Hey all! I was banded in October, 2007 and although it seemed like the weight was just going to fall right off, I'm now almost 4 months post-op and have only lost like 12 pounds. I'm beginning to feel frustrated and unmotivated. I've been reading the posts on here since before surgery, but now feel that maybe I need to be more involved with others in my shoes for support and motivation.

I was banded on 12/19 Ihad my first fill yesterday. I have only lost 11 pounds since surgery. I am very discouraged.

You are losing 1.5 lbs per week. Lap Banders can expect to lose between 1 and 2 lbs per week so you are right on track! If you continue to lose at that rate, then by the end of this year you will have lost 72 more pounds!!!!!! That's a total of 83!!!!!!!!!!! Slow and steady wins the race. This is not a fast journey but if you do it right and don't get impatient can be a successful one.

Keep up the great work!!!!!

Getting a band is a process, it's not just the surgery and then you're done.

The process is surgery, heal, fill, wait, fill, wait, fill, wait etc. Each step in the process is there for a reason. Each Dr. has a different time period between each fill and each Dr. has a different schedule for how many cc's at each fill.

So during the time after healing and first fill while waiting for your band to give you some restriction, old fashioned dieting is required IF you do not want to gain or if you want to continue to lose. Adding exercise will help also.

Most of us are experts at dieting. Ask your Dr. or nutritionist how many calories and how many grams of Protein they want you to have during the post op stages and track your calories and protein daily to be sure you are meeting the goals they want.( This info is usually given to you pre-op).

If you stay within the guidelines provided you'll continue to lose. Is it easy? Not without some restriction from your band. But that time will come.

If your Dr. requires a long waiting period between fills, then talk to him/her about this. You shouldn't ask (or want) to be over restricted, so be sure you're expectations are realistic. Explain how often a meal keeps you satisifed after eating. Is it one hour or two hours? Describe what and how much your are eating at each meal. Bring your papers where you track your calories and protein.

If you're hungry between meals, drink a bottle of Water first (be sure you have waited the hour after your meal, so you don;t wash the food out of your pouch) then decide if you are still really hungry. If yes, eat a small low calorie healthy snack.

These are all ways to help your band, help you. You need to be involved in the process, not an innocent standbyer, waiting for the band and your Dr. to make it work for you.

Please read all the info on the forum about how "the lap band works" and "how fills work". There are some excellent threads, that helped me to understand the process better.

nce1025-i am going in for my 6th fill on the 5th of feb. my doctor is very conservative as well. to tell you the truth i don't think I have a lot of cc's in me. he has been giving me .5 cc. but i am going to get him to give me 1 or more. so with all that, it does really depend on your body. one of the bandsters had gotten 8 fills before she really started to feel restrictions.

I wouldn't watch the scale really. I was banded 12/31/07, I have lost 4 pounds since surgery, 4 weeks ago. I am not the least bit upset. The average is 1-2 pounds a week, and losing it slow and steady can help with the skin not going to be flapping all over the place later on.

I have been banded for 2 1/2 years. I have yet to hit my goal. Throughout the whole process I was a slow loser. I stopped coming to this site because I was so sick of seeing everyone lose like crazy while I just stayed the same or lost a few pounds. That was my first mistake! I should have looked for support from people who were like me to keep me on track. I applaud you all for looking for someone's help before giving up. It shows your commitment to yourselves. My story is I didn't use all the lap band rules I should have. When you feel no restriction you tend to forget and start to eat around the band. Do you stop drinking 1hr before a meal, no liquid during a meal, or no liquid 1hr after a meal? Do you eat slow? I mean real slow. Do you chose foods that will stay in your band the longest? Soups are great but they do not stay in your band, they are extra calories that go straight threw the band. No substance. Protiens are suggested. I call them the heavy foods. Protien shakes will not keep you full for long. Again, straight threw! Exercise is so, so, so, important for sucess! Just 4 times a week with make a major difference. If you work out by yourself make sure you challenge yourself. Sometimes I can get pretty soft on myself. All you need is a treadmill and a set of 5-10 lb free weights and you can work every muscle in your body. If anyone has any questions about that, I would be glad to offer you suggestions. Be 110% honest with your doctor(share everything, even things we would rather not admit to ourselves). This is the only way he can adjust you and help you reach your goals. I am only 10lbs from goal right now, so remember, it doesn't matter how fast you get there it's that you finally reach your destination. Well, that's what I have learned on my journey and I hope it helps all of you realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel. I will leave you with a quote I have refeard to many times in the last 2 1/2yrs. "Remember a single defeat is not a final defeat". Good Luck to all of you. God Bless

Wow, your post is very inspirational. I was wondering in reading if this was the right choice for me and you really put everything in perspective. In other words for me it means this isn't a quick fix. I've got to dedicate myself and between the band and my dedication hopefully I'll reach my goal.

Congrats to you on your goal! Thank you again!