I was banded nov 8. Got my second fill yesterday. At 4cc total. This morning after a larger breakfast to try it out I still feel like I have nothing inside me, no band, no tool. So I will go back to starving and portioning out doles of food, hoping for the will power to say no to bread and pasta and all the carbohydrates I crave and got fat on, but that didn't work before so and I don't have any reason now to believe its going to work this time. Beginning to think I just totally wasted 15 grand. Now before you go all nuts, I know that the band doesn't do all the work, its not a magic pill, I know it is "just a tool" but right now I don't feel like I have anything helping me to lose this weight.... I am starving and excersizing and drooling over food i shouldn't eat, Just like I have before and have always failed at.

For the first little while it can be hell, which is called lapband hell for a reason. You have to portion out food and becareful what you take in. Some of the hunger is head hunger, so is real. What I did what if I thought I was hungry I would drink 8-10 oz of Water, after 5 min if I was still hungry I would eat a small healthy snack.

It's a work in progress and each min isn't easy, but it does get easier as you go. Hang in there!

This is called "bandster hell"

Very common and normal

It may take some time to find the green zone, but just try eating if you are in the green zone until you actually are (I know its soo hard!)

Also, maybe try to stay away from the larger breakfasts to "try out your band." Restriction isn't always so "black and white" and for some people it just cuts cravings but they can still eat boatloads just to "try it out". So the fact that you're able to stuff yourself doesn't necessarily mean you're not close to restriction

They say you won't really feel it until your band is halfway filled. I personally feel mine already and I am just at 3cc. I actually had 4cc and had to get some taken out as I couldn't swallow fluids without vomiting. The doctor said some stomachs are more sensitive than others. Maybe next fill you will feel a difference. What size band do you have?

I was banded nov 8. Got my second fill yesterday. At 4cc total. This morning after a larger breakfast to try it out I still feel like I have nothing inside me, no band, no tool. So I will go back to starving and portioning out doles of food, hoping for the will power to say no to bread and Pasta and all the carbohydrates I crave and got fat on, but that didn't work before so and I don't have any reason now to believe its going to work this time. Beginning to think I just totally wasted 15 grand. Now before you go all nuts, I know that the band doesn't do all the work, its not a magic pill, I know it is "just a tool" but right now I don't feel like I have anything helping me to lose this weight.... I am starving and excersizing and drooling over food i shouldn't eat, Just like I have before and have always failed at.

first off, drooling over food made me smile..i def look that is for sure. this tool is there and its working....granted i have no fills yet, but i am

aware of what i eat and how much (i am not sure what you mean by a larger breakfast??).....you stil need to eat your allotted amount, stopping at 20 min and def eat filling Protein foods (easy go down carbs will not keep you full...that is MOO),

so if you are not in this (green magically zone yet), you need to eat as if you are. if you are hungry, EAT. just eat healthy, filling foods...hang in there okay..let the band work.

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones felt there bands from the get go and lost like clockwork from the beginning. Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?

A larger breAkfast for me was a turkey burger, string cheese and then fifteen minutes later two biscuits that I was hoping to not be able to eat. Once the band blocks bread for me I will be fine. Bread is responsible for ninty percent of my weight problem. I am looking so forward to the day that it comes right back up. : )

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones

dont worry about no one but you as that is what matters they are them and you are you and me is me etc....

you have this awesome thing to HELP you...so give it time...follow the band rules..yeah its not easy but once you find that want power, you will start seeing you are so glad you got this.

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones felt there bands from the get go and lost like clockwork from the beginning. Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?

A larger breAkfast for me was a turkey burger' date=' string cheese and then fifteen minutes later two biscuits that I was hoping to not be able to eat. Once the band blocks bread for me I will be fine. Bread is responsible for ninty percent of my weight problem. I am looking so forward to the day that it comes right back up. : )[/quote']

It took me about 8 fills over 8 months to get to the green zone and by that time I was within 10 lbs of my goal. I lost weight the whole time because I ate healthy band portions.

For me the biggest lesson was changing my lifestyle and relationship with food. I don't obsess over it, I eat to fuel my body.

As for bread, I can eat it without any problems. Sounds like that is your trigger food. Mine is peanuts and even when I was too tight they went down no problem. I could eat an entire container and not pb them up. The reason I say this is, don't expect the band from stopping you from eating bread. It will probably go right down for you. My opinion.

Hope this helps. Hang in there, you can do this.

"Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?"

It has nothing to do with what you feel or your emotions. I guess no one told you that this is how it usually goes with most all of us. Most successful and not so successful bandsters all experienced the bandster hell phase and some of us took up to 8 fills(adjustments) before we found the green zone. It took me 3 fills to find some restriction.

You'll only lose your $15 grand if you give up now.

tmf

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones felt there bands from the get go and lost like clockwork from the beginning. Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?

A larger breAkfast for me was a turkey burger, string cheese and then fifteen minutes later two biscuits that I was hoping to not be able to eat. Once the band blocks bread for me I will be fine. Bread is responsible for ninty percent of my weight problem. I am looking so forward to the day that it comes right back up. : )

the band ((wont stop you from eating esp at the beginning)) and if you keep eating wee amounts and going paste the 20 min mark, then yeah, you can overeat more than you should....

some people lose faster because they were larger then most when we started..not fair but its true..sorry...but dont let that stop you...and biscuits, although awesome as i am a true southern girl, is not what i call a great food for banding....not filling at all......

the band will help you eat less but its up to you to eat better foods.

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones felt there bands from the get go and lost like clockwork from the beginning. Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?

A larger Breakfast for me was a turkey burger' date=' string cheese and then fifteen minutes later two biscuits that I was hoping to not be able to eat. Once the band blocks bread for me I will be fine. Bread is responsible for ninty percent of my weight problem. I am looking so forward to the day that it comes right back up. : )[/quote']

DON'T bank on the band stopping you from eating bread. I am at restriction and the only bread I have trouble with is cheap white bread. For breakfast eat more Protein then stop. Also the band is not meant for eating stopping then eating again. You will each way more that way.

Took me 10.6 cc to get restriction.

I was so fortunate... restriction right from the start. Never had to deal with the bandster hell... little bouts here and there but nothing too bad.

My best advice, see your dr. regularly and get those fills. Be honest with them what you are eating and feeling. Also... eat that protien. Seriously, it fills you up way faster then other stuff and keeps you full.

Even in the Green Zone it takes some willpower. Every now and then i can hear the ice cream calling my name in the freezer section of the grocery store!!!! I ignore her!.

Hang in there!!!

I think what worries me most is that the you tube videos I have followed of people that feel like I do now often end up with them not losing very much weight. It seems the successful ones felt there bands from the get go and lost like clockwork from the beginning. Has anyone here felt there band was totally useless in the beginning and still gone on to lose lots of weight later?

A larger breAkfast for me was a turkey burger, string cheese and then fifteen minutes later two biscuits that I was hoping to not be able to eat. Once the band blocks bread for me I will be fine. Bread is responsible for ninty percent of my weight problem. I am looking so forward to the day that it comes right back up. : )

I was banded Oct 15 and have 3cc in my band, not in the green zone. I know what you're saying. Please don't compare yourself to anyone, it will drive you crazy.

Stick with the LB rules and it will work for you. I feel I'm going to be like AJ and be close to goal before I have the restriction I need. The good thing is, the restriction will keep me from gaining all I've lost, like I've done 100 times before.

This will work Hang in there!

Even in the Green Zone it takes some willpower. Every now and then i can hear the ice cream calling my name in the freezer section of the grocery store!!!! I ignore her!.

That is the truth. Being in the green zone just means you cannot eat as much of it. Our heads didnt get banded... our stomachs did. Nothing except willpower will stop your hands from putting M&Ms in your mouth.

I felt much the same as you.. even after a couple fills, I can eat anything. I choose not to .. ( most of the time ) but it is so hard.. especially recently. After my 3rd fill which was this past weds I finally felt some restriction. 6cc total. Just hang in there.. it's different for everyone and you will get there. Bread is my downfall as well. I still eat bread but now I just eat less and whole wheat.. it's the small choices that will help you!

Good Luck!!