I went for my 1st fill appointment on Fri but my surgeon said I didn't need it & I would have to wait. He said that my goal should be 5lbs a month & since I had already lost more than that since my visit 3 weeks ago I couldn't have one. He also said at 5lbs a month, after a year I would be good. That is only 60lbs, I was planning on more like 100 in total. To me 5lbs a month doesn't seem like enough, but I have been known to be impatient lol.

Don't be bummed! You are losing and the band is working. Remember that some people never need a fill. If I were to do it again, I would not have gotten my first fill. It was working for me from the get go. My doctor wanted me to get a fill because I had so much to lose. So I had one fill. 13 months later I reached my goal, losing 165 pounds.

Stick with it and be happy, fills are not everything. Keep the goal in mind, losing at a slow rate, eating healthy and feeling satisfied, NOT full.

I am no doctor and no expert, this is just based on what I know of the band and my personal experience.

The average weight loss with the band is 1-2 pounds per week. If you lose 2 pounds a week (that's an average) you'd lose 100 pounds in a year.

In the beginning weight tends to come off a bit quicker and this is especially true the higher your starting weight is. The lower on the scale you go the more the loss slows.

I looked at your profile and at your starting weight, I do think losing more than 5 pounds a month is obtainable. To do this, you will have to really count every single calorie you consume and be sure to always stay in band sized portions. Exercise is strongly recommended as well. But, if you're a bit strict with yourself, I do believe it's possible (keeping in mind the loss will eventually slow).

When I first started this journey at over 400 pounds, I could lose 20-25 pounds a month no problem. The first month I lost 44 pounds. Now that I've lost 225 pounds, I'm lucky to lose 6-8 pounds a month.

Best wishes!

I went for my 1st fill appointment on Fri but my surgeon said I didn't need it & I would have to wait. He said that my goal should be 5lbs a month & since I had already lost more than that since my visit 3 weeks ago I couldn't have one. He also said at 5lbs a month, after a year I would be good. That is only 60lbs, I was planning on more like 100 in total. To me 5lbs a month doesn't seem like enough, but I have been known to be impatient lol.

Just remember a slower loss is more likely to stay gone, Also it is healthier to lose slower. I lost 176 pounds prior to getting my band and it took me around 22 months. However the last year I just stayed the same. But remaining stable was a big deal for me, as in the past if I was not losing I was gaining! Don't worry you'll get there one pound at a time! Good luck!

I am a very slow loser but I'm keeping it off! Slow and steady does it!

I am truly bummed today…

I have had my first fill, and I am going to the gym 5 days a week. I'm really working on choosing and eating the right foods to work with the band. I'll admit I don't always, and there are days like today when I am so frustrated not seeing my numbers go down and I wonder what I am doing wrong…? Or am I just being impatient? Then I get that discouraged feeling that drives me right back to my old habits.

So I spend the day fighting myself trying to convince myself I should not gorge on those fudge pops, it's probably better for ME not to even have them in the house and even if I have a headache I should put those sneakers on and go to the gym anyway!

I should close my eyes and get some sleep at night and stop beating myself up, I'm tired, I need to get to the Dr. my blood pressure meds are probably keeping me even more tired..yet there are those excuses and bad habits of mine again.

So I called and called the Dr.'s office only to keep getting the machine to leave a message and they will call me back to make an appointment, and guess what I did that last week when no one called me back!

So I tore them a new one..sent them a mean spirited e-mail about their staff and office practices…and low and behold the office manager called me up!

That was a first, usually people just run and hide from me when I am on a roll but this time they called me out so now I'll have to play ball and get my butt to the Dr. at the pre-set time.

Sorry for the rant, thanks for being there…I was just feeling truly bummed today

Maybe I will take myself to the gym anyway and work some of that frustration away.

I had surgery in May of 2008. It has taken me that long to reach my goal. I lost an average of 20 pounds per year. In actuality, one year I gained and in the first year I lost 40 pounds, and 32 this last year. I lost a total of 115 pounds, going from a size 24 to a 12. I started going to the gym four years ago and go at least four times per week. I am hooked on Zumba and don't think I would have been as successful without it, I think losing the weight slowly is the best way, and it may also help me keep it off. I know we all want immediate results, but be patient and it will happen. And find some kind of exercise that you enjoy. I think that is the key. I was also a type 2 diabetic, and my doctor was ready to put me on insulin. I no longer have it and my doctor removed the diagnosis from my record. That was the catalyst for getting me to have the surgery, and the smaller clothes and positive attention I get from the weight loss are all extras.

I went for my 1st fill appointment on Fri but my surgeon said I didn't need it & I would have to wait. He said that my goal should be 5lbs a month & since I had already lost more than that since my visit 3 weeks ago I couldn't have one. He also said at 5lbs a month' date=' after a year I would be good. That is only 60lbs, I was planning on more like 100 in total. To me 5lbs a month doesn't seem like enough, but I have been known to be impatient lol.[/quote']

Be patient Each lb will add up. I lost slow and steady. Especially at the beginning, I hit several plateaus. For me, I was happy to NOT have aggressive fills because it gave me the time to adjust my eating and learn how to work with the band. Good luck.

Some doctors (yours and my dr.) are doing it the slow way. Having you understand portions over a long period of time. My doctor doesnt do fills very easily. You almost have to make up something for him to give you a fill. He wants You to do most of the work and eat proper foods. My weeight loss if I'm lucky has slowed to less than 6 pounds a month and some months NO weight loss.

Best wishes