I'm almost 4 weeks out from banding now. I'll have a clearer idea when I weigh in tomorrow, but I'm anticipating that I'll be down around 15 or 16 pounds since surgery.

I don't have absolute restriction, but I have some restriction, I think - I don't want to eat as much as I used to, I feel full on less than I normally eat, and I don't seem to be falling for my old bad habits. I've almost never felt hungry, and I've never experienced "bandster hell".

There are some moments when I'm less than perfect - yesterday I got some tasty gyro meat on salad with pita from the cart in front of my office, and I ate more gyro than I should have, and more pita too. But until a month or two ago, I"d have ordered the same thing, polished it off with gusto and gone looking for something (s) sweet for dessert. Yesterday, I probably ate two thirds of the plate and felt overfull; the difference is really big.

I'm absolutely committed to losing weight, but I AM losing weight. I assume that with time my current "restriction" will ease a bit, making a fill more important. But until them I'm happy eating less of whatever I want to eat.

I know Jack didn't get his first fill for 6 months - am I in a similar situation? I have my fill appointment for April 14 - should I get a fill?

And if I don't get a fill, if I just stay with my current degree of restriction, what should I be eating? Should I be eating until I'm full, or should I be using Protein grams and calories for my guide?

Jack, other Delayed Fill Weight Loss Masters, advise me!!!

Thanks,

Fenton

When I was banded on February 4, 2008, my doctor told me that I would be able to get my first fill within four weeks after the surgery. I had my first fill few weeks ago, and I noticed some restriction since I got the fill. I was given 4 cc for my first fill. I would go ahead and get the fill.

But I don't know why I should get the fill now, since I'm losing, and am comfortable. Why not wait until I slow down or start screwing up on my intake by overeating?

I work literally next door to the surgeon's office, so it'd be pretty easy for me to just head over...

Thanks, Jack. I'm going to do my best to follow your lead.

I shared your thoughts on this matter in one of the Master Threads in the March Bandsters forum - I seem to be just about the only guy in here, and I thought the advice was something that all the ladies should see.

The ladies who don't read the Men's Room, I mean.

SO, what do you eat mostly? How much restriction do you have with your band?

Thanks - that's pretty encouraging.

But my scale session today wasn't so encouraging - scale's not budged. I don't understand why I'm not losing now: I lost 11 pounds in the first 8 days after surgery, but only 4 pounds in the last three weeks. I've been the most active I've been for some time, and I'm pretty sure my intake has been in the 1500s or lower almost every day.

I've signed up for Daily Plate, and will try to be stricter in my monitoring...

Fenton, I was banded on 2/25/08 and had my first fill (3cc's) on 3/25/08.

I definately have restriction now. I am eating 1/4 of the food I previously did. My Wife is amazed that I stop eating even when I have food left on my plate.

I agree with Jack, I find myself now stopping because I am not hungry in lieu of being full.

Actually, the day after posting that - two days after weighing myself and being consternated that the scale hadn't budged - I weighed myself again and was down three pounds. I think the lesson is not to always be hopping on and off the scales, and not to freak out when you don't hit the numbers you expect.

I've had a bunch of NSVs - my shirt size has gone down, I had to throw away a sweatervest that was recently snug because I was swimming in it, and I'm down three belt notches. But the scale is nice, because numbers feel precise and absolute.

I will attach my bodybugg chart so you can get an idea of my weight loss average. I was banded on Dec 18th and I am about 100+ days post op. I have only had two fills the first being 4 weeks after surgery and the second being 7 weeks after surgery. This last fill has done the trick and my average intake is about half of a kids meal or 2000 calories a day. I am 6'3 tall and this morning woke up at 217 pounds. You can tell that it is a gradual process and it should be obvious if you have good restriction. It's funny because I do the cooking in my family and made tacos last night. I made 4 average size tacos and sat down to watch some TV. My wife walked by and laughed and said who is going to help you eat all that. She was right, I ate 1 1/2 taco and was stuffed. I still have eyes bigger than my head but now I don't force the food down. When the band says stop I stop. When you have the band the "full" feeling doesn't feel the same. Your brain is screaming finish it off and the body is feeling a bit cramped. It is hard to explain it is just a different feeling than that happy and fat feeling after thanksgiving dinner. The one weakness with the band is it is easier to eat crap than protein, that Hershey's chocolate bar always went down easier than the chicken breast. Protein sits heavy and that is why they want you to eat it first but if not careful milk shakes and chips and dip can load those calories and sneak right pass the band. When you get restriction plan for 6 meals a day. Take care

goal.bmp

Hey Fenton - sounds like you are doing great so far. One of the things I consistently read on this board is beware of the scale - it can be misleading. From what I am hearing from you, your efforts are paying off (dropping sizes, being more active, stopping when not hungry) and you are losing weight. It will slow up. It did for me. I dropped a lot quickly, and now the weight loss is very gradual. I had a fill about two weeks ago (3cc's in a 10cc band). Still do not feel much restriction. However, I am making good choices and working out regularly. The result is clothes getting looser (down 2 full notches in the belt), fitting in clothes that I havn't been comfortable in in quite a while, more energy and a lot of very encouraging comments from people (particulalry those who "do not know"). I go for a fill in two weeks and expect they will give me a fill as I do not have restriction at this point, but I'm not waiting for restriction to change my bold habits !

Thanks, guys.

LTD, that bodybugg chart is pretty slick - both the chart itself and your results! That's great!

And Mike, good to hear that you're losing even without solid restriction.

Today, I've been feeling a bit peckish; I think part of it might be that I've had slightly larger volume meals recently, and am wondering whether my stomach has stretched out a bit after all the weeks on liquids or mushy food. I'm going to try slipping back into liquids tomorrow for a day or two, see if that effects my hunger.

Either way, things are going well. Since I started my pre-op liquid diet on the 21st of February, I weighed 48 more pounds than I do today. I'm down 10% of my body weight!

So, I had my First Fill session today. I went in and told the Doc I was losing well, without any limitations on the food I could swallow, and wasn't suffering from hunger. I said I felt my current level of restriction was fine, and that I didn't think I was ready for a fill yet.

He agreed. He said, "I think the time you need the fill is when you wake up and you're starving. Come back in a month."

And that was that.

FWIW, I'm down 52 lbs since I started, down 25 since surgery on 3/6. I have the advantage/burden of starting at 473, but I'm grateful that it's making the first phase of weight loss pretty fast and easy.

Fielding sounds like a good doctor. No meed for a fill if you don't need it...

Yeah, he's a good guy - he has a band himself.

I got banded March 25th. Its been three weeks. I have lost about 35 lbs since the pre-op diet. I was very good with liquid diet for the first two weeks. Since then I am eating some meat and beef stews. Not exactly the puree diet but I couldnt stand that stuff for one month. My back pain is much improved to the point I walk around large stores (Super Wal-marts) with out feeling major pain and giving up after 15 minutes. I just got a Trike and am excited to ride it. I just hate walking but always liked riding bikes. I just cant ride a normal bike at 392 lbs. I was way top heavy and probally exceed the bikes capacity by 140 lbs. The Trike has a tractor type seat and I hope that does the trick in preventing major rear end pain riding it. Trikes have proved difficult to get. I needed a tractor seat model and there just isnt many manufactures of them. Almost no bike shop keeps them in stock. I was able to order a Trailmate over the internet but had to bring it to a bike shop to assemble as it looked rather difficult.

Good luck to everyone.

Congrats on the banding, and on the great weight loss, gurgiphoenix.

I don't know what a Trike is - can you upload a photo? I know that there's a website, livingxl.com or something - betterlivingxl.com, something like that - that offers extra large bike seats, if the seat you have isn't large enough.