Hello everyone,

I had my surger 3/21/2012 I had my first fill 5/1 second fill June 1 3rd fill 6/26 and have not lost any weight and have NO restriction. Now dont get me wrong I do not expect the band to be a magic bullet but I als paid nearly 10k for some help ( I am self pay) and have not gotten any. If I could eat salads every day and work out consistenly 30 min per day on my own I would have and saved my nest egg for other things but I ddi not. I put me first made a decsison to invest in me much like i invested in the new care expecting that I would buy the car and put gas in it and it would bet me where I needed to go.

Has anyone else had these issues. I went to my dr. and demaded a fill last Monday after grinding my teeth everyday for the last month. I am not eating as much I use to but I am only stopped by MY willpower no restriction no change in the feeling I had before the band. Is this bandster hell ? How did you get thru this and how much had you lost 3 months post surgery. I am looking for support because I feel like everyone is looking at me ( mostly partner is) saying you havent lost any weigth. I need to know that I am not alone. I am 33 5'7 243 pounds and was at 326 10 years ago before surgery and did it on my own. Now that i choose to have the surgery because I dont want to ever get to be that heavy again I feel like a failure and am Sad in bandster hell :-(

I had surgery April 20th, and I am down 10 pounds.

Well, the first few cc's just "prime" the band. I had 3 cc's my first fill alone. How much did you get put into the band? I saw my surgeon once a month the first year and got fills every time. Once you get restriction, you need to maintain it too. Good luck! Once you get restriction, you *will* know!

Are the fills included in the surgical package or are they separate?

Dont despare....I has my surgery on 01/2009 and lost very little on the first four months according to the scale but when I was going through my clothes that did not fit bfore and notice a little difference then that got my hope up and felt better that the decission I made was the right one for me I started at 205 in a 5'2 frame was 16w in clothing and today I am at 127 size 2...do workout and have been working out even before the surgery....Just be patient with yourself the restriction will come after the 4th or fith fill but keep in mind the avarega is 2 to 3 pounds...i got to my ideal weight in 01/2010 which was 135 but since I have lost the additional pounds by exercising.....just follow the instruction as you dr advise ???‰

I got my first restriction at 6ccs in a 10cc band...how much do you have?

It took me 6 months of fills to get restriction. My doctor prefers at least 30 min. of cardio 7 days a week.

Are you weighing out your protein 3 oz per meal? Are you adding dressing to the salad? Plain chicken would be preferred vs. Chicken salad on top of greens.

I actualy find salads in general to be a slider for me.

I would pack for lunch 3 oz chicken breast, low fat laughing cow cheese, veggies, fruit . Individual hummus is also good during bandster hell. As you get restriction you will be full with out it.

Some people on this forum havent felt restriction till they have been on fill 5 or 6 its not about how many fills you have its about how much fill is in your band.

Even with restriction the band isnt going to make good food choices for you or burn those extra calories off you like exercise does.

It is rare for someone to be banded and not change what they eat and do not exercise to lose weight, some will but the majority of us wont, The band is hard work for most of us.

I am surprised that your surgeon didnt explain this to you before u chose a lapband.

Maybe u will be lucky and once u hit restriction u can just eat small meals and dont bolther to exercise and the weight will just fall off, but how does that help u remain fit and healthy for the rest of your life skiinny doesnt always = healthy .. I really wish you good luck !

I didn't find any restriction till my 3rd fill(4 months post op) and didn't find the green zone till fill #6(12 lbs lost first 2 weeks and nothing the next 3.5 months). You are normal and yes you are in Bandster Hell. Keep going back for fills till you get some restriction.

Be careful, restriction happens very quickly with some folks so make sure you swallow some water before leaving the doc's office.

tmf

Hello everyone,

I had my surger 3/21/2012 I had my first fill 5/1 second fill June 1 3rd fill 6/26 and have not lost any weight and have NO restriction. Now dont get me wrong I do not expect the band to be a magic bullet but I als paid nearly 10k for some help ( I am self pay) and have not gotten any. If I could eat salads every day and work out consistenly 30 min per day on my own I would have and saved my nest egg for other things but I ddi not. I put me first made a decsison to invest in me much like i invested in the new care expecting that I would buy the car and put gas in it and it would bet me where I needed to go.

Has anyone else had these issues. I went to my dr. and demaded a fill last Monday after grinding my teeth everyday for the last month. I am not eating as much I use to but I am only stopped by MY willpower no restriction no change in the feeling I had before the band. Is this bandster hell ? How did you get thru this and how much had you lost 3 months post surgery. I am looking for support because I feel like everyone is looking at me ( mostly partner is) saying you havent lost any weigth. I need to know that I am not alone. I am 33 5'7 243 pounds and was at 326 10 years ago before surgery and did it on my own. Now that i choose to have the surgery because I dont want to ever get to be that heavy again I feel like a failure and am Sad in bandster hell :-(

like you said... this period is bandster hell and there isnt a lot you can do to get around this one. Your will power is goign to have to be used a lot , even when you are through the hell period. New eating habits, all that stuff, and will power is important. Give your body a chance to heal... its early days yet. Everyone is different. i lost about 14 pounds the first week, but, im 66, have high bloodpressure, a lot of fluid and swelling in my lower legs and feet. that first week saw the fluid leave me. You may not have fluid.... however, your body will respond as soon as its ready too. the band procedure is worth it... every moment of every day... it is worth it. Hang in there.

I'm 4 1/2 months out and just starting to lose have had 3 fills wish someone would have explained it a little better to me so I could have been prepared for the long wait so I would have know it was normal but good luck to you I'm in your boat we will make it

Hey lady! Let's lose this weight together if you would like. I get so discouraged at my lack of motivation. I need help getting motivated!!!

I had surgery a little over a month ago. I had my first fill(3ccs) the other day -still do not feel any restrictions! I am going back for another fill the 10th. I have lost 13lbs. and, also, feel discouraged.

BUT I do eat a lot healthier and not nearly as much. Also, I have started walking every day and hope that helps. I have been able to get into some clothes that I have not been able to wear so that is progress. I am so sorry you are self pay. That is tough. Would your Dr. give you a break on the fills?

I use the Premier Protein Shakes from Costo - 30gr of protein. I boil eggs and use a lowfat mayo and mustard. I love the Hummus from Costco with pine nuts. I eat more fruit, yogart, cottage cheese, etc. I do not keep any sweets, bread, etc in the house. And I am a nut for sweets. Keep on trying and good lucki.

I'm 4 1/2 months out and just starting to lose have had 3 fills wish someone would have explained it a little better to me so I could have been prepared for the long wait so I would have know it was normal but good luck to you I'm in your boat we will make it

smalltown... thats a shame you werent informed enough. im afraid that is an issue for a lot of us. there are so many areas with this surgery that need to be covered that its difficult to cover each one before the knowledge is needed. So... we just take one step at a time , learning all the way. Thats why this group is such a blessing to everyone. Experience is the best teacher.... have some patience and some confidence that you will get there. Keep posting and reading on here and you will learn all there is to know... just as i have done. cheers.

Thank you everyone. This was helpful. Cazzy becareful though because if you read my post I never once said that I did not want to exersize and did not want to do my part. I have lost 90lbs on my own pre lapband surgery, I was simply asking for support and advise not a beat down.

dquoiya, the fact you lost 90 pounds presurgery I think is a huge factor. I lost 100 pounds presurgery. I am a slow loser post op which I believe is because I was already living a pretty healthy live style. In order to lose you may need to shock you body by adding significantly more exercise. Pre surgery I was doing a hour of cardio and in the last couple months (since getting laid off) I've been trying to do 2 hours of cardio.