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To fill or not to fill, that is the question.

Leesh

New Member
Hi everyone,

Was just thinking about whether or not to push for another fill at my next appointment on Tuesday. I know they will assess me there and advise me but I was just wondering what other peoples thoughts and experiences were?

I think I have about 8mls in a 9.5ml band (but will have to check that because Im not entirely sure). I can eat what I would say was a normal persons portion of protein eg. a large chicken breast or a cereal bowl full of bolognaise, stew etc along with a good portion of veg and am usually satisfied with this without any carbs. I have to eat fairly slowly but can still eat faster than my kids, I can drink at a normal pace, I dont eat bread so dont know if I can eat that, but I can eat pretty much anything i want.

I would like to loose weight a bit faster but I dont want to be overly full and start being sick and stuff because as yet I have never been sick with my band or had any pain (just tightness). My weight loss is painfully slow (eg half a pound a week), but it is coming off. I do have a bit of snacking problem which could acount for my slow weight loss but I dont think tightening my band would help with this would it.

What does everyone think? If I push either way I think they will do what I want more or less because I certainly dont think I am over tight and that would be their main concern.

Thanks for any advice.
 
You're about the same fill level as me with the same size band.
I vary on how much I can eat but following the atkins, what I do eat is really filling and I am having a decent portion , not too small just normal and moderate if you see what I mean. Also if you are eating foods OK on the plan, they do kill cravings and keep you satisfied for ages.
I think if you try the tuna for nibbling on that will help.
I just use the amount I had to have taken out at my defill as a point of reference..
I had 1/2 a mil out to be able to eat eggs, meats etc with little discomfort (obviously I have to eat slower...if I forget and take a bigger bite or gobble a bit if I'm hungry then yes I still get things stuck and end up puking which we know is bad for the band)
before that tiny half mil out , it was far too tight...anything solid came straight back and some days I could barely get enough fluid down. Give the new eating plan a proper couple weeks to take effect, be honest with yourself about what you are snacking and see how you go.

If you do decide to try a fill, try a small smidge.... really for the reasons I've stated above..I ended up living off icecream for a couple months more or less and you can guess what happened to my weight
 
Hi Leesh

My advice would be to talk it over with your team - be honest with them as you have with us.

My provider advises not to eat a meal bigger than your hand, the protein portion being no bigger than a cupped palm BUT that is just what I have been advised.

As for snacking, could you really stop some of it. You dont say what you are snacking on but if you must fruit is the best bet.

Maybe increasing your exercise would help speed things up too.

I know what you mean though - its a fine line between really good restriction and the hell of being to full.

Good luck x x x
 
Just to note, Leesh if you are going to stay on atkins/low carb, only small portions of the fruits from the list on the Atkins thread are going to help...I also got reminded about egg mayonnaise as well...bet you can't eat more that a couple spoons of that snack wise.
If you were going to go the low fat low calorie way, then Mazza is right..fruit would be filling x
 
Thanks for your advice,

My snacking has been mostly protien stuff like eggs, ham etc (tried the tuna yeasterday and was nice and filling and kept me going as we had a late tea). I do crave sweet things and have messed up a bit this week but generally keep away from it. I have the occasional apple but am not fruit mad to be honest (hehe fruit mad!).

I just feel really causious of being to tight and messing things up. I would hate not to be able to eat meat, eggs etc. I will discuss it like you said and see what they say. I can definaltey eat more than a fistfull fo food though. Even eggs, protein etc.

Yesterday I made a four egg omlette and managed to eat that, pluss some mini bite meat things and tomatoes and a cheeese sting for my lunch! (I am being honest now) thats me trying to fill myself with protien foods. Maybe Im just a greedy mare. My husband said yesterday that I need to have a bypass and then wrap a abnd around it! he wasnt being mean we were just being silly about it. If I didnt laugh I would cry.


Leesh
 
Maybe a smidge then? I eat more than my hand as well...I have really small hands!!! (shame about everything else)
Tuna does help keep you full for ages so glad you tried it.
I am having sugar free jelly and it has really helped...jelly + band is pretty slow going in my experience !
I am working on smaller portions for this week, I know the shallow bowl I have for my meals might be a lot smaller than a regular dinner plate but if I'm honest it can hold a pretty big volume!
Going to swap to some little plastic kids plates , no depth to them so hopefully I can lower my portions a bit.
Atkins does allow 2 snacks a day so you don't get starving hungry and overeat at meals. (eg small protein or salad veg & protein snack)
I am definately not getting any cravings at all now and I know Aunt Flo is on the way, so hopefully if you can be really good about organising the low carb snacks ahead of time so you don't get caught out,plus a small fill to help with portions at meal time...then that might help give you some more definate results...although I would be ecstatic with regular 1/2 pound losses x
 
I couldnt eat a 4 egg ommlete, two max and I know what you mean about being too tight, its my idea of hell - no food!

I could be wrong but it sounds to me like you have some grazing habbits sneaking in, are you snacking because you are hungry? If so then maybe your provider will advise a small fill.

To snack or not to snack advice seems to vary with each provider x x
 
Hi mazza,

Yes I think I may have a bit of a snacking habit. I am trying hard not to do it though. I will speak to mu providers about snacking. I think from what I can remember snacking is not really frowned on entirely as long as you choose the right thing and are genuinely hungry. I cant say I am always doing this if I am honest.

I will let you know if I get a fill or not and what my providers say.

xxx
 
I think you might be right. It certainly helps stop me from craving sweet things and keeps me fuller longer. Carbs do not suit me at all. They will weigh me tomorrow at clinic! Hope I have at least lost the three pounds I put on last time plus maybe a pound more. Not sure though. Fingers crossed. x
 
Hi ladies,

Just to update you I have had a fill today. feels different to the others so fingers crossed. Had some tomatoe soup and watered it down as I could feel it going down a bit which I have never had to do before. No pain just a funny feeling. Really really hope this one works. So I now have 8.5 in 9.5ml band!

The nurse also put my mind at ease about all my little worries I have been having so I feel much better. She said she wants me to continue with the low carb diet but not to take it as far as the atkins so just plod on I think. She is very good at that, wish I could carry her round with me. I probably could actually, she is only a petite little thing, bless. She had a really sneaky way of getting the truth out of me about what I have been doing to sabotage my weight loss. She said "If I was her advising me, but knowing all that I know about myself, what would I say was the main reason for my weight stalling". A bit confusing but when you get your head round it you come out with the truth. \she then said, "you know the thing that you have in your head but you dont want to admit to me". I think she can read minds!!! hehe. I spilled the beans anyway.

Oh and I was a bit dissapointed to learn that I have only lost the three pound I put on last time so am back where I was 8 weeks ago! Going to let that go though and move on. better to be there than where I used to be for sure.

Thank you for all your support.

Leesh x
 
Good luck with this fill Leesh, im hoping to get one myself tommorow. I currently have 8 in a 9 mil band but Im eating more the last week or so which means my restriction has been deminishing slowly x
 
Let us know how you get on Mazza and thanks.

Neen- yes I think that is what she means. I dont think she wants me to follow any programme of counting/measuring but to just cut back on the carbs and to cut out the crap. Less carbs and no crap, surely even I can do that. Obvisously I then need to listen to my body when I have had enough, eat slowly etc. Will see how it goes. x
 
Will do hun, its second nature for me to be straight on here after a visit to my bariatric nurse x
 
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