So - I wanted to post this to get some feeback form other bandsters. I am 9 months post op and am doing great. I haven't lost as much as others, (down 45 since surgery time) but my weight loss has been steady and good enough for me. I'm and haven't regretted anything. :blushing:

I would say I pam retty close to (if not already at) my sweet spot. I have good restriction and had my last fill I think about 6 weeks ago. The only downside that I experience is when I have to go out and socially eat like for work or with friends/family. I have to be extra cautious on what items I choose from the menu. I need to make sure they are items I can tolerate and eat at a bit faster pace than I am used to to keep up with everyone else at the table without getting a lodger (what I call stuck/painful episodes). Usually I pick items that are softer and easier to get down, like soup, beans, etc. And so far this has worked out just fine for me.

However, my parents are coming into town next month for a weekend and we are planning on trying to have a good time. That includes over indulging in food and drinks - probably eating lots of starchy food that doesn't work too well with my current restriction.

So, I was wondering what others may think about me getting a slight un-fill before they get here so I can indulge with them! I want to be able to take my parents out to breakfast, and not just have to sit there and sip on

coffee because my band is too tight in the morning to try to get anything except for oatmeal down. Of course, my plan would include going back to the doctor after my visitors leave to try to get back to my sweet spot.

Is this a selfish thing for me to be thinking of doing? Or should I just be happy that I have the flexibility with the band to do it and go for it? What do you all think?

So - I wanted to post this to get some feeback form other bandsters. I am 9 months post op and am doing great. I haven't lost as much as others, (down 45 since surgery time) but my weight loss has been steady and good enough for me. I'm and haven't regretted anything. :smile2:

I would say I pam retty close to (if not already at) my sweet spot. I have good restriction and had my last fill I think about 6 weeks ago. The only downside that I experience is when I have to go out and socially eat like for work or with friends/family. I have to be extra cautious on what items I choose from the menu. I need to make sure they are items I can tolerate and eat at a bit faster pace than I am used to to keep up with everyone else at the table without getting a lodger (what I call stuck/painful episodes). Usually I pick items that are softer and easier to get down, like soup, beans, etc. And so far this has worked out just fine for me.

However, my parents are coming into town next month for a weekend and we are planning on trying to have a good time. That includes over indulging in food and drinks - probably eating lots of starchy food that doesn't work too well with my current restriction.

So, I was wondering what others may think about me getting a slight un-fill before they get here so I can indulge with them! I want to be able to take my parents out to breakfast, and not just have to sit there and sip on

coffee because my band is too tight in the morning to try to get anything except for oatmeal down. Of course, my plan would include going back to the doctor after my visitors leave to try to get back to my sweet spot.

Is this a selfish thing for me to be thinking of doing? Or should I just be happy that I have the flexibility with the band to do it and go for it? What do you all think?

What to do??? It sounds to me like you are trying to take a break. If I were anywhere near my "sweet spot" I would not change a thing. I look at weight lose like a foot race one foot in front of another. Why would you want to run the wrong way for a day? or a week? or ever. Of course only you can make the decision to what is best for you. GOOD LUCK AND HAVE A NICE VISIT WITH YOUR FAMILY.

I don't think you should do it. Unfortunately, you are staying true to old habits -- equating food with being social and having fun.

You don't have to bond with your parents over a meal. Go on a hike, see a movie, take the kids somewhere...or if you do need to eat with them, get your simple meal and enjoy your parents conversation.

I am finally at a place in my life where food is sustenance and not an activity -- and I have never been happier. Stay strong and don't get the unfill!

My concern would be that if you get an unfill for the weekend will you also be getting an unfill for the work party you go to, the friend's birthday, getting an unfill because it's christmas? Maybe talk to your surgeon and get their opinion as well. Enjoy the time with your family whatever you decide.

I agree with prepster and mss 100%+++

I'm going on vacation May 24th and I'm going in to get a slight unfill 2 days before I leave and then going to get refilled the day after I get home. Reason being, right now I am so frustrated because I am SO TIGHT. I've been eating very tiny amounts and getting stuck - even on liquid.

I feel like this, it's my band, it's my body and I'll do what I want. It's not that I'm slacking, I've lost 84 pounds in the past 7 months. I want to be able to eat things that I can't eat right now, chicken, steak, ribs. My diet is always soft food because I can't keep anything else down.

My surgeon's husband, who has the lap band, says that it is ok to do this once in a while. One time he took all his fluid out, went away for 2 weeks, gained 16 pounds, came home, filled back up and lost all the weight.

My doc told me to give him a call when I go on vacation. He has no problem with doing an unfill for vacation to enjoy oneself. Do what is right for you. If having you band unfilled for one week a year improves your quality of life, do it. If it freaks you out too much, then dont. Asking people here what they think is appropriate and you will only find out what is good for them, not you. Ultimately, talk to your doc and see what he/she says. Have fun on vaca!

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate everyone's honesty... I really do!! I think what I am probably going to do is make the Dr appointment now for next week. And then assess a day before my appointment what I want to do.... then if I want to cancel, I can.

Thanks again bandsters!

Definitely not. Seriously if you were going to do that why even have gotten a band in the first place? that's not the way to use it, and you have to come to believe that having a good time is not dependent upon being able to eat lots - having a good time is seeing your parents, no matter what you are able to eat.

And if you're at a sweet spot, you'd be absolutely nuts to mess with it.

Its a different matter if you're tight and going overseas and wont be near your doctor and are thinking more about preventing trouble than you are about scoffing the entire smorgasbord.

Dont mess with it, you'll only gain weight and you wont feel good about having done it at all.

I asked the same question a couple weeks ago and my fill was so tight that I couldn't eat "real" food. I'm going on a cruise this coming Sunday. I was at 8.75 in a 10 cc band and now am at 8.25. I can actually eat some food. I am stuck on a plateau but after loosing 63 pounds that is to be expected I guess. I'm certainly not going to stuff myself on the cruise, but I didn't want to throw up everything all the time while on the trip as I was. So as soon as I return, I've set an appointment for another fill though it will be very small. It is counter productive to be too tight. It also really annoys your friends that go to lunch with you when you have to run to the john every couple minutes.

I knew you would get flamed. Everyone means well but we are all coming from differing experiences so do what works for you.

Have a good vacation.

Somebody once told me that there are lots of ways to enjoy yourself: overtalk, overdance, overlaugh, but don't overeat. Please don't do it. Stay with the success you are having and use this as a learning experience for LIFE WITH THE BAND. You'll be so sad if you gain any weight, and so happy if you succeed as a "normal."

I know some people are against unfills for vacation but its a personal decision. I did do that once without regret. I had .3 taken out and gained about 3 lbs which wasnt' too bad. I would just make sure you get back to your sweet spot asap after their visit. It may take you a couple fills to do that. Have fun. Don't overdue it though.

It *does* depend on how tight you usually are too. Its easy for me to say dont do it, but I'm not tight in the first place, I *can* go out and enjoy a vacation.

Deja vu!

If you feel you're near a sweet spot, I wouldn't touch it. Sweet spots are a rarity it sounds like!

The point of a vacation is not to indulge in overeating food, that's the warped fat person mentality.

I think you should focus on the whole vacation aspect, and not get unfilled just to gorge for a special occasion.. kind of defeats the whole purpose don't you think?

Hey girl, I think I would have to say that you probably shouldn't get an unfill but it really is a personal decision. As an example I'm going to use your stats/information and apply it as if I was putting myself in your shoes.. Hope you dont mind!!

45 lbs in 9 months is great, well done *pats on back all around* that is roughly 5 lbs per month (although we all know it usually doesn't work out so smoothly it can be 10 one month, nothing, 5 the following etc). So lets say you unfill and have a "food indulging vacation" and granted it is only for a weekend (I believe that is what you said) however, depending on how much you indulge you could easily gain back 5-10lbs in that weekend - I wouldnt want to undue 1-2 months of progress for 48hours of food inldulgance. Not to mention I believe you said you are at/near your sweet spot and if you unfill say "x" amount = 5cc's you may not be able to just get 5cc's put back in and be at the sweet spot again - it could take another couple of months worth of fills here and there to get where you need to be. And if you are anything like me going through the stages of getting restriction is frustrating as heck!

And to risk being the pot that calls the kettle black it does sound like you are still associating "fun" with food. The reason I make the pot/kettle comment is I am still learning how to break that association myself (I'm just over 3 months post op) and the reason I want to break that association is as a part of my journey to the new me - the healthy me who has a healthy body and healthy relationship with food. Heaven forbid some day down the road something happen to my body or my band and I have to have it removed (the band, not the body - although a replacement body would be nice hehe :cool2:) I hope that if that time every does come (knock on wood that it doesnt) I will be equipped mentally and emotionally to deal with it so to not eat myself back to my old ways.

Good luck on your journey, and I wish you the best :tongue:

Thanks for all the feedback. I appreciate everyone's honesty... I really do!! I think what I am probably going to do is make the Dr appointment now for next week. And then assess a day before my appointment what I want to do.... then if I want to cancel, I can.

Thanks again bandsters! :thumbup:

Hi Redrum

Just wondering how you went at the doctors?

Have a great time with your parents when they are here. :biggrin: