Well, I know in my heart I need a fill. Weight loss has been nill for almost two months, I'm much more hungry, eating more, and this morning after a large-ish Indian dinner, the scale shot up like in pre-band days after a large meal.

My issue is... I don't want a fill!!! I really, really, really don't. I HATE the vomiting that comes after the fill for a few months, and I HATE not being able to drink fluids sometimes in the morning, and I HATE the pain I get in my esophogus when I start eating.

My question is, could I just exercise instead (I haven't been doing any)?

Would that offset the amount of extra calories I'm taking in due to being loose?

Here's what I had yesterday:

2-3 ounces of tilapia, quarter cup of potatoe wedges.

After that I was not full.

An hour later I had one ounce of cheese.

I then didn't eat for six hours due to being busy, and I was STARVING like anything. So I went to Indian dinner and this is what I had there:

One half of a large "Paratha" (flat, round, Indian bread)

Two (one-ounce each) veggie balls in creamy sauce.

Quarter cup to half cup of rice.

Small piece of mango pickle.

Two glasses of wine (before my meal).

So then I was STUFFED.

And then this morning, I gained like three pounds. That has not happened to me since pre-band, 14 months ago.

But then, as I'm writing this, the dinner really doesn't look like that much. It's certainly still less than half of what I would have eaten pre-band, when I would have had at least one or two whole breads, an entire entree, the entire two cup serving of rice, plus dessert.

So... I don't know what to do!

Should I wait for a few weeks of exercising to see if the weight loss jumps starts back up? Or should I ask my doctor for a tiny fill? I don't think I need a large fill as I still have "restriction" to some degree because I'm still eating tons less than pre-band. Problem is, he really like that big giant 1cc fill all the time. I wonder if he'd be willing to give me .5 instead.

Anyway... thanks for listening.

I bet exercise would bump it up. I agree, it doesn't look bad what you had to eat. Have you thought about maybe just .1 of a fill. Anything would help if your still hungry. I agree about the fills. I just had a slight unfill on Monday. I couldn't take it anymore and wasn't losing either. Good luck and keep me informed.

Sunta, your three pound gain wasn't fat.

I'm filled well now, I just wish my restriction was a little more consistent (it's pretty mcuha given that I will have a hard time eating before evening).

But I went underfilled, intentionally, for a long time. I was still losing weight, and it was nice to eat without pain. Plus my willpower was still with me, so sticking to bandster portions, even without the fullness that comes from restriction, wasn't a problem.

If I were you, I would get a tiny fill. My last fill was 0.25 cc and it made a big difference. Here's why I recommend this. I have a tiny bit of regret that I wasn't tighter during my first 6 - 8 months of being banded. I lost a lot then. I've now lost about 5 lbs since January. My weightloss has essentially stopped dead in its tracks. This makes me wish I'd taken a little more advantage of it up front.

Sunta Water weight gain can fluctuate as much as five pounds. If you don't want a fill than you should get one. Follow your heart and stay on it the way you feel is working best for you.

I know sometimes one gets the feeling that at some point a balance is met and you can do this.

I would ask for a little fill if I were you. That way its not too agressive and you can still enjoy your food and not PB. It will take away some of the hunger you are experiencing. Julie

I wouldnt have it personally.

If you're not exercising at all, you can make a HUGE change by starting to take exercise seriously. It really and truly is more than half the equation in this battle.

I will only consider fills when I know I personally am doing everything I can to keep the weight coming off. And once my fill level gets me to a point that I'm struggling to get in 1200 calories of a wide variety of foods in a day, no more fills, end of story. I will not go lower than that to lose any more weight. Easy to say as I'm already within my healthy range. I'd like to be a bit lower but I can be quite happy right where I am.

You really must exercise. I cant emphasise enough how much difference some good vigorous aerobic exercise for an forty minutes to an hour five or six times a week will make.

My experience with exercise is different than many others. I did not exercise until I had lost 50 lbs. My previous experience had been that exercise did NOT help with my weight loss, though that was pre-band. I do have a fairly active lifestyle, but with a desk job. I am a single mom with 5 kids at home so I am rarely not going and doing. But, traditional exercise -- no way. But, I went skiing twice last winter and it reminded me that although I had lost weight, I was not in good shape. So, I started exercising, and now that I am close to goal, I am happy I did.

So, if it were me, I would get a fill. Every time I get to the point where I can eat what I consider to be "too much," I get one -- the last fill I got was actually less than the previous one (I had lost .2 cc's), so I am less filled, but more restricted -- weird. My net fill was -.1 cc. So, maybe try a small fill -- don't let your dr bully you in to a big fill that brings on the PBs and yucky stuff.

Good luck.

I was gonna say what Wheetsin did, but she beat me. My weight bounces around in about a 7 lb range, so popping up 3 pounds overnight is not 'fat' gain, it's Water, food still in your system, etc.

Regarding the fill, I can see why you don't want it, but like others have said, you might consider a teeny, tiny one. But yes, exersize will help counter the extra calories. Keep in mind though, it usually takes me a couple of months of exersizing to see any real results on the scale if I haven't been exersizing. My dad says give yourself a 3 month cycle before you expect any results... it's pretty demoralizing, but the reward is good if you can make it.

Sunta, I would definately suggest that you start exercising but if your calorie intake is to high then exercise will not offset what you are eating. I've exercised for years & never lost a pound, I had even gained weight exercising 5/6 days a week because of the foods I was eating.

Try counting calories & make sure you don't go over the 1,200 count a day. This along with exercise will continue to show you a weight lost. The band is a great tool but without our help it does not work.

The 3lbs is properly Fluid retention, if you get back on track that will go away without a problem but if you continue to eat food high in sodium you will continue to see that 3lbs and possibly some more.

As far as a fill is concerned, please do what is best for you. You know what your body needs.