I was banded on 12/3/07 and have lost 20 lbs so far, gaining one pound back. I did my 10 days pre-op with liquids, and only 1 1/2 weeks after, then on to soft foods, and now anything. I feel like I'm eating to much. I can eat at least 1 cup of food. My 1st fill is scheduled for Jan. 4, 2008. Is this normal? I feel like in the beginning I only at small amounts, like tablespoons fill, but now 4 weeks almost passed I'm eating alot more. When I question this with the RN at my surgeons office she says that after my fill I will not eat that much. That now the band is only in place without any restriction. Can anyone out there please give me some advice? Thanks.:help:

The advice your RN gave you was right. You don't have any restriction now that the swelling has gone down from your surgery. You will feel different after you start getting fills. Don't worry about it.

hi!!!! this is quite normal until your first fill then u will feel a little more restricted.

as long as you just eat a cup a food at each setting your doing fine gl.

Don't worry, you will really start to feel some restriction after a fill and a whole lot after 2 or 3 fills.

You must read the post by Wendell. It's listed at the tp of the main forum page under FAQ and it's about how the Lap band works with fills etc.

It really helped me to understand why we feel full at first and then get hungry and the cycle can continue.

Newbies should find it very helpful.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question. I feel much better now. I just kept thinking, all the fighting with the insurance, then the surgery, and now I'm eating to much and felt like I was going to ruin my chances of ever losing weight. I truly appreciate everyone's support.

Debbie

Thank you for the tip on Wendell and the fills. It was most helpful and I think my husband will even enjoy reading it. All I have heard from him over the Christmas holiday is "your eating to much and not losing any more weight". This should quite him down.

Debbie

I was in the same place as you but you lost more than I did at the same amount of weeks. I started to feel like I was failing a "diet" once again. Just remember that it is a slow process, Wendell's post helped me a lot as well. Now, my rule is if I haven't lost 5 pounds in a month I get another fill. It took me 4 fills to really feel the restriction. 2 to 3 weeks after each fill you can start to eat more and that's normal. I am currently very restricted and still lose slowly. I keep reminding myself that this time it is permanent and as long as the scale keeps going down, even slowly, then I will be happy. I think all of us rebound a pound here or there but it always goes back down and then some. Good luck, you are doing well!

i was just about to put a similiar post on today. for 1 week i have been so nauseas that i was only eating around 500 calories a day now today i am starving and not nauseas and seem to being alot more. it sucks because it was nice to be full on a few bites here and there now today i feel like i have no restriction at all. i also can tolerate today pasta which bothered me last week. i have only been on reg food for one week now i am 5 weeks out and lost 20lbs in 4 weeks and last week when i only ate 500 calories a day i didnt lose anything. how disappointing. am i going to lose anymore? should i be concerned? i know that i havent gained any but now that i am eating reg food i dont want to gain.

andrea

Keep in mind that if you are losing 1-2 lbs per week and eating a cup that is fine. If not, then you need a fill. Most likely at 6 weeks. Try and stick to 1/2 cup of food to 1 cup of food and 800-1k calories a day. Protein first, 60 grams a day.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my question. I feel much better now. I just kept thinking, all the fighting with the insurance, then the surgery, and now I'm eating to much and felt like I was going to ruin my chances of ever losing weight. I truly appreciate everyone's support.

Debbie

Debbie 19 pounds in a month is AWESOME!!! you are doing just fine, don't think for one minute that your weight loss to date is not great!!

You are ahead of the game, average for lap band is 1-2 pounds a week. Look at your numbers girl friend!!

I only eat 3 ounces at each meal and I am not hungry, I have had no fill I know I am not the norm here from what I read, but I do consider myself very very lucky.

Good Luck with your continued success.

Debbie-

I was concerned about something you said...that your husband kept telling you over Christmas that you are eating too much. Are you kidding me? Why would he say anything to you like that?

My SO has never EVER said one word about my weight or what I eat. If he did, he would get a big punch in the nose! :cry:bandit

i was just about to put a similiar post on today. for 1 week i have been so nauseas that i was only eating around 500 calories a day now today i am starving and not nauseas and seem to being alot more. it sucks because it was nice to be full on a few bites here and there now today i feel like i have no restriction at all. i also can tolerate today pasta which bothered me last week. i have only been on reg food for one week now i am 5 weeks out and lost 20lbs in 4 weeks and last week when i only ate 500 calories a day i didnt lose anything. how disappointing. am i going to lose anymore? should i be concerned? i know that i havent gained any but now that i am eating reg food i dont want to gain.

andrea

To lose 20 pounds in that short time you are doing great! Make sure you look at DebbieP's reply above and read Wendell's post. It really has great info! I go 2 weeks without losing weight all the time. Exercise really helps to keep it coming off. The more fills you get eventually you will get to that place where you are very restricted all of the time. It is just the process we all have to struggle with until we get to that "sweet spot" you hear people talk about. I am at my sweet spot and still do not lose some weeks. I think us bandsters tend to be impatient because we see the rapid results the gastric bypass folks have. It also is a lot of pressure when family and friends keep watching you and do not notice much difference. Most people did not notice my loss until I lost over 30 pounds. Now everyone asks me what I am doing and that I look great. It took over 6 months to start getting that response. Be patient and get a fill if you are not losing 5 pounds in a month and you will be fine!

Hi PrincessTracy:

Yes, my husband sometimes is very verbal. He dosen't mean to be that way, but he is a strong Silician man. He has seen me go on many, many diets only to fail. I said when I was fighting for the insurance that this would be the diet I would not fail. Then after the 20 lb.lose, and the 1 lb gain he thought I would be going down that same road again. Thanks to Wendell post I printed it and brought it home for him to read last night, and all he could say was WOW. I think he finally gets the picture. After my fill on 1-4-08 I think he will be once again proud of me and most of all I will be proud of myself. Its a hard road ahead, and to add to it I have Parkinson's Disease which limits me walking alot. But I'm doing my best. Many prayers to God everyday for support will be my best friend. I thank all of you for your loyal, most helpful support. This is really a good website for all of us. And yes, gastric bypass patients have it alot easier than us, but in the long run, we will be in the same place as them only a little longer, and my opinion - healthier. Happy New Year to all of you lapbanders out there. God Bless all of you.

thanks fort bend, i think that i am getting impatient because i did lose 20 lbs in one month and now i expect for it to come off and when it doesnt i get discouraged. i even gained a pound today when i stepped on the scale. im not nauseas anymore so i should be able to get a 1000 calories in so maybe this will be better than eating 500 calories a day. i do need to exercise, i havent really done much since surgery. take care

andrea

Hey Debbie P. I know I do not know anything about you or your situation but I just wanted to share that my father had Parkinsons and the MD told him the best think he could do is go on walks because it kept him limber. We really did notice on days he didn't walk he did not move as well in general. I know you may have other circumstances going on but I just wanted to give you that tid bit. I am sure you will feel better with some of the extra weight off as well! Take care!