For those of you who are actuively losing or on their way to goal, believe they are at their sweet spot and comfortable with their band control - please take the poll about where your sweet spot is/was.

thanks

I just had my third fill and am at 6.8 cc- I am very tight right now but I feel this level might be just what I need-my last fill I was at 6 cc and was restricted for 2 weeks so I think this slight increase will be just what I need.

I am hoping my next fill, 1/17/08, will bring me to 7.5 and that will be my sweet spot. I am very close now. I really like the fact I can get fills every week until I'm there. I'm down 45. I'd like to make it another 64 but that may be too much. I'm sure the next 45 will be a lot slower than the first 45!

Take care all.

I am at exactly 6 and feeling good.

For me sweet spot = no obsessing about food (biggest bonus)

lack of real hunger

small meals no problem

weightloss of 1.5 pouns per week

For others, sweet spot includes PB'ing and inability to eat many things but for me I can still eat anything I want and I have yet to PB.

I am so happy (once I learned to accept that losing 1.5 pounds per week is fine) that this spot is SWEET to me!

p.s. I also am prepared that this may/will change over time and that this sweet place may only last a while....

I LOVE my BAND!

I don't know how much is in my band but I have had 6 fills and still don't think that I'm there yet!!

i just had my 4th fill today and am now at 5cc. she put it up to 5.5cc but i couldn't swallow the Water down. so she took 1/2 cc out and left me at 5cc and the water went down very smoothly.

already today i can tell that its taking me alot less to hit that feeling of saity/satisfied/full stage. i have NEVER pb'ed, although i'm not sure what that stands for, i know what it means. nothing has ever had to come up and nothing has ever gotten stuck.

the restriction i have today feels more like the restriction i had immediately post op when i was on my liquid and mushy diet. i HOPE this is my sweet spot, even if temporarily, bc i had virtually no restriction on the last 3 fills.

xoxo, christie

I have had 3 fills for a total of 4cc's, haven't reached my sweet-spot yet, I am hoping to get there with fill #4 (fingers crossed)

Pb stands for productive burp. It is sometimes when you burp and food comes with it. Most of the time, it's really more like puking, if something is stuck pretty badly. That's why everyone says to chew like crazy.

I think this one is it. I had trouble eating my oatmeal this morning after my fill. I am even having trouble drinking much though I did eat the oatmeal slowly and did drink after the hour waiting period. So I really hope I am there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All other fills felt like nothing and took two days to kick in.

I have had 4 fills. My last fill put me up to 6.1 cc's and I definitely am pretty restricted and think it may be my sweet spot. It's hard for me to finish my oatmeal in the morning (I use the pre-measured packets) and I can eat about 1/2 cup of food and that's it. For lunch I had 1/2 cup of chicken salad and I couldn't finish it.

My doc said sweet spot is getting full on 3/4 cup of food.

I am still going back for a fill in another week bc I want this weight to come off faster!

I have had 4 fills. My last fill put me up to 6.1 cc's and I definitely am pretty restricted and think it may be my sweet spot. It's hard for me to finish my oatmeal in the morning (I use the pre-measured packets) and I can eat about 1/2 cup of food and that's it. For lunch I had 1/2 cup of chicken salad and I couldn't finish it.

My doc said sweet spot is getting full on 3/4 cup of food.

I am still going back for a fill in another week bc I want this weight to come off faster!

I though about going back on my next visit scheduled for 1/24 but I will cancel the appointment. I can't eat a full 1/2 cup of some things, mostly meats and I need the Protein. I need protein and I'm not supposed to be drinking my protein. If I don't lose at a decent rate...I'll rethink this.

This is all such fun. /sarc

I am in for the long haul...a complete change in my way of eating. I also want to pounds to come off...but keep my hair!

My band is a 10 CC band, but that's how big around it is, not how much it holds. It holds 4ccs and I am at 2.75 and that's perfect for me.

I found this info on the 'net and thought I'd share it:

The "skinny" on the AP:

Allergan/Inamed has a new band in the US called the AP band.

AP stands for Advanced Platform.

There are a couple of differences in this band and the previous ones:

1. Cuff - the cuff on the AP band is 360 degrees around, as opposed to about 300 degrees on the prior bands (there was no cuff around the buckle on the old ones)

2. Cuff length - the cuff on the AP band is 18mm longer/taller than on the previous bands, so the surface area in contact with the stomach is much greater, hopefully increasing the speed of weight loss and maybe reducing the risk of slips

3. Cuff volume - the AP small holds 10cc, the AP large holds 14cc

Note that we do not believe that AP patients will lose MORE weight, just possibly faster. So those of you with the older models, it would definitely not be to your benefit to think about having your band swapped out!

·They are either APS (small, 10cc) or APL (large, 14cc).

·They are considered by some to be "the next generation in AGBs".

·They are considered less likely to cause blockage or obstruction than other AGP types.

·They are considered less likely to slip than other AGP types.

·They are considered to be less likely to cause band erosion than other AGP types.

·Like the VG band it is "Omniform" technology - i.e. the balloon has ribs or baffles and the band itself is curved.

·The AP has more of a 360 inflation around the stomach as opposed to the 10cm or 9.75cm (4cc) bands, which have more like 260 or 280 degrees inflation (the rest being the buckle), and the VG which has more like 280 or 300. It is understood that this was simply an upgrade to the existing band to make it easier and less traumatic to remove.

·The silicone material is much softer than other AGP types.

·They are more concentric (rounded) when inflated than other AGB types.

·The balloon is pleated to 'grip' the stomach better.

·The balloon goes all the way around the inner surface of the band, rather than missing a piece at the locking mechanism.

·The balloon is wider.

·They have an easier release mechanism to remove the band if need be.

·They have the locking mechanism isolated from the stomach.

·AP type bands have been FDA approved for the US, but will not be available until the summer at the earliest.

·We understand that there are NO plans at this time to discontinue any of the bands Allergan already makes. They still plan to manufacture and offer the 10cm and the 9.75cm (the 4cc) bands as well as the VG band.

·new : AP ( Advanced Platform )

·APS ( small)

·APL ( large )

I just got an extra 0.25 put in last week to take me to 7.75. This is a perfect fill level for me, the past few days I've hardly been thinking about food (hurray!).! I've had to keep going back in to get 0.5, 0.3 or 0.2 put in each time I lose a few pounds because my band loosens up again. But I think this level will be good for a little while

I currently have 9cc on my 10cc band and I think my restriction is gone...

Had 8 fills and my last one was 3 months ago. Unfortunately restriction never lasted more than a month, it soon goes away. How frustrating...

niki

nikki..i'm not speaking from experience, but some of our fills evaporate, etc., so i think it is normal to lose restriction within a month. after you reach goal, i think the ideal time period for fills is once a year.

as for me..i have 6 cc (i think..i'm not keeping up) and i'm not quite at my sweet spot.