Struggling not to gain weight after first fill. Second fill is scheduled for Jan 4. I have no restriction whatsoever and haven't had any restriction whatsoever. Scared this won't work for me. Share your own experience with fills and when they kicked in for you and for how long?? Thanks Laura

I've had 3 fills and am at 2.3cc in 4cc band now. I have more restriction than before but can still eat a good bit and have had a couple of pb's since this last fill. The pb's happen when I get ahead of myself and don't chew properly. I'm going for another fill 1/24 and am only going to get a little bit because I feel like I am pretty close to my "sweet spot" and don't want to overdo it. It's like a game and it's pretty tricky, you have to figure out what works for you and what don't.

Connie

I am getting my first fill tomorrow, but i had a question for the future- Once you find your "sweet spot"; How often do you have to return for fills? My doctor is quite a distance and I was just wondering how often we have to return for fills, etc.

Makemelean: What I found is that the first fill didn't feel like much restriction, and they said I could come back for a next fill right away...That the first one sometimes gets absorbed into the dry band. I decided to wait a few weeks, and oddly, I'm learning alot. Before my first fill, I could eat any and everything....and often did. After my first fill, I felt the same way, except at breakfast, when there has been restriction. Breakfast has gone so smoothly, and it's been interesting to learn what it's going to be like. I really like being able to eat slowly, push away and say I'm full. So lately, I started being able to experience that at other times. They say sometimes it takes up to 10 days for a fill to kick in. I think it took me awhile to be able to pay attention to it. When I'm quiet, eating slowly, chewchewchewing, sometimes I can feel that little hint of fullness and stop, at any time of the day. I definitely need another fill, but I'm glad I've had this experience to kind of ease into it. I'm now looking forward to being restricted. Before, I was kind of worried about what that would be like. I'm slowly sliding into a new life I never thought was possible for me. I'm still a mess, eating poorly when I'm less restricted, but I can tell there's an amazing change, and I'm losing a little weight again, finally. It's been an introspective journey for me. And I had all the worries you have, about the band not working for me.

Very frustrated! My boyfriend was banded November 20, 2006 with a 10cc VG band. He did not have any restriction after the surgery. His first fill was December 19th with 2cc. He still had no restriction. He was then filled again today, Jan 9th with another 2.5 cc. He says he still has no restriction. He's getting frustrated and not very optimistic about going through this procedure. From what I've been reading on here, everyone says that it will take a few fills to hit the "Sweet spot". I just don't know how much more he can take. He has stopped losing weight and is very frusrated and angry that he made the wrong choice with this. Anyone in the same boat? He called his Dr. and they won't do another fill for a month. I hate to see him go through all this for nothing.

Tell him to hang in there. There is another thread on the "fills" thread that talks all about the 10cc band. I have one too. Fortunately I've had pretty good restriction at 3 ccs. I am going in for another fill Thursday. I have seen on the other thread and some people need as much as 8ccs to feel restriction. Tell him to hang in there. It will be worth it when he hits his sweet spot. Good luck.

It often takes 3, 4, or 5 fills to get proper restriction. Don't rush it though; big fills can spell big problems. Your little pouch needs time to adjust to that nasty band! I was the same way, frustrated after 3 fills (it didn't help that for the first two fills, the fill center thought I had the 4cc band but in fact I had the 10cc band), but fill #4 made a big diffference. I'll be going back for #5 in late January, but for now, 8cc's seems to be doing the job.

Ain't life after banding grand?

Tell that boy that if we were patient people, we probably could have eaten slowly and well before being banded. His learning curve mnow is about taking a deep breath, learning what he can about patience, and knowing that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We're all with him, and we've all been there....

I have a question...hopefully, not a dumb one, but, I was banded on Dec. 28th...I have read throughout the threads where if you eat too much, or too fast, that you should get sick or feel some kind of restriction. I haven't gotten sick or anything and really haven't felt a lot of pressure, just sometimes I feel as if I need to burp but nothing will happen and the pressure builds in my chest then goes away...that's all I have felt...should I be worried about not feeling very restricted from eating much or is this normal right after banding that you don't yet feel any discomfort yet? I don't know what size band I have...is it okay to assume that I don't have any restriction because I don't have any fill yet? Still confused about how I should be feeling...any suggestions?

vlynnfogg, what you are experiencing is norma given you don't have a fill. If you feel like you are eating too much and/or you are not losing weight it is time for a fill.

Thanks...that makes me not so nervous about what I am feeling...

just seeing if my ticker works...

I just got my sixth fill. I am very tight. I finally know what it is like to have restriction.