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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, please consult with your GP and/or Weight Loss Surgery support groups before considering getting an operation. Since the anniversary of my surgery is coming up (Jan. 26), I thought I'd share my experience with travelling to Tijuana and getting the surgery done. Hopefully it sheds some insight to people who are nervous or who would like to know what to expect. I'm 20 years old, female, and my starting weight was 285 pounds, and 275 the day of my surgery. Back story (feel free to skip this): I've struggled with my weight most of my life. I was a pretty skinny kid, and it was when my parents divorced when I was eight that I started eating considerably more. My weight slowly ballooned over the years until I hit my highest weight at 285 at the age of 18 and 19. I was disgusted with myself, I had no self confidence. I was pretty damn unhappy. My mom's friend had received a gastric band a few years earlier and looks absolutely amazing, that was the seed that planted the idea of weight loss surgery in my head. I had tried countless times before to lose weight. Diet and exercise, Herbal Magic, a personal trainer: Nothing worked. I'd get discouraged and stop two to three weeks in and continue my old routine of inhaling vast quantities of junk food. My mom received severance from retiring, and it was then that I realized that weight loss surgery seemed like a very obtainable goal. Things get going: My mom's friend from earlier brought me to her support group, all of them had had gastric band surgery. It was at the support group that I learned about OCC. One woman had gone there and had a glowing review about it, I was under the notion that hospitals in Mexico were going to be horrendously dirty. I was very wrong. Before I had gone to the support group, I had met with a surgeon here in British Columbia twice. What an asshat. He enraged me to the point where I was certain he would feel my pugilistic rage upon his face. To keep things simple, he had absolutely no bedside manner and our meetings digressed into two hour long conversations about his family. I felt hopeless until learning about OCC. I decided to go with the Gastric Sleeve, I felt too young to hinder myself with a band, and wasn't comfortable with the idea of having a foreign object in my body. The plication was my first option but I didn't think I'd ever get it reversed. I emailed OCC, set up a date for my surgery, did an online health questionnaire, and made a deposit. I cannot stress this enough: it is incredibly easy to get booked in. I spoke with the Nutritionist, Dr. Miranda, on the phone and she gave me my pre-op diet. I had to lose between 10-30 pounds before my surgery. My diet consisted of small portions, and was very high-protein low-fat/carb. I went for half-hour walks every day, however I only lost around ten pounds before my surgery. San Diego / Tijuana: We flew into San Diego from Seattle, stayed a few days to go sight-seeing, and then we were picked up at the hotel by the OCC driver. We were brought over the border early in the morning (it's not a scary process what so ever, if you're used to travelling it's nothing new). The Clinic / Surgery: We checked into The Marriott, and then went back to the clinic. I can't stress this enough, but please keep hydrated. You're allowed to drink water before getting all of your blood work done. Don't even think about drinking anything but water. I'll try my best to describe the lay out of the clinic. It's a small hospital. However it's the cleanest hospital I have EVER been in. Canadian hospitals step your game up please. There's an industrial complex underneath the clinic, and a parkade. You go up in the elevator and it connects directly to the clinic. The waiting room consists of cushy benches built into the walls with a single coffee table with pamphlets for the Ariel Center, OCC, and their supplements. This is a great time to converse with other patients and to get to know one another since it's a sort of round-table set up. You'll be with these people for a few days, sleep rooms away from them, and they will go through the same things you will. It's a great support system. The reception desk is a few meters from the benches. Past the reception desk is a small hallway that leads to Dr. Miranda's office on the right, Ariel Center's dental surgery room, the X Ray room, and continuing left is the hospital's core. There are three hospital beds where blood work is done. This room leads to another hallway with four-five rooms where you will be deposited after your surgery. The Operating Room connects from this hallway. I had to wait around an hour before seeing Dr. Miranda. This process is different for everyone, it's a combination of Dr. Miranda > Blood Work > ECG > Scrubs and IV Drip. I'll be blunt, it's very similar to being herded like a cow to slaughter. It's a meticulous, quick process within the span of two-three hours. Some get blood work first, others get ECG first, it all depends on how busy they are or who's working. I went into Dr. Miranda's office first. She's incredibly nice. She took my weight, talked about what I should expect food wise for the upcoming first year, and told me what my goal weight should be. After that, I went back to the waiting room, and then it was off to get blood work. The nurses there are wonderful, very helpful, and kind. After I got my blood work, I received my ECG, went back to the waiting room, and then I was finally brought to my Recovery Room. The Recovery Rooms come with a hospital bed, a mounted TV, and a few chairs for family. The nurse instructed me to put on compression stockings, paper underwear, and a hospital gown. The underwear are NOT one size fits all, do your best to squeeze yourself into them if you can. I waited around fifteen minutes to get my IV put in. After my IV was in, I was given a cocktail of drugs. I'm not sure what most of them were, but I'm certain one of them was a sedative because I had to to cling to the nurse like a newborn fawn when she led me to the Operating Room. Dr. Ortiz came in to talk with me, there wasn't a lick of a Spanish Accent in his voice. He was very reassuring and kind, I knew I was in safe hands. They don't tell you when they put you under, I just remember laying down, putting my arm out for the Anesthesiologist as he casually conversed in Spanish with a colleague, and then I woke up in the Recovery Room with ice chips in my mouth wondering if that was the Afterlife. Dr. Ortiz was sitting down adjacent to my mother and I do not remember for the life of me what they were talking about, but I was later told I had a hernia he promptly fixed. The surgery went well, no complications, and I was left to sleep. I do remember waking up constantly because it was so damn hot. My heart monitor kept going crazy because I was so over heated. I was given more ice chips. Around five in the morning we were given freezies and juice. I ambled around dragging the IV with me, it felt good to stretch my legs. I didn't get a very restful sleep, I kept waking up, but I did have a drain hanging from my left side. I will warn you, you won't feel the drain until you are taken off the IV. Once you're off the meds the drain is hell. I couldn't sit down without being in pain. We only stayed for one night in the hospital. The lot of us were discharged in the morning and we left for the hotel. This surgery will not incapacitate you, you can walk as soon as the Anesthesia wears off. We were lead to reception, and had to pay for the medications. You will be given a liquid antibiotic, two month's worth of antacids, and a Benzamide-knock off gastrointestinal cure-all. I think it was around $175 for the lot of them. The first night in the hotel I slept like a baby and was limited to chicken broth and water. I will tell you this, you will want to murder anyone eating pizza and normal food in the air port when you leave. I was warned on the forum that the popsicles at the Marriott are the worst, but I shrugged it off as entitled Americanism. I was wrong. If you like sucking on frozen water with a microscopic hint of strawberry, you'll love them. I called them ghettosicles. The next day we went back to the clinic for a follow up and a barium swallow. The barium was a chalky white mixture and didn't taste half bad. I saw my new stomach on the monitor which was pretty frickin' cool. I then had the drain taken out, and I was so relieved. It was the craziest feeling, like a long wet noodle getting pulled out of you. A few days later and I was back on a plane to Vancouver Island. Closing statement: My weight now is 185 pounds. I have lost 100 pounds in under a year. I couldn't be more happy with my decision and I HIGHLY recommend OCC to anyone considering weight loss surgery. However, weight loss surgery isn't a magic pill that will make all of your problems go away. The instinct to over-eat will still remain for a few months. Get to the root of the problem concerning your food addiction. Therapy is wonderful. If you would like to see before and after pictures please PM me. If you have any questions feel free to PM me Cheers, and I hope my experience was helpful. If you're in the Victoria area or in Vancouver, feel free to PM me if you'd like to meet up to talk about the surgery if you're considering getting it!

Hi All! I’d like to share both of my positive experiences with the OCC. I was banded in 2007 and was really impressed with the clinic and the aftercare. I lost most of my weight, coming within 20 pounds of my goal. My pre diabetes and high cholesterol is gone. I also don’t have to take arthritis medication for pain in my hips anymore! However, due to a thyroid issue a couple of years ago, I gained some of the weight back. Then early last summer, I started to have some problems with my band. I decided to have a revision and go with the sleeve. After such a good experience the first time, of course I chose to go back to the OCC. The care was just as great as the first time. My band was a good tool and I really liked it but I absolutely LOVE my sleeve! I’ve lost all the weight I regained plus some and am only 12 pounds from my goal. I’m smaller than I’ve been for almost 35 years and am looking into plastic surgery now. A big thank you to the entire OCC team for being so helpful and supportive!

First off, thank you OCC! I received the best care I could hope for and I recommend you to anyone looking at WLS. Even my PCP is impressed and has provided your contact info to his patients that don't have insurance that covers WLS here in the US. Since surgery I have lost over 100% of my excess weight and have kept it off for over a year. I don't measure or track my food. I don't own a scale. I never obsessed over numbers or details. I just stuck with mostly protein and veggies while I was losing and stayed away from the "white carbs". For maintenance I simply eat a healthy balanced diet including protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains. I make healthy choices (most of the time) and my sleeve helps control my portions. I still indulge in sweets, desserts, alcohol, bread, rice, potatoes, etc, but definitely in moderation. I still drink protein shakes and eat protein bars. Although I don't officially track, I do keep a rough tally of protein and fluids and usually exceed 70g protein and drink 64-100+ oz of fluids every day. I take my vitamins every day. I have bloodwork checked annually. I don't excercise but I have a physical job and active lifestyle. Post WLS really doesn't have to be as complicated as some people make it out to be. So here's a recap some of my favorite 1st year NSVs.... I can cross my legs. I can even cross them in a car and under a table. I can hop up into my saddle without having to find a rock or log to climb on. I feel so relieved that my horse no longer has to pack my fat ass around the mountains. No more knee, ankle or foot pain. I lived on ibuprofen and tramadol before surgery. I am now completely pain free. I can also squat down and kneel effortlessly without my feet going numb or needing a table or chair to heave myself back up. I can sprint up stairs or hike up a hill without getting out of breath at all. I've been on 15-20 mile hikes with friends and I am always out front, waiting for them to catch up. I can shop in regular stores. I can order clothes online and I know they will fit and look great. I now dress to show off my body, Not to hide it. Now for year 2..... Maintenance is boring. NSVs are few and far between. Everything is just "normal" now. Spent most of the year finding and keeping that balance between what my head wants and what I know I actually need. I rarely weigh myself, but I will step on the scale at work after an especially carby weekend or vacation. I go back to strict protein/veggies or even full on preop liquid diet if I pop even one pound above my bounce range. I know I have to nip any small gains in the bud before they become big gains. But this year also brought about the biggest NSV of all. It has nothing to do with my weight, it's all about my head and it's one I would love to not have experienced. My best friend committed suicide 7 months ago and every day since has been a miserable struggle with the grief, anger, despair and confusion. The victory in this is that I haven't buried my emotions with food and alcohol. I spent over 1 1/2 years drinking and stuffing my face after my brother died 4 years ago. In the end that only impeded my ability to heal and made me even fatter and more miserable. I learned that you have to feel the pain before you can over come it. So this time I'm feeling it all. And it sucks. I will never stop grieving either my brother or my friend, but maybe some day I can start living again, rather just going through the motions. Anyways, thanks for reading this extended post, and good luck to all you newbies. My advice is don't get wallowed down in the "now". Don't be overwhelmed by the details. Life is more than just carbs and protein and minutes at the gym. You chose a chance at a new life....for the rest of your life. The first few months are just a teeny tiny period of time and simply part of the process you have to go through.

I have not had surgery yet but am going in December. My father-in-law is a cardiologist and when I told him about my surgery, he decided to check out Dr. Ortiz. He went and asked the bariatric surgeons associated with his medical group and hospital. ALL of them knew who Dr. Ortiz was and said they would have no problems going there. It was a great validation for me that I did make the right choice.

I completely agree with you on this subject. Well said. I want to clairfy with you that I have no bones about that. I myself use a wide variety of tools to get the information I seek. One often leads to another or in a entirely different direction. I think the banter of this topic is good. Not to mention clearly informs "newbies and veterans" of the value of a search feature. The point I feel I am failing to relay to you is tolerance. We all know you are not the soft squishy type. You get to the point and at times rather harshly, and with out reguard to other feelings. Yes Lindsay - you couldn't have rang that bell any louder if you had tired. MANY obese people are sensitive. Many of us have used food to medicate a hurt or emotion. Which leads us into a cycle that feeds on us. Being more callus than the next person does not by any means make you any better or worse of a person. I for one think you have a good point, but your method of delivery in my opinion is harsh. I don't mind expressing my thoughts or complimenting you on good topics. If that puts me in the "catogory" of being overly sensitive then I claim that title with pride. I like who I am. I've not got the feeling from this board that "people" get there backs up about what I say. Maybe it would be wise to take a look at what so many people are saying.

My surgery is scheduled for March 7 and I too am excited but nervous!

My gastric sleeve surgery is scheduled for March 15th. I'm excited, nervous, anxious...would be GREAT to chat with others crossing the border in March, too!

So I finally did it!!! I got my tummy tuck w/liposculpture and breast implants on Nov. 13 at OCC. I thought it would be more painful but actually the most painful part was having the drain and it was more discomfort than anything. I was very scared on how I was gonna look and if the surgeon was gonna be as good as everyone said. Fortunately everything went great. After two weeks I was back at work and feeling and looking good Dr.Mendez did an awesome job. My scars are looking really good.

Hello - Your post is very encouraging to me! I was banded in November of 2011, loved it (except for the times when I got too much of a fill) until November of 2014 when it slipped on Thanksgiving day and I had to have it surgically removed. At that point in time I had no fill and now I'm thinking I should have kept a small amount in it, but who knows. The surgeon who removed wanted to sleeve me 6 weeks after the band removal, but I knew if I was going to be sleeved, it would be at OCC. At first I thought I would be able to maintain my weight loss as it had been 3 years as my eating habits had changed....but oh OH NO, 15 months later i\I've gained all but 10 pounds of the weight I lost. I'm so looking forward to the sleeve being the tool I need to get back on track and loose this 6- pounds yet again and FOREVER!

I took my fills very slowly; that's the way I was taught to, esp if you're doing blind fills. You should be waiting 6-8 weeks between fills, before determining whether it's time for another. It took me almost a year to find my perfect fill point - I think it was a total of 6 fills, before hitting it. It's normally not reached in a 'fill or two', for us blind fill people. I'm going to assume you're getting blind fills done, and not done by x-ray, which I find are far more accurate by the sounds of it. You will NOT have full restriction, even if you're at your 'sweet spot'. You'll still be able to eat rice, bread, etc. This is a misconception with the band. That some how, some way, the band will prevent you from putting things in your mouth. Or it miraculously forces you to make health food choices. Please post a few days worth of your eating. Including portions. This is usually the tell-tail of why weight loss is stalled; Underestimating cal's taken in, and overestimating cal's burned while exercising. It's a long(er) than expected process for the majority of us. While those who have a lot more to loose (100+lbs) will drop quite a bit in the first 6-8mths, the others, like us, who only have 30-50lbs to drop see things happen at a completely different rate. Don't compare your weight loss to anyone else, and concentrate on adjusting your lifestyle & eating habits.

Scheduled August 3! I'm so nervous and excited!! Worried about losing my pre-op weight. Nervous about going alone! But so excited for all the good I've read. 3 years ago I lost 75lbs on a low carb plan, but put it all on then some in the last year. I'm sick of fighting the urge to eat. So ready to feel less hungry!

I had Gastric Sleeve surgery on 6/3/13 along with my identical twin. I started this journey at 270 lbs, and I now weigh 155 lbs (on a good day) - I have lost 115 lbs. My experience with the sleeve has been fantastic. I stuck to the diet guidelines almost 100% - I was committed to making sure I didn't mess anything up. I healed quickly and learned to work with my new stomach in a short amount of time. In the first 2 months I dropped a lot of weight without making too much effort. My only struggle was to get in enough water - I had to make a bigger effort to manage that intake. After 2 months I realized that just losing weight wasn't my goal - I really wanted to get healthy and fit. I started a couch to 5K running program in late August. It was so hard. Really, really hard. I stuck to it and even though I suffered from some weight related issues while running I didn't give up. My weight continued to drop, but interestingly enough not as quickly as my twin's weight dropped and she wasn't exercising or as careful with her food choices. This difference between us really helped me realize this surgery was just a tool - it wasn't a miracle that would relieve me of all responsibility for my own weight loss and health. I had to try. I had to use this tool to my advantage. Throughout the first 6 months I was very careful with my food choices - really focused on lean proteins and healthy snacks. I had the occasional lapse but it was no longer "THE END" of the effort as it would have been in the past. I knew I had some control over the situation so I was able to forgive myself the bad choice and move on. I am now at the point where I choose to eat what I want and have no "off limits" items. If I want chocolate, I have it but in moderation and I know I will need to either eat less or exercise more if I indulge. I turned 39 this year so my skin isn't as youthful as it once was and it hasn't all cinched into place. I will always have some loose skin in my upper arms, thighs, stomach and a little in my behind. It doesn't bother me. I look great in clothes, I am a size 8 or 10. Maybe one day I'll get surgery to remove it all, but if not I can live with it. On May 18th I completed my first 1/2 Marathon - the Portland Rock & Rock 1/2 Marathon. I feel incredible. I am healthy. I am fit. I am a runner. I have a body that lets me do whatever I want to do. I will run the Portland Marathon on Oct. 5th 2014! Thank you Dr. Ortiz and your Staff for making this new body and improved life possible for me. I appreciate the tool you provided to help me learn to help myself. I am a success story. As for my twin sister Emily - she is also a success. She now weighs 165lbs and feels great. Her journey wasn't the same as mine - she dropped weight much more readily then I did and with much less effort. Lucky her! She isn't a runner but is more active overall and is much healthier and happier. My Stats: 38 years old at surgery, 39 now 5'8" Weight Loss Progress: 155 LBS - 6/3/14 163 LBS - 5/2/14 170 LBS - 4/2/14 174 LBS - 2/28/14 181 LBS - 1/25/14 188 LBS - 12/25/13 196 LBS - 11/25/13 205 LBS - 10/31/13 220 LBS - 9/1/13 231 LBS - 8/4/13 246 LBS - 6/30/13 270 LBS - 6/3/13

My surgery was scheduled for March, but I had to reschedule to May. Still feeling a range of emotions as I navigate this pre-op diet and push myself to get more active. I wanted to tell both of you that there is a very active (closed) group on Facebook called "OCC Support Group". They share testimonials, ideas for various stages (pre-op, post-op, what to eat, etc.) And even what to pack for the trip! Just request to join.

I am scheduled for March 8th! Coming from Florida! I'm also nervous, excited, scared, etc. I'm nervous about failing on my pre-op diet too. I hope everything goes well. I'm thinking about skipping this forum though because, no one ever responds, and there are plenty of views and no comments. I really want to hear what others are doing, how they feel etc.. Support, lol. I want more testimonials as well. If you are having surgery in March 2017, tell me why you chose OCC? What have you heard? And how do you plan to achieve your weight loss goals!

It is 7:10 am here in AB and I just finished my first protein shake. Thinking I'm going to have to call the nutritionist to get a more detailed list for the diet. The shake I chose has 25g of protein per serving and it didn't taste awful. I like flavored creamer in my coffee so I added a portion of my shake for flavor and creaminess. I do have to say that it's weird not chewing my breakfast.

Hi There I was sleeved by Dr. Ortiz on August 2nd like Oona. I have zero regrets and so glad I made the choice to go to Mexico. When my insurane wouldnt cover it here, I asked my doc about MX. He said if you go, go to Dr. Ortiz. My doc here had some training under him and had gone to conference where he has been and was 100% confident in him. All reservations went out the window and I booked my surgery. There is risk in any surgery, its important to follow the post op diet and recommendations. I have received pretty prompt replies to any questions or requests I've sent OCC post op. Everyones recovery experience is different, but I feel great and at 3 weeks have most of energy back. There has been a lot of talk out there about Doctors at home refusing to see you for followup care. I havn't experienced that at all. Both my bariatric doctor and my family practioner have been fine. Maybe try consulting with local doctors first and hopefully you will eventually find one who is open to seeing you for followups. If anyone needs a recommendation for California - Bay Area I have a great doc for followups!! Good Luck and reach out with any questions.

It has been a roller coaster ride these past few months. 84 pounds lost as of this morning. And feeling great! My size 16 clothes are now baggy. Time to look for size 14. For the Christmas holidays, my family and I (9 of us) went to Florida and Disney. I walked and walked; shopped for a new wardrobe; played with my grand kids in the Gulf of Mexico; enjoyed the family time in the pool at our villa; even ate out with my hubby! The restaurants were very accommodating. I explained to the manager about my surgery and had no problems sharing a meal or paying the child's price at the buffet. I went up in the balloon at Downtown Disney! I went on the rides in the Parks! I enjoyed having my picture taken! I even lost 8 pounds over the holidays. This surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. I have my life back. I only wish I had done it sooner!

So I thought I would blog about my experience with gastric plication because before the surgery I had a hard time finding someone with circumstances similar to mine. What makes my situation unique is that I was over weight and obese "clinically" however in terms of what most people consider overweight needing surgery I probably wouldn't have made the list. But I certainly did make the "fat" list in my own mind and I was more sick of hating myself and weight, and felt so defeated with my efforts. So at 5'3" and 175 lbs I had a really hard time finding anyone on-line in youtube blogs or otherwise that I could compare myself to. I qualified for placation surgery because my BMI was 30, just the minimum. When I was doing my research on the surgery I decided to book the surgery because there is a strong history of diabetes in my family, I had dieted and worked out for a solid 6 months and dropped a lousy 20 lbs, and as soon as I stopped the unmanageable work-out routine I piled all the 20 lbs back on and because I have a job in PR and whether I like it or not people are always judging you on your appearance and it does effect my bottom line. So prior to my surgery these are the things that I told myself to convince myself that I was making the right decision. My husband on the other hand, wanted to hear nothing of this procedure business. He was adamant from the get-go that I didn't need the surgery my weight problem was more of a confidence problem that was in my head and he was adamant that I looked good, not to mention the surgery came with a $7500 price tag and a flight to Mexico. He was almost most furious when he heard that it was in Mexico. I did my research, I'd been to Mexico many times before and wasn't so fearful of having the surgery there, I was pretty confident that the Doctors were more than qualified. So I booked my surgery. Because my BMI was low I didn't have to do the pre-surgery diet, all I had to do was liquids 48 hours before surgery. I went to Mexico alone, I wouldn't do that part again. I felt really lonely, that was a very hard low time for me. I don't deal with pain well, and following the surgery I was nauseous from the anesthetic, I just wouldn't wish to repeat that experience alone again. The week following surgery I thought I'd go right back to work, but I ended up taking about 3 days off to sleep and recoup because it was harder then I was expecting it to be. The first 3 weeks after the surgery was so devastated, I couldn't really eat anything, and I was thinking what the hell did I do to myself? I hadn't lost but 10 lbs no one had noticed and I was miserable, I was down on myself too because I felt like "how did I ever let myself hate my body and weight enough that I went to that extreme", I think if it had been something I could have reversed at that time I would have. Now I will post a lot more about specifics since the surgery but I will say this, I no longer feel that way at all. I'm almost 5 months post-op and I've lost 30 lbs so far, my goal is to get down to 120lbs, I'm at 140lb so I have another 20 lbs to go, but I'm over the moon. Specific things I am happiest about: -My sex life is much better, I'm so much more confident, I'm no longer embarrassed about being naked in front of my husband -I went into Victoria Secret last week and asked the sales associate to help me reach a large night gown and she looked at me and said "For you? No way your a medium or small" That felt so damn good, that's never happened to me before! - I feel for the first time in my life like I have control, in the past I felt in control of everything but my weight and now I feel complete I will blog more about my experience since surgery, in the meantime if you have any questions or want to know anything specifically please message me, thanks for reading .

Hey everyone! I am copying and pasting a reply I made to a members email. It had some info in it I thought would be nice to share with ya'al. Now, I have to say this is all a ramble and you know how I love to ramble. I am short on time so I had to cut it short....hee hee seriously....I did cut it short, so for anyone who has something to add, jump on in. We are all here to learn from each other and share our thoughts. I know exactly how you are feeling! Worth mentioning, a fill can take a few weeks to settle in.....why...I have no idea. My first, second, and third fill vanished with in 1-2 weeks of getting them. What I am saying is my body adjusted to the fill. Plus fat loss around the band can take a toll on a fill too. It also may very well be that I have a super sensitivity. If you look at my siggy...all my fills have been smaller. The largest being .7 cc's. Don't skip over the decimal point. *I have a 4cc band* At anyrate, you are building a good base. It does suck some money, but trust me when I say restriction is worth every penny!!!! Letting the process play out is tough.....We are a drive thru society and we want it now dang it! Now...Now...Now... Over all I would rather go to a set down establishment and enjoy good quality any day of the week over a dollar burger... so why would that change in my lab band fills and quality..... We don't always get what we want and for good reason. There are some people who had/have restriction ASAP right after surgery. Take DoLittle for instance. He has shared that is was a struggle for him in the beginning. Which he made it through! You always value more what you don't have. In his case, I believe in my heart he will tell you, creeping up on the level of restriction is a GOOD THING. (I say that because he has wrote it on this board before... hee hee.) If you are still working your body remember you are toning building and burning. If you are not seeing the scale move, take a good long look at your naked body in the mirror, girl you are bound to see some changes. I am telling you what my body is a shape shifting machine!!!! Which to me is just if not more exciting than what that darn scale can tell me. So remember that. Not sure if you took measurements or not, but if you did, stay on top of the updates. That will show you the results too. Google what a lbs of fat looks like. Then a lb of muscle....you will be amazed at how big a lb a fat is!!! Shelby posted a picture on here once of a huge hunk of fat....It was massive and a real eye opener. I am sure you are happy as all get out you are coming closer and closer to RESTRICTION!!! Ya baby! It took me 4 fills to feel it and not have it vanish, and 5 to sinch that zip tie up a bit. Now, when I am having my period, my band gets snug to the point I have to take smaller drinks of water, not a few swallows at a time....if you don't know what I am talking about you will. Also I know it is super hard to be patient with a fill and all that, but and I repeat but...take it from the 5 fills girl. Creeping up on the level of restriction is a GOOD THING! Why....okay let me tell ya. 1. With each fill you get better at chewing and learning your soft stop signals. Listen to your body. Don't take that "one more bite" if you do, you will regret it. It will not be a satisfing feeling. It will make you regret it. Did I mention you will regret it....hee hee hee! If you don't productive burb, which we all need to try like the dickens not to, you will feel pressure, maybe discomfort, you may slime, or start to sweat....ect. This is the time to really dial into your body. Listen and adjust... (suggestion....buy a bottle of chewable Papaya Enzymes learned this from Pam) I bought a bottle last week after forgetting for ever about it. If you feel stuck or a problem chew a few of those...they aid in digestion and will help eat/break up the food. It will not hurt your band or esophagus.) 2. You/me/we are building good healthy habits. Some of us for the first time EVER!! Getting use to foods you may not have been wanting before. I was NOT a living la vita low carb gal before. Now, some of my meals have nothing but protein. (Really....no bread, rice, mash taters, scallop pots, ect) My foods have changed so much and it has been interesting finding new foods that I would have not choose before....like greek yogurt, black bean burgers, ect... 3. You band is scarring into place. That is what holds your band if and when your sutures go away. IMHO if you filler up right away and have issues adjusting....stuck issues or PB's this will take it's toll on the band being solid on your stomach. When Dr. Ortiz talks about not following the rules in the beginning with show up later.....tada! That is what he is talking about. A good solid base will go a long way. 4. For me, each fill has taken me time to MENTALLY get my head wrapped around. What I am sharing with you is this. Up until my last fill, I had adjusted wonderfully. I mentally accepted the smaller portions and felt happy with less food intake. With this last fill, I am finding myself not metally satisfied with my new portions size. Hmm.. this creates openings for all sorts of BAD HABITS to creep in. I am talking about eating around the band.... to me is snacking is eating around the band. Rember these are my opinions....not everyone will agree... Well, I better stop here, but you know me...I could go on for a long time...

Thank you Angie!! You made my day!!! I love visiting this site so much and reading everyone's stories. It really helps me stay on track. You BRIGHTEN so many lives... thank you <3 <3

Hi Angie. Thanks for the information on uploading pictures. I have put some on my signature because you asked yesterday . I can't believe how different I look. I am so glad I took pictures when i started. I only wish that I had a picture of me at my heaviest which was 317. Anyways I am soooooooooo LOVE MY BAND

1) Fruits And Vegtables Fruits and vegetables are very healthy for you. They have a lot of fiber and antioxidants. In addition to this, eating raw fruits and vegetables will make you feel fuller, faster! The amounts of calories that fruit and vegetables have are really low. So be sure to eat plenty of them! 2) Eat In Proportions Never overfill yourself. Eat until you are satisfied but do not overeat. Remember, you can always pack food up and save it for later. Remember this tip when you got out to eat at a restaurant or fast food! 3) Frequency Instead of three big meals a day, eat less but more frequently. Doing so will keep your blood sugar levels in check. It will help avoid a calorie overload. Try to eat 5-6 small meals in a day. 4) Better Choices Avoid fast food and processed food, they have more sodium and fat. You can lose weight just by eating home cooked meals. 5) Be Consistent Do not jump into eating healthy right away. Allow yourself time to eat some of the foods you really like. A consistent change will give you more hope than a quick change and failure. A slow progression will give you faith about your overall progress. 6) Understand Food Nutrition Fat free claims on products do not necessarily mean that the product is low in calories. Read the nutrition facts on the label to avoid foods that are high in sugar and fat. Do not be fooled by misleading labels that can be put on any product. 7) Water Try to drink 8 glasses of water a day. It helps to avoid pop,coffee, and anything else loaded with sugar. 8) Exercise Exercise for 30 min – 60 minutes each day to burn off calories. This is one great way to lose a lot of body fat. 9) Write Keep your progress in a journal. Write where you are and where you want to be. Tracking your progress on paper will help you focus on you dream. Visually seeing your progress will keep your motivation high!

Dont worry you will be fine. The drs and staff are great. They take good care of the patients. I had mine done may 8th. It went good. Im down 35lbs! The surgery went fast. Hotel was nice too.

May 15 is my surgery date! Excited.

Thank you so much for posting this - it is a great testimonial for those of us just starting on the journey, and personally I find it tremendously supportive and reassuring against my anxieties about the long term effects of the surgery and future lifestyle

I've been M.I.A. for 3 years and a lot has happened. I graduated from graduate school this summer and now have a master's degree. Kyle and I have been dating for 4 years now. He is currently finishing up his last year in graduate school as well in Boston. So we're currently long distance. The last time I was on here I wrote about me getting an unfill. Well I went 3 years with an unrestricted band. Needless to say I gained my weight back and I'm currently at 319lbs. I'm really disappointed in myself considering I was only in the 100s for 1 year before I ballooned back up into the 200s and now 300s again. I was at my highest weight in May of this year (2015) at a whomping 348lbs. A lot of that was stress eating and drinking every weekend. update: I'm now 317. I seem to be losing weight very quickly now that I have a fill. I'm excited to start losing weight again!

I'm the one in the middle. In three weeks I am scheduled to have Plication done. Im 5'4, and at the time of the decision I weighed 195 pounds, "curvaceous" and attractive but definitely overweight. People think I'm crazy when I have to say that I have to lose 70 lbs because I don't look like I am 195 but I feel it. The culminating point was when my doctor gave me a phenteramine prescription to lose weight and it actually made me hungrier and added another 5 pounds and raised my blood pressure. 2 months ago I fell on a hiking trail and messed up my foot so my exercise routine of biking, hiking and rowing is over. Many feelings are at battle right now. Part of me feels like I'm being a cop-out, like I didn't have the discipline to do it the right way. I was an athlete throughout my life and ate relatively healthy but at 50 years old I can't drop weight no matter how well I 'behave'. I have only told my sister and a coworker that I'm getting this done because I feel ashamed and embarrassed. I'm nervous about f/u because what if something goes wrong after the surgery, where do I go? I'm not going to hop on a plane and go to Tijuana again. One week into this diet, I am weighing in at 187. I sure hope I'm not one of the statistics that doesn't lose anything.

I consider this the first day because it's the first day of journaling. Which can help me grow. And I need to grow. I had gastric plication February 11, 2011. The best thing I've done for myself. Well, among other things. I started my journey at 258 lbs. OCC asked me to lose 20 lbs. before my surgery. I figured it was to show I could be disciplined. I did that and went into the clinic at 238 lbs. I stayed for three days to assess my vitals. When given the go ahead I came home. I had a few uncomfortable feelings over the next week or so. Once I ate a spicy meal and threw it up. That was the last time I did that. I reduced my food intake by 2/3. I've maintained that. My food choices are where I haven't changed. Sometimes I think I should diet, but I don't want to. I had the surgery so that I wouldn't have to change what I like to eat. Over the next 10 months to 1 year, I lost 95 lbs. 165 is a good weight. Not what I weighed in high school, but I'm 65 and the smaller I am the more excess skin I have. I have my ups and downs and so with that said, I'll check in tomorrow with another day in the life. Thanks for listening

Hi! We were at the OCC last July and will be heading back there in less than 2 weeks. We felt safe when we were at the Marriott Hotel and surrounding area (Wal-Mart and a shopping plaza nearby the hotel). The OCC itself is located near the police station. The OCC has a security guard that monitors vehicles entering the parking garage. We also noticed him walking through the building, stopping into the OCC and other areas around the building. The Marriott shuttle can take you back and forth to the OCC. We did use a taxi a few times to go other places (shopping plaza and the beach). We had no issues. When we crossed the border into Mexico, the shuttle driver dropped us off and we went through security. Not many people around and the security guard didn't even look through our suitcases. When we crossed the border into the U.S. the line-up was quite long and they did a very thorough inspection of us and our suitcases. I felt very safe and we had no issues.

Well I feel like I am finally to the point that this new way of life seems like "normal". I have lost 40 pounds total since my journey began with the decision to proceed, and 20 since the surgery. That amount of weight loss in 7 1/2 weeks aint too shabby! I still have times where I really wish I could eat more but I think it is more from habit and psychological hunger. Lord knows, when you are full that is it. I have not yet thrown up and I truly hope not to, but from what I understand it certainly is not unheard of. I have also discovered that I am being more open about how I am losing the weight. At first I did not want to tell anyone that I was going or really that I had gone. However, now that things are going well and I have very little side effects if any right now, I feel no need to defend my choice. I have always felt that it does not matter how someone loses weight. It is far more imprtant that they did it then how they did it. If someone gives me a look, or asks feverishly why I would do such a thing to myself, I simply reply, "I was tired of doing such a thing to myself by staying fat". If they go on to criticize I follow up with, "then you should never do this for yourself". I am happy with my choice. I am comfortable with my new "comfortable". I am looking down at my belly and not seeing huge rolls and I am not as inclined to keep pulling my shirt away form my belly to try and hide it. Do I miss eating? Sure I do, but I certainly don't miss being miserably overweight. I tell myself often that "thin tastes better" and you know what? It does.

I can't believe its almost been a year its crazy that last year i was thinking about this surgery now i've had it and i lost over a 100 pounds past my goal weight wanted me at 165 and i'm down to 157 and i'm so much more happier i love shopping now i went shopping for summer clothes and didn't have to get a double x instead i got a medium. I'm so glad i went through with the surgery i've inspired another people to get this surgery i'm so happy i can help people better their life i never thought that i could look as good i as do. Now my next goal is to get a job so next year i can get a tummy tuck!!! Now to start a whole new journey start college move into a new house say goodbye to my best friend who's moving all the way to texas it's going to be so hard not having her with me she's help me through so much and has never judged best for friends for life!!!!

I have a friend that had a band in the states and then decided she wanted it removed and changed to a sleeve. She ended up going to Dr. Ortiz and has had no regrets. Her process was very smooth and she has been very happy. I was just a sleeve surgery with Dr. Ortiz and it was super smooth and easy. I was never sick or in any pain. No regrets at all! I am down 64 pounds since June and would do it again in a heartbeat! verticalsleevetalk.com has some good advice but there is quite a bit of drama there too! Just be aware of that.

I had sleeve surgery in Mexico at the OCC on August 2nd. I have no regrets. I am someone who has never had surgery before, so I was a bit nervous to start. The surgery was a breeze and my recovery has gone very well. My surgery was on a Friday, I flew back to the states on Monday, and was back at work on Tuesday. I feel great and my only regret is that I waited so long to do get the procedure.

It's a big step in your life. Change for some is very hard to do.... and this is a major lifestyle change. Don't feel your the only one thats went through this feeling. The surgery is easy and when that's done, you'll look back and wonder why you had all that anxiety. The best part is when the weight starts to fall off and you find yourself feeling a lot better about yourself. Think POSITIVE!

Forget whatever that destructive monster called PEOPLE says. How do YOU feel? Do you think you've lost too much? I'm looking at your picture, albeit it is from a distance away, (and this is nothing more than another one of THOSE opinions) but you do not look "too thin" to me?? How do YOU feel about your weight? It is your perspective alone that counts. That said, and wiping ENTIRELY away all urges to instruct you to drink a frosting candy bar shake... I imagine all you have to do to gain weight is monitor your calorie intake and then increase it. I'm not going to write too much, because truly, on this website, yours is a high class problem. (not too terrible...) I hope you find a balance with your weight that is right for YOU and makes YOU feel happy.

Surgery done, and now back at the hotel. I can say like so many others that my experience there was wonderful, the doctors, and staff were amazing! I was third in line and everything went good. I remember talking to do the doctors in the operating room, then waking up in my room. It went fast. I actually doubted if I had the surgery done or not I feel no pain just some discomfort were the drain is located. Last night I had a feeling of indigestion, it feels like gastritis , but the doctors said it was the gas, that it should fade away within a couple days. I didn't get much sleep because there seems to be a night club around the corner of the clinic and had the music blasting till 3 am. Oh and one more thing, my preop diet was a success, I went from 314# to 288#! A total of 26lbs dropped in 2-3 weeks! Woo-hoo!!

Honestly, I don't think it's a huge deal either. For me it's more about readability than about page loading speed. Unless you have the cache disabled in your browser it really shouldn't have any impact on the page loading speed. Either way, Revy made her signature photos much, much better sized. Thank you As far as people thinking anyone is being mean...well, welcome to the Internet. There are a lot of different personalities all thrown together on a forum like this. When you aren't communicating with a person face to face a lot of misunderstandings can take place. Just being "matter of fact" about something can quite easily come off as being mean to certain types of people. There have been many people that think I'm a total jerk. One even threatened to try to have me fired over banning a person that was causing trouble. My advice, just think twice before posting and give a little thought to how others may interpret what you're writing. What's that saying I remember hearing as a kid? Something like "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all".

Hahahahahahahah. Oh my God Lindsay I have not laughed that hard in ages. How long have you been dwelling on this issue? The signature has been posted for months and you are just mentioning it now. Oh my gosh I am so sorry but I find that hilarious that you let this build up for months. You really must be having a bad day. I have a really old computer and mine has no problem at all loading fast with big signatures. Let me enjoy my big pics for a few more days as I am very proud of all that I have accomplished in such a short period of time and I will try and make them smaller for you Oh my gosh I am going to wet my pants if I don't stop laughing so I need to sign off. Hope your day is better tomorrow.

I have a few thoughts to offer. After a fill, there is a time period where you the user adjusts to it. After my fill in December, it took me a bit to adjust....wrap my head around the "new" amounts of food I can eat. I was struggling with my head over it. I made the decision if I couldn't get my head and fill on the same page, I would go for a tinsy unfill. That being said, personally I think you should either adjust you meals to fit the fill. For example suppliment with a protein shake for breakfast. Eat soft proteins for lunch. Then end your day with a sensible dinner. Work with it. If you are not able to then go in for a tinsy unfill. The beauty of the band is that you get to keep it at the level you are comfortable with. Some of my friends run with there bands super duper tight. Others don't have much restriction at all and limit there food intake on there own. Do what works for you.

Okay everyone! Check this calculator out! http://www.webmd.com/diet/calc-bmi-plus

Janice! You are the sweetest person! I tell ya, it made me feel soooo good to see your message. I think that is the magic of this board. Feeling good and making friends! I will say I am addicted to this board, and am okay with it! Ha! I am doing more for myself, and by doing that I've made some great friendships on line. I love to talk band right now and it is so nice to come here and speak band. LOL I have a few friends in my life that are banded, but we don't talk as much and see each other hit and miss. BUT I have a ton of friends on here, and the subject matter is band! How great is that!

A year ago today I was just finishing my 21-day liquid diet. I lost about 20 pounds on it and felt like a million bucks over the holidays. This year, I feel like TWO million! Who knew I'd be down another 70? Not me. I was so sure this band wouldn't work for me. It has, and it still is! Thanks to DR. ORtiz and all of YOU for giving me the best gift of all- getting myself back! If you are just starting out, think about what you will look like and how you will feel a year from now. Excited?! Sabrina:)

Janice - This is the beginning of your new life and you are A-OK. Don't stress yourself or beat yourself up. Matter of fact, I think you have done a great job! Making goodies for the holidays and keeping our little fingers off them is very hard. I don't think you messed up, maybe endulged but it is one of the hardest times of the year to stay on track. Take a step back and look at the big picture. You have a band now, once you get a fill or filled to the point of restriction, you will be in band school. Sharing from my own personal experience, I have ups AND downs. Having the band does not mean I will be successful ALL the time. Over the holiday, I came to report on W in W that I had gained.....ugh. Although it didn't feel the greatest, I have to allow myself to "live" with the band. I personally love all the treats and goodies we have during this season, and I got this band to get healthier, not restrict myself from anything that has chocolate or high calories. Now, I am not giving myself a pass to be a piggy either, but if I want a piece of fudge or 3....lol I am going to have a taste, a nibble, a bite. Right now you are in bandster hell, where you are doing your very best to keep your portions to a small amount at each meal with out restiction. Soon you will have a helping hand. You will be able to see and feel the difference. Hang in there sweet Janice. Don't be hard on yourself. Christmas is now over and it will begin to be easier as far as food goes! You have your first fill to look forward to now!!!! Get ready to change your life!!!!

Oh my goodness, don't feel for a second that you are the "only" one. There are many more of you/me out there. I struggled with my pre-op and post-op diet. I chewed and spit too. Of all the things I choose to chew and sit I did a piece of hot dog. It is hard to prepair meals for the family and not have any. I was a cheater, and I am not proud of it. I did my best to choose soft things to cheat with. I would do string cheese, as I have found it melts. Hang in there. If you need to start your yogurt phase early do it! Better to have the liquids than solids on your tummy. If you need to chew and spit to get over the liquids do it. It can be very hard and it is better to chew and spit than put any extra stress or pressure on the band. Don't feel bad. You are not alone.

I don't look at it as a diet. More of a lifestyle change for me. I don't eat certain foods now at all that I use to, and find I eat a large variety of foods that I had not tried before. It's been interesting. Before I was banded, I was not a high protein gal. I ate a lot more bread and carbs. That has really changed. My main focus is on protein. I live with this band, and look at this as a way I will live for the rest of my life. So really I don't consider myself dieting. I've always had a negative reaction to food logging and counting calories. Now, I can and will do both. I am not 100% committed, but am more willing than ever before. I've gained some weight over the holiday, which is not a huge suprise to me since I am allowing myself to enjoy the holiday like any other holiday. It doesn't feel great to report a gain, but it's a choice I made. Living the bandster lifestyle to me means I will have ups and downs. So far it has proven to be true. I didn't see much weight loss until I build up my level of restriction either.

I can see the point you, and Lindsay are making. I even agree to a certain degree, but what I think is the most important thing to remember is that no matter what the topic, question, or how many times it has been covered, every member here should feel the freedom to ask a question. (Especially if they are new) When I was new, I didn’t even realize there was a search function. (Duh, yes I know, but I was engrossed in the new topics, feeling my way around, and getting to know the people who posted here.) Lindsay pointed out the search feature to me when I was new; I am left to assume I asked “one of those questions.” Frankly, I was stunned by her approach, and lack of sensitivity. It doesn’t take much to teach someone how to do something, and it goes a long way. However if you thump someone, it tends to hurt, and even scare off potential members from posting. Some members do not have a thick skin to deal with a harsh tone. I have learned a lot of information from the links Lindsay posts. Her knowledge on health, clean eating, fitness, have proven very helpful. Her membership here is valuable to her and the people she shares with. After being here a while, you do see the same questions over and over again. That is part of forum life. What information is not pinned is going to be asked, that is a fact. It is easy to be quick to say do a search, but what I have found most rewarding is the relationships I have made on this forum from HELPING them. I do a lot of behind the scenes learning here and am a better person for it. Still there is nothing comparable to relationships built with people. Of coarse, I am a more intimate person, maybe that is why I don’t see an issue with people reaching out. It creates bonds. Besides old posts by members long gone, don’t have the follow up current members have. When I have asked questions I’ve found it most helpful because it is living knowledge. To close this, I would like to say that I have had endless messages in my personal inbox of members expressing there thanks and gratitude for a wee bit of time I have spent helping or answering a question or two. Personal touch is rewarding and goes a long way.

This really hit me and made me think about our forum, how we work to support each other and help each other succeed. I wanted to take a moment to thank each and everyone one of you for always being there for me - I don't know if I could have done this without you. One of the reasons for my success is that I did not isolate myself – I made sure to come to the forum for support, I did not always participate by posting, but I always kept up to date and checked in. I think it’s so important that we use this forum in a positive way to support each other and help one another succeed, with the understanding that all of our successes will be different and that's OK. We can’t do this alone; we are a Village and a strong community. Sometimes this path can be hard, but that's OK, we're here for each other! “It Takes a Village to Survive: "No one survives on their own, and no one thrives alone either. Yes, you might feel an excruciating loneliness after one of life’s hurtful blows. But we are simply not built to survive solo. Isolation will kill us, not protect us. We humans are social animals made for community. Even when family and friends annoy the hell out of us, they remain an essential part of our survivorship." by Jerry White

Okay, so there has been quite a few questions about what that "Reputation: 0 Neutral" is that you can now see on your profile pages and I'll do my best to explain it. Keep in mind that this feature is only being tried out and may be disabled at some point in the future since it can be abused. When you read a Post you will now see a couple of options in the lower right hand corner of the post that will allow you to " Vote this post up" or " Vote this post down". When you find a post to be particularly helpful you can vote it up. If it's useless spam or something negative you can vote it down. This starts to slowly build a point based reputation for the member that created the post. This allows the community to see which members are most often found to be helpful and also weed out the more troublesome members that like to start drama or create negativity. It's similar to reputation systems you find on Ebay and many other sites. Once a post receives a certain number of positive votes it will become highlighted and can more easily be spotted as a sort of community favorite. Important things to note! To help prevent abuse, you are only able to vote up three posts per day so choose wisely. You are only able to vote down a post once per day. This is subject to change. There are Reputation titles that members can earn when their combined posts reach a certain number of votes. Here is the breakdown. This is also subject to change. Bad = -30 points Poor = -15 points Neutral = 0 points Good = 10 Points Excellent = 20 points As I said before, this is only being tried out for now to see how it works. The general idea is that using a system like this might get people to put a little more thought into what they're posting and maybe think twice before posting something negative. If I start seeing too many complaints it will be disabled. Let me know if you have any comments, questions or suggestions. Chad

Increase Your Chances for a Good Fill The following suggestions are good rules of thumb and will greatly increase your chances of getting a good fill. 1. Make sure you are very well hydrated when you come in for your fill appointment. That means at least 6 to 8 full glasses of liquid every day for at least several days before the fill. (Remember, water is your friend). Drink especially well the morning of the fill. If you're flying in, it can be much harder to stay hydrated, so take an empty drink bottle and fill it after you pass airport security. TSA rules state you can bring an empty water bottle past the TSA security check point. Ask the flight attendants for a refill of your water bottle if needed. They say that every hour you’re in the air, you lose 8oz of fluid. So, If your flight is 3 hours long, your down 24oz of fluid. So drink up! 2. Do not to have any solid foods for at least 6 hours before the fill. Don't eat a huge or late dinner the night before. If you're having any trouble (reflux, possible slip, etc) please have nothing but fluids after dinner the night before. In some cases, food can still be in the pouch for 12 or more hours. Any food in the pouch will make it impossible to give a good fill, or get a good fluoro. 3. Don't drink cold fluids for an hour before the fill. That will shrink your stomach and give a false fluoro reading, and a poor fill. Room temp fluids are fine. 4. Avoid getting a fill during a menstrual period or a few days before an expected one. During this time, girls are usually retaining water, and the fluoro will not be as accurate, and the fill will not be either. 5. If at all possible, hang around for at least a few hours after a fill. Don't run right back home or to the plane. It takes the normal swelling after a fill 1-2 hours to develop, and by that time you might be too tight and need to come right back. 6. If you fly in, If at all possible, stay overnight and catch a plane out the following late afternoon or evening. If you are too tight, this will allow time to get a small unfill before you leave. This is not very convenient, but sure beats having to possibly return to TJ in a few days, on short notice, in pain, and at high last-minute plane fares! This is "prevention!" Overfills are not common, but they do happen, even under the best of conditions. Be prepared, and think about this overnight stay. Test your fill the next day before you leave. 7. After a fill, please have liquids only for at least 24 hrs. This allows the stomach to rest and heal. Then, a day of soft foods, then back to regular foods. Full liquids are fine, no need for clears. Remember, if you staying over night test your fill before you fly out. 8. Review the eating and food guidelines again before every fill. You’ll need to refine your eating more and more with higher fill levels, and there will be less and less room for goofs. As you reach a higher fill level, you'll no longer be able to "get away" with things you might have before! 9. Please don't get a fill if you are having any trouble with the current level of fill. This means any regular pain, PB or barfing more than maybe once a week at the very most, not able to get enough calories in, not able to drink enough, able to eat only soft foods or fluids. More fill will NOT help, and will make things worse. Discuss all this carefully with your doctor. You may even need an UNFILL, to keep your band and stomach safe. 10. First fills are routinely given at 6-10 weeks after surgery, but only as you need them. Many people do, some do not. Your doctor will help you decide if you need a fill, just ask. There is no rush for fills. Too much can very easily get you in trouble, and you end up further "behind" than if you had gone slower with fills. 11. Give a fill at least 2-3 weeks to test it. Some fills don't "settle in" for a week or two, and sometimes more. Your weight loss is what determines how a fill is - not any feeling of restriction, necessarily. 12. One of the most important things in determining if a fill is good is choosing proper band foods. Soft foods, liquids, junk foods, sweets, etc, will never be well-restricted, and will never tell a thing about having a good fill or not. Only solid foods give useful info. A good test meal is 2-4 oz of solid meat or chicken - be sure it's soft and moist - and about 1/2 cup veggies. You should be able to eat about a cup of food (no less) and this should keep you satisfied for about 3-4 hrs. 13. Plan regular meals. A good fill will keep you satisfied for 3-4 hrs, but no longer. If you are hungry 5 hrs after lunch, it is not because you have an inadequate fill! Regular meals at planned times are important for a number of reasons; including avoiding snacking, maximizing your calorie burn and normalizing metabolism, which is essential for weight maintenance later on. 14. Learn to recognize your "soft stop" sign. Common ones are chest tightness or "fullness", a sudden runny nose, a single hiccup or burp, an eye twitch, back pain, left should pain. All mean the pouch is full enough and we should stop eating, even spitting out the bite that may be already in our mouths. If you do not, you could progress to the "hard stop" - slimming, pb, barfing. Please remember that good fills are very elusive, even with highly- experienced docs and fill people. There are just too many individual factors involved that the doctors cannot control. Even the fluoro is only a clue, and not entirely accurate - for some of the reasons above. It usually takes 3- 5 fills to slowly and safely creep up on a good level, and they can be safely given a month apart. Trying to go faster with a bigger fill is not the solution, and the stomach rebels at big sudden fills. The goal of the first few fills is not to achieve a good restriction, but to gradually get your stomach used to some pressure so you can tolerate a good fill later. SLOW and GRADUAL is the key! Going slowly with fills can be frustrating, but is well worth the wait to avoid problems.