I just had my first fill on 3/27 and I still feel no restriction and have the same appetite I have always had. I am starting to get worried and wondering if I did the right thing. I got the lap band for 2 reasons: The physical inability to eat carbs and the appetite suppresion. Neither has happened so far and I am 2 months post op. Am I panicing too soon?

Thanks-

Don't panic. I didn't get ANY restriction until my 2nd fill. After surgery I was starving, after my first fill I was still starving. After my 2nd fill I got halfway down the hallway and had to rush to the bathroom as I couldn't keep my own saliva down. The doc then took some out but then I found I was still really hungry. I had my 3rd fill a couple of weeks ago and now it's pretty tight. I need it tight though to stop me from eating things I shouldn't, at least until I get my head hunger worked out.

So don't worry, it's a very personal journey and eventually you will find the right level of restriction (which is completely different for everyone). I have heard of people coming out of the surgery and never needing a fill and others that have needed a dozen or so fills to get restriction.

Thanks so much for your response. Are you finding more appetite suppression now or is mostly just the restriction?

You are absolutely panicking way too soon. If you spend some time reading here, you will see that the majority of people do not reach proper restriction on their first fill. For some, it takes as many as 3-4 fills before they reach their sweet spot. But, in my opinion, it is better to approach restriction slowly than to be too aggressive and end up being overfilled (speaking from experience).

Give it time, you will reach your sweet spot soon and then the band will begin working for you.

Thanks so much. Your words help me feel a lot better. Sometimes I just need encouragement from others. :biggrin2:

How many fills you need to get restriction can depend on a lot of things. The size of your band, how much saline at each fill your Dr puts in and your stomach. One person might have more fat around the stomach area where their band is than another person.

I've had eight ( yes, eight fills) and still don;t have great restriction. I have a large 10 cc band. First fill was 2 cc's, next were 1cc's and last two were .25 and .50 cc's.

I do prefer smaller fills to sneak up on restriction. I do not want my band to be too tight. If it means I lose slower, that's ok. It also means I can eat a larger variety of healthy foods.

So don't panic yet!

I had my first fill on 3/31. I'm not feeling any restriction yet either. Today I even had chicken & rice casserole. I had no problem with the rice. I'm forcing myself to eat small portions but I know they are more than the 4-6 ounces I'm supposed to eat. I'm still losing so I'm not worried about it yet and luckily, my doctor will give me a fill every two weeks if I'm still feeling hungry.

Restriction WILL come- I too was thinking even WLS wasn't working for me and that maybe something was wrong because I had no restriction- I was even gaining weight- I sent a desperate email to my surgeon and he got the fill DR. to give me an aggressive 2cc additional fill to the 5.5 I already had, so now I have 7.5cc in my 10 cc band and boy howdy do I have restriction now- It will come, trust me- It has certainly hit me over the head and now I'm finding out what it's REALLY like to have to chew chew chew and go slow slow slow..Don't worry, what you are experiencing is normal when you get small first fills. It took me 4 fills and the last one was much larger than what most ppl get when they are above 4-5 cc's already in their band.

You are absolutely panicking way too soon. If you spend some time reading here, you will see that the majority of people do not reach proper restriction on their first fill. For some, it takes as many as 3-4 fills before they reach their sweet spot. But, in my opinion, it is better to approach restriction slowly than to be too aggressive and end up being overfilled (speaking from experience).

Give it time, you will reach your sweet spot soon and then the band will begin working for you.

I had first fill on 3/4 and have found for the last two weeks that I'm eating everything in sight and the wrong things. I need another fill, I guess, to help me to stop overeating. The dr. can't see me until 4/16, what am I supposed to do in the meantime? The dr. office said the fill doesn't last long and that's why I am hungry.

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

I had first fill on 3/4 and have found for the last two weeks that I'm eating everything in sight and the wrong things. I need another fill, I guess, to help me to stop overeating. The dr. can't see me until 4/16, what am I supposed to do in the meantime? The dr. office said the fill doesn't last long and that's why I am hungry.

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Many of us don't get good restriction right away, like me. But not losing something, not matter how much was not an option for me.

So, I had been on so many diets before anyway, I just went on another one. I eat healthy food and I count calories and track Protein, you know like weight watchers.

The band does help me stay in control better than the previous days doing WW without the band. I also find eating this way helps to change my habits and practice band rules like not drinkning for one hour after a meal.

Once we get restriction, it will get easier. I'm not setting any weight loss records, but losing slow and steady. I'll take it!

Edited April 7, 200818 yr by shortgal

That is great shortgal!! Way to go! And I'm sure the Op tries her best to eat healthy but we all have slip ups with dieting or we would not be here. I'm glad your program is working so well for you! Keep at it!

hi im sana i am also two months post op and had my first fill on the 26 0f march i dont feel any restriction aswell i am stil eating like i was before surgery dont give up u will get there why dont u ring the person incharge of fills at ur hospital and ask for a second fill i have and they said they will in 4 weeks time o dont loose hope and sorry about my spelling mstakes

Loosinit sounds just like me, we had our first fill at the same time and everything. I called my Dr. office today to schedule another appt. for a fill and they told me I have to wait at least 1 month between fills. This is so discouraging. I do not feel any restriction at all.

It is very normal to not have restriction until you have had several fills. I have had 1 fill and was banded on 1-7-08. Even though I do not feel restriction and CAN eat anything and AS MUCH as I want, I don't. I knew I would have to change my lifestyle when they put the band on. If I am not losing weight it is not the band's fault, it is my fault. I have to make the changes necessary to lose weight. The band will help but I still need to go to the gym 5-6 days a week. I still need to journal what I am eating everyday. This is not a diet, this is a whole new way of eating and relating to food. I have lost 40 lbs in 3 months and have never felt better. I plan on approaching my sweet spot very slowly. I still want to be able to eat pasta or bread every now and then and have maintained the control to have that privilege. I don't want to be so tight that I have a hard time eating anything. The band is only part of the puzzle and I can't say it is totally responsible for my success so far but I can't blame it if I choose not to change my habits as well. For me I was willing to go to any lengths to be healthy and become thin and I just practice self control one day at a time. I also had to pay out of pocket and that alone is enough incentive for me to be successful. Failure is not an option. I still have 55-60 lbs. to go but for the first time in my life I know I will get there. I also know the band will be my gatekeeper so that I do not gain in back ever again. Sometimes I just feel like we need to have more personal responsibility for our own journey. I love to eat, but I'd love to be thin even more. The food will always be there and I can be happy with less of it and less of me.

Edited April 7, 200818 yr by Socalbandit