Rebeccastl615

Nicole, I really hope that your 3rd fill goes well. My 3rd fill date is set for December 13th. As you know, I am having a very similar experience as you. Unfortunately though, I have not been working out nearly as much as I should be. Not like you, you are doing great! Keep up the good work! But I have not lost any weight at all really since my last fill and cannot tell a difference as far as restriction goes. I do get stuck and PB and slime quite a bit but that is due to me eating too fast and not chewing up my food like I should be. I am really, really hoping to hit some restriction with this 3rd fill as well. I know this is not a magic band but I was really hoping that it would work better in restricting the amount of food that I can eat. I am having real trouble with eating more than I should. The good news is I have not gained any weight, but I want to LOSE weight! Another problem I have been having is hair loss. Now I know that I get enough Protein and eat plenty of food so I do not understand how I am losing hair if our bodies still absorb nutrients the same as they did before. That part is baffling me. Is anyone else experiencing this? I would understand if I had more restriction and wasn't getting in the full nutrients that my body needs, but I know that I am eating almost normally. I do eat less than I used to, but still eat like an average individual at this point. Good luck with your fill Nicole! Please keep us posted on how it goes for you!

I was banded on 7/22 and have had 2 fills so far and I have some restriction but not that much. I have lost 25 pounds so far. But I haven't lost any weight in FOREVER. It gets so frustrating knowing that you made the choice to have WLS and then not getting the results out of it that you want to. I am happy to have lost some weight but really thought I would be further along than I am. To be honest, I know I should be working out more and eating healthier more of the time. But at the end of the day, I will just be happy when I have MORE restriction so that I CAN'T eat more than I should. That was the point of the surgery in the first place right???? My doctor only does fills every 8 weeks and then he only does about 1cc at a time so I have a way to go before I get to full restriction. My 3rd fill isn't even until Dec. 13th. I feel your pain! I guess all we can do is hang in there until we get to restriction land! Good luck!

Hi Nicole! Thanks for starting this thread! It is so good to know where everyone else that were banded around the same time as us are doing. It helps to know that everyone is going through the same thing and we aren't alone in our struggles! For everyone else (as Nicole knows my story) I was banded 7/22 and I have lost 25 pounds so far. I wish it were more, but need to be happy with what it is since I can honestly say I have not worked as hard at it as I should/could have been. I have had 2 fills so far and have some restriction, but nowhere near the sweet spot yet. I am hoping the 3rd fill gets me closer to where I want to be. I do have problems with bread and pasta most of the time. French fries are now my enemy. (I guess that is a good thing) I don't make the best food choices all the time, that is one of my problems, along with not exercising like I should. But I am trying to stay positive and hope that with each fill I will get closer to restriction and will eventually get to ONEDERLAND! Good luck everyone!

Danide, I am here for ya girl! In the same boat too. I am 3 months post op, have had 2 fills so far, and have some restriction but not at sweet spot yet. Down 25 pounds so far. And I have eaten more than my fair share of fun size Kit Kats during Halloween! There I said it. And I do not make the best food choices. There I said it again. And I KNOW I do not work out as regularly or as strenuously as I need to be. There said that too! So I know that I could be much farther along in my success story if I would just STICK WITH THE PROGRAM! But, I am not the most perfect person in the world. I know that I will get my butt in gear here soon and I know that I WILL lose the total of 100 pounds by next June that is my goal. I know that I WILL be a success story. I will make certain that it is going to happen. It is so easy to beat ourselves up over the little things. But just know that every day is a new day and we can only take it one day at a time and One Day We will Get to the Promised Land! :thumbup:

I read threads on this site every day looking for people who are going through the same struggles that I am. If it weren't for this site, I would be really discouraged at this point, so thank you to everyone who posts on here! It helps more than you know! :thumbup:Hence the reason for my post. I figure I have gained so much from reading posts, I should also post about what I am going through in case it might help others as I have been helped by others posts. I was banded on Thursday, 7/22/10. I only had to do a 3 day pre-op liquid diet, which started on that Monday before surgery. I weighed in that Monday morning at 258 pounds. :wink2:( I am 5 feet 3 inches tall, to put into perspective) On Thursday surgery date, I weighed 254. I was given what I think is either a 9cc or 10cc band. (I asked the doctor if it was a 10cc and he said yes, or maybe 9...so that is why I say that...:blink:LOL) Apparently, when I was banded there was 2 cc's of Fluid placed in the band at surgery. I found that out when I started eating solid foods about 3 weeks post op and became ill:drool: and had to go and get unfilled at the doctor's office and he took 2 cc's out. I didn't know I had any fluid in my band prior that happening. My doctor is a very conservative doctor compared to many that I read about on this site. He does the initial first fill 6 weeks post op and then only once every 8 weeks thereafter. He is very conservative on the amount of cc's per fill as well. When I told him what I read people were getting on this site, he was skeptical about it. (HA, yeah right, he should read this site for himself!:biggrin:) My first fill was 1.5 cc's. I did get some restriction from this fill as I started becoming stuck on foods that I had not had problems with before (bread, french fries, rice, etc.) But for the most part, while I now eat much less than I did pre-band, I feel that I can still eat much more than I should be able to when I reach full restriction. I went in for my 2nd fill last Monday, Oct.11th. He gave me 1 cc at that time. I had only lost about 5 pounds between those 2 fills.:scared2: (7 weeks! I talked them into giving me my fill appt. a week early at the desk) As you can imagine, I was feeling discouraged about the lack of progress on the weight loss. Admittedly, initially I was not exercising like I was supposed to be. I have started working out now on a much more consistent basis for about the past 4 weeks. I know that I still need to amp it up from here, but at least I am getting there! :thumbup:(I am walking 2 miles at a time 3 days a week) My doctor requires full liquids on day of fill and mushies only the next day, and then back to regular food the following day after that. I was really hoping for more restriction with this 2nd fill. I had heard that it can sometimes take a week for it to "kick in". Or "delayed action" is another term I read about it. However, here I am over a week and a half out from my 2nd fill and I can definitely say I have no more restriction with this 2nd fill than I did with the first one.:wink5: I have to wait until Dec. 13th for my 3rd fill. My doctor told me he usually only does .5 cc's to 1.0 cc's at a time when he does fills, so I foresee a long process before I get to the elusive "sweet spot". I am very happy that I have my band, I just wish it were all progressing a little more quickly. In all fairness, I could be doing a little more on my end to be getting quicker results. I have now lost a total of 26 pounds to date and am at 232 pounds. I am pleased with the loss, but wish it were more like 40 pounds at this point. What can I say, I am greedy! So I hope that my 3rd fill will get me closer to where I need to be restriction wise. In the mean time, I am going to STOP just waiting for the band to get me there, and start doing more for myself to get me there. I am going to crank up the intensity and frequency of my exercise and I am going to make better food choices MORE of the time. (I cannot say ALL the time as I am not a perfect person!) HOWEVER, at the end of the day, I KNOW the band is working somewhat already ( I can go to my favorite mexican restaurant and get stuffed off of a few chips and salsa and just one taco now, where in the past I would eat the whole basket of chips and salsa, 3 tacos and rice and beans!....I do not do complete low carb/no carb like some of you. I already gave up bread, Pasta, except whole weat pasta ocassionally, and potatoes so I am NOT giving up tortillas and chips!!! As long as it is in MODERATION, right?) So I know I am getting there and will eventually get all the way there! :wink2:

Thanks, Betsy! Yes, the doctor said that we are playing catch up now because he had to unfill the first 2 cc's in that 3rd week. According to him, I am moving along just fine. He is a Bariatric Center of Excellence rated doctor who has personally done well over 700 lap band surgeries alone, not sure how many gastric bypass surgeries in addition to that. He is definitely experienced in this. I agree that I would prefer a more conservative approach than some of the other doctors that I have read about on here that seem to be way too aggressive. I think that would definitely have more propensity to cause complications resulting in PBing and unfills, etc. Betsy, I admire your resolve and self discipline when it comes to your diet. Unfortunately for me, I cannot be that strict with myself all the time. If I do so, then eventually I will have a complete meltdown and cram any and everything I can find into my mouth! I do much better to allow myself a little here and there so I don't feel so deprived over all. But you are right, whatever works for you! Thanks for your input! It is much appreciated! I hope to one day be working on maintenance like you too!

Thanks for the feedback Melissannde! It is really helpful to hear from others. It looks like you are moving along quite well and goal is well within reach! That is awesome! Congratulations on doing so well! I hope to get there eventually myself. Thanks for the good advice as well!

When I go out to eat, I just order water and not drink it. I tried not ordering a drink at all, but the waitress was like "Are you sure? Nothing???" I decided I didn't want to go through that all the time so now I just order water and let it sit. And then when I leave the restaurant, I go through McDonald's and get my large tea and drink it when I get home! That works out perfectly usually. When I am at home I just go watch TV for a while and before you know it, it is time to drink! My doctor makes me wait an hour between eating and drinking. I thought it would be very difficult, but it really hasn't been too bad. Sometimes are worse than others, but it is really one of the minor things compared to all that I have had to deal with/give up for this band! Now if I could just get skinny already! :wink2:

Oh and my 2nd fill that I waited all this time for with such high hopes....yep, don't feel any difference either! BUT, there is always fill #3! Mine is Dec. 13th! Imagine having to wait that long between fills! Yep, you are feeling better and better now aren't you? :wink2:

Hey, you should read my post I just posted about my 2nd fill! You would be much less discouraged! LOL. We were banded very close to the same time. (Mine was 7/22) and you are already at your 3rd fill and will have your 4th fill and possibly even 5th fill before I will even get my 3rd fill! AND you are at almost 40 pounds weight loss. I am only at 26 pounds lost. You are much better off than me at this point if that makes you feel better! :biggrin: My doctor only does fills every 8 weeks and told me he usually only does .5 cc's to 1.0 cc's at a time. So I have a MUCH longer journey to get to the sweet spot than you, band sista! But good luck and hang in there! We will get there! (You might get there a little quicker than me though! :wink2:) This time next year, hopefully we will both be doing the skinny happy dance together all over the place!

For me it is soft bread and french fries! I know, I know, I am not supposed to be eating french fries anyway! But sometimes I can't help myself and grab a few of the kids or something. Even though I have got stuck 5 out of the 6 times I have tried to eat french fries, I would still keep trying. UNTIL......last weekend I got stuck so bad on 3 french fries and it hurt SO badly that I was immediately kicking myself in the butt and then I had to go to the bathroom and I slimed saliva like I had not done before and PB'd a little. It was a horrible experience. But guess what? Yep, it cured me from trying to eat anymore dang french fries! I went to McDonalds with my friend today for lunch and she asked me if I wanted any of her french fries. I hesitated for just a second and remembered the pain and discomfort I went through last weekend and said No Thanks! No more fries for me! DONE! I can eat toasted bread, tortillas, soft or hard, and crackers. But any soft bread is a No No No! I don't even attempt that anymore and haven't for a while. I did take a bite of my boyfriend's fried rice once and it got stuck badly too. But if I eat rice with sauce on it, it seems to be okay. No problem with chicken or hamburger, so I feel fortunate for that! But it is true that everyone is different on what they can and cannot eat, and that something that gets stuck one day may not get stuck another day. This is definitely a learning process!

Nicole, it seems you and I are so similar. I am 39 (just a bit older than you :smile2: ), have yo-yo'd my whole life with weight and diets, I was banded on 7/22. I had to have 2 cc's removed a few weeks after surgery, and now have had 2 fills (2nd one yesterday!) and I have a total of 2.5 cc's in my 9 (I think) cc band. I have lost 23 pounds total and am constantly struggling with the food issue. I cannot really tell yet if I have more restriction now with the 2nd fill since it was just yesterday but I am sure hoping. I am hoping to lose 80 more pounds by next June. I really find it helpful seeing others posts that are going through similar experiences as me, that were banded around the same time as me. Good luck to you and let's hope we can get through this together and reach our goal weights!

I have had the same problem. I have bounced back and forth between the same 5 pounds for well over a month now. I was banded 7/22. I had 1 fill so far. I am actually going in for my 2nd fill today and am so ready! I do have a little restriction now. I cannot eat french fries, soft breads or some rice. But other than that I can pretty much eat whatever I want. I can't eat as much as I used to be able to but still more than what I know I am supposed to. Sometimes I make good food choices and sometimes not so good ones. I have started exercising 3 times a week, but that hasn't helped with weight loss. The past few weeks have gone like this (I weigh myself once a week): Lost 3 pounds, stayed the same, gained 2 pounds, lost those 2 pounds last week and now this week stayed the same again. So not really making any forward progress. I am hoping my 2nd fill helps me to get some more restriction and I get motivated and start seeing the numbers go down. Don't get discouraged! There are others just like me and you out here struggling. Let's hope once we get to our "sweet spots" that this will get easier! So glad that we have this website to keep each other feedback and know we aren't alone in what we go through and deal with. Thank you!

Lately cheat is my middle name. Sometimes I cannot believe that I actually had SURGERY to lose weight, went through a significant amount of pain and discomfort from the surgery, and yet I still cheat! It is ridiculous! I had surgery 7/22 and for a while I did well. I had lost a total of 23 pounds and then hit a wall, no more weight loss. At a standstill. At first I couldn't get motivated to exercise. I thought if I kicked it in gear and started exercising, I would start losing weight. I have finally started exercising on a consistent basis, but now I have turned into a cheater! I read a post where someone said they want to eat a cheeseburger and fries so badly, but they don't do it. Well guess what? I have! Well the cheeseburger, with most of the bread ripped off. And just a few fries before I get stuck and it hurts and I can't eat the rest. But I still try! What the heck is wrong with me???? IDK. I just make bad food choices sometimes that frustrates the heck out of me. Not all the time of course, but more so lately than I would like to admit. I have had one fill so far. My doctor will only do them every 6-8 weeks. I go for my 2nd fill next Monday 10/11 and I CANNOT WAIT. I am hoping I will get more restriction then. I have a little restriction now, (hence the getting stuck on bread and fries) but nowhere near enough. So I am hoping that this next fill will get me closer to restriction land and help me to stay focused on what my goal is supposed to be, which is losing weight. I actually GAINED 2 pounds this week. I get mad at myself. But if I have to be honest, part of the reason I have been bad lately is I am afraid that when I get my next fill that I will be extremely limited to what I can actually eat and so I am trying to eat it now before the fill gets here. But what is so stupid is that I already went through all of that before I had the surgery. The "Oh I won't be able to eat this after surgery" feeling and therefore eating everything in sight. I don't/can't eat everything in sight now but still, come on! I eat things I shouldn't and more than I should/hopefully will be able to. When is enough going to be enough with me and food already? I am so sick and tired of food being in charge of me! I want to be the one in charge! I want food to just NOT BE IMPORTANT in my life anymore. That is why I had this surgery in the first place. Bandster hell really is hell. Some people really have the willpower to just stay on diet mode through this part until they get to restriction but obviously not me. So here I am at 21 pounds lost well over 2 1/2 months post op. BUT......here is the good news! I REFUSE to stay down. I am going to turn things around after this next fill. Restriction or no restriction, I am going to get on track and stay on track! I finally have the exercise going. Now if I can just get the food thing under control I can hopefully start seeing the numbers on the scale going down! Thanks for listening to/reading my rant. Good luck everyone!

I have been stuck a couple of times, but very briefly. It would hurt for a few seconds to a minute and then work it's way on down. Last night I came home from my run/walking program and was starving since I had not yet eaten dinner. I ate a few chips with salsa and then made myself a turkey on wheat sandwich, cut in half. I was so hungry I guess I wasn't paying attention to how fast I was eating the sandwich. I got the first half down and it started to HURT. I couldn't get it to come up (although it felt like it wanted to) or go down! I was hurting so bad, I couldn't hardly move. I started gurgling a little bit in my throat and mouth but no real saliva and no PB. Just lots of pain! After about 5 minutes it finally worked it's way on down. I was done! Couldn't go near another bite of food for the rest of the night last night! So I would say that was my first real stuck experience I suppose. I definitely do not want to go through that again anytime soon! I just recently added bread back into my diet and sometimes I can eat it and sometimes it hurts. Last night would have probably been okay except I know I ate it too fast! Oh well, this is a learning experience. Lesson learned!!! :biggrin:

Good luck! I was banded on 7/22 and have only lost 23 pounds so far and started really exercising this past week and stayed the same! Didn't lose a pound! I am somewhat frustrated but I have only had 1 fill so far so am hoping that as I get more restriction this will get easier and I will start to lose more quickly. Congratulations on your success so far and good luck with your re-commitment!

I have not had a problem with salad, tomoatoes, or pasta. Sometimes I can eat bread, sometimes it hurts. Sometimes I can eat only a little food and feel stuffed and sometimes I can eat way past the point that I think I should. This past weekend, for example, I was very busy during the day both days and didn't really eat much at all during the day. But then when evening came around, I could eat more than I should and of course did because I was starving. I know that isn't the right thing to do and during the week I usually do very well because I have a set routine at work and at home. It was just the busy, hectic weekend activity with kids, etc. that threw me off. I feel terrible about my food choices this past weekend as well. My son had a sleepover on Saturday night with some of his friends and I got them a 50 piece nugget from McDonalds for them to all share. When they didn't eat them all I dipped in there and ate a few. (this was after I already had my meal) And sunday I had veggie pizza, which isn't too bad but I had 3 pieces! I should not be able to eat 3 pieces of pizza! It was crazy! Like I said before, sometimes I can't eat very much at all and I am super stuffed. But then there are times like this past weekend where I am eating chickent nuggets and pizza and not hitting that wall. SO CONFUSING AND FRUSTRATING! I have only had one fill so far, so possibly once I get more retriction it will be more consistent on not being able to eat more than I should. I sure hope so! (I know I need to be in control of my food choices all the time, with or without restriction, but hey, I am not perfect all the time. If I was, then obviously I wouldn't need WLS to help me with this! ) What are everyone's thoughts on this?

I don't have papaya enzyme tablets but sounds like I need to get some too! Yikes, I cannot imagine that pain lasting longer than 5 minutes! There is no way I could handle that kind of pain for that long! So weird how sometimes I can eat certain things with no problem, other times I can't. Sometimes I get really full very quickly and sometimes I can eat way past where I know I should be able to. This band is really tricky and I think it is definitely strange how it changes from day to day or even time of day on what/how much you can eat. I have only had 1 fill so far though so maybe it will be more consistent when I get more restriction......

BOOOOOOOOOO! I stayed the same this week :smile: Not sure how since I did pretty good on my diet and actually started exercising more this past week than I have so far since banded. Oh well, new week starts today! I will kick it in gear again and hopefully see some results next Monday :yesnod:

I was banded on 7/22. I had my first fill of 1.5 cc's about 5 weeks ago. I do have some restriction, but not as much as I know I should. I have the same problem as so many others with pretty good restriction in the morning and daytime but not as much at night. Sometimes at night I can eat whatever I want (not always). I get my 2nd fill on 10/11. Looking forward to it. The way I currently feel I think I will probably only need about 2 more fills to get to optimum restriction, but we will see!

Update for me: I was banded 7/22 and had lost a total of about 23 pounds then gained about 4 pounds back (frustrating!) but now have lost those back again and back at 23 pounds lost to date. I had to go to doctor at 4 weeks out to have 2 cc's removed from band due to something being stuck. (didn't even know that I had 2 cc's in as I thought band was empty at surgery, apparently not) Got my first fill at 6 weeks post op and do have some restriction but not where I need to be. I am going back for 2nd fill on 10/11 as my doctor only does fill every 7-8 weeks. My biggest problem has been not getting the exercise that I need in. If I were exercising like I should I know my weight loss number would be bigger right now. But a friend and I are starting the Couch to 5k program today actually and I am excited about it. It is 3 times a week. I am making a point of fitting it in, no excuses and hopefully it will help in getting the scale to move downward! I really haven't had any problems with any food that I have tried to eat, and I have tried a few things that I really shouldn't (fried chicken wing, french fries, etc) Just one or two here or there of the bad stuff, but know I shouldn't do it at all as I have a goal that I am trying to reach and those things don't help! I come on this site everyday to read posts and just generally look for information and inspiration. I LOVE this website. I do love my band too! I will be glad when I get to full restriction and the weight will start coming off a little easier, but I am happy that everything is going well and I am headed in the right direction. Thanks to everyone else who posts on here and good luck to us all! GO JULY BANDSTERS GO!! LOL

Lost 3 pounds this week and I am stoked about it! WOOT WOOT! :thumbup:

Was banded on 07/22 and I have only had one fill so far. I have some restriction, especially during the day. I can't overeat really or snack during the day but for some reason at night I have very little restriction. I can eat my dinner and not be hungry. But I get snack cravings sometimes at night. Unfortunately for me I have two kids and a BF in the house that like snacky food so I do have chips, etc. lying around. I sometimes give in to the cravings and eat a handful or two of chips. The old days it would have been much worse than that, believe me. So I am glad the band is there. I will just be glad when I get another fill or two and will hopefully get to full restriction and won't be able to fit it in at all! Also, I am going to the grocery store this weekend and I am buying only HEALTHY snacks for the whole household. It will be better for everyone but especially me! I am going to stay focused and not beat myself up over the small slip ups here and there. At least I am not pigging out on McDonald's and drinking 44 ounce sodas from the gas station every day like the old days! I know I will eventually get there! Good luck fellow bandsters!

I just signed up! I know I am a little late, since I missed the first week but I am very excited! I need something to make me kick it in gear and I am hoping this challenge does the trick since I am so competitive. I know I will only really be competing with myself but that is the point! I put myself down for 15 pounds and I know that is going to be tough especially since I already missed the first week but I am going to work my butt off to try and get there! I get my 2nd fill on Oct. 11th so I am hoping that will help too. I haven't lost any weight at all in like 3 weeks now and I haven't been exercising as regularly as I know I need to be, so I am going to take this challenge seriously and use it as the motivation I need to start losing some darn weight! I was banded on 7/22 and have lost a total of 20 pounds, but like I said, none in the past 3 weeks and I am ready to start losing more! So thank you to everyone participating in this challenge and lets all get slimmer and healthier together! WOOT WOOT! LOL!!

I had my surgery on 7/22/10. I had to have 2 cc's removed from my band 3 weeks after surgery due to something being stuck and vomiting. (even though I did not even know I had 2 cc's in the band in the first place!) Healed quickly and had my first fill 4 weeks after surgery and the Dr. only put 1.5 cc's back in. I do have some restriction during the day but in the evening hours it is pretty much a free for all. I try to make healthy food choices and still keep my food intake to a minimum. I have been doing pretty well. I definitely eat way less than I used to pre-surgery. I have lost a total of 20 pounds to date. I was down about 24 at one point but gained some back. I have been fluctuating between 19-22 pound loss mark for the past 2 weeks. My Dr. only does fills every 7-8 weeks so I am not due for my 2nd fill until 10/11. Here is where I need the kick in the pants at: 1.) I have on ocassion eaten things that are not good for me. I cannot eat to excess any more which is a good thing, but I am still sometimes making a bad food choice. It is so frustrating. I had this surgery to help me lose weight, get healthy and look fantastic of course! LOL Why oh why after everything I have been through do I still sabotage myself and put food into my mouth that I KNOW I shouldn't???? What is wrong with me? Bad food choices I have made include a hot dog, a bratwurst, 5 piece chicken nugget from Wendy's, spaghetti. Not all at the same time, on different days of course, but you get the idea. What the heck am I doing??? 2.) I haven't been working out like I should. I have walked a few times, even jogged a little of the way a couple times I have walked. But I have only walked like 4 times total since my surgery. No other exercise. I am no dummy. I KNOW that exercise is key to losing weight and you cannot be successful without it. So again, why oh why can I not get a good exercise routine going? I have a great exercise video that I used to do before when losing weight and I keep telling myself I am going to do it, but still haven't. I know how to exercise, I have even enjoyed it in the past. But I am having such a hard time getting motivated. I don't understand it since I went through all this pain and discomfort to have this surgery and I am not doing what it takes to kick it in gear to lose the weight. I had wanted to lose about 15 pounds before my next fill date at the doctor but now I am down to 1 month away from the visit, so it doesn't look like that is going to happen. However, I would be happy if I could lose 10 pounds before then. So could everyone just give me a pep talk? That would be fabulous! I need to be held accountable! Thank you!!!