I had surgery June 5th and I am slowly getting discouraged. I have an 11 cc band with 7ccs after 3 fills. NO restriction...........seems like I have alot of fluid and should be in the green zone. Anyone out there with more than 7cc?

Lori, just what I'm discovering on my path.. I too have an 11cc band. I've had 3 fills with a total of 4.1cc. I'm getting very very close to the green zone! Each individuals anatomy and stucture is different. Please do not be alarmed that you have as much Fluid. Some people have to get 10cc in order to feel restriction. I would definitely express your concerns to your doctor and allow for some patient teaching!! And of course you have us to vent and provide support!!! Good luck and by all means don't stress!!

5/28/12 pre-op diet started (217lbs) 6/14/12 Surgery 1.8cc added to 10cc band (205lbs). 7/17/12 1st fill (194lbs). 7/24/12 (191lbs) 7/30/12 (187lbs) 8/14/12 1cc added total of 3.8cc (187)

I apologize I have a 10cc band... Sorry I get confused with all these cc's sometimes!!

5/28/12 pre-op diet started (217lbs) 6/14/12 Surgery 1.8cc added to 10cc band (205lbs). 7/17/12 1st fill (194lbs). 7/24/12 (191lbs) 7/30/12 (187lbs) 8/14/12 1cc added total of 3.8cc (187) 9/14/12 .3cc added total of 4.1cc (179lbs)

Yeah dont focus on the amout in your band compared to others cuz everyone is sooooo different..

I did not get restriction until 10.6 cc's everyone is different. For me it is all about not being hungry vs feeling full. I usually ask myself am I hungry enough to take another bite. I don't really get a hard stop like some bandsters. I usually get a full feeling 5-10 minutes after I stop eating.

Also don't expect that restriction means you will no longer be able to eat certain foods. The only things I have issues with are cheap doughy white bread and raw baby carrots. The band is not meant to stop you from eating anything. Because some bandsters have trouble with all bread, chicken, or beef; others think restriction means your band prevents you from eating those things.

Hi loribelle.... I too have a 11cc band. Just received another fill yesterday and I'm now at 10cc. I'm hoping for restriction. My doctor said that sometimes it takes filling your band completely before restriction in some people. My weight loss has been extremely slow. Praying with this last fill and making sure I get my calories in, the weight will start to come off. Stay positive... Being on here is great support!

i have a 4cc band and i have like 4ccs in there and no restriction. my doctor said my band can actually hold up to 15 ccs, but something about pressure around the 4th cc determines why it is called a 4cc band. it is confusing.

I have an AP Lap Band that will hold 14 ccs; I have had 4 fills and currently have 7 ccs in my band and have NO restriction; my surgery date was on April 9th of this year. My doctor told me from this point forward he will only had 1/2 cc at each fill. . . .

I recently had the same issue but what I thought was 7 ccs was actually only 3, apparently the lady doing my fills wasn't in the right spot when filling and wasn't measuring before or after. Needless to say she no longer works at that clinic but I lost out on 4 months of good weight loss time!! I was completely frustrated and have yet to go back for another fill I kinda lost hope in that place and now looking for a new clinic so I can get back on track. I haven't lost any more weight since then but I haven't gained either so I guess I'm ok for now.

I currently have 10.75 cc in a 14cc band. I do have some restriction, but it is mostly in the morning. I eat a lot less than I was before but usually more than 'a cup' of food. I feel like I need some more fill still as I will get hungry late at night (this is new for me). I'm still losing weight since I watch what I eat and track calories on myfitnesspal.com - 50 pounds since May when I had the surgery.

I'm getting fills every 3/4 weeks now, for a while it was every 2 weeks - my doctor is good about letting me get them as I think I need. Also, important to mention is that my 14cc band can actually hold about 2 - 2.5 cc more because of the tubing/port holds some liquid. So my 10.75 is actually like 8.25 in the band (according to my doc).

Don't get discouraged - do you really have 'no' restriction at all? or just not a enough? it has been a gradual process for me but if I think back to how much I used to eat I am definitely eating a lot less now. I rarely have a problem eating foods. I've only thrown up/PB'd twice and it was just recently after my last fill. I was really hungry both times and started eating too fast...came right back up, the pain/salivating happened. I was actually happy to know that the band is starting to work.

(1) It takes more than saline to cause a bandster to experience restriction, and (2) it also depends on the person's expectations of restriction.

For example:

(1) You will not experience restriction when eating soft and slider foods, even healthy ones like Protein shakes, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.

(2) If you expect your band to sound an alarm when you have optimal restriction, you will probably miss your soft stops and other, more subtle signs of restriction.

Listen to Jean, she is the guru!!Restriction is not going to stop you from eating. It is an elusive thing. It might just be, I am not hungry after eating my 4 oz of meat, and 1/2 cup veggies. It might be a little hiccup, or burp. Or it might just be that you are not hungry for 3-4 hours after eating your meal. It is not going to be a big stop sign, if it is, you are TOO tight!!!!Best wishes and good luck for your own restriction. Karen

I was banded on June 5 also. I've had 3 fills with 4.6 cc in an 11 cc band. And I don't have any restriction either. Zip. Zero. I am soooo frustrated. I am starting to regret my decision. It is ridiculous to have done that, spent that money and had surgery, and not see results. I've weighed the same for 8 weeks now. I do not recommend the band to anyone. And reading these posts does nothing to improve my morale. I eat right. No sweets, low carbs, high Protein, and track my calories. I'm starving all the time. Doesn't matter if I eat 800 calories or 1200 calories. I could (but don't) still eat more. I work out. This sucks and I am not happy.

Sorry for being a downer. I'm just so frustrated.

Have you tried the five day pouch diet? You can Google it.

Dont get discouraged. I have an 11cc band and had absolutely no restriction until 10.4cc's! And even then it was after 4 months at that level. Now im down over 60 pounds. Everyone is different but i seriously know how it discouraging it can be. Track everything you eat! Thats when i got really serious and the weight finally started to drop.

Also, get another fill and up your protein intake and water. It always works for me. Pure protein and lots of it.