Hello everyone,

I was banded on 6/04/12. I have not had my first fill yet. That is two weeks from now. In fact, I don't feel like I've had surgery at all! It's pretty crazy, I can eat whatever. I've gained 2 of the pounds back I lost on preop! I know I've got to be patient and continue to work hard. But does anyone have any words of advice or support you can give? I'm not the most patient person, but I'm working on it.

~ Kristin

I am in exactly same boat your in and banded same day ..my dr told me not to get discouraged that this is the time for healing and it is expected to gain during this time. We will be losing soon..I will have my fill the 16th..I can't wait!!

I am not being banded until the 16th. I was given a pre-op and a post-op diet outline. Its so your body can get used to eating the smaller amounts, if you're eating whatever you want you may be stretching the pouch. My doctor said I would get my first fill 2 weeks post op though.

Hang in there and remember that you did this for a reason. It's a tool to use with the right type and amount of food.

I was banded June 20 and I'm sick of liquids and feel hungry all the time!! See for how much longer I can take this!!

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I feel the same way. Of course I'm making myself eat smaller portions but nothing feels different than before surgery. I think I expected to feel full and stuff. Hopefully after first fill

I pretty much posted the same thing yesterday. I was banded 6/7/12 and feel like I haven't even been banded and I have gained two or three pounds back as well. All of the people who replied to my post made me feel a lot better. It is hard for us right now but the fills will help. We will make it through this.

It's not easy now, but it does get easier. I have measured my portions and counted calories since the day I got home from hospital. Because of this, I have always lost consistently since then too. It wasn't easy and I remember being hungry often, but it was worth it in the end. Unfortunately you have to rely on willpower in the beginning.

I understand the feeling of frustration. It was hard to stick stricktly to the post-op diet. Now I am 2 1/2 months out from surgery and down 30lbs. I have had 2 small fills, which are good reminders as to why I took this route for weight loss. Lots of will power and avoiding those foods that don't serve my body have been needed to make it to this point. I suggest keeping a paper copy of the post-op diet handy and refer to it everytime it is mealtime. Hang in there it will get easier.

It may well be that u might not feel much even after the first fill, for some people it can take any number of fills before u start to feel like u have a band, untill that happens u only have yourself to rely on, hence the name, bandster hell.

I was also told by my surgeon that many people during this time can put on a little weight, i chose not to by restricting what i ate and exercise ( when i was cleared to do it ) but what u choose to do during this period is your decision. Only a lucky few wake up from surgery and feel the band and some restriction, the rest of us have a bumpy ride till those fills kick in.

Don't worry you will feel the restriction; I didn't feel mine till after my 2nd fill. I know it was a frustrating time for me bridging that gap between the surgery and when I started feeling restricted, however I did eventually get there. My recommendation is to trust that there is a process and it will work.

One other recommendation I would make for this period is to start making small changes in what you eat (even if you are not changing the amount). That way once you do start feeling constricted you are already eating better things. This really helped me ease into the restriction phase because I was already eating what I was supposed to be eating so the change was not as drastic.

*sorry* the below is a little off topic but it was another topic I was also struggling with during this same period of post OP/pre-restriction and I think it is related.

I know everybody has probably heard the speech about how the band is a tool and is not a magic solution, sadly it is true. I believe someone needs a mindset that the band will not fix the issue on its own; it will only help you fix the issue. I was talking it over with someone and I used a hammer and nail as an analogy for the lapband and weight loss, I could not lose the weight without the lapband, just as much as I would not be able to drive a nail in a board without a tool. However the hammer cannot drive in the nail without my aim, arm swing and strength, just as the lapband cannot lose the weight for me.

This was hard for me to understand after the surgery because I just wanted the surgery to "fix" me and I wanted it now. But looking back at everything; the initial consult, the dealings with the insurance company, the scheduling, the surgery itself, the time leading up to now and then with looking ahead it is good to know that I am doing it (of course with the lapband's help), but I am the one making the choices (to bring it back to the analogy, I am the one swinging the hammer ). Believe me there are ways to cheat and I know they are there but choosing not to cheat and continue with the process is what will change my life.

So don’t get too discouraged with the non-restriction phase, just like every other phase of the whole process it will pass and there is so much to look forward to.

Sorry for the long post

I was banded on 6/18/12 and my first fill is also on 7/16. I also have gained 3 lbs from the 20 I had lost. I can eat anything and of course definitely no restriction whatsoever. I am glad I read all the previous posts and really hope I lose more weight after the fills. I feel like the band is not even there.

Thank you everyone for the diverse and encouraging answers!

This may not be what you want to hear but at this point post op you shouldn't be eating anything you want. You need to take this time to get used to the small portions that the post op diets wants you to have and fill in any gaps with proteins and protein shakes. You need to heal up. Overeating can cause issues with your pouch and you don't want to further delay your progress.

Doctor Harold Cywes has a video on you tube about banding it's worth watching and he said most people have to lose 50 lbs before the band actually starts working and by then they are discouraged and give up I had the procedure done that he is talking about lap band with plication on 6/26 started preop liquids 6/12 and I'm still on liquids til 7/12 and I have lost about 35 lbs I'm tufting real hard to be successful hang in there and trust me I would love to have a hotdog today