I went in to get my third fill recently. I was at 6.0cc in a 10cc AP Lapband and eating 1 cup of food or just a hair more than that at each meal plus Snacks in between. However, I was still losing 2.3 pounds per week average according to them although I could SWEAR they have my previous weight down wrong.

I was denied a fill since I was still losing, although that's due to me exercising myself crazy so I will keep losing. While I agree that that's a better way to lose than restricting eating, I'm burning out hardcore and cannot sustain this level of activity. It needs to go down a notch. I just hate to stop losing before I get the fill.

I'm now eating about a cup and 1/3 at every meal plus snacks. Right after my second fill I was down to half a cup. This now seems like SO much food. It also makes it very difficult to keep my calorie intake low since the food quantity isn't terribly small. Any slip-ups and I'm done for.

I know the band is a tool and all but it sure seems like I'm not getting to use my tool terribly well right now.

At the beginning of talking to my doctor, I told them I wasn't getting hungry between meals but that was wrong. I mis-spoke since I was thinking of my in-between snacks as meals. When I pointed that out to my doctor she said "Oh now you're changing your story. why do you want a fill so much?" and she got very mean like I was lying to her. I just mis-spoke. I eat three meals a day plus 2 to 3 snacks. I tried to explain it to her and that I just felt that a small fill would help it from being so on edge with being too much. She said that even a small fill would make me have malnutrition. Does a small fill when you're eating a cup to a hair over a cup really make you go below half a cup?

I remember having restriction after my second fill and I was doing great. That's gone now though but my doctor doesn't seem to believe me.

I'm very frustrated that my doctor thinks I'm a liar and was very rude to me. She isn't my surgeon. I think she is his assistant or something.

I will probably try to wait a couple of weeks and call in to get a fill appointment and hopefully I can get one then. My weight loss is slowing down quickly. I do still have restriction but it's so so so much less than it used to be.

So back to the topic title. I'm curious how much food you guys eat when at your sweet spot. My doctor says 1/2 cup to a cup is the sweet spot. I was under the impression that it was closer to 1/2 cup.

I just really feel from the way she got hateful and rude that she thinks I'm mis-representing my food intake to get tighter. I dread going back now and I'm really unhappy that I have to feel dread going to get fills like I'm being interrogated and like they are looking for me to slip up in what I say.

I'd love to hear from you guy's experience. I'm new to the band and have only had good restriction for a couple of weeks so far. I need some more fill or I'm gonna poop out on exercising. I'm doing far more than my doctor even suggests. Just a little fill is all I want! I want to use my tool combined with exercise like it's intended to be... or so I thought.

Thank you guys for any input. It's great here! :eek:

.5 ccs per fill is pretty darn conservative...that would drive me crazy! I'm frustrated enough with how long it is taking me to get to my sweet spot and my fills were 1.5,1.5,1.5 and 2 cc's!!! That's a total of 6.5 cc's and I'm still not there (but close!) At your rate you won't be where I am for over a year! Ridiculous!!! I feel really bad for you and I think you should have a serious talk with your doctor.

I am getting a little upset as well with my dr. he only give .5cc at a time I tried last time and the asst. talked me out of it so when I call sometime next wk. I am going to try and insist on more I have free fills for 90 days at this rate it will take more then the 90 days to hit my sweet spot I only have 1.5 cc in now in a 10cc band.I think I would rather be a little over filled and have to get an unfill this to cont. on with this .5cc crap at a time, I can eat as much as I want w/ no problems though I don't I stop myself thank God himself. just needed to vent on this subject thanks

I am getting a little upset as well with my dr. he only give .5cc at a time I tried last time and the asst. talked me out of it so when I call sometime next wk. I am going to try and insist on more I have free fills for 90 days at this rate it will take more then the 90 days to hit my sweet spot I only have 1.5 cc in now in a 10cc band.I think I would rather be a little over filled and have to get an unfill this to cont. on with this .5cc crap at a time, I can eat as much as I want w/ no problems though I don't I stop myself thank God himself. just needed to vent on this subject thanks

I know it's been a while since you posted this entry but i was wondering how you are doing. My doctor also only gives 1cc for your first and second fill and then .5 ccs after..............I asked about this and the Asst. said that there are guidelines that come from somewhere( she told me but I can't remember) but they are supposed to be followed when administering fills............I went to a center of excellence doctor and hospital. So I totally trust their rules/guidelines. I also found out that I actually had 3.5cc's in after surgery and I didn't realize til I asked about it. I was 4.5cc at my last appt, and I was up for a .5cc fill, but they said they had a little manuevering room so they put in 1cc and at 4.5cc i could eat anything and now at 5.5cc I can't eat ANYTHING without it coming back up, i chew and chew and chew and it doesn't matter..........so that .5cc really makes a bigger difference than you might think...............it doesn't take EVERYONE a high amount of cc's in a band for it to work.

so, i know everyone is different, but i just had my first fill a week ago. I felt really restricted the first 2 days, but after that i can eat a bowl of food w/ out a problem. Is it true that it takes about 2 or 3 fills before you really get a since of tightness?

well i already had three, i'm at 6cc and still eat fine.

I needed to hear this. I am sooooo depressed . I lost 65 lbs last year and stopped. I need some help. I will ask myself these questions daily. I lost my mother, grandma, grandfather to cancer, all my aunts have hbp and diabetes. I am 40 years young and weigh 285lbs. I need to lose the weight. it is hard for me. I will use this guide. It would b nice if you checked on me once and awhile

Well your Dr. or nurse is a @#&$*? for sure. Here is my answer to your question I think.

How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted

You are losing 1-2 pounds per week. That's it!

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

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
   
   • Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome”
     
   • Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram
     It's also a stomach irritant
     
   • fruit juice is just sugar wAfter
     

[*]Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of foods?

• Are you avoiding soft foods
  
• You can't just eat what's easy
  
• cheese is glorified fat
  

[*]Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of wAfter a day between meals

[*]Are you eating too much junk

• 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.
  
• Stay out of fast food places
  

[*]Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily

[*]Do you always eat the protein first

[*]Then the vegetables or fruits

• Five servings a day
  
• Potatoes are NOT a vegetable
  

[*]Is your portion size appropriate?

• meat or fish - 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards
  
• Vegetables - 1/2 cup – the size of your fist
  
• Starch - If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don't need much. Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta
  

[*]You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners

• Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the appetite
  
• They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar
  
• They teach you to like things too sweet
  
• There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner than people who don't
  

[*]Avoid most diet foods

• Real food usually tastes better
  
• Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes
  
• When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not that great. Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet margarine
  

You may need a behavior adjustment

1. Are you eating only when you are hungry?
   
   • If you're not sure drink 8 ounces of wAfter and wait.
     

[*]Are you eating three meals a day?

• With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks
  

[*]Are you sitting down to eat?

[*]Are you eating consciously?

• No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper away, pay attention to your food and your companions
  

[*]Are you eating slowly?

• Put the fork down between bites
  
• Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal
  
• Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying
  

[*]Are you taking small bites?

• Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork
  

[*]Are you chewing well?

[*]Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals?

• Practice wAfter loading between meals
  
• You won't be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal
  

[*]Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness?

• Sometimes it's a whisper: not hungry, had enough
  
• Hard stop versus soft stop
  

[*]Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing.

[*]Do not eat when you are not hungry

You may need an activity adjustment

1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3 times a week?
   
   • Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day
     
   • Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week?
     
   • Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes?
     

[*]Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your physical activity?

• Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators
  
• Walking on the escalators instead of riding
  
• Parking your car further away from the entrance
  
• Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through
  
• Getting off the bus one stop before your destination
  
• Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash
  
• Playing with your kids
  

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

[*]Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional issues?

• Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your eating?
  
• Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those emotions?
  
• Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor?
  

[*]Are you attending and participating in support group meetings?

[*]Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends?

[*]Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically?

[*]Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss journey?

[*]Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating?

• Obsessive – compulsive thoughts
  
• Perfectionism
  
• Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss
  

[*]Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards?

[*]Have you learned how to take a compliment?

[*]Are you giving up diet mentality?

• Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day
  
• Stop dieting
  
• Stop depriving yourself
  
• Stop defining food as “good” and “bad”
  
• Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food
  

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.
   
5. There are times when you can't get fluids down
   
6. You are vomiting too much
   

Mattintosh Long I know but maybe helpfull.

In addition to what unshackled stated; make an appointment with a nutritionist or dietician. I went through three before I found one who I feel understood my issues.

The nutritionist I am w/ now is the nutritionist who is associated w/ the LapBand doctor. This made it much easier as far as finding. Ask you family phisician or your medical insurance co.

Keep coming back for support and maybe suggestions. And some of these free, online weight lose programs. Look into SparkPeople.com. For me this is the best and easiest one to work with. All menus and food recommendation are food we buy already. With the exception of some you may have wanted to try anyone.

Good Luck. You can and will do this. Just don't give up. Remember we are still learning how to work with our band. Not have the band work with us.