I thought I saw mention of it somewhere on this board.

amberakamom - I thought the same thing after surgery, I wasn't really hungry and definitely felt the restriciton. I had every intention of telling my doctor on my first fill appt (just this past Tuesday, 2/8) that I didn't think I needed one. Well.....about four/five weeks after surgery, the hunger came back and the restriction was completely gone. I felt like I didn't even have a band anymore. I kept thinking....WHERE DID IT GO??? lol. Anyway, with that being said, I did indeed get my first fill on Tuesday (5cc in 10cc band) and I feel so much better!

Michelle

When does the swelling from surgery go down? I'm 2 weeks out. If my restriction level stayed the way it is now, I don't think I would need a fill.

Usually it can take a few more weeks. Time will tell!

Meee! 108lbs down, no fill, 9 months out. It's plenty possible.

Plenty possible....not true at all!!! Some people have legit hunger within weeks if not daysof having the surgery. My stomach wasn't as fatty perhaps as some other stomachs...so the band itself isn't restriction.

Please don't say it's plenty possible...if it works for you, fantastic...but it's not that black and white.

Congrats on your success.

Well, I certainly needed fills to lose the actual weight - although I absolutely did not need tight fills or need to eat ridiculously small amounts of food, and there WAS willpower involved as a result, I "could" eat things like McDonalds but had to decide not to. I actually believe that a tight fill that restricts you to half cup servings, keeps you strictly away from bread, rice and Pasta and even meat is not advantageous - you get great weight loss but you are not really learning to control the mental side of eating well, you're using the band to do it all and look out if you ever need to unfill it or lose it! That said, what I desired most in the world was weight loss and if that's what I needed to do, that's what I would have done.

My band is completely unfilled (due to cancer treatment last year) now though and having taught myself good habits over the three years that I was losing (I was quite happy with slow and steady weight loss) and the two years I'd maintained and it is absolutely possible and actually very easy to maintain my weight now, at a low BMI of 20, without any fill at all. I have no plans to refill.

Not only that, but even despite the physical trials and tribulations of cancer and its treatment, the improved nutritional status of being unrestricted and able to eat large amounts of wholegrains, fruits and vegies is very very obvious to me - I've never looked or felt better to be honest. My skin and hair are glowing, the dark undereye circles that we're all prone to in my family are gone, nobody asks me if I'm tired anymore, and I'm no longer anemic. Of course, I also no longer have active cancer in my body, but I am still having chemo, so eating well has got to have a lot to do with it.

I truly never meant to offend.....I was just bothered by a "hero worship" mentality for fills versus no fills. I also wonder about the ones who are convinced there is "nothing" in their band......I just wonder about that. I am the same as the previous poster. I go to my dr, state my portions, get my fills or not. I am still able to eat mostly what I want and I don't have problems usually and have never had an unfill. I have about 9cc in my 11cc band, I belierve. I don't even usually ask, I trust my doctor that he has my best interest at heart and know my body.

But for a MAJORITY of people, the band does not work without the fill. There is research to that. I also don't think my response was "laughable" because plenty of people do not do it without a fill and the band truly is made to be filled, to me its the point of it but to others, it may work alone, who knows. Good luck in your journies and I only wish you the best. Truly!

It just matters when it controls your hunger for several hours... everyone uses the band differently. Some people get restriction having the band just in place.

I agree with Jacqui, I can't imagine having a really tight fill for the rest of my life.. it's not normal to eat nothing and get sick all the time. I need to deal with my problem, and making the decisions of what to eat. Otherwise I would probably gain it back after significant weight loss if I didn't learn how to eat correctly.

I know for a fact that I have no Fluid in my band. My surgeons office is a Center of Excellence and specializes in only WLS. I am guessing that you wonder about that because some surgeons are now adding fill during surgery? I dont know if the majority are doing it that way now or not.

I truly never meant to offend.....I was just bothered by a "hero worship" mentality for fills versus no fills. I also wonder about the ones who are convinced there is "nothing" in their band......I just wonder about that. I am the same as the previous poster. I go to my dr, state my portions, get my fills or not. I am still able to eat mostly what I want and I don't have problems usually and have never had an unfill. I have about 9cc in my 11cc band, I belierve. I don't even usually ask, I trust my doctor that he has my best interest at heart and know my body.

But for a MAJORITY of people, the band does not work without the fill. There is research to that. I also don't think my response was "laughable" because plenty of people do not do it without a fill and the band truly is made to be filled, to me its the point of it but to others, it may work alone, who knows. Good luck in your journies and I only wish you the best. Truly!

amberakamom - I thought the same thing after surgery, I wasn't really hungry and definitely felt the restriciton. I had every intention of telling my doctor on my first fill appt (just this past Tuesday, 2/8) that I didn't think I needed one. Well.....about four/five weeks after surgery, the hunger came back and the restriction was completely gone. I felt like I didn't even have a band anymore. I kept thinking....WHERE DID IT GO??? lol. Anyway, with that being said, I did indeed get my first fill on Tuesday (5cc in 10cc band) and I feel so much better!

Michelle

Darn! It's great just the way it is now! lol

I only have 1cc in my 14cc size band. I made a decision to use my band as a tool for willpower. I still can eat anything but I choose not too. I didn't go through all this and constantly make wrong decisions. I enjoy life and food is life...granted...too much food is not good but that's where I'm trying to learn control. My ethic nationality is Japanese & Italian...both cultures that love food. I still can enjoy a small quantity of my Japanese rice and my Italian Pasta during dinner! Its about a 1/4 of the amount I used to eat or less! I'm OK with losing 1 or 2 lbs a month instead of per week...I'm alittle afraid of sagging skin!

Good luck to everyone any which way they choose to use their band!

I know for a fact that I have no Fluid in my band. My surgeons office is a Center of Excellence and specializes in only WLS. I am guessing that you wonder about that because some surgeons are now adding fill during surgery? I dont know if the majority are doing it that way now or not.

My surgeon is too. Dr. Chua at Sinai in Milwaukee. I had 3 cc's in my band at surgery.

I'm just envious you guys don't have to have the needle hanging out your stomach while they unfill and fill for cc levels. There's something not right about that.

Hey dont count me out yet! I am sure I will have to go through that at some point - just hoping not to have to.

My surgeon is too. Dr. Chua at Sinai in Milwaukee. I had 3 cc's in my band at surgery.

I'm just envious you guys don't have to have the needle hanging out your stomach while they unfill and fill for cc levels. There's something not right about that.

I know for a fact that I have no fluid in my band and have lost 83lbs. I had to go in for 3 unfills and on the final unfill they took out the final 3cc's. I had 5cc's in after surgery to begin my journey. I have a appointment for a followup/fill at the end of March. Maybe I will need it may be not. Time will tell. Good luck to everyone on your journey and keep up the good work.