Hey there! I need help from those that have been banded for a while. I was banded 12/19 and I have had 1 fill. I KNOW I'm eating way too much! What is going on? I feel no restriction at all. The only time I am sure the band is there is if I eat too fast or dont chew well enough. HELP! I'm feeling like I did all of this for nothing! The only way I can make the scale move is to do protein shakes all day. And I dont want to live like that! Maybe that;s my only choice at this point. Any words of encouragement will help. Thanks!

As has been stated on these boards many times, you will usually not feel restriction for the first few fills. To lose weight right now, you need to eat smaller amounts of food (protein first followed by veggies) and exercise.

Sorry to say this but at this time its going to be a willpower thing until you get the proper fill. Good Luck!

Beating the dead horse but yes the first fill unless it is massive (which is a bad thing personally) shouldnt really cause you any restriction. You want to do it slowly, you need to train yourself to eat right BEFORE you reach restriction for the best results. Because if not when you do hit restriction, you will possibly overeat and end up throwing up all the time which can make things worse.

REMEMBER: You didn't get this way overnight, it takes time and work.. RETRAIN. RETHINK. IMPROVE.

SO, it's a new day! start out thinking differently, plan what you are going to eat. weigh and measure everything. drink, drink, drink lots of water.

each day will get better if you let them. you CAN do this - ONE DAY AT A TIME!!!

we are here to help, we all feel the way you have been feeling occasionally. I am not ready to go with it though and give up! you aren't either!

Yup the others are right. The first couple months it's about will power not restriction from the band. I was just banded on 1/6 and am still on a liquid diet, and let me tell you, my tummy is growling starving all the time. I have to time my food so I can eat (drink) something every 2 hours or I'm miserable.

I know it's going to be this way for the next couple months until I've had a couple fills, too. We just have to white knuckle through it, eat what we know we're supposed to rather than what we want, and hang in there until we find our Green Zone.

Skintyprincess,

I know how you feel. My surgery was on 12/30. I wont have my first fill until 2/2 and i've already started gaining weight (lost 29 pounds, then gained back 3 over this last week).And I was just thinking the same thing, that I was going to have to go back on the preop diet until I get my fills.

But on the bright side, I've already lost 26 pounds, and it's only been a month. I'm sure with more discipline I can lose more.

Thanks for sharing your frustrations and helping me feel like I'm not struggling alone.

Hi there! For awhile I've been debating whether or not to post this very same question! This is terrible. Like you, the only time I realize I even have a band is when I eat too fast or don't chew very well. Otherwise...I feel like all the diets I've ever done before. And failed at. I was banded on 12/20/11 and have had one fill as well. I dont like this feeling. I want to be successful! I want to feel satisfied with a 1/2 cup meal! Is that too much to ask? I have a Lapband, for Pete's sake!

In other words, I feel your pain. Hang in there, and hopefully, sooner than later, we will both be in the magical green zone!

You need to eat solid foods they will keep you full longer than protein shakes. Buy a digital scale (available walmart or target) and start weighing your protein. After your 3 or 4 oz is gone stop eating. Hard to hear but that's why they call it banster hell. Eat low fat/cal veggies to fill the void.

I had my surgery on 12-22-11 and getting my first fill this Friday and I am SOOOOOOO ready !! I am so glad that I found this website because all of your comments just made me feel better. I guess I thought it would do more now and if I think after my first fill I'm going to eat like a bird I guess I have another thing coming. Thank you for asking this question and thank you ALL for responding..God bless you all..Tony, Holmes Beach, FL

Journaling your food is so important I think. There are a lot of great websites that do it online and/or are apps for your phone. I like Spark People app the best for my phone and it helps me decide how I am going to spend my calories!

Im only 9 days post op and down 20 pounds cause I have it set in MY head if I cheat I am going to DIE! The risk of a possible slip is not worth it to me. i didnt not spend this money take time away from my kids and family to fail. You have to take this personally. the fight has to be in YOU! You need to have a REASON to want to be thin again. The Lapband is not gonna force you to loose weight its only a tool to help make it easier. You can and will do this and running beach side all sexy and fine!

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Thanks for posting this skintyprincess. Im going through the same thing, and it is good to know that others are like me, being in the yellow zone. Like everyone is saying, I think it is good that we aren't properly restricted at the moment, as we will be able to retrain our habits to prevent us from harming ourselves when we are restricted. I had my first fill before Christmas which is definitely not enough. I am looking forward to getting my next fill and trying to find the green zone, but I have to wait because I am in the process of finding a new surgeon to take over my care.

Goodluck to you and remember that it is safer to take things slow and find your own green zone.

everyone goes through this, I am still going through it and I was banded in October, I had good restriction but have lost some weight and need another fill. Just bear with the process. I know if you have read any of these forums, you have heard of bandster hell, and that is what this is. Just do your best and get your adjustments!

I agree with others. For me, I would at some times gain a couple pounds here and there. But, if you look at your weight loss on a graph, the trend is generally going down. Keep in mind that like everyone says, it really is a journey. There have been a couple months where I only lost 2 pounds the whole month! I was discouraged but just kept doing what I was supposed to and focused on adding exercise. Don't let this little bump in the road let you lose your focus! You will lose the weight, the lap band will work for you!

Maybe I shouldn't reply to this because I am not following the adivce I'm about to give. I got my band in 09, and it has been very good for me. Restriction, as most discribe it, doesn't happen for me. I can eat bread and steak most of the time; but I have a fickle band that won't let me have an egg in the morning, or I can eat oatmeal and feel like I'll die. I choose the band because I didn't want to be on a diet the rest of my life. I understood that I would need to take responsiblity for the amounts of food I eat and that's what you will need to do. In the early stages I had a good mind set and just didn't overeat, stayed away from sugar and the weight came off. I did a shake in the morning, chicken & veggie for lunch same for dinner and lots of water. I find now that I am not hungry, so I don't eat and my body is holding on to everything. I also don't drink enough water and have gotten hooked on coffee (which has always been like eatting to me), I also find that I'm not good with my vitiams as I should be. Fills will help you find the spot, but your mind must take the lead. Once you start to listen to your body you will realize that it will tell you that you have enough and should stop eatting. Slow down when you eat so that your brain will have time to send out the right signals to you. Use the smaller plates, no seconds, measure if you can and chew slowly. All these things help but it is most important to get in the protein you need daily, Take charge of the band because it doesn't make the weight come off you do.