Hi. I'm really messaging for a little moan because the only person who knows I'm banded is my husband and we are military and he is away and I'm stuck on a military base with people who don't know anything about it!! I was banded on 17th January and between then and my first fill I was killing it and losing steadily - I lost 30 pounds. I was then filled for the first time on 3rd march I had 2cc in the band they took that out and put 4cc in so effectively a fill of 4cc. Since then I have felt no restriction and can just eat and eat - I'm actually starting to wonder whether the band snapped or broke it is doing nothing - I can eat a greek meze no trouble for example. I have not put weight on but have yoyo'd between being a pig then reigning it in then returning to being a pig and have lost and put back on the same 7lbs. I get filled Friday and the scales will show me as sticking and I've kind of lost the faith. Feels like a big waste of money. Has anyone else been able to eat anything? and I'm talking big curry naan bread poppadoms all in one sitting?

It is totally normal to not feel restriction once the op swelling has gone and before the saline has reached the appropriate level for you. I was lucky and my very first fill did the trick for me, some people need many fills.

So, yes, this can be a very hard time. You seem to be hanging in there! Well done!

Basically you have a choice. You say "I'll be OK later, so I'll not worry now " (the old "my diet will start tomorrow" approach) or you can tell yourself. "I just had major surgery to lose weight, I CAN and WILL do this".

If you are still able to eat more than you hope to be eating later on, use the old pre-surgery tricks of bulky vegetables etc..

But do remember, your band should never physically stop you eating. All it should ever do is slow you down and so dim your hunger. I could eat an entire meze if I took my time over it!

Edited April 30, 201511 yr by KateP

Hi there, the links below in my signature really helped me in the early days; maybe they will help you, too. Meanwhile, here's to Friday! I needed six fills and the time in-between each to address behavior modification. We are all different. Tell your doctor everything -- you are a team. Don't beat yourself up; know that you just keep at it and you will be astounded. Get some walking in if you can, a little further each time. Again, you'll be amazed. And thirty down is great -- you're going to do beautifully provided you just keeping showing up for yourself. I benefitted from some therapy to help identify and break down triggers and just to go through the process with me. It sounds like you could use a place to talk with some one. Like you, I didn't tell people about my surgery. Maybe you need some one to do that with. And of course you have us here. Keep us posted!

Yo was getting fills monthly. At like my fourth, I told the Dr what the heck.? Felt like I was just an a diet. He said wait, hasn't kicked in yet. Well, it did!

Be patient!

Thanks so much for the encouragement - it's really appreciated. My second fill is on friday 8th so not long. Bandista I am going to read those links right now - thanks

Quoting my m.d. " It took years to gain weight, what makes you think you are going to lose it in a few weeks?

Don't give up, you've come this far...

Hi I just wanted to update this because you were all kind enough to reply. Well I got a 2cc fill and I kind of feel something if I eat really quickly but apart from that I feel nothing. Like last night I had a curry poppdoms naan bread and felt NOTHING!!! just scoffed it. Anyway the good news is that I have actually kept losing weight,(yesterday was a treat not the norm) mainly because I found exercise I love which was a complete fluke - I'm now 42 pounds down. I still feel like I'm going it alone though and if I wasn't busting my backside exercise wise I'm pretty sure I'd have stuck. I'm getting another fill in a couple of weeks so hopefully I'll feel something then. Thanks all x

oh by "stuck" I mean my weight would have stuck, not food would have stuck!!

Im in Canada and they only do .5 cc per fill ..beyond frustrating

I had surgery on February 27th, had one fill at the doctor's office (2cc) and one six weeks later at a center (1cc) and I'm still waiting for it to feel like it's slowing me down. I have been just living the Sugar Busters diet like before and waiting.... My next fill is a week from today and I am hoping that at maybe 4cc I will feel different. *fingers crossed*