Question:
Help!Restriction or not

I had the band on March 15 -o7. I am to have another fill on Thursday,I cant get very much restriction.I am at 3.5 in a 4 cc band.Thet said thier is no leak,and when he filled it completly full I was having awfull pain.Like today I ate a whole grilled cheese sandwich and half a bannanna.Two and a half three hours I am starving.It is not head hunger.Are we suppose to be able to eat this much,or have I not reached my sweet spot.I need some advice.I am scared that we are almost to 4 cc and then what,I failed again on another attempt of dieting.Please let me know on your restrction and food intake.Thanks Sandy Hanson    — Sandy Hanson (posted on August 20, 2007)

August 20, 2007
Sandy, I have had a simular situation to yours. I had a VBG 11 years ago and within a short time I was so hungry and able to eat a great deal more than I should. I have had 11 years of the strictest dieting and now I'm to the point where in spite of 8oo cals a day and walking exercise I cannot lose. I began looking at revisions. I still felt like a failure, though. Hunger and food is an enemy! Or so I thought. All my best efforts were a waste. I encourage you to think differently. http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/0ADKRia0L0XpKNTZmSvI1nL455PN5BtxjzOykQyNNmhJ7ox0GwIWhQotZ-ijgmGik7xfRPsmab4pUNeRdNXzT05SdNVQREMuDxE_mxthJ61gtw/Comparison%20charts.doc Compare and be educated.
   — motherof9

August 20, 2007
Hi Sandy, I am by no means an expert on lap band or BP but am in the process of finishing my clearances to have the gastric bypass. What you talk about is one of the reasons I chose to go with the bypasss as opposed to the lap band. But what I want to ask you or suggest to you is this; Have you expressed your concerns/fears to your surgeon or your nutritionist? I'm sure it would not be the first time he or she has heard this concern. Make them listen to you and make them understand just how concerned you are about this issue. Is there a supportgroup that you can get in touch with there locally to get some input and some helping hands from? I truly feel for you and your frustration. The dieting merry go round is such a frustrating and stressful ride to be on. Recently, I actually *tried* to gain a couple of pounds so my BMI would meet the requirements for insurance reasons. I was off by like .3 or something like that, so decided to be a total eating machine. Wouldn't you know it? I go in to see my nutritionist and she tells me I have lost a pound! The Dieting God up there is messing with my mind bad! LOL Good luck and I hope you can get some input from your doc or nutritionist on this. That's what they are there for. God bless, Lynn W.
   — Lynn W.

August 20, 2007
Maybe you haven't hit the "sweet spot", but it could happen on your next fill. In the meantime,eat as though you HAVE hit the sweet spot. Eat no more than 1 c of food at a time, and if you ARE hungry later (which is VERY common) have a protein bar or a healthy snack, I sometimes grab a small handfull of almonds or walnuts and then I'm fine 'till my next meal. The band will work for you, but make sure you are consciously cutting back on the food at first, eat less on purpose, slow down on purpose, chew a LOT and you also may still feel a little hungry at first. Eventually, though, I found that the band started to work for me, but I'm the one who had to do the work FIRST and it wasn't always easy. Sometimes I felt as though I could eat much more, but forced myself to stop because I was fearful of stretching my pouch. Does that make sense? Also, my nutritionist told me to eat my protein first, vegies 2nd and then if there's room have the carbs. Now, I don't ALWAYS follow that advice to the 'T', but I do find that if I eat my meat first, there's much less room for the carbs, so I'm eating things that aren't as likely to cause me to gain, (or not lose). MAKE the band work for YOU. It's not automatic, but it DOES make a difference. I eat more often throughout the day, but eat much smaller amounts and it's working. I wish you all the best. Good luck!
   — Debra R.

August 21, 2007
I don't know what you are doing now, but you would probably have the best luck sticking to meat and vegetables....cooked at home, not deep fried, low fat, no gravy/sauce, etc. Bread is easily digested... if you are going to have a grilled cheese sandwich and want it to stick and fill you up, go to the supermarket and find a dense bread made with whole grains and lots of fiber... white and even whole wheat bread are almost nothing but carbohydrates. Grilled cheese and half a banana have a lot of carbs. They are also low fiber... We digest carbohydrates much easier and faster than we digest protein and fat. Saliva has enzymes that help break carbohydrates down into glucose... it starts as soon as something is in our mouth....protein and fat have to travel to the stomach before they can be digested. It takes longer to digest protein and fat so these things will make you feel full sooner and keep you full. A low carb diet will most likely keep you from being hungry and limit the amount you are able to eat because of the time needed for digestion. Best wishes.
   — mrsidknee