So, I had my surgery on July 29th and I go in for my first fill on Spet 12th. I am down about 50 lbs, but 30 of that was from my 3 month pre-op diet. I am able to eat small amounts, about a cup full and Im full. I know I shouldnt have, but I have tried different foods..veggies, fruit, bread, etc to see if I could eat them and everything has went fine. I havent really eat anything terribly bad, and Im sticking to my protein for the most part. My problem is, is that Im stupid and try to eat too fast, or swallow bites that are too big ( Yea I know, I wanna punch myself in the face all the time lol ) I havent gotten stuck (Thank You Jesus), but if I do eat fast, then I can eat more and then I feel stuffed afterwards...but if I sit down and take 20 minutes for each meal, then a cup will do me. I dont think its the band that needs the adjusting, I think its my brain. Im still goin to eat and thinking I should order these huge portions..and one cup of chili does me just fine if I just follow the directions. I have started to eat some, and then put my food down and wait 5 minutes then eat a little more..and this seems to help. So, should I get the fill, or just slow the hell down and start following directions??

Sherry

Are you staying full 3-5 hours after eating? If so, doesn't sound like you need a fill. Your right, you need to slow down. It's a tough one. I still struggle with it about 18 months post op. Congrats on your weight loss and best wishes.

Congrats on your surgery!

I'm 3 months out from surgery and do not have a fill. I don't have a lot of restriction and I could eat as much as I wanted if I let myself. But if I stick to my right portions and follow the instructions, then I am not hungry in between meals, which is what the goal of the lap band is. I saw my surgeon 2 weeks ago and together we decided on no fill because right now things seem to be working. I'm losing weight consistently and do not get hungry. That doesn't mean that sometimes I dont crave food or that I dont want to use food in the destructive ways I used to. I have "head hunger" all the time. It is much a mental game as it is a physical one. But without the physical hunger, I am able to talk myself out of the mental stuff.

There is a great article that many of us have read and recommend. http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html It is so good about explaining what the band does and doesnt do. My surgeon subscribes to these same concepts. I read this article over and over to keep if fresh in my mind.

I know I will need a fill in the future, but for now I'm going to keep things as they are since it seems to be working.

In the end you need to make the right decision for you. But ask yourself, are you doing everything you can to be successful?

Take care...

Your doctor will let you know if you need a fill or not. Some people go months or never get a fill after sugery. Somehow just by having the band on provided enough restriction. I wish that would have been the case with me! No fills would have saved me some money.