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

My husband was banded in TJ Mexico in November. We are having a hard time finding a Dr to do the fills. We live in Southern Indiana. Any advise out there? He has started gaining his weight back.

Fill Centers USA - Lap Band Fill - Lap Band Support - Lap Band Post Surgery - Weight Loss Surgery - Fill Center USA - LapBand Adjustments - Bariatric Surgery - LapBand Fill

try this place.

nearest place to the fill center was 168 miles from me :-(

what is the normal cost?

Does anyone know of places in Nyc that does fills?

website was great thanks

i feel the same way thanks for sharing

I know a girl who had that same Dr. and she had a great experience.

Huntley

I thought I'd let everyone know what can happen if you go too fast on solids after a fill.

I had a fill on Sept 16. I stayed on liquids that day and the end of the next. I was feeling so good that I ate some macarony & cheese late at night. One of my bedtime medicines seemed to burn or irritate a spot real low on my esphagus (because I had loaded up my pouch with food). The next day I PB'ed everything I ate. That spot on esphagus burns when food or water touches it. For the last three days I can barely hold water down and I have medicine I need to take. Having a real hard time getting it down.

I figure it is stomach swelling is my problem and am going to ride this out. Clear liquids now and protein drinks when I am able to hold the clear liquids down.

That happens to me, but at night i wake up pb'ing. I had a fill about 4 weeks ago and it must be too tight, but i don't want to get any taken out. I have a hard time following the rules. Taking pea size bites and chewing like a turtle. I guess i am my own worst enemy. We need to be careful becuase from what i understand the burning in the esophogus is not good at all. Keep me posted how you do and good luck.

hello, I had surgery 7 months ago and my last fill was 3 months ago. i was fine until just recently I cannot even get water down. This has been going on for like 3 days. I called my doctor and he says I need to get an un fill. unfortunatly my doctor is 3, 000 miles away. Does anyone know a good- cheaper way to get an un fill in Philadelphia-area?

someone said I may need to go to the ER, but would my insurance cover it if I paid cash for the surgery?

I tried fillusa.com and they do not have any openings for a few days...

That happens to me, but at night i wake up pb'ing. I had a fill about 4 weeks ago and it must be too tight, but i don't want to get any taken out. I have a hard time following the rules. Taking pea size bites and chewing like a turtle. I guess i am my own worst enemy. We need to be careful becuase from what i understand the burning in the esophogus is not good at all. Keep me posted how you do and good luck.

I'm improving a little each day. Today I had 80 calories worth of tapioca pudding. Went down fine. But I dare not eat anything else for some time.

I cannot understand why you eat in daytime...but PB water while sleeping. Perhaps you need to avoid food 3 hours before bed??

I had this burning happen to me, but I had to have some fluid taken out of my band. I am now eating again and loving it. I still have to be careful, but I am glad to be eating again. I have had trouble adjusting to the band this whole year, but I am hoping to be doing better now.

I had this burning happen to me, but I had to have some fluid taken out of my band. I am now eating again and loving it. I still have to be careful, but I am glad to be eating again. I have had trouble adjusting to the band this whole year, but I am hoping to be doing better now.

I had quit losing weight and had actually began gaining. When I am able to eat, I just too often pig out on the wrong food. Guess that is why I am so reluctant to get an unfill.

I understand that, but I want to be healthy. I have been sick for a year due to wrong choices...mainly trying to depend on the band to do what I needed to do for myself. Now I am eating good things and more ready to get a fill if I need it at my next visit. I am adjusting right now because I need to eat to get my health back. Eating, drinking, and taking vitamins is the way I have to do this now. Good luck!!

NM, you really sound like you need a slight unfill. I don't think it is really the solids that gave you a problem, but that maybe you are too tight. My PA doesn't have restrictions after a fill and I had solids the morning after my fill and I haven't had a problem yet.

That being said, I only got 1cc when she normally does 3-4 in an 11cc band. She put 2ccs in and I told her the water she gave me seemed to be taking too long to go down, so she took 1cc out. She wouldn't let me leave until she was certain I wasn't too tight.

Please reconsider having some taken out. I don't like to think about you feeling like that.:redface:

I am doing better that is why I can eat. I had some taken out a couple of weeks ago. My stomach was really burning. I didn't understand that, but then it got difficult to even drink. That is why I had an unfill done, but now I am doing better. I just found out I have mono, but I don't know if that has anything to do with my stomach burning when I ate or drank or not. Now I eat small meals and feel better. Resting a lot. Not losing though, but that will change once I can work out again.