Fills and my fickle band

How do you truly know when you need a fill? Suppose you go to your WLS doctor and it's a good day and your band is very tight? And then a, day or so later it's loose and you should have had more of a fill? Or it's very loose the day you go in and you get overfilled? I guess the WLS numbers are really the only way we have to know the overall sucess of our band.

Just my musings for today. Even after 16 months out, I am still stumped sometimes by being able to eat one thing one day and then having a problem another time.

It definitely keeps life interesting though!

Diana

No doubt about it, the band is a fickle, unpredictable pain in the ass sometimes! Still a life-saver, though..

Generally, imo, we should consider more fill if ALL the following are true:

1. we are following the band guidelines pretty well but not losing the average 1-2 # a week for MORE than 4 weeks in a row.

First, though, take a look at your eating, exercise, fluids, etc- still pretty good?

2. We are having NO trouble with the current fill level - only rare barfing if any, no pain, no sliming, eating solid foods and not liquids and soft stuff. CAN get in the meats and other iron-rich foods to meet iron needs

3. We understand the difference between head and physiological hunger

4. We ARE meeting calorie and nutrition goals most of the time. (1200-1500 cal, usual protein, fiber, calcium, good carb, omega 3 oils )

My 2 cents!

Sandy r

I've got to agree with sandy on how to figure out if I need a fill.  If I'm not losing for a few weeks in a row, if I'm eating larger portions, if I'm snacking between meals, if I'm hungrier.  Those are my guidelines and then I'll re-eval WHAT I'm eating to make sure I'm following my rules.  I think that if the band is that loose/tight from day to day on a regular basis, there's no reason for a fill.  There are absolutely certain things that make me tighter on some days but I expect that feeling on that day, like when I work early morning shifts that I'm not used to.  It seems for me, when I'm having the "tight one day, looser the next, tight again" deal...that I've had to get unfilled a little bit.

I expect and accept that there are gonna be good days and bad days with the band, as with life. If I'm feeling a little too tight or loose I usually give it a day or two and then I'm back to "my" normal. Life isn't the same every day and neither is the band. I just adjust my eating accordingly; too tight, mushier food for awhile, too loose more filling food for awhile.