"Sweet Spot"!!?????!!

[Bandedmomof7]

Ok..what exactly is the "sweet spot!??" What is the goal with the restriction?? I have had three fills-am up to 6cc in my 10cc band. For the first time I do feel restriction. I just am not sure what the goal is here. Can anyone shed some light? What am I aiming for??

[Tricia K.]

For me, the "sweet spot" is where I can 1) only eat 1/2 c. of food, and 2) I'm full for at least 4 hours. If I am not meeting either of the two, it's time for a fill.

[Neal R.]

I would piggyback what Tricia said. I would add the goal is not to be so tight that you PB with everthing. It will happen occasionally if you don't chew well, but it shouldn't be a regular occurance.

[LindaV]

For me the "sweet spot" enables me to eat 1.5 to 2 cups of food at meals with one or two small snacks a day in between meals. If I don't keep my calories up to at least 1200/day, I stop losing weight. So, for me, I like a little less restriction.

[Bandedmomof7]

So...this was lunch today.
1 cup cottage cheese
1 piece of low fat deli ham
1/4 apple
I felt full--that pressure that I think tells me to stop.
But that was at noon and by 2:30 I am hungry again.

Do you think I could have better restriction?? I would really like to go longer without being hungry!! I am still able to eat more than I think I would like to...do you agree??

[kebsa]

There are a quiet a few people who have said that it seems to take them longer to get to the deal restrction with the 10cc band- certainly sounds like you are getting close- have you seen the thread that talks about how you know when you need a fill. As tricia said, ideally you should not feel hungry for at least 4 hours after a meal- it will happen, i'm sure you are getting close!!

[Momotrips]

I just got my 2nd fill in my 10 cc band and I am up to 7 cc's. I have pretty good restriction. I can eat about a cup of solid food. I am pretty tight in the morning, but don't really have trouble eating say an egg and a toasted mini whole wheat bagel. I eat it slowly and it fills me up until around 1:00. I then eat something like a cup of chicken salad (I love the Hormel kits) or tuna and a small cup of soup if I'm really hungry (or cold - it's been cold and wet around here). At dinner, I have been eating protein, veggies and a small amount of starch. For some reason I always have trouble at first with dinner. The first couple of bites will go down really hard. I don't have a golfball, but more of a large marble feeling. After that I'm much more careful and am able to eat about a cup of food. Tonight we ordered Chinese and I had a steamed veggie dumpling and some spicy tofu. It was amazingly yummy. I also have enough left to eat for like four more meals. Sometimes I have a protein or fiber bar when I'm out running the kids around in the afternoon. I try to buy some that are higher in calories and protien and some that are higher in fiber and lower in calories and keep one of each in my purse for when I need whatever. I also try to have a "something" either in the afternoon or after dinner, just for "head" purposes. I like having a small amount of fine, dark chocolate or a 1/2 cup of low sugar, low cal gelato or sorbet or those fabulous 60 calorie sugar free Jell-o puddings. A little bit of decadence so that I don't feel that I'm going without.

I am still keeping my calorie intake between 1000 and 1200. My doctor said to not dip any lower, to try to burn a little more instead. Oy! That's the hard part for me.

I had heard the stories of people not getting restriction until they had like six or more fills with the 10 cc band. Luckily, my doctor's PA knows this is a problem and fills aggressively to "get the party started" - I love that man! We are lucky in that we have much more ability to fine tune our bands for the long term - at least that's what my doctor believes. He's been right so far, so I plan on believing him.

Is this my sweet spot? I don't know yet. I think that I should be content with eating 1/2 a cup, but then if I got more fill, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to swollow anything. It's a very odd feeling, and I'm still working it and trying to feel my way. We shall see what the next month brings before I go back to the doctor.

Let me know how things go for you. I'm really interested in other people with the 10 cc band.

[JDru]

Melissa my first few bites are hard too...but I've never had a PB or golfball. I wonder why that is...

[kebsa]

Jessica- it sounds like you are just doing really well with the small bites and chewing++ and avoiding the most common causes of the dreaded golfball- i learnt from experience that inattention when eating is just begging for a round of bandster golf

[Goannabanda]

Erika, I don't know if I've found my sweet spot just yet either, but feel that I'm creeping up on it. Especially now I've written this post and looked at it in light of what the others are saying... ...I seem pretty much like LindaV and Mel in terms of how restricted I feel.

In the mornings, I can eat about 1/2 cup, preferably after a warm drink. Some days I don't feel like eating anything at breakfast time, and have it at morning tea instead. By lunch, I can eat 1/2 cup to 1 cup, and then 1 to 2 cups by dinner time. Most days I have a small snack in between meals (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup) - although think that at least some of these are "head" snacks and not true hunger - I'm working on this!

Like Jess and Mel, I am finding my first few bites go down a bit harder too. I'm reading that either as 1) a sign to go even more slowly at the start of a meal, or as 2) a sign that I'm not physically hungry yet and to come back later (another head hunger issue??). I'm testing out both theories at the moment...

[HeatherGurl]

I agree with what Tricia said. I know that for me, I had my sweet spot for months... I was consistently losing, so that, along with eating the right amounts was my sweet spot.

[Stitchy]

I had a good fill last week, and I think I am now at my sweet spot (I hope). I am full on about 1/2 cup of food, and I feel that way for 3-4 hours. I also avoid drinking water for an hour or two after, and I'm actually beginning to enjoy feeling hunger (sick, I know).

The really hard part of all of this is that while I recognize when I need to stop eating, it is really hard to do. That was my issue. I didn't snack all that much, but couldn't stop eating once I got started. The fact that I am full now hasn't changed that desire. The golf ball and sliming has put a real damper on that practice. :(