Went for my first fill on 3/26. Still can eat anything. Dr. was not happy that I can eat said I need to diet. I thought the band was to help with that. It's hard not to eat when that's all you know. I'm trying but it's very hard and I'm getting depressed about it. Don't know what to do. I need help!

Is there a pyscologist you can talk to or a therapist? Many insurance companies will cover it.

I would also look into a local support group. I am not banded yet, but I have approval through my insurance to meet with the therapist 2x monthly and also found a local support group.

:puke:

I had my 3rd fill last Monday and I can tell you it was the first time i really knew my band was there. Now I feel it all the time. But for the first 8 weeks (other then week one) I was running on will power and diet. They have to work together and as long as you try as hard as you can. You and the band can help each other. It is a life change and I can see I will still have to diet if I want to keep going, even with the band but the band will help with it. Hang in there and remember how bad you want it. I remember when I was in the recovery room after getting my band and I said to my self that there is NO WAY i did this for nothing and I remember that everytime it gets hard. YOU CAN DO IT....

One way to look at it is caloric intake. How many calories a day are you consuming? A bandster usually eats 800 (low side) to 1200. Are you able to consume big portions of food. If so, then you may need another fill. Also, if you are really hungry.

I hear what you are saying! I was banded at Christmas, and have lost some but have reached a point where I will lose 3 pounds to regain it. I am always hungry. I have no restriction and I have had 2 fills in a 4cc. band. I realize I have to change my eating habits and have made huge strides in the right direction. But still have been disapointed that the band is not helping me at all as of yet.

I have lost weight but basically it was what I lost the first month on liquids and has been sheer hard work to keep it off---no I am not eating fast food like I did before, no chips, no pop, no I am not stuffing my face on icecream and Cookies, or bread.....all these habits I gave up, however, I eat salads, veggies, yogurt, meat and have healthy meals and still I am at a stand still.... it is very frustrating.

I guess we just have to hang in there until we finally get restriction and the band can start helping us out. It is easy to get overwhelmed with it all....seems I am more obsessed with dieting now then I used to be but I just do not want to go backwards.

Hang in there!

hey, im in the same boat. i had my first fill on 3/11. it did not help at all. i ate and ate too much of the wrong stuff. he only put in 1cc. thats all he will do at a time. my second fill is on the 10 of april. he says it mite take up to 5 or 6 to feel restriction. i live 2 and half hours away and have to go every month.

You just need another fill! Everyone is different. Some of us take many fills to finally feel restriction.

Maybe the word "diet" is the problem.

Life with the band is supposed to be the "tool" that helps us learn to eat the right portion sizes. We should be choosing healthy foods in the first place, but most of us didn't which is why we need the band. If we were to eat Protein first, veggies than carbs to start with, we may never have had a weight problem. Usually by the time we have arrived at this stage of needing WLS, we are past some of that "oh, just eat right and exercise" advice. We are out of control. We can't do it by ourselves...we get the help we need through surgery. NOW we can choose wiser because we won't be starving after we've had the right portion (if not less now). Obviously, if you aren't getting any restriction, this part will be hard or even just as if you've never had a band.

I am not banded yet, and I am not trying to give advice I know nothing about. I have spent many an afternoon with the dietician who has done a great job helping me change my point of view about food and dieting. I'm just not going to call it a 'diet'. The word itself denotes "all the great stuff you can't have anymore" to me anyway. I worry too about having no weight loss results after being banded. I am worried I'll be hungry all the time just like I am now. I can only hope I can keep thinking straight and not give up. I just keep reminding myself it's about how we view the food...fuel for our bodies to live.

~C

I'm sure you're going to do fine. I keep hearing about a sweet spot. I hope you get yours soon!

I had got the band in October 07. By New Year's day I had lost 48 pounds. I was very happy and lots of people were noticing. Then the weight loss stopped. Dr. Lee says I have 2 cc's in my "large" band and that it will take more fills to see a noticable restriction. I can eat anything - I mean anything. It started with being discouraged by no weight loss, then anxiousness came along. Then, my nervous cravings began again and I've lost control. I've gained 1 1/2 pounds this month. I'm back to thinking "what's the use in trying? Even this surgery hasn't helped much." I do have small moments of hope, but they wain quickly - then I eat a cookie!

Someone please tell me that it will get better and this "bump in the road" will pass. I have 70 pounds to go.

Mishine: Oh my goodness...you've done wonderfully! Don't give up! It's not too late, you are not doomed. You need to re-focus, go back to the basics. Try to find that motivation you had in the beginning. And step away from the cookie...

Thank you.

There is truth to the fact that we need to control what we eat even after banding but it is also true that until we have the restriction we need the band is not helping us at all.It has been compared on this website to having tires with no air in them, and I think that is a good analogy.It makes me sad when doctors pressure people who have only had one fill to diet and imply that they aren't doing what needs to be done. If any of us could diet the weight off, we would do it and skip the whole major surgery thing. What would be the point of the band? The band is designed to work with restriction and you don't have it yet. You may not have it for several more fills. If only your doctor would be supportive instead of kicking you when you are down. I know exactly how you feel - I went through the same thing. I didn't get any restriction until my 5th fill and could also eat anything and lots of it. Once I finally felt restriction I was able to really control what I put in my mouth. I am not perfect and I slip up occasionally, but I can assure you- restriction makes all the difference so don't give up on yourself. Just be patient and keep getting fills til you get restriction. You are going to be amazed at how much easier it is to do what needs to be done when you get there! Hang in there! You are not a failure!

Once you get to the right restriction ...you won't want to eat as much. Or I should say, you can't eat as much. Plan and simple... The restriction will take care of the portions and amount you can eat. The rest is up to you. I found that once I got to the right restriction my additute about food completely changed. I can't take a whole lot of credit for it, either. When our "Commitment Device" is working, it physically reminds you can't eat very much. Don't stress...After my 3rd fill....life was a whole new world for me with the band. Be patient!

Maybe the word "diet" is the problem.

Life with the band is supposed to be the "tool" that helps us learn to eat the right portion sizes. We should be choosing healthy foods in the first place, but most of us didn't which is why we need the band. If we were to eat Protein first, veggies than carbs to start with, we may never have had a weight problem. Usually by the time we have arrived at this stage of needing WLS, we are past some of that "oh, just eat right and exercise" advice. We are out of control. We can't do it by ourselves...we get the help we need through surgery. NOW we can choose wiser because we won't be starving after we've had the right portion (if not less now). Obviously, if you aren't getting any restriction, this part will be hard or even just as if you've never had a band.

I am not banded yet, and I am not trying to give advice I know nothing about. I have spent many an afternoon with the dietician who has done a great job helping me change my point of view about food and dieting. I'm just not going to call it a 'diet'. The word itself denotes "all the great stuff you can't have anymore" to me anyway. I worry too about having no weight loss results after being banded. I am worried I'll be hungry all the time just like I am now. I can only hope I can keep thinking straight and not give up. I just keep reminding myself it's about how we view the food...fuel for our bodies to live.

~C

I'm sure you're going to do fine. I keep hearing about a sweet spot. I hope you get yours soon!

Hi Turler,

I'm new here and have not been banded. Right now I'm in the 'wanting it badly" stage and am going to a seminar April 10. I Just came upon this site a few days ago and have been doing lots of reading. I just wanted to praise you on your post - I really like your outlook and especially your message at the bottom (if you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got). I wrote it down on a post it note and put it on my computer monitor. Thanks for the great words of wisdom. Becky

Hi Turler,

I'm new here and have not been banded. Right now I'm in the 'wanting it badly" stage and am going to a seminar April 10. I Just came upon this site a few days ago and have been doing lots of reading. I just wanted to praise you on your post - I really like your outlook and especially your message at the bottom (if you always do what you always did you'll always get what you always got). I wrote it down on a post it note and put it on my computer monitor. Thanks for the great words of wisdom. Becky

Wow Becky, Thank you! I'm glad I could help! I think our attitude toward this process can determine the outcome. Keep reading...there is a LOT of good information on here and a lot of wisdom from those who are already banded!

Good luck to you!

JillS,

Did you ever feel restriction, I don't know if I've read your threads before or if it was someone else who had a similar problem. I still think there is something weird going on if you can eat as much as you want and the doctor is looking at you like there's something wrong with you!

Physically if you eating Proteins etc... and not "slider" foods you would be vomiting by now.

I know just after surgery in August I was swollen even though there was nothing in my 10cc band so it was difficult to get anything down but a month later I got my first fill and I think in my "head" I thought I should feel restriction but actually they put less than a cc in because they thought I had the 4 cc band. Second fill same thing, thought I had the smaller band so less than a cc again so for the first three months after surgery I had no restriction and finally saw the surgeon and told him I could eat normally and he found out by withdrawing all the ccs that I had very little in and then he zapped me with 3.5 and I finally felt restriction.

Now, I'm not a prize student for many reasons, one being that I've put back all the weight I had lost during the Medifast phase prior to surgery but I'm still trying to figure out what the problems are. Could be I'm not taking my diabetes meds.

I still need more fills and have had a couple more, one was an over-fill which I've gotten into previously on other threads but now I'm waiting to get filled again in two weeks.

I know some people seem to get filled and lose weight and it's a breeze, well seems that way anyway but if you don't feel the fill physically there's got to be something wrong, second opinion maybe? What else can you do? Good luck brandyII