:help: I guess I thought I'd be the perfect bandster. But sad to say I'm struggling hard. Haven't gained much back, 3-4 lbs but still... I have the large band & no idea how much fill he put in. No restriction. And I'm testing it every day. I know, I know. No need to push it just to see how much I can stuff in there. But I do. Hungry all the time just like before banded. Have my 2nd fill scheduled April 1st, maybe will get restriction then. Getting depressed & really fed up with myself. I just can't stop eating. There's not a chance I've slipped is there? I hope not. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back on track & start eating right & exercising again.

:cry :phanvan :angry :angry :angry :angry

Don't worry, I was the same. It took a few months before my Dr got the right restriction for me. Then it is great and you cannot stuff every morsel of food in. Ask the Dr how much fill you have. I had 4cc put in the first time, then 1cc every month there after. It is only now that I have great restriction.

I just want to offer you some encouragment and a word of advice, coming from someone who's been there.

For a long time, I ate as much as my band would let me. I mean, I paid for the band, and I got it because I wasn't capable of losing weight on my own, right? So I might as well let the band do the work.

Well, dangit, that doesn't work. The band really IS just a tool, and as much as I wanted it to do all the work, it turns out that *I* had to do all the work. When the band worked right (which it never really did for me, unfortunately, except on rare occasions), it just meant that I had to work a little less hard.

What I'm suggesting -- what I suggest to each and every bandster -- is that when you think about the band and how it works with you, think about you doing the work and the band making it easier -- not about the band doing all the work and weight loss suddenly being easy. (Please know that I am in NO way suggesting that you think in this or any other way.)

I know that when you have no restriction, which seems to be the case right now, the band just doesn't help. So hang in there, use will power when you can to make GOOD food choices, and before you know it you'll be getting another fill -- hopefully the one that makes all the difference.

The temptation *I* faced, when I didn't have restriction, was to use that time period to eat whatever I wanted, and blame it on the band. Unfortunatley, the band doesn't get to choose what we put in our mouths. It just gets to choose how fast it lets what we put in our mouths into our stomachs.

This may not help you in the least, but it always helps me to put some of these thoughts on "paper". Thanks for letting me share your space =)

I wish you the best,

Jonathan

Thanks both of you. I've just been feeling a bit blue. And I totally blame myself. I knew it was not just an easy way out, that I still have to work at it. But I guess in the back of my mind, I thought I would be different somehow & would get the perfect restriction the 1st time. I'll try to be more realistic. myband, it sounds like it took several months for you. Ok, I'll be patient & try harder. Thanks again for the support.