It's been a year and a half since surgery. I think when I lost initial weight I was happy with that and as long as I didn't gain, wasn't too concerned. I know that's stupid. I am currently 24 pounds from onederland. I guess I thought after the band I could eat small amounts of anything. But really, that's not the case. I need to avoid carbs.

Is it too late for me ? I have had 4 fills going for another in April. I am hoping they given me one Sometimes, if you haven't lost, they threaten not to give you a fill. I am going to lose between now and appointment. I hope I can get back on track.

Never too late to start getting on track! Congrats on making the decision to get going again!

Thank you butterfly. I had heard if you didn't lose within a year, you couldnt. Looking back, I wish I would have chosen the sleeve, but either way, my insurance won't pay for anything else and if I do my part flawlessly, I hope I can get going again.

"Sometimes, if you haven't lost, they threaten not to give you a fill. I am going to lose between now and appointment. I hope I can get back on track."

That's Bass Ackwards!! We get fills to loose weight, not the other way around...why else did we need this surgery?

I also never understood the concept of going on a 6 month diet ti show you can d\"Do It" before you can have the surgery...

If I can do it, then I would not need the surgery.....(I FAILED at my 6 month diet, just like every other diet I ever tried)

Can I do this??? For me the answer is NO! I CAN'T! Therefore I need surgery...the Lap band can, and has!

My Dr. used to refer to the "Yellow-Green-Red" Poster hanging on the exam wall....and depending upon where I was at, in terms of hunger, portion sizes, etc.....he would determine if I needed a fill....I also got weighed in, and the difference was noted from the last visit.

He made it very clear that the Green Zone was our goal in all this, and that was what we were doing with these post-op monthly visits....

He got me there in 4 months with three good fills!

As far as eating, everyone is different...sounds like a cliche but you find how diverse people actually are when it come to the band.

I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.....difference is, where I used to eat enough for an entire family of 5, I now eat so little is seems it would be unhealthy, but it's not....4-1/2 years and never been better!

As far as carbs, I don't pay attention to them in the classic dieter's sense, but there are foods that gives me trouble and I have chosen to stay away from them....just so happens the majority of them are carbs such as breads, Pasta, rice to name a few off the top of my head.

Last summer I asked my Dr to take out 1/2cc....wanted to see what would happen....my Dr felt if is isn't broke, then don't fix it....and sure enough, 1/2cc less, my hunger and eating started to increase, along with my weight...went back 4 weeks later and got that 1/2cc put back in.....

so you see, I needed fills (band adjustments) in order to get my eating under control and loose the weight....not the other way around.

Edited March 24, 201511 yr by B-52

Hi there, until you have proper restriction you are battling the appetite -- it's all about the green zone! If am some one who needed several fills to get there. My surgeon described being satisfied on a tennis-ball sized portion of food and not hungry again for 4-5 hours. We kept going until I had both. The links below really helped me understand the way the band works. Maybe they will help you, too! Glad you're here. You had the surgery so the band is installed but now to activate it. No sliders. It's the chewing of the food that signals satiety. Best wishes!

Why wouid you not be able to lose after a year? The only reason we lose weight after getting the band is because it helps us eat fewer calories than we burn. So if you eat less, with fills to help, you will lose. At one year or ten years after surgery,