I have had 2 fills so far & can't even tell I have the lap band. I still get hungry between meals & can eat as much food as before. Is this normal? For those of you that are in the green zone how many fills did it take for you to get there?

I guess I'm just lucky, I haven't had any fills and I don't seem to get very hungry between meals. I only tell you this to

show that we're all different, that some people need 8 fills and some need none. Many people here haven't had a

fill yet and all are still losing weight. As far as the amount you eat, that's up to you. If you want to lose weight bad

enough, you'll regulate your intake so that you do. I know how difficult it can be, I had terrible hunger pangs for

a month or more, then, gradually they went away and now I eat small meals at regular intervals and don't have

much hunger between and what I do have, I can control. I know several people that do the same. The way you

handle your eating is absolutely up to you and you'll get out of it what you put in. This probably seems a bit harsh,

but it's not, just realistic. I hope you are successful and lose all the weight you want.

I first reached restriction on my 3rd fill which put me at 5.5cc in a 14cc band. Then, as I lost more weight, restriction disappeared. My last fill was an extra one cc and has kept me at restriction ever since. However, I could eat more if I was willing to suffer the discomfort and other side effects, not to mention the lack of weight loss success, so I don't. I am not an angel and I do slip up from time to time, but I made the decision to go through surgery to make a life changing approach to my eating, so I am committed to getting back on the wagon each and every time I slip up. Right now I am regretting the chocolate cheesecake I had for afternoon tea. But tonight I will exercise to burn off those calories and I am already 100% committed to finishing out today properly.

It's not all about restriction. It's about the choices each of us makes and living with the consequences.

Good luck on your journey.

Like SageTracey, it took 3 fills before feeling any restriction at all. I just received my 5th fill last week and I now know what it is like to have true restriction. I don't know if I am in the green zone for me yet, but by definition, I seem to be getting close

I can now only eat small bites and small portions. If I try to eat more, or eat too fast, the discomfort is unbearable.

Up to this point, I made a decision to limit my intake of food, regardless of how I felt (restriction or no). I lost weight without an issue, but my concern was being able to keep it off. I now know that the band will help with that.

Best of luck!

jimr

I agree with Jim. I was banded on Aug 11 and had 4 cc's put in on surgery day. I am losing weight at a very consistent and steady pace. I have not had a fill until just last week. I was pretty much using my will power and good sense to keep me going. I decided though that it was getting easier and easier to eat more than I should, so I elected to get a fill. Thats the reason I got the band-to help me maintain the weight loss. I am not having to rely on will power as much since the fill, because I feel full much faster and I actually had a little stuck incident (the first and I hope the last). It was a good thing though because it taught me a lesson. It happened when I was mindlessly snacking. Knowing how it felt will definitely make me stay conscious of what I am putting in my mouth and how much from now on! Thats why I got the band, so I can defitely say it is working for me now. I think everyone is different and you are just going to have to work with your band and pay attention to your body to figure it all out.

Good luck!