I was banded with a large (15cc) band on 11/30/09. I have lost 13lbs which 10 of it was all preop. I have had 2 fills and cant seem to get in sooner to my doctor cause he overbooks and INSISTS on doing the fills himself. I have a total of 8.5ccs in and have no restriction, I mean I can eat like I did before the surgery. I went a couple weeks ago for another fill and my doctor and after waiting 2 hours to be seen, I had to go without getting the fill because I had a babysitter waiting. The next time he can get me in is May. BASICALLY - I am lost, I have had no diet instruction, no understanding, no information on my diet plan. I know they say eat right and exercise blah blah, well if it was that easy I would have been skinny ages ago and not needed a surgery to help me do this. I am slipping into this horrible depression thinking I fought for over a year to have this surgery and get no where. He wont give me my medical paperwork to take to another surgeon to do fills either. So I guess I am curious, how do i get educated, how do i know if the next fill is going to work, how do i get motivated?

If I had that kind of will power I would never have gotten the band.

There's not really much willpower involved at this point. There's a finite amount of space, and it gets filled :frown:

I don't think there's really a "right" or "wrong" way to eat, but I do try to make sure that, because there's only a certain amount of space, I get the nutrients my body needs. To do that, I have to use the space really wisely. (And even so, I find that I consistently don't get enough of certain things--and have bumped up my supplements accordingly.)

I find that journaling what I eat on Fitday.com helps me tremendously. It might help you, too. While eating biscuits and gravy is certainly "allowed" with a band, if you were to track your intake of nutrients, you might find that you want to use the real estate in your stomach differently so that you lose at a rate you're more comfortable with.

In your first post, you state that you've only lost three pounds since banding. It might be time to consider that, really, it's not just about portion size, but also about the kinds of foods you're choosing.

hello,

I was banded on 11-09-09 and until March 17th, I could eat a whole lot. I ifnally got to that point where the band really restricts me. Wow. Honestly, I was feeling like the band was a waste. Now, I am so careful about what I eat: protein first, then a veggie, cheese, etc and I feel full. I am very tight in the morning so I drink a protein shake (30 g) and don't have a desire to eat until around 11:30-12:00. Chocolate and chips are my weakness and I can still cheat a bit, but I still get that restriction with those now. Please don't give up and I agree w the others about getting your records. At my last appt, the nurse kept the needle in my port while I drank water to make sure I wasn't over tight. So, I had quite a bit put in at once. Maybe you can be a really squeaky wheel on the 6th and tell them to fill it very generously and then do the drink test. You'll be so happy when you get to that perfect restriction. Good luck to you :frown:)

Wow you guys are so strict on your eating. If I had that kind of will power I would never have gotten the band. I basically eat what the family eats only way less. Last night my DH made Bisquits and Gravy (the kids love this). Instead of having 2 whole bisquits with gravy I only had 1. Before the surgery I always finished my plate and sometimes had seconds. Now I take a lot less (probably a cup worth) and sometimes don't finish that. If we eat out I get a doggy bag or try to split a meal with someone.

My whole goal with the band was to control my portions. I'm not a snacker nor do I have a sweet tooth. So my problem really was just the portions.

i'd not eat biscuits and gravy because they have little to no nutritional value.