lap band "sweet spot"

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after an intital fill of 2 cc in a 10cc band i have methodically gotten .5 cc per month since then and am now at 6.5 cc in a 10cc band. i know for sure i don't want another fill as now for the first time i am really feeling powerful restriction. i now truly have to keep my portion sizes really small, eat really slowly and chew very thoroughly or i get stuck very easily. i am excited about the restriction but almost wondering if i am in fact slightly "over-filled". my last fill was five days ago. maybe i just really need to appreciate the restriction and focus on eating slowly, chewing thoroughly and keeping my portions small. the other thing i definitely notice is that i stay feeling full considerably longer too. any one want to share there experiences regarding finding their sweet spot or maybe even getting over-filled at some point? and how many cc's in what size band were you at when it happened...

Replies

  • jasonweinberg
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    anyone? i definitely am thinking more and more i might be over-filled but i want to give it some more time especially because i seem to be losing weight again. the thing is it varies from meal to meal where sometimes i just barely start to eat and get full/stuck and other times its okay. it kind of seems like the less i eat the more restricted it becomes for the next meal. bread also seems to be a complete no-no at this lap-band setting. but i really don't want to get un-filled and start over if i can avoid it...
  • onmyweightohappiness
    onmyweightohappiness Posts: 151 Member
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    Wish I could help but I have no ideas for you! I had the gastric bypass surgery a year ago. How I eat now vs a year ago is so insane to me! A cup of food and I am full, took me a long time to get use to that one!
  • jasonweinberg
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    thanks for replying at least. lol. hope your weight-loss has gone well.
  • bandedme
    bandedme Posts: 6
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    I have 7 CC's in my 14 CC band. And I think it is my sweet spot. Not only do I eat less but I stay full a pretty long time. I would talk to your doctor about maybe a small unfill. When I got to 7CC's I thought at first it was to much and my doctor said he could take as little as 1/10 of a CC out at a time. But I realized if I just chewed better I did not get stuck. If you are chewing well and still getting stuck (especially if it soft food) I would maybe get a small unfill. Hope that helps a little. When were you banded? I was banded 12/28/10
  • jasonweinberg
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    i was banded 8/16/2010. they just really filled me very slowly since i was losing weight well anyway. i have gotten used to my latest fill and basically think its just right. i just have to be very conscious of the first few bites that i take, chew thoroughly, and eat slowly. it definitely helps me in portion control.
  • summerlee97
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    I have 7 cc's in a 10 cc band. I understand your feeling about some times barely starting to eat and getting stuck. I was banded 4/17/2008. Six month post op I got pregnant with my son. The road to weight loss has been bumpy for me due to having a child. With that said, I have lost almost 40 lbs since August 2010 which is when I had my last fill. I too notice days when I barley start to eat and things get stuck. I have decided that there are some things that I just cannot eat anymore.... steak, popcorn chicken, begals.... things that harder to chew into small pieces. Also the speed at which I eat can cause things to get stuck because I am not chewing. I can eat bread, just not like before. Before the band, I could eat an entire sandwich, after the band, only half. No subway diet for me, the sub bread gets stuck. For each person, the amout in the band can very, it really depends on the person and how they were eating pre-band. Some people were taking in thousands of calories and so a small adjustment with the band can lead to weightloss due to less caloric intake. A person like me however, I was eating healthier but was still overweight. The band is a tool. With a lower calorie intake and activity, my weight is coming off. I know that this is not an exact answer, but it really depends on how you gained weight. Was is just overeating, over eating and no activity, or just no activity. My friend and I both had the band and she wants to have hers removed because it has not helped. She thought of the band as this miracle that would change her life without changing her lifestyle, ie eating and exercise. It was is an adjustment to think, man I could eat an entire sub or a full plate of food and no barely eat half. ... ok enough of my rambling... congrats on the weightloss so far and keep up the great work. :bigsmile:
  • jasonweinberg
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    so, to revisit this topic if anyone will see that i added to it...after i got used to that last fill i actually had another one to put me at 7cc in my 10cc band. that fill i never "got used to" i kept thinking it would "soften up" a little like the previous one did but it never did and i dealt with getting stuck or somewhat stuck far too regularly even when i tried extra hard to chew carefully and eat slowly, especially when i was particularly hungry. i finally got mad stuck and sick one night and went back and got .5 cc taken out putting me back to the 6.5 cc i was at when i started this thread. i feel fine as far as restriction now, haven't gotten stuck since and will stay at this fill level. at this point i really don't care much about losing more weight just want to stay active and continue to tone and let my skin catch up with myself...