Last Monday I was in the dr's office getting 2 cc's removed on their reccomendation because I was taking one bite and unable to finish eating until 20-30 minutes later...I was also pbing frequently

This Monday... I swear I am up 10 lbs. I look and feel horrible- I can see it in my face and thighs and and feel sluggish and bloated. I am able to eat waaaaay more than I should and am getting hungry an hour or two later. I am also having a hard time staying away from things I shouldn't be eating because I was so deprived of them for months with my last fill.

I don't know what else to do besides electric shock therapy!!!

Should I call the doctor and beg for some fill back in? I am afriad they are going to deny me because of my problems before. I don't want to have to be told to try another diet!

I can't believeprefer the agony of eating one bite and pbing- but I swear it's the ONLY thing that has helped me! I am so ashamed of my backsliding and really embarrased that I was doing so well and looking so good...the power of not being hungry and thinking about food all the time is what I need.

Anyone else been in this situation- what did you do?

Hi Just banded. I'm going to just throw out my opinion and everybody can agree or disagree (disclaimer - I admit that I've been influenced by my surgeon's very conservative outlook).

It sounds to me like maybe you've been relying on your band to act as a physical barrier. The band was never meant to do all the work like that......to stop you while you mindlessly eat.

The band is really a tool that makes us take deeper stock of ourselves. Sure, in the beginning, there is that "get to know you" time with our band where we are learning just how much we're able to eat. During that time, it's pretty easy to overeat, to PB, to not chew well, or whatever. But eventually, you should get a sense of how much you can comfortably hold (note I said "comfortably" hold......I don't mean how much you can pack in without it all coming back up). After you get that sense of how much you can eat, things get a lot easier.

A lot of us struggle with head games (or head hunger, or whatever you want to call it) where we want to eat even though we are not physically hungry. The band doesn't do much to battle head hunger. That's where you come in. This is why they say the band is just a tool. You have to do some of the heavy lifting......especially at the start of things.

So, having said all that, I would advise you to "start over" right now. First, do not eat crap......don't even have it close by, if possible. Second, with each meal really concentrate.....don't watch TV or read.....make detailed mental notes on how much you're eating, what size bites you're taking, whether you are chewing throughly, stuff like that. Third, do not eat until you're "full" (stuffed). Eat until you're "not hungry"...Your eventual goal should be to see how little a portion size you can eat and not be hungry 4 hours later. Fourth and last, drink plenty of Water and exercise, exercise, exercise. The importance of exercise can NOT be over-stated.

So, that's my advice. Take it (or don't) for what it's worth. Remember, it's not too late to turn things around again.

Plain, as always, makes some very good points.

I'll just throw in one point on the side.... I don't "eat meals" anymore. Gave it up quite some time ago in fact. Our secretary calls me a "grazer" and it's quite a fitting title. I eat/drink on and off all of my waking day. I practically never go more than two hours without eating something. This style of eating helps keep my metabolism cranking and my body never has to wonder where it's next feeding is going to come. I believe, albeit anecdotely, that a steady flow of nutrition deters your body from storing fat - especially if you eat no more than a few hundred calories at a time. I can also tell that my blood glucose remains more steady than if I eat three very spaced-out meals. This works for me and because I eat so frequently, I'm able to get in well over 2000 calories a day. I should also mention that I have a significant exercise routine.

Brad

I have also had to have unfills in the past for being too tight.

When I was excessively tight, I always immediately gain a couple of pounds within days of the unfill as my body goes back to normal. When I am too tight my intake is very low and it even affects liquids ingested. I almost feel like this is not so much a gain as much as that a part of the previous loss wasn't real in that I may be dehydrated.

I agree with the others, you may have been using the band as to much of a physical barrier. It is not meant to work solely as a barrier. If you focus on eating the right foods, following the banding rules and getting your exercise, you can still continue to lose.

With that said, I have found that when I am near my sweet spot, unfill's that are tiny can make a huge difference. For me, 2 cc's is enough to go from full restriction to almost no restriction. Perhaps your best fill level is somewhere in between the original rate and the 2 cc's lost. Maybe having another 1 cc added might put you at a more comfortable fill level all the way around. You definitely sounded way too tight before.

I agree with Heather. Work on the psychological food issues, and also realize another partial fill may be just what you need.

thank you for all your responses and congratulations to heather on your pregnancy!

I just made an appointment with an endrocrinologist to get some bloodwork done and see if my thyroid condition is playing any part in this. Unofrtunately I can't get in for another 2 weeks...

For the most part I know the things I can control like eating right and excercising. I feel so good when I do them- but my mind is so reisistant- probably rebeling from all the years I was told to do it!

I know the nurse said something like it might take a few weeks for the unfill to kick in- which I have NO idea what that means... because I usually hear that when I get fill put in. Is there a possibility I could become tighter?

All I know is...when the hunger isn't there- my life is much much easier. Forget about head hunger- I never felt it when I wasn't hungry 24/7. But the Water drinking does help!

I know how you feel. I had a fill the beginning of March and did fine with liquids and one day of mushies then three days of not keeping anything down. I freaked out and went in a week later for an unfill (.6 ccs) My doctor said is sounded more like I had gotten something stuck and I needed to work it out, but he did the unfill anyway.

Well now I have no restriction whatsoever and I am now counting calories. I don't mind planning my meals and counting calories etc. I keep track on SparkPeople, but there are several web-sites that are similar. The keeping track helps the psychological part of the journey.

But........I try to stay at 1200 calories but with no restriction and extreme hunger in between meals I am having a hard time staying under 1400 calories and some days a little over. On the weekend I got to almost 1800 (ahhhh). I have increased my exercise. Me and two friends from my support group actually walked 5.5 miles on Sunday and I try to do at least 2 miles at least three times a week.

I finally called my doctor and I am going back in next week and I am hoping he will give me a fill, even if it's a little one.

I know we have all heard that the band is just a tool and I'm okay with that, but when the tool isn't working....it's very frustrating. A contractor wouldn't try and build a house with a broken hammer.

Hang in there Justbanded and I'll hang in there with you.

I know how you feel. I had a fill the beginning of March and did fine with liquids and one day of mushies then three days of not keeping anything down. I freaked out and went in a week later for an unfill (.6 ccs) My doctor said is sounded more like I had gotten something stuck and I needed to work it out, but he did the unfill anyway.

Well now I have no restriction whatsoever and I am now counting calories. I don't mind planning my meals and counting calories etc. I keep track on SparkPeople, but there are several web-sites that are similar. The keeping track helps the psychological part of the journey.

But........I try to stay at 1200 calories but with no restriction and extreme hunger in between meals I am having a hard time staying under 1400 calories and some days a little over. On the weekend I got to almost 1800 (ahhhh). I have increased my exercise. Me and two friends from my support group actually walked 5.5 miles on Sunday and I try to do at least 2 miles at least three times a week.

I finally called my doctor and I am going back in next week and I am hoping he will give me a fill, even if it's a little one.

I know we have all heard that the band is just a tool and I'm okay with that, but when the tool isn't working....it's very frustrating. A contractor wouldn't try and build a house with a broken hammer.

Hang in there Justbanded and I'll hang in there with you.

But....neither would the contractor expect the hammer to build the house on its own.

Now, it sounds like you are doing everything right, Gus-Gus. I would only add that maybe you are more sensitive to fills that most and maybe you should go verrrrry slowly. Good luck!