I am a 38 year old woman who had the lap band surgery on January 5th this year. So far, I've lost 29 lbs! That is great, but I'm getting nervous. I lost the vast majority of that weight on the liquid and soft food diet immediately following the procedure. I've had my 10cc band filled to 3.5ccs, but I still find that I am not satisfied w/ small meals. If I chew thoroughly, things go down fine. But if I don't chew thoroughly, things get stuck so my surgeon says the band is as tight as it should be. My problem is that I find I am not satisfied by (or limited to) small meals. I've been walking 30-60 minutes 4-5 times a week, but my weight loss is averaging 1 pound a month, not 1-2 pounds a week! I find that I have to stop myself from eating as much as I want because the band isn't giving me the sensation of being full. If I had the will power to limit myself to smaller portions, I wouldn't have needed the surgery in the first place. Is this normal? I feel like I'm doing everything else right, such as limiting my fluid intake before, during and after a meal, making better food choices w/ protein first. Why is this STILL so difficult?

I'm surely no doc but per the chart on MY doc's wall the proper fill level is: full on up to 1 cup of food, stays full 5-6 hours, losing 1-2 pounds a week. That isn't you. I think you need another fill. I have 6.5 cc in my 14 cc band and finally FINALLY have restriction; let me tell you it makes 100% difference. Call and get another fill. Good luck!