothing, food getting stuck feeling, spitting and food coming back up. I think I now have better control at this stage of the game. There are times when I don't want to eat dinner for I'm still full from lunch. Still need to eat something, for then I'll be hungry just when it's time to go to bed. And we all know, that's not a good time to eat a meal. But, I know there's still more to learn.

There hasn't been any recent posts from you. Everything must be okay, but let a person know. We're here to support one another with good results and not so good results. And what has happened or happening since your last fill.

Come back and let's get reacquainted with one another again. You're missed. Hope to hear from you soon.