I know this question has been asked a million times, but......

Banded on 1/18/08. First fill 3/3/08---1.8cc in a 10cc band(fluoro-looked good). Never felt huge restriction, but didn't want to vomit! Can pretty much still eat anything. Not really hungry ever. Have lost 3 pounds since then and am walking, bowflexing and active. Here's todays eating---2 hotdogs, 2 pieces wheat bread-brunch. Dinner---1 cup of homemade beef stew and 2 bowls of salad-tasted really good! That seems like a heck of a lot of food to eat without having to stop because of fullness. Of course, now after eating that huge dinner, I feel stuffed. I was trying to hold off on a fill for 8 weeks,due to me paying out of pocket, but I'm not sure. Any advice would be wonderful! I need to go workout now!

I can only let you know how much I eat based on what works for me. I eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of food. Typically I can only eat 1-2 oz portions at a time. I am at 3.2 in a 4ccs band. I am losing 2-3 lbs per week on 1k to 1200 calories a day. If you can lose at 1 cup a meal then you may be okay. It just comes down to personal preference. For me, I need goo restriction to not be hungry. At 2.9 I got hungry more often. Good luck.

1.8 cc's in a 10 cc band is not much! Most people, according to my doctor, reach their sweet spot at between 5-8 cc's. They go slower than that with the fills because you never know and some people get restriction sooner. I didn't feel any restriction at all until I was at 4.5 cc's and even that wasn't really enough for me to lose much weight. I really felt I was at my sweet spot at 7.5 cc's which is where I am now. I'm sorry you have to pay for each fill - I always recommend people find a doctor who includes them for the first year because it can take quite a few to reach your sweet spot. I have had 5 fills and am glad I didn't have to pay for each one. See if your doctor will increase the amount in your next fill.

I HAD MY SURGERY ON DECEMBER 4 2007 AND I HAD MY FIRST FILL ON FEB. 29. I DONT THINK THAT IM LOSING AS MUCH WEIGHT AS I SHOULD AND I ALSO FIND MYSELF ABLE TO EAT A 'GOOD' PORTION BEFORE REACHING THAT FEELING. WHEN I WENT TO GET MY FIRST FILL I ONLY LOST TWO POUNDS AND BASICALLY MAINTAINED MY WEIGHT. IN A WAY I THINK ITS BEST I LOST SOMETHING RATHER THAN GAINED RIGHT?

You may not lose until you are at your sweet spot. I didn't really start losing until my 4th fill. Until you get that restriction you need you are basically not any different than before surgery. I couldn't lose weight before banding and I couldn't lose it after banding until I reached my sweet spot (7.5 cc's in a 10cc band)