So this poll asks the question:

How many fills did you have before you first experienced good, healthy restriction, and as a result you could eat 1/2 - 3/4 cup and/or were losing 2-3 pounds without excessive hunger.

LOVE TO ALL!

Third fill was a major difference. Then after dropping another 20 pounds I had the 4th fill because it was starting to loosen up because of the weightloss. Had a little "top off" for the holidays because I could feel that I was just turning the corner after losing more and didn't want to get caught during the holidays with a sudden ability to dive into the food. I am pretty much perfect now, and continuing to lose. Within 11 pounds of my (first) goal!!!!

Yeah, I have lost almost 20 since restriction and needing a little tiny fill this week. Seems to start to loosen at 20 pounds for a lot of people... But boy does it vary radically it seems.

I've had restriction and lost it several times now. Today i got a whopping .5cc to bring me to 3.1ccs, so i'm hoping for good restriction again. With my two previous fills i really thought i was at my sweet spot and then before i knew it, i could eat too much. My weight has been stagnant because of this. My doc says i waited too long to come in between fills. I won't make that mistake again.

It's just my rotten luck to have gotten up the nerve to tell a few friends about my surgery, and then stop losing. Talk about feeling like an idiot!

I'm going for fill #8 next month....but it took me about 6 fills before my restriction would stay. Previous fills would show restriction, but by 48 hours, I would lose it.

I had pretty grood restriction at fill #6 (3.8cc's) But felt I needed more because I could take regular bites of food - so went in for a fill to 4.0 cc's - .2 cc's made me too tight, PB'd my own saliva, ended up in hospital for sever dehydration, and my doc had to take me back down to 3.0 cc's because of swelling.

Now, I'm ready to get my restriction back - I think 3.8 1/2 or 3.9 cc's would be the perfect amount for me. So, I'm hoping fill #8 will be my last since I only have about 20 lbs to lose before goal!

Had surgery 9-21-07 and almost 3 months later have yet to have my 1st fill. Still somewhat restricted from surgery.

Went for my 1st fill in November and doctor was pleased with my progress and said to wait and to make an appointment in December, but if losing a minimum of 1 lb per week, postpone the fill appointment again. Dong well, so I've postponed to mid January.

Everyone seems to be in a rush to get their fills, but I'm quite content and I guess lucky to still have restriction since surgery...started at 274 and am down to 232...averaging 10 lbs a month.

Good luck to everyone else!

:help:

So I have really good restriction - may be too good. Have any of you experienced not losing as well because the band is too tight? In that I can only get very soft Protein, am limited to softer foods (which tend to be too caloric), and am still losing, but it is slowing down. I need more calories for working out, too. But I don't want my hunger to come back... This is such a dance!

I go to my doctor next week and that should help - I will see what he thinks, but you tell me what you think! I was considering maybe taking a TINY bit out so I could get a bigger variety of food and actually eat less often...

THanks for you thoughts and Ideas and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It took two fills for me and things were great. You can absolutely gain weight from being overfilled, I am a perfect example. I had lots of problems last year and due to my own personal issues was unable to get to the doctor to get unfilled. Ice cream was my friend and I gained. I had a complete unfill in early November. In December I got a fill, but it wasn't enough so I am going back next week to "tweak" it and then hopefully the weight will start coming off again.

Why do they do a complete unfill in these situations? I have heard this before... something about shrinking the pouch with the band unfilled and then filling again?

I have had 4 fills and I am just now filling any kind of restriction, but I am not losing 1-2lbs a week. I am kind of on a plateau, sucks!

It's not just many fills you need, it's how much saline is put in at each time.

I've had six and I'm going for #7 in two days. I hope that one does it for me. Over three month since surgery and I'm ready to feel full.

First fill 2 cc all others were 1 cc and I'm asking for .5 cc next visit

for those who have lost but say you are finally feeling restriction..what are you diong to lose weight so consistantly? I was banded in november and I am bouncing between 222-224 for the last month or so. I lost from 240 to here b/c the first week or so on liquids and managed to do alright, I am at 8ml in a 10ml band and certain types of food now gets stuck and hurts even my port area throbs (this just started when I went up to 8 a couple days ago). But I do not want to get any out since I was not losing. So any advice on your secrets and tips is welcomed! I have asked alot of ladies on here and I would love to hear from y'all as well. I exercise every other day with Leslie Sansone dvd and on the other days my elliptical (can only handle about 15min now) Thanks ladies, congrats and God bless

for those who have lost but say you are finally feeling restriction..what are you diong to lose weight so consistantly? I was banded in november and I am bouncing between 222-224 for the last month or so. I lost from 240 to here b/c the first week or so on liquids and managed to do alright, I am at 8ml in a 10ml band and certain types of food now gets stuck and hurts even my port area throbs (this just started when I went up to 8 a couple days ago). But I do not want to get any out since I was not losing. So any advice on your secrets and tips is welcomed! I have asked alot of ladies on here and I would love to hear from y'all as well. I exercise every other day with Leslie Sansone dvd and on the other days my elliptical (can only handle about 15min now) Thanks ladies, congrats and God bless

I am a steady, not fast, loser and I track my calories everyday and my Protein every day. I rarely go over 1200 calories and some days are 800 and most are 1000-1100 calories. I eat very few carbs, wait one hour after eating to drink, and then drink flavored Water between meals.

Solid protein will keep you full longer, so for me if I coudn;t keep solid protein down like chicken, then I would consider myself too tight.

I have yet to exercise since being banded, but I will start walking again when weather improves. I walked three miles about 5 times a week before being banded. Exercise, unless it is very intense is not enough to lose much weight, but trims us up and does help boost metabolism. A one hour walk at 3mph will only burn about 350 calories for someone that weighs about 215. so to lose one pound with that one hour walk, would take 10 days, if you walked EVERY day.

Decreasing food intake is the key, unless you can exercise at a higher intensity like step aerobics for an hour.

So if you walk 3 miles in one hour 5 days a week and decrease the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight by 500 daily, you'd lose approx 6 pounds in a month.

If you can't or don't exercise as described above then you'll lose slower unless you decrease your calories even more per day.

Thank you shortgal!! I will definatly try to keep below 1000calories and try to increase that dvd to more than every other day! I appreciate your advice!

Thank you shortgal!! I will definatly try to keep below 1000calories and try to increase that dvd to more than every other day! I appreciate your advice!

Just be careful with limiting the calories, too much. Remember, I am older than you and not very active, so while 1000 to 1100 is good for me, it might not be enough for your body. I would suggest you start with 1200 calories and see how that number works for you and the scale.

And track your Protein. You need 60 to 80 grams every day.

good luck!

i lost from 218-206 before surgery, then 206-198 with no fill, then 198-190 on six fills for about a year and a half...and finally i lost down to 165 with the seventh fill, and i just had my eighth fill (3.5cc/4cc band) and lost another two. it has been two years since my surgery.