I went in yesterday to discuss with my Dr if I needed another fill. I was not 100% sure that I needed one, but I wanted to talk to the doc about it. I can eat considerably more than I think I should be able to, and I always have been. That being said I constantly experience pain when eating so I figure the band is probably tight enough.

After weighing in the Dr suggested the following.

1. I am not chewing my food enough, and the food is scratching the lining of the stomach as is goes through the band. Long term this could damage the lining and will require medication and an unfill to correct.

2. He felt that the band has done all its going to do, and the rest is up to me. Basically he said I need to eat less and work out more.

So not that this has ever been easy, but the easy part is over and the really hard work begins. I am ok with that I guess.

He did do a fluro (x-ray) and I could see the actual opening through the band. It really is pretty small. He said it looks exactly how it should.

It sounds like your Doc made the right call. If you've got sufficient restriction, you just need to make the decision to use your band like the tool that it is. Don't risk doing any damage and having to be un-banded.

Meet the challenge and keep working toward your goals.

Bryan

B-Man, that's not all bad news man.

I never had a fill personally - I started doing paintball and MMA soon after and started dieting hard core. But if I ever DID slip from the diet, I couldn't too bad, because the band was there to restrict my slip up from anything major.

I just had to decide that I was going to find an activity that I enjoyed doing and become addicted to it. Do you have something like that? I traded video games and TV for paintball, MMA, and bowfishing, and I honestly have so much more fun doing the stuff.

I was also lucky enough to have friends that were very active already, so all I had to do was tag along with them. I imagine getting into something alone would have been much harder : /.

I been back for a couple of weeks so it makes a great deal of difference to have a place that will help with the accountability as well as motivation.

I travel three weeks a month and usually gain one to two lbs while I am gone but last week I did not gain which is like a minor victory.

Take car.