Okay ppl...I had my last fill on Tuesday of this week. I now have 5 cc's in a 10 cc band. I feel restriction in my chest but am still hungry?I try to eat that cup of food they recommend but then I am hungry. So I try to eat some more and then I am ok. I can't eat a cup of food. It cannot hold me for long. I am getting frustrated. Today I talked to Billiejane and the SWLC and got some clarity but cannot it is not gelling. They say they rather I eat food instead of protein shakes but I see a lot of people here are successful with them. Do I need more of a fill? What do I do until then? C'mon ppl help a sister out.

If you are trying to survive on shakes that is the root of your problem. Solid food will give you more mass in your stomach than shakes. For example, for breakfast, I eat 2 boiled eggs and 3 slices of turkey bacon. For lunch, I each grilled chicken tenderloins and a vegetable. For dinner, I have grilled fish and a vegetable. If I am hungry in between, I will have yogurt or string cheese. I am not hungry most of the time but I do have an issue with being greedy which is another story. From one sister to another, focus on filling with solid food.

If you are trying to survive on shakes that is the root of your problem. solid food will give you more mass in your stomach than shakes. For example, for breakfast, I eat 2 boiled eggs and 3 slices of turkey bacon. For lunch, I each grilled chicken tenderloins and a vegetable. For dinner, I have grilled fish and a vegetable. If I am hungry in between, I will have yogurt or string cheese. I am not hungry most of the time but I do have an issue with being greedy which is another story. From one sister to another, focus on filling with solid food.

"Greedy"! So that's what you call it! I like it!! I'd like to use that, instead of thinking I'm having head hunger - I'll just say I'm being Greedy!

I agree; shakes get your Protein in (Which in the longrun will help you stay full longer) but won't 'fill' you up as a Meal Replacement.

The protein shakes help so much with hunger. Plus, they are good for you. Just force yourself to drink one a day like the doc says to and you're hungery will subside.

Okay ppl...I had my last fill on Tuesday of this week. I now have 5 cc's in a 10 cc band. I feel restriction in my chest but am still hungry?I try to eat that cup of food they recommend but then I am hungry. So I try to eat some more and then I am ok. I can't eat a cup of food. It cannot hold me for long. I am getting frustrated. Today I talked to Billiejane and the SWLC and got some clarity but cannot it is not gelling. They say they rather I eat food instead of Protein shakes but I see a lot of people here are successful with them. Do I need more of a fill? What do I do until then? C'mon ppl help a sister out.

The difference between the band working well and not working at all is sometimes as little as a .05CC fill.

You may want to click on this link for more information:

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-41738/

too many shakes will me u constipated also! But it's good to replace it 4 breakfast when u dont have time!

The very brief periods where I've had tight restriction (right after my last 2 fills) and could really only eat 1/2 cup of food, I was STARVING all the time. Fine, you eat it, it fills you up but your body still knows its hardly any food and tells you so. For me, the band just doesnt work that way.

For me, I still have normal hunger and appetite (which wasnt really out of control, it was non hungry eating I battled with) but the band slows my eating so I can satisfy that hunger much more easily and appopriately. Before I just didnt know when to stop.

But I have had to do all the hard work in regard to head hunger, eating when bored, eating just because there's something good to eat etc.

Its always said but really the band is just a tool and makes doing what you need to do easier, but its still up to you.

I can only share with you my experience. With good restriction I can only consum 1/4 cup of food. Yes, 1/4 cup. I spoke to my doctor about it yesterday and he agreed that was the right amount with good restriction. I have a protein shake in the a.m. so that helps a lot. I would reconsider you fill level until you have good restriction. However, if you are losing 1-2 lbs a week you may want to reconsider. I don't have any hunger at all. I have heard 7 ccs in a 10cc band before. Go until you feel satisfied. Good luck.

What does it feel like when you are satisfied?

I'm still new at this, but I have a protein shake 2 times per day and a small lunch. I have not been hungry since surgery and just had my first fill on Monday. Protein shakes help get the 80-100g of protein that my dr requires and maybe its in my head, but i really dont want to eat. I have been out to dinner with people and usually am full before I can finish my appetizer meal.

Before my first fill (yesterday), I was hungry all the time. The dr told me yesterday to eliminate protein shakes, bc they won't fill me up. She gave me a very specific diet to follow, eating protein first and then veggies. No carbs. I hope I can do it!

DEAR SWEET FOR LIFE,IM GLAD YOU BRING THIS UP,YOUR NOT THE ONLY ONE,YOU ONLY HAVE TO READ THE OTHER THREADS TO KNOW THAT,I TOSS BETWEN FOOD AND SHAKES,BUT READING FROM JACAUI HAS HELPED ME,IT TAKES TIME AND THERE IS A PROCESS WE ALL HAVE TO GO THRU,AND IN THE END IT GETS BETTER,EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE,IF YOUR EATING HEALTHY,ADDING A LITTLE SHOULDNT HURT.BUT IM ONLY NEW TO THIS MYSELF, I HAVE 3 1/2 ML,MY BAND HOLDS 10,SO I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.BE POSITIVE,I KNOW THATS HARD AT TIMES,BUT WE HAVE ALL MADE THE RIGHT DECISION IN THE LONG RUN.HUGS GAIL :nervous

Everyone is different. If Protein shakes help you, then drink them. If they don't and you are eating well enough to lose weight and get your nutrition in without them, then don't use them.

Some people are too tight in the mornings to be able to eat any real food and get by just fine with a shake as a meal and are not hungry for several hours. Others don't like them, eat enough solid (good) food and don't need or want to drink them.

I'm still not buying that 1/4 cup of food could at all provide you with proper nutrition. And if someone ate only 1/4 cup of food for each MEAL they should be dropping weight like nobody's business. But as soon as I write that I tell myself that again, we are all individuals and what works for someone else may not work for me. Our restriction feels different person to person. There are loads of threads out there that ask what your restriction feels like. I've read probably fifty different descriptions of restriction. What it feels like to me and what works for me may not work for you. I'm not going to go around telling someone that if they can eat more than 1/4 cup of food they need a fill. Or if they can eat 2 cups they need one without asking some other important questions first like WHAT are they eating and is it head hunger that hasn't been tamed yet. Even if you have enough restriction that allows you only to eat 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup at a time, if you are eating 1/4 or 1/2 cup of high calorie, low nutritional value food, then you are no better off.