I had lap band surgery in February this year (2008).

I am 5'10" and weighed 298 and am now down to 199.

Things were good for the first 5 months and I was able to eat most foods in moderation with very little problems. There wasn't much I couldn't eat but I ate smaller portions.

I have had 4 fills and think the last one may have made me too tight but I am afraid of getting an unfill or if there is another type of problem wrong with me.

I am drinking plenty of liquids and have never got dehydrated.

I hardly eat anymore because solid foods come back up and I get full after a few bites.

Breakfast consists of either yogurt, oatmeal or Cereal.

lunch consists of Soup, applesauce, Meal Replacement or crackers.

dinner consists of fish, hamburger, Beans, cheese, salad or string beans

I stay with soft liquidy type foods becacause just about any other type of food comes back up. I throw up once a day when I try and eat dinner. The food comes up in waves. I first throw up things that are hardly digested. Then I start salivating and throw up some more. Then the rest is saliva.

I hardly ever feel really hungry anymore and need very little to feel full.

I am not able to eat a big variety of foods and throw up once a day when I try and eat more solid foods. Afraid that throwing up every day will cause a problem.

I am eating around 700-800 calories a day but am drinking plenty of fluids, exercise often and don't feel hungry or tired. Don't feel like I am eating a well balanced meal and not getting enough Protein.

Has anyone else experience this?

Should I be concerned?

Is my band too tight?

Could my band have slipped?

I just don't know what to do and am a little scared. :w00t:

I have a good doctor but am afraid to talk to him about this and don't

know why.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Edited October 30, 200817 yr by MCCTLC68

My first thought would be that you need to be unfilled a little. Ive been filled and unfilled quite a few times. And what they explained to me was basically fat pads break down and things then fit differently. I had 5cc in a 10cc band and felt like i could eat a half a piza if I wanted. So I asked for more.......now after many ins and outs, at 3.5cc I wasnt even able to handle water.

I am now at a comfortable 3cc. And Im fine with that.

Another thing they told me the other day was just because ur tight and u can only get applesauce and a cracker down, does not mean your weightloss will increase....

You need to eat to lose....

If theres anything I can help with let me know

good luck

Wendy

banded 8/30/07

I had lap band surgery in February this year (2008).

I am 5'10" and weighed 298 and am now down to 199.

Things were good for the first 5 months and I was able to eat most foods in moderation with very little problems. There wasn't much I couldn't eat but I ate smaller portions.

I have had 4 fills and think the last one may have made me too tight but I am afraid of getting an unfill or if there is another type of problem wrong with me.

I am drinking plenty of liquids and have never got dehydrated.

I hardly eat anymore because solid foods come back up and I get full after a few bites.

Breakfast consists of either yogurt, oatmeal or cereal.

lunch consists of soup, applesauce, meal replacement or crackers.

dinner consists of fish, hamburger, Beans, cheese, salad or string beans

I stay with soft liquidy type foods becacause just about any other type of food comes back up. I throw up once a day when I try and eat dinner. The food comes up in waves. I first throw up things that are hardly digested. Then I start salivating and throw up some more. Then the rest is saliva.

I hardly ever feel really hungry anymore and need very little to feel full.

I am not able to eat a big variety of foods and throw up once a day when I try and eat more solid foods. Afraid that throwing up every day will cause a problem.

I am eating under 1,000 calories a day but am drinking plenty of fluids, exercise often and don't feel hungry or tired.

Has anyone else experience this?

Should I be concerned?

Is my band too tight?

Could my band have slipped?

I just don't know what to do and am a little scared.

I have a good doctor but am afraid to talk to him about this and don't

know why.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Yes - I have experienced this in full. Believe it or not, but removing only .4 cc from the band has changed this issue for me and I can eat. I was throwing up everything and ended up my body was in starvation mode, not losing any weight for over a month, but by removing the .4cc I have lost 5 pounds in 5 weeks. My doctor said she only wants to see me lose 1 -2 pounds a week, so I am on course. Once in a while I still throw up, but it is my fault of not chewing enough or else being too tense or talking while eating. I found I need to eat alone with no stress to get things to go down right. Keep trying, don't be scared to remove saline as with the throwing up you won't lose another pound, you must be healthy!!

You just sound too tight, have a bit removed. You can always put it back in down the track.

I had .2cc removed and went from feeling not quite as bad as you describe, but concerned about how much I was eating, to being wide wide wide open. Resisting the urge to eat and preventing regain has been very difficult, as for me, it was a temporary hormonal blip that caused the tightness. I'm getting the fill put back in a fortnight's time.

Try having a teeny bit out, you will probably feel a lot better. And its quite likely you'll lose better too.

Thanks for your responses!

I am glad to see that other pepole have experienced this.

I have 2 other questions now.

1. Why does your weight loss slow down when you eat too little and you lose more when you eat more?

Sounds backwards to me. Even though I am very tight I am still losting 2 pounds a week and still exercise.

2. Instead of getting an unfill, can I just wait it out? Will it eventually become looser on its own as I continue to lose weight?

I also find it most difficult eating at restaurants or any social event right now since I am so tight.

Right now I choose not to eat when I am out because I don't want to have an accident.

What makes it more difficult is that my friends and co-workers don't even know I had the surgery becuase I don't want to be judged and hear stupid comments from them.

So I am very nervous when I go out to eat with people and have to make excuses as to why I am not eating or have to lie as to why I went to the bathroom to get sick when I decided to try and eat.

I have a few issues going on and find it refreshing to talk about it on these postings since I have chosen to keep it a secret.

Please let me know your thoughts.

You lose slower when you eat very little because chemically your body thinks its starving, so your metabolism slows down so you can retain energy.

It may possibly need to be adjusted as you lose weight, but its not a guarenteed. Everyone is different. And in the long run you may do more damage then help, because it could take months before that is needed. Im over a year out and am going backwards with my fills. Its too hard to determine what your body will chose to do.

also as a little trick I do, and also happens to be on some handouts in my docs office, I eat about 2 hrs before I go anywhere. This way if I have a problem I am home for 2 hrs to deal with it. Then when I go out, I get something small like and appetizer or a soup. Mostly everyone I know, knows about my surgery, and those who dont, just think I have incredible will power........lol

Also as a little trick I do, and also happens to be on some handouts in my docs office, I eat about 2 hrs before I go anywhere. This way if I have a problem I am home for 2 hrs to deal with it. Then when I go out, I get something small like and appetizer or a soup. Mostly everyone I know, knows about my surgery, and those who dont, just think I have incredible will power........lol

___________________________________________________

That is a good idea about earing 2 hours before going anywhere and I have done that. But I can't even bring myself to have an appetizer when going out because I will most likely have an accident.

I just sit there and have somethnig to drink while talking to people.

Everyone ask why I am not eating and I say something like I am not hungry, I am not feeling good, I just ate, I am watching my calorie intake, etc. I continuously have to lie because I just don't feel comfortable letting peple know since most of them are very judgemental.

I have a funny story that just happened 2 weeks ago.

A bunch of us went on a bus trip to a casino.

We paid for the tickets and it automatically included your dinner at a huge buffett restaurant.

I was surrounded by all types of delicious food that I couldn't eat.

I ended up eating mashed potatoes, small salad and 2 bites of an apple pie. I had to excuse myelf because a little did come back up.

People were making comments and asking me if everything was OK.

Someone did mention that they wished they had my incredible will power.

I was thinking to myself...... if you only knew that I have a lap band controlling me.

Otherwise I would have had no will power being around all that food and would have pigged out big time.

I am going to a Halloween party tomorrow which should be interesting being around more food that I can't eat. I am usually not even hungry and don't even want to eat but feel that I need to in order to fit in with everyone else. Everything seems to revolve around eating.

I used to enjoy socializing a lot and going out to eat. Now I don't look forward to it and would rather eat alone in my house or go to the gym to workout. Life continues.

I would definately say then your probaby too tight.I told the nurse practitioner the other day (after another unfill) that I was embarrassed to come in, that this is the 4th time in 4 months Ive been filled and unfilled. She said it is perfectly normal when you get that close to your "green zone" aka "sweet spot".

Another thing is, I know you had said that your friends are very judgemental, but I have to say, If I remember correctly, You've lost about 100lbs so far......I think they probably know your at least doing something. 10lbs is one thing, nobody would not notice 100lb loss....

You probably *could* wait it out, but I wouldnt if you're pbing regularly.

Being tight is really not that good for your band and if you're constantly having things stuck and pbing, then you could do damage.

I can't believe it, something has changed!

I felt that I was too tight after my last fill about 1 1/2 months ago and was having trouble getting any real food down.

I was thinking of getting a small unfill but something happened yesterday.

I noticed that the food is now starting to go down better :cursing:

I am so happy and won't call the doctor now.

I still get full after a few bites but the food isn't coming back up now.

I am careful to stay away from "trouble" foods.

I was so happy to eat honey ham the past 2 days and keep it down. I haven't been able to do that in a long time.

Thanks for all your comments to my post.