I have had one fill. At that appointment I had lost four pounds during my 2-6 week post op period. I was quite disappointed in this after reading so many posts of much greater loss on this forum. My doc said I shouldn't be losing anymore than this and to be patient. After lots of tears on my part, and hand holding on his part he gave my empty band a 4cc fill. I do not have any restriction but I am a very determined 54 yr old last chance kind of a gal. I've been consuming between 600 and 900 cal a day, with protein being very high and very very low carb. Here's the deal.....I've lost eight lbs over the last four weeks and my fill appointment is This week. I'm concerned he will think I'm doing fine and not want to give me a fill. This diet has been all me! I am hungry many times a day, I never feel full or satisfied, and I gulp water like crazy to keep from eating. Any comments are welcome!

doctors are different in the ways that they approach handling the band process. I can only tell you what mine has told me.

he states that if i am not hungry between 4-6 hours between meals (only at meal times) and/or my weight loss is at 1-2 lbs / week then no fill. however, if i am hungry less than 4-6 hours or my weight loss stops or i hit a plateau, then it is fill time for me

don't fret over how much you have/are losing everyone is different. if you are losing, then Celebrate in your individual process. I know it is hard not to compare yourself, but this is truly an individual journey in as to how much and how fast our bodies lose the weight. what we are not: is alone in this forum and other means of support if you have it available lets you know that you are not alone and trust me, there are others out there that have or will or are experiencing those struggles that we face day to day in this process of being among the banded.

good luck

Hang in there, everyone's loss is different I have noticed. If you make sure you get 15-20grams of Protein per meal, it will help you stay full for 4 hours. This helps me! I also work, so I don't have much time to snack between meals, but I find I don't get hungry between meals. I use the powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Nutritional shake mix. Also, try the Greek Yogurt (with fruit). Lots of protein, the taste is OK (not as good as Yoplait Cheesecake..LOL) but it will help keep u full. Also, drink as much Water inbetween meals as you can..I also like Diet Peach Snapple. I also like Adkins Nutritonal Drink. 15g of Protein and taste good.

Also, I excercise 4-5x a week including lifting weights. This will really also make you feel good and you will see changes quickly. Oh, I had my first fill at my 4 weeks post appointment.

Take care, and think how thin you will be by next summer...that will be awesome!!! We have to think long term.... Pam

sounds like you need more protein. i am not hungry in the mornings, so i make sure i drink a protein shake that has 20 grams of protein every morning. mid morning i have a bowl of oatmeal or an egg with cheese and a slice of whole wheat toast. eat protein at every meal, it will keep you fuller longer. i can go 5 to 6 hours between meals. drinking water with your meals is just pushing the food down through the band, so you are hungrier. that is why they tell you not to drink after eating. you should be losing 1` to 2 lbs a week as that allows the skin to catch up to the weight lost.

be sure to tell your Dr how you are feeling and he will understand that you are bringing willpower to the party and should be supportive of giving you a fill to help reach your sweet zone. Good luck.

I think my doc does fills based on hunger, not loss. The only time a fill was discussed at any of my post op appointments was the one time I said I was hungrier often. So he gave me a tiny fill, only 0.75ml. And that didn't really do anything for my hunger. But Ive come to realize I do not want a fill. I am losing weight again (after a plateau), and I don't want to be limited in what I can or cannot eat. So unless I'm having major cravings I will not get another fill. So all I have is 0.75ml, so I consider it to be basically empty since it's not doing anything anyways

Thanks for all of your comments. I eat a lot of protein everyday, usually between 80 and 100g, and I drink plain water, because I do like water-always have, 64- 100 ozs daily. I can't have oatmeal and all those yummy good carbs because my doc is on a mission to rid me of my very serious diabetes. I only get carbs from dairy, fruits, and veggies. And yes I do eat the Dannon Greek yogurt-I love it! My exercise routine, lap swimming, has ceased with the start of school. I need to get back in the groove. I come home absolutely exhausted after wrangling 20 eight year olds all day!!! LOL I think some of my major hunger in the past couple of weeks could be due to STRESS. I'll keep all of your comments and advice in mind as I move forward. Thanks!

Hello, like you I just had my first fill on Saturday . I definately have restriction but I'm hungry after 1.5-2 hours later. I'm hoping to lose a bit of weight as I had lose 13 lbs but by the time I got my fill(9 weeks later) I had just lost 7 lbs. Like you I e done a lot of crying, its really been emotional. But I've now decided that this is it, no more crying, postitiveness all the way !! Hang in there and explain that your hungry in between. I am goin to see if my hunger levels out but otherwise il be looking for another fill. My first fill 6mls so I'm very lucky I got that amount x good look on your journey x

I think my doc does fills based on hunger, not loss. The only time a fill was discussed at any of my post op appointments was the one time I said I was hungrier often. So he gave me a tiny fill, only 0.75ml. And that didn't really do anything for my hunger. But Ive come to realize I do not want a fill. I am losing weight again (after a plateau), and I don't want to be limited in what I can or cannot eat. So unless I'm having major cravings I will not get another fill. So all I have is 0.75ml, so I consider it to be basically empty since it's not doing anything anyways

When did you have your band surgery??

It's true, all doctors are different. My doctor's theory (did I mention I LOVE my doctor?) is "You know your body better than I do." If I want a fill I get a fill...and HE asks ME how much? When I tell him, he sometimes questions me or even argues with me. Sometimes we compromise but I always have the final say! This is not something new...he's been that way since day one! Once, early on, I went for a fill and had lost 10 pounds that month. He gave it to me and said, "When you come back next month if you've lost that much again I'm not going to give you a fill." I laughed and said, "Yea, we'll see!" I came back the next month having lost 8 and he gave me a fill!

June 27, 2011

When did you have your band surgery??

I never had a problem with this with my doc, he filled me every time I requested with only a little discussion about how I'd been doing. If I'd lost well, but felt I had done so with supreme sacrifice and willpower, then he filled me.

Over the years, the practice has changed and doctors come and go and my surgeon has a whole lot of different doctors working for him now. Since I went back last year to be unfilled for my bowel resection, I've had a lot of trouble with this doc. She gave me a spiel to calm my anxiety about being refilled, about how everyone needs their fill and I could fill back up three weeks after the surgery and we'd get me back to a comfortable spot and to just hang on till then and hope that with the big surgery I had to go through, I wouldnt gain. I didnt gain, but when I went back, she wouldnt fill me! She kept saying I wasnt overweight, I didnt need fill. I had to gain 10lb before I coudl talk her into one - even then she said "but you've just gotten back to wehre you were, you havent gained real weight". I had to stand on my head, scream and shout and throw a damn tantrum about how hard it was to maintain this weight with no fill at all, how month by month I was slowly losing the battle as a pound went on here and there. Once I got her to give me a fill, she wasnt so difficult about filling me to just shy of my previous level but she wouldnt let me go back to where I was - I've no idea why. Last week *I'd had enough, I am really fighting to stay at this weight, I'm so darn hungry all the time and can eat anything as if I have no fill at all, so I made an appointment with a different doctor instead. She was great when I explained how I was feeling and I've even got an appointment for two weeks time in case THIS last fill back to my previous level isnt enough.

What I'm finding is that being refilled after being emptied, my band doesnt quite feel the same, its not giving me the same restriction and this second doctor said that can happen, whereas the first was so pig headed about it, and wasnt listening to MY experience of things.

The moral of the story is that all doctors have different attitudes to this. Its not so easy for you guys to chop and change docs like we can here, so be prepared to really state your case if you want that fill. Explain how hard you're workign to lose that weight, and how you're getting hungrier between meals, how you can eat anything etc.

Thanks Jachut! Very, very interesting! Well I do LOVE my surgeon.He does all of the fills himself

as he does not have a huge practice. His PA stays in the room with us but he does the fill which I like. He also went to the same university as me ( MSU- Go Spartans!). Funny that we both ended up in West Texas. So here's the story...I went for my appointment, he asked the usual questions and said let's do a fill. Afterwards I asked how much and he told me 1.5cc's. okay. So he stayed in the room while the nurse brought my water in. I took a sip and he said "well?" and I was like well what? He said, "do you feel anything and I told him NOoooo why? I proceeded to telll him that after my first fill of 4cc's I had been guzzling a 16 oz bottle of water in one gulp! He said well try to guzzle that glass down in one drink. I did-nothing! So he said lay down you need more. I was like okay! Lol He put in 1 more cc and had me drink. This time he said try guzzling that down. I did and he saw the look in my eyes and said uh oh too much? It kind of just sat there in my esophogus so he took out 0.5 cc's. Long story even longer...My fill ended up being 2 cc's. So now after two months post op and two fills I have 6cc's in my band and couldn't be happier. He and I agree that I don't want the restriction that means you can't eat, but the kind that optimizes your ability to feel satisfied and stay that way for 5 hours. Hope this makes the difference I'm looking for!

When did you have your band surgery??

December 20, 2010.

I had a very poor loss in the last 6 weeks. Only 4 lb. My doc wanted to give me a fill but I declined. That was the first time he ever wanted to give me a fill. The one fill I had, I asked for it.

May I ask why you declined the fill? Was your last fill a bad experience?

Well, like I said I've only had one tiny fill 0.75 cc. And no it wasn't a bad experience. In fact it didn't do much of anything post the first week and a half I maybe felt something. I've never had any band related issues no pb, no stuck, no slime. I don't care too. I've just decided I'd rather do this on my own. I've developed a different mindset than pre op. Do I still have some issues if there's junk like chips orchocolate out at work, yes, but the band won't help with that anyways. I kind of wish I'd gotten this mindset pre band.

Alsoone reason I declined is that I already can't eat breakfast anymore which I am kind ofannoyed about. Had a protein drink this am. Also I'm trying this new thing where I'm eating a bit more to lose weight and as of right now I'm having trouble with that, so if I got a fill it'd be even harder.