Fill Confusion

[SDGIRL]

I just had my 3rd fill a couple of weeks ago. I have a total of 1.8 total in my band. On my ID card from is says 10.0 c.m. I'm guessing that to mean I have the 10 instead of the 4 everyone talks about. So here is my question. Dr. Acosta said that this should be it for me, I should be fine with the fill and actually, he was nervous about the amount he put in and had me wait around in the office just to make sure I could drink okay. Problem is though, I still don't feel like it's enough. I do get stuck when I eat too big of a bite, or don't chew enough, but as far as feeling full, not so much. Any help would be great.

[AngieB]

I just had my 3rd fill a couple of weeks ago. I have a total of 1.8 total in my band. On my ID card from is says 10.0 c.m. I'm guessing that to mean I have the 10 instead of the 4 everyone talks about. So here is my question. Dr. Acosta said that this should be it for me, I should be fine with the fill and actually, he was nervous about the amount he put in and had me wait around in the office just to make sure I could drink okay. Problem is though, I still don't feel like it's enough. I do get stuck when I eat too big of a bite, or don't chew enough, but as far as feeling full, not so much. Any help would be great.

SDGIRL - It sounds to me like you have a 10 cm 4 cc band. (Which is the same band I have.)

I have 1.6 cc's in my band after 3 fills. I've noticed that I don't have a problem with bigger bites either; the only exception being when it's my TOM. Then I do have to watch how I chew and take smaller bites. I do notice I get full when I eat protein first.

Yesterday, I went to lunch with a girlfriend. Panera Bread. We shared a pick 2. I choose a 1/2 sand from my half. I ate the meat, and 2 maybe 3 small bites of the bread. I was satisfied. The bread did not set well. It's a gummy gooie bread, so it is really a NO NO. But I did it anyway....still learning. The bread gave me the minor phlegm, need to clear the back of my throat feeling. I didn't PB - only because I limited myself. I did want to spit - but because I was in someones company I held back.

When you eat hard protein, how much can you eat at one time before you feel full? For myself, I will make 1 cup of grilled chicken for lunch today. (boneless, no skin.) Odds are I will leave a few pieces on my plate. Sometimes depending on what I eat, I can eat more than I think I should be able to. If I fix a casserole they seem to be in the catagorie of a slider food. I can eat more than a cup.

Give an example of what you are able to eat as a meal....

Also, I am listening to my body more. I have strong urges to eat and eat larger portions. At times I struggle with the feeling of satisfaction and oh, I ate one bite to many, discomfort. Do you have these issues at all?

[SDGIRL]

Angie B.

Normally I would eat:

B Sliim Fast Protein Bar

S Slim fast Protein Shake

L some sort of Lean Cuisine Something

D maybe a chicken breast with corn or some other veggie.

Never any bread, can't do it. I guess I just want to know what "Restriction" is? Is that the same thing as getting stuck? Of course, that's when I stop.

[AngieB]

Never any bread, can't do it. I guess I just want to know what "Restriction" is? Is that the same thing as getting stuck? Of course, that's when I stop.

When I think of restriction, I think of it as eating less. Restricting my food intake. The better "restricted" you are, the more time it takes your food/protein to leave your stoma. This makes you feel fuller longer and the level of restriction decreases your food intake. I guess that is my definition.

My goal is to not get stuck, but to stop when satisfied.....that is what my goal is.

[bigmama45]

I am having the same issue. I have a 4cc band, but my fill is currently at 4.60 cc so I'm panicing that if I don't find my so called "sweet spot" soon, it will be over for me. I am finding that I still have to pay a lot of attention to how the food feels going down. Try to stop the second you feel that first signal of full. It doesn't really feel like "full" to me.

I appreciated the explanation as to what restriction really means, because I struggle with that too. When I got the band I was under the impression I would have automatic restriction, would take 3 bites and literally would not be able to fit anymore food in. Yeah, it doesn't work like that for me. You may need a fill though, you can't go totally by what the Dr. thinks. They told me at my first fill of 1.5 cc's that I was done and I could eat a horse. Hang in there and let us know what happens.

[Holly]

for me...the feeling of "fullness" is totally different. In a sick and weird way...I miss the old feeling of being "full". Now...I am just not hungry..and I feel satisfied with very little.

[ksk]

Hi Ladies -

I just had my 3rd fill last week. I'm at 2.6 cc's in a 4cc band. Any restriction? Nope, nada... Since the surgery back in June, I've only lost 10 lbs. This is going by LOOOOONG & SLOOOOOW for me. It's not so much that I'm eating crappy, but more of not having that completely "satisfied & full" feeling. My portion control is a bit more tamed than what it used to be, but clearly not enough to be too significant as I'm not quite "there" yet... No question, I'm happy I'm down 10 lbs, and I'm taking my time in relearning how to approach food during this process, but I am really looking forward to hitting my sweet-spot. I've been soooo inspired by reading other people's stories, that I'm looking ahead to telling mine when I get there. I'm even considering upp'ing my next appt from 5 weeks to maybe 4 weeks. I know everyone is different, but does anyone know what the most common point in a 4cc band for hitting their sweet spot is?

Kim