Hello ladies and gentlemen:

I am scheduled for May 1st and I am very curious about the first month of life with the band!!

I know that everyone is different, but I just read a post that kinda scared me. It said that any weight loss the first month after the band is due to sheer determination and willpower.

Don't get me wrong, I am motivated and will follow docs instructions to the letter, but is this true? Is there NO restriction in the first month?

Your experiences will hopefully answer my questions...

Thanks in advance!!! :tongue:

For the most part you lose most of you weight on the Pre-op and Post-op Liquid diets. You go through the clear liquid, full liquid, mushies and then on to regular foods. At that point from my experience you have little or no restriction until you have your first fill. So at that point some people stop losing weight or put a little back on. It's normal , you are going from clear liquids and almost no calories to a regualr diet with alot more calories. I would suggest you keep a food journal or use one at fitday.com or sparkspeople.com to track your food, protein, water, exercise and thoughts. It had helped me alot. I was at a standstill for over two weeks without a loss and then had a 1.5 pound. After you have your first fill you will be on the losers bench again.

Good luck with your Surgery!

I think it is fair to say that the band is not working at it's optimum efficacy until after you have had a few adjustments. However, I personally did have SOME restriction from the band, and from the post-surgery swelling. Between the month before and the month after surgery, I lost about 35 lbs. Not too shabby, really. But it is true that the band isn't helping you as much in the first month as it will later.

Thanks for the feedback!! My surgeon does not require a pre-op diet, but I am going to do it anyway so I am not discouraged in my first month.......

2 days after surgery, I can have only clear liquids and then after that for 2 weeks I can only have 1 slim fast per day. If I don't lose on that, then there must be something wrong.

I imagine that my body might shut down a little bit because of the trauma of surgery, but that will go back to normal......

Becca: You lost 52 lbs in 2 months?? That's AMAZING!!!!

Keep up the good work!!!!

I am almost three weeks out.....and (KNOCK WOOD) I really feel like I have 'some' restriction....I can eat 1/2 cup of food and feel satiety....

(I learned from Jack there is a difference between being "full" and being "not hungry"......)

As long as I'm feeling like that, I'm not going to worry about scheduling a fill.....

I deeply fear waking up one morning in "Bandster Hell", but so far...things have been going so well.

I think it varies for everyone. I had restriction from surgery until about a week before my first fill, which was at 4 weeks out. The only time in those three weeks that I felt really hungry was during the last half of the week of liquids. Once I started solids I was fine until about 3 weeks. Then I was starving and wanted to eat everything. Even then, though, I ate maybe a cup of food, as opposed to the 1/2 cup my dr recommends. I had my fill 2 weeks ago and I am feeling less restriction than I did at first, and I'm eating more. Of course, even w/the amount that I eat, I get about 800 cal a day.

I personally haven't found it hard to stick to smaller portions. There is no way I could eat as much as I used to before surgery. I also make much better choices now so even if I eat more than I'm supposed to, it is low calorie healthy food as opposed to the complete junk I used to eat.

Keep in mind that the first 4-6 weeks are about healing and not about weight loss. It is very important to eat well, get in your Protein and heal.

Hi, I felt some restriction right away and wasn't hungry for a few weeks. i'm sure it was from the trauma of a the surgery. The stoma swells from it as it might after a fill and that will feel like you can't eat much. that's my experience anyway. i have lost averaging out to be 3.5 a week, not much but as fast as i want to lose it because of the sag factor.

I had what felt like some restriction for about 3 weeks maybe then I entered bandster hell and have been there for 3 weeks. I go to the dr today so I am hoping to either get a fill or set up an appt for a fill very soon!