I was banded in June of this year. My starting weight was 235 lbs. To date, I have had 3 fills (6 cc's in a 10 cc band) and have very little restriction. Not too many foods give me a hard time where most of my banded friends complain that they can hardly eat anything without it gutting stuck (bread, rice, pasta, beef, chicken). So far, the only things that have given me a problem are fresh white bread, peanut butter, chicken breasts, and raw celery. Everything else is pretty much fair game. I DO have to chew my food VERY thoroughly and take smaller bites, but I can still eat a regularly portioned meal (on a dinner plate). All of my other banded friends are eating the amount of food on a salad plate or less! When I get my fills, it seems as though I am restricted for about 3-5 days and then I am right back to being able to eat a dinner plate portion of food within about a week. If I try to cut back on my portions, I get SOOO hungry between meals (generally within 1-2 hours) and get light-headed and get headaches. Since my surgery, I have lost 20 lbs. and that's it. I can FEEL and SEE a difference in my clothes, and I do have more energy, but I am just SOOO FRUSTRATED! I want to find my "sweet spot", too! My next appt. is on 11/1/10. Hopefully that fill will bring me closer to where I want to be. Wish me luck! :thumbup:

Hi ladies great to know I'm not alone. I was banded in Australia on the 21st of October 2010 and to date I have lost 44 pounds. Last week I had my first fill and I have no restriction at all. I was begining to feel like a failure but you have all give me some hope. Thanks so much!!!!!!

By reading all the comments i'm thinking it may take a few fills before I feel restriction. All I know is that 4mls went into my band and that I have the American band. Guess I will just wait and see what happens after the next fill.

Thanks again

I was banded in June of this year. My starting weight was 235 lbs. To date, I have had 3 fills (6 cc's in a 10 cc band) and have very little restriction. Not too many foods give me a hard time where most of my banded friends complain that they can hardly eat anything without it gutting stuck (bread, rice, pasta, beef, chicken). So far, the only things that have given me a problem are fresh white bread, peanut butter, chicken breasts, and raw celery. Everything else is pretty much fair game. I DO have to chew my food VERY thoroughly and take smaller bites, but I can still eat a regularly portioned meal (on a dinner plate). All of my other banded friends are eating the amount of food on a salad plate or less! When I get my fills, it seems as though I am restricted for about 3-5 days and then I am right back to being able to eat a dinner plate portion of food within about a week. If I try to cut back on my portions, I get SOOO hungry between meals (generally within 1-2 hours) and get light-headed and get headaches. Since my surgery, I have lost 20 lbs. and that's it. I can FEEL and SEE a difference in my clothes, and I do have more energy, but I am just SOOO FRUSTRATED! I want to find my "sweet spot", too! My next appt. is on 11/1/10. Hopefully that fill will bring me closer to where I want to be. Wish me luck! :thumbup:

I feel the same way. Was banded Oct 29 started at 225 and have only lost 15 pounds. had my 2nd fill yesterday and still no change. I only have trouble with chicken, bread, peanut butter otherwise EVERYTHING goes down just fine. I know I am porbably just not in the green zone yet but my friend who has a band has less cc's in hers nad cant not eat that much, and is losing! I am very frustrated as well. But I have to keep trying....hope you are doing better now how many cc's do you have in? I had 2.5 at surgery added 2 and added 1 yesterday (10cc band)

I was banded 5 years ago. I went from 232 down to my lowest at the doctor's office of 160. At that time, I had no restriction even though he said I had 8 ccs in my 10 cc band (???). I just gained 20 pounds out of the blue (literally). I went back this week and got another 1/4 fill. Doctor did the flouroscope, but what i saw was the liquid rapidly going through my band. He tells me to eat dry, more dense foods. I will try this, but I too am starving all the time and not cheating the band. Due to my physical disabilities, I cannot exercise like most. My doctor said to come back in 3-4 more months. I am finding the patient care this far out of surgery isn't very good and my insurance company is still paying him very well. My goal is to lose 30 - 40 pounds. I would have liked him to put in a little more and then use the back down method to find my sweet spot. I am frustrated!

First of all, I must correct my surgery date which was not June 2010, but July 2010. I started at 235 lbs. day of surgery (240 lbs. when I started my one week pre-op diet). I just got my 5th fill last Monday (1/10/11). I am currently at 7cc's and can eat anywhere from 1 - 1 1/2 cups of food at each meal. I am eating 2-3 small, high protein snacks in between meals and no longer feel hungry between meals (unless I skip a meal). Since my fill last week, I've lost 6 lbs. and am down from 215 lbs. to 209 lbs. I finally made my 30 lb. weight loss goal! My new mini goal is to be under 200 lbs. (I have 10 lbs. to lose to meet that goal) by the end of February. Wish me luck!