:help:I have very little restriction right now. I was banded 4 months ago, and I've made it to my half way weight-loss point, but I am stuck now. I go for a 'fill' on Jan 12th... in Mexico. Last time I was there she didn't tighten me too much, and now I regret it. I want to be tight. I want to be able to only eat what I am suppose to.

Can anybody describe the perfect tightness to me? I don't think I understand what this is suppose to feel like. Thank you... Dana

I think your sweet spot is very personal. I knew I hit mine when I could eat a small portion and be satitsfied and still lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. And the restriction was enough that I only pb'd on things I knew I wasn't suppose to eat in the first place or when I didn't chew enough. My Dr did my first film under flouro which is a live realtime xray imaging and tightened by band so the think barium funneled through slowly and that first fill still wasn't quite enough so the next fill he added .5cc and that got me to where I was at my sweet spot. I cannot eat bread unless it is thin and well toasted or very crusty, so I tend not to eat any bread except for a pita which I can handle , Shredded chicken you know the stringy kind, chunk chicken it ok. Everything else I can usally eat in moderation and If I chew very ,very well. You will find that crispy stuff will go down just fine therefor I do not keep any crispy junk food in the house or buy soy chips there are healthy alternatives. My big thing is watching my fat and sodium content of the food that I do eat. With the band it is easier for me to make the healthy choice since I am not starving as I am losing my weight.I hope this helps and good luck.Banded June 21,07270/146/250

I wish I knew the answer. I go for another fill on Jan 3 and Im hoping this is going to be the one. I keep telling the dr that I dont have much restriction and he just looks at me like Im crazy since I have 10 in my band now which from what I read is suppose to only go to 11. I started to think that maybe it was just me and that I did have more restriction than what I admit to but I now know that isnt the case. Last night I ate a coney dog bun and all topped with sloppy joe and it all went down just fine. I know that I have to control my eating, that the band cant do it all but I do expect it to give me a little bit of help and at this point its not. The dr thinks Im lying because my weight loss has been good but i keep telling him that most of it had been due to will power and that Im running out of it as proven by my eating the whole hot dog. So Im looking for the same answer you are, "WHERE IS THIS MYTHICAL RESTRICTION?"

I had to read this when I saw that Jack responded....I knew he would say something profound and once again he delivers and does not disappoint!

Jack You Rock!

Amen Jack!!

Now where is that blasted restriction ?!?! :eek:

Metalband, I agree with you totally...Jack you rule!

I just adore reading his posts!

lapband poetry it is gosh dern it!...lol

Want2b...jee..I forgot to answer your question...lol.

Yes, I believe you will know when your restriction is right for you. Unfortunately I seem to get there..then lose it for some reason after a few weeks.

I am calling the clinic Mon. as I feel I am eating too much.

I have a 10cc band that was filled to 3 the day of surgery. I was filled to 5 on 12/22. I think I'm one of the lucky few that had fair restriction after surgery and really good restriction after my first fill. I definitely have things that don't go down, so for now, they are on my "do not have" list. After the fill, the scale didn't move for a bit, but has now started down again. The whole thing is a learning process, that's for sure.

I didn't spend $15K to have major surgery so I could find "mental restriction"! If I could have conjured up the ability to lose weight mentally I would have done it a long time ago and I couldn't. Someone please tell me there will be physical restriction, too!

re: ""WHERE IS THIS MYTHICAL RESTRICTION?"

IMHO.....the REAL restriction is in our hearts and our minds and our behavioral changes, such that we recognize what is "NOT" hunger and that 'eat' is NOT the Normo response to everything.

Until we can recognize the changes our tortured psychoemotional wreckage, our errant ventromedial hypothalamic blood glucose recognition receptors, our mischevious natures regarding over eating as a past time rather than a nutritional state, various errors of digestion, the complex roles of ghrelin and other newly discovered enzyme and hormonal control mechanisms....

we have to learn how to walk with our Band until we can walk using our own judgment....

When we can respond to the REAL 'hunger' stimulus with 'eat' NOT 'eatEatEATEATEATEAT'....

when we no longer equate, on some level within, the idea that 'full' has anything to do with 'not hungry', and 'not full' means "HUNGRY"...

when we can NOT feel obsessed about what, when, how much, we eat, rather 'why' we eat...

when we are no longer compulsed to stuff it in until it's all gone;

when we suddenly realize we were so busy living that we actually FORGOT to eat a meal until later, or MUCH later....

when each waking moment is not occupied with thoughts of food, what to eat next, where and when to eat, how to get more, what to have to eat until it's TIME to eat...etc...

when we learn to appreciate the oncoming beauty and purpose of slowly increasing hunger, as we enjoy dawn grandiously and majestically breaking at a glorious pace, over the gritty landscape...

cheers to all and courage on our journey....

Jack, I thank God for your wisdom!

kbinaz - it will come. You just have to go and get fills. They can't just sinch you all the way up because you swell a bit as well. If they did you would close off and have to have some removed. It takes time - sorry to say it. And then, once you get it you start losing more weight, it will losen up again because of less fat around your tummy. I thank God that it is adjustable so that we can always get it just where we need it.

I didn't spend $15K to have major surgery so I could find "mental restriction"! If I could have conjured up the ability to lose weight mentally I would have done it a long time ago and I couldn't. Someone please tell me there will be physical restriction, too!

Kbinaz, jack and wombat have good information.

Wendel has a sticky thread in the FAQ section that explains the process quite well

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-45563/

In any case please do not give up.

Totally discouraged at the moment...

Received a Realize Band on 2/4/08. Waited 6 weeks for my first fill of 3 cc. After another 3 weeks, I went in for an additional fill because I felt I was eating too much. Received an additional 1.5cc.

That worked for about a week until I tried some very well chewed steak. After throwing that up, I haven't been able to get my tummy to settle down. Nothing goes down well. I went 10 days throwing up daily.

The dr. removed 1.5cc yesterday in an effort to help me consume liquids, but as of yet, I haven't noticed much of a change.

It feels like I swallowed a baseball, yet the lower part of my stomach is VERY hungry.

Has anyone else experienced extreme irritation? How long does it take to calm back down?

The dr. wants an upper GI in 2 days and the thought of that has me cringing. Need your insight!!