I am so worried that I will gain weight waiting on my first adjustment nurse say's losing weight is not important during this time getting adjusted to the band is the most important. I've lost 25 lbs. in my first four weeks and I don't want to gain any of it back before my adjustment next month. Did any body else feel like me or is it just me I know it's not gonna happen overnight and you have to have patience thanks for any input.

I feel the same way. I'm kinda panicking, had my first fill yesterday (I think it was quite meager). So scared that i will gain back the few precious pounds I lost. I'm trying to stay as focused as possible and eat the right things. Hang in there -from what I hear it's supposed to get better.

So much of the initial loss is Fluid and the scale is going to bounce around a bit. Don't worry yourself into a panic when this happens. Once the swelling from surgery dissipates you basically have the equipment but it isn't doing much to tame the hunger until you achieve sufficient restriction from fills. It took me about 4 fills to get to this point - so that's months after surgery... Just do your best in the meantime and try to focus on the fundamentals of living with your new companion. Begin an exercise regimen as soon as your surgeon will allow. Not only will it help increase your metabolism and quell hunger - but it's an essential component of long term success.

Good Luck!

Brad

So much of the initial loss is Fluid and the scale is going to bounce around a bit. Don't worry yourself into a panic when this happens. Once the swelling from surgery dissipates you basically have the equipment but it isn't doing much to tame the hunger until you achieve sufficient restriction from fills. It took me about 4 fills to get to this point - so that's months after surgery... Just do your best in the meantime and try to focus on the fundamentals of living with your new companion. Begin an exercise regimen as soon as your surgeon will allow. Not only will it help increase your metabolism and quell hunger - but it's an essential component of long term success.

Good Luck!

Brad

So much of the initial loss is Fluid and the scale is going to bounce around a bit. Don't worry yourself into a panic when this happens. Once the swelling from surgery dissipates you basically have the equipment but it isn't doing much to tame the hunger until you achieve sufficient restriction from fills. It took me about 4 fills to get to this point - so that's months after surgery... Just do your best in the meantime and try to focus on the fundamentals of living with your new companion. Begin an exercise regimen as soon as your surgeon will allow. Not only will it help increase your metabolism and quell hunger - but it's an essential component of long term success.

Good Luck!

Brad

Just want to echo this great post. I have been fortunate as I have noticed restriction at each fill but the keys for me have been:

Fluid Consumption

Protein Intake (shakes and additives)

Exercise

Walking is great and a terrific way to start, but as I lose more I feel more like doing more. Yard work. Sports. Anything. The more you do the more impact it will have and that will encourage you to continue the efforts.

I was banded on 27 April and my first adjustment is next Monday, 14 June. For the past two weeks I have been holding steady... only about a pound variance.

I took before and after pictures and can see some slight differences and the scale says I am down 32 lbs from my heaviest. I am so scared to gain any of it back.

I have noticed my appetite has returned and I am having to be careful about how I schedule my food during the day. I decided to move my largest meal to lunch to decrease the hunger I had from having a smaller lunch and larger dinner. I also eat some foods that give me trouble on purpose because they sit in the pouch longer instead of slipping right through the open band (ex. chicken salad, turkey dog, finely chewed beef jerkey for a snack). The feeling is satiety for a very long period of time.

Last week was vacation and I ate more than I have been, but did not gain anything thanks to all the theme park walking. I have had so many positive experiences since 27 April that seeing the scale increase would just ruin those feelings.

This adjustment will be the only one I have with my surgeon as he is 6 hours from my home by car. I hope we can make some progress towards restriction. I know he will be proud of my work thus far.

Hang in there and let us know how that adjustment works for you.

Guys,

I think we are all in the same boat and I have found that finding someone that is about 2-4 months ahead of me helps a bunch so here goes.

March 8th bandster

1st 4 weeks I lost 15 pounds because of restriction from surgery - felt great and was ready to go.

First Fill at week 4

2nd 4 weeks I lost nothing but didn't gain - no restriction and felt like I was dieting.

Second fill at week 8.5

3rd 4 weeks - same as 2nd four weeks, I felt like maybe the band was never going to work and I'd wasted time and money.

3rd fill at week 13ish - 7.5/14 (capacity of the band)

HOLLY COW. RESTRICTION. WOW. ANOTHER WORLD. - I can eat 3/4 of a chicken breast and one more bite and I think my lunch, my Breakfast, and my dinner from last night are going to come up and my chest is going to explode. Not kidding at all. It is a great feeling.

Point of all this is the band is a tool to help you but until you feel restriction take it easy on yourself and what the scale says. I am now excited to get on the scale next week because I can feel the restriction and thus am excited to workout, not eat much and still feel full and great.

Without restriction I feel like I am dieting. With restriction I feel like I am making choices as to what to put in my body to fuel it for the days activity. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Good luck to all and don't hesitate to PM me as I finally feel like I am on my way. I'm no expert but I'll share what I am experiencing.

Just got home from a 6 hour drive each way to see my surgeon for my first adjustment and I have mixed feelings.

I remember when I left the hospital he gave me the "this is not a time for loss but a time for healing" speech. It has been 7 weeks and I expected him to be really proud of the 32 lbs gone since the start of the 2 week pre-op diet. I have lost about 16 since surgery. The past three weeks I have neither lost nor gained.

He said he expected me to be 50+ down from the pre-op based on my weight and the initial Fluid in the band at placement but that 32 lbs was still a great start. My thyroid could have some effect on it I am sure.

We then talked about my hunger, eating schedule, food choices and all seemed pretty well. He said the first adjustment goal was to get me fairly tight and pair that with a Meal Replacement diet for the next month to shock/jumpstart me back into losing. Goal for next 4 weeks is 10+ pounds.

He had me do an abdominal crunch so he could locate the port and he got the needle in on the first try with no pain at all. The injection of the saline felt really cool as I could feel it fill around the band and close up the pouch. Water went down just fine. I received 6 CC in my 14 CC band. This gives me a total of 8 CC.

I had a Protein shake right after for breakfast and it filled me up. Hunger for lunch was 5 hours later and was a cup of tomato Soup which was filling as well.

I can go back to solid food tomorrow. I am sure I will make him proud at our next appointment.

Guys,

I think we are all in the same boat and I have found that finding someone that is about 2-4 months ahead of me helps a bunch so here goes.

March 8th bandster

1st 4 weeks I lost 15 pounds because of restriction from surgery - felt great and was ready to go.

First Fill at week 4

2nd 4 weeks I lost nothing but didn't gain - no restriction and felt like I was dieting.

Second fill at week 8.5

3rd 4 weeks - same as 2nd four weeks, I felt like maybe the band was never going to work and I'd wasted time and money.

3rd fill at week 13ish - 7.5/14 (capacity of the band)

HOLLY COW. RESTRICTION. WOW. ANOTHER WORLD. - I can eat 3/4 of a chicken breast and one more bite and I think my lunch, my breakfast, and my dinner from last night are going to come up and my chest is going to explode. Not kidding at all. It is a great feeling.

Point of all this is the band is a tool to help you but until you feel restriction take it easy on yourself and what the scale says. I am now excited to get on the scale next week because I can feel the restriction and thus am excited to workout, not eat much and still feel full and great.

Without restriction I feel like I am dieting. With restriction I feel like I am making choices as to what to put in my body to fuel it for the days activity. BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Good luck to all and don't hesitate to PM me as I finally feel like I am on my way. I'm no expert but I'll share what I am experiencing.

That was some great info. I had mine March 10 this year and lost a total of 47#. I went in for my first fill on June 11 and gained 4#. Im so upset, not because of the 4# but the fact Im gaining and my first fill of 3cc did absolutely nothing! They said they usually put 5-6cc (11cc band)in first but mine was tight when they put it in. Im not going back until Sept 20 and am so afraid I will gain alot of weight! Its kinda gotten harder to watch because I seem to be able to eat like before! Im starting to make poor choices, not doing protien or vits., eating things I shouldnt be. When I could see myself losing faster and when I had restriction I made the right choices and everything was great, now everything is snowballing in the wrong direction, I know, hopefully sooner rather than later things will change for the better and I can get on track again! I just hope it happens before I gain alot of my weight back, that would be a huge mental letdown!!!

I started reading every post on this site back in September 09 before I made my decision to get banded.

I then visited the surgeon and heard all he had to say and asked him the few questions I had.

Following a heart attack a week later; I put into practice what I had read here and what my surgeon had told me.

I cut out fast food; stopped drinking calories (except beer); cut my portions down; tried to eat only when hungry and started walking 30 minutes a day. Doing just this, I dropped more than 3 pounds a week and by the time I was banded in March I had already lost about 50% of my excess weight. I can honestly say that I felt no real hunger. I kept a positive, can-do attitude and it is working.

I still have a problem with "needing" to finish every last bite on my plate and for this reason, I try to put only enough on the plate.

Whether my motivation came from my 45 birthday approaching; reading success stories here; the slap in the face from the heart attack or a combination of all 3, I don't know nor care. I have it and am rolling with it.

That being said and my bragging complete; I give my positive attitude 95% of the credit for my weight loss and I didn't even have to have it surgically inserted. The other 5% is due to being informed and knowing what to do and expect.

I don't worry about plateauing or gaining a little. I know it's going to happen.

I wanted to share my "Living to Eat vs. Eating to Live" story of this week.

My iPhone broke so I went to get it fixed. I didn't want to cook so I stopped by SubWay. I grabbed a footlong chicken breast on wheat with tons of veggies. I know this is not normally possible for a bandster to eat. But I bought it for the "value."

On the drive home I opened up the first 6 inch portion. I munched on all the veggies slowly and picked the chicken out by the piece. I stopped and noticed I was full. But the bread sitting there kept talking to me and I started to eat the bread. A few moments after the first few bites I started to hickup and knew I had put more in than I needed.

I ACTUALLY PICKED UP MORE food AND STUFFED IT IN MY MOUTH. When I realized what I had done I spit it out. Then I took the rest of the sub from the paper wrapper and threw it out the window (I didn't want to litter with the paper but the food will decompose easily).

I could have really hurt myself just because I love food and didn't want my $5 footlong investment go to waste.

Jack was right that the band is only part of the solution and we have to learn how to change almost everything we ever knew about food.

Edited June 17, 201016 yr by IAmJacksLapBand

These are all good points and Btrieger I believe attitude is my main problem, it always has been! Im having trouble keeping a positive attitude because whether real or not I always think about food which always keeps me hungry. Althoufg, when I had restriction after surgery I had a positivec attitude and did very well. I just had a fill which did nothing, it actually seems like its easier for me to eat things I had problems with(dry chicken)but Im hoping my next fill will help and in the mean time I can at least not gain if not lose!

Sorry about the spelling, Im hurrying so I can start my day. If I eat something I really like I dont feel satisfied if I dont finish!

Great thread guys, just what I needed to hear. I'm 4.5 weeks post-op, and this past week has been the most challenging. It was a combination of a couple things: I felt hungrier physically, and I also felt a lot of stress, which would normally lead me to use food as a calmer-downer.

And I did. For the most part, I'm sticking to my calories and I'm fine during the day. But I have noticed that I really have to be careful to have the right food handy when I need it, and to eat more often. The other night, I went 6 hours between a relatively small lunch and dinner. I was also in a terrible mood, driving back from a crappy day at work. I turned into McDonald's.

I know, I know. I broke more or less every rule I'd been following, including no bread, no drinking while eating, low carbs, you name it. If there was any upside at all, my cheating meal consisted of one Double Cheeseburger, a small order of fries, and a small shake. Not nearly what I would have done pre-surgery - in fact, not even a third of what I would have had.

But it was still 1100 calories and 45 grams of fat. And I did it out of emotion. I could have just as easily stopped at a 7-11 and gotten a Protein bar and held myself over, but I had that big physical/emotional hunger, the 1-2 punch. The result was that I felt like crap (predictable), felt overfull, had low energy, was pissed at myself, and didn't sleep well that night.

It wasn't worth it, and it gave me a glimpse back at the me that got me into this mess in the first place. I need to change that person, because I know he's still there and he'll rear his ugly head whenever given the chance.

At the same time, I have to understand that if I get *too* down on myself for screwing up, I may fall into that bad cycle of overeating to deal with that feeling, which just perpetuates the cycle. I didn't get to 360 lbs overnight, and the behaviors and coping mechanisms I developed over many long years aren't going to go away overnight. But I can try to start over each day, and so far I've been able to do that.

Reading this thread really helped. So glad to know that there are others out there who have the same issues and to have a place to come to talk about mine. Thanks guys, really appreciate your honesty and thoughtfulness.

A lot of people, myself included, were hopeful that their food demons would disappear with the band - but that is not the case. The band may help to physically impeded them but they must always be mentally managed.

Brad