Okay I am 2 1/2 wks post op and have not had much wt loss. The wt I have lost has mainly been from the gas. I am eating like a bird, exercising 5x/wk on the elliptical and taking all my Vitamins. I am also really hungry all the time. Is it normal to not loose much in the first few weeks after surgery? And will I start loosing more once I have my fill in a few wks? I guess I am worried that the band is not going to work for me.

~Sarah

The first few weeks after surgery are for healing, not for losing weight. Losing weight during this time is a bonus. I wouldn't push yourself to much in this time and give your body time to recuperate. Are you on solids already? Can you swallow your vitamins whole?

You may still be holding fluid from your surgery. Give it a couple more weeks and see. Keep drinking to keep your kidneys working and remember, if you eat too few calories your body may actually go into starvation mode and hold onto fat.

Good luck! You will get there!

Hang in there, the band will work once you start to get your fills. I remember eating a TON of food b/4 getting my fills and it took the 4th one before it really kicked in.

I agree with Kat.... at this point in the game its about healing and not WL. I wasn't allowed to start exercising until after 6 weeks, so be gentle on yourself.

IT WILL WORK !!!! be patient but mostly remember it is a tool, we still need to work with it.

You'll do just fine... you'll see.

Yeah I have been on solids since 4d post op. They do not do the liquid thing for more than 1 day. I can swallow everything fine, even my huge Metformin pills. I was even able to eat 2oz of sirloin last night without any problems. Thanks for all the encouragement. I was just afraid that I had paid 17k for it not to work.

~Sarah

You do not have any restriction yet. It is WAY too early for the kind of worry you are having. If you need to worry, worry about making the healing process very smooth, and permanent.

No one experiences the magic wand effect of instant weight loss...not even with the band.

Stop stressing you are doing fine. I did loose 11 lbs, 2 days post operative, but not a pound more until 2 days before my first fill (6 weeks later). I was working out 6 days a week, just like you, and nothing. You start to think, this is going to be like all the other diets that have failed; but it is not like that at all. I had my first fill on 10/4, today is 10/6 and I have lost 4.5 lbs. To get you to your first fill, the food that you should be eating mostly is protein. Hard protein, beef, chicken, pork, and fish; post operative is the honeymoon phase, get to know your band. Get to know it's likes and dislikes. If the weight comes off during this phase, it is a bonus; when you have your first fill you should see progress. If after a week and you do not feel restriction or no weight loss, you will need to discuss another adjustment (fill) with your doctor. I can only speak for myself, but I LOVE my band. Best of luck to you.

Eating 4 days post op may be the major reason you aren't losing, however losing weight, as someone previously mentioned, is not the priority soo soon post operatively. According to my physician, your body, stitches to the port and to the band require a good 4 - 6 weeks to properly heal in place, hence the reason why they ask you to wait at minimum 2 weeks to eat solids and up to 6 weeks for the healing purposes.

When people are on liquids for 2 - 6 weeks post operatively, they tend to lose lots of weight very fast. Being on liquids immediately post operatively is not for weight loss purposes, but it is to allow the band to heal in place (remember there is a stitch on the band to your stomach/esophagus area). If you eat solids too soon, you could slip the band. Too much weight on the band (as you are swollen) may possibly cause slippage. Therefore again, the liquid phase is not for the sole purpose of losing weight, it's as a precaution.

Working out 5x's a week is great, however please ask yourself if you are working out with a heart rate of 65% over your resting heart rate. This means you have to be sweating, flustered, breathing hard and just worn out. If you are doing these things then you are in the fat burning possibly cardio zone and you will lose weight.

Keep a food journal. Though you may only think you're taking 1 or 2 bites of something you enjoy snacking on, keeping a journal (in the most honest way possible) will allow you to see, in full print what and how much of what you are eating. You may think, "Hey, i've only snacked a few times today" but if you see it, you've probably snacked 3 times and have had things you shouldn't have, especially now since you're serious about the weight loss.

I am not saying you are eating as if you were before the band but if you seriously would like to troubleshoot and find out the reasons why you aren't losing, check out those things I mentioned.