Ok i am 6 wks post op and i can eat almost like i could before the surgery i am so scared that this is not going to work. I get my 1st fill this week I hope this works - anyone out there have the same prob.??will it get better:cry

i have never heard of fit day. I do stop when i am hungry, but your right about following the guidlines i have not been doing that i have been screwing around and i feel like crap. will it get easier when i get my fill?:think

I am 2 months and 14 days out from surgery. Today I had my second fill. It takes time and patience until we reach proper restriction. MANY people, including me, could still eat A LOT before a fill. After my first fill, I had moderate restriction...today I have a total of 1.3cc's in my 4cc band. I am REALLY hoping to feel fuller faster, but until then, I just have to "diet and exercise". It's not easy, but it's taken me two months to finally surrender to the way of the band. It's a huge adjustment and you'll run the entire gamot of emotions...from feeling hopeful and excited, to feeling deprived and angry. It's all part of adjusting to our new lifestyle. Don't be hard on yourself and be patient...better days are ahead :girl_hug:

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The ALLERGAN protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week.

The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows:

1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the ALLERGAN protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill.

2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band.

3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food.

4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient.

5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again.

6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food.

7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again.

Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

My lap band surgeon told me to expect a 1 to 3 pound weight loss each week after lap band but not to get discouraged when I hear about the rapid weight loss of the gastric bypass patients. Your information was very interesting. Thanks for posting.

shelli:ranger:

My lap band surgeon told me to expect a 1 to 3 pound weight loss each week after lap band but not to get discouraged when I hear about the rapid weight loss of the gastric bypass patients. Your information was very interesting. Thanks for posting.

shelli:ranger:

Hi Shelli! (Waves)

Hi..I have to agree with what they are saying here...follow the eating plan....the band is a tool for you to use...you have to folllow the guide lines to get it to work....it is possible to eat around it....if you have come as far to get banded you are determined to lose weight, so follow what the dr says and it will work..

best of luck!!!

drsumm - I felt the same way and I think most of us did. Its bc you're not adjusted (filled) yet and the food can go right throw to the mother stomach. Don't get discouraged, as soon as you get the first fill and you are feeling restriction you'll begin to feel in control again. But you do need to follow the bandster rules, choose protein rich foods first, do not drink with your food (it washes it down and you can eat more) and stay away from those easy foods, like protein drinks.