Have any of you been able to drop the weight without ever needing a fill?

I have been losing a significant amount a week without a fill. I was banded one month ago and have lost at total of 45 pounds (27 of it before surgery). My doctor will not do a fill until weight loss has stalled. My hope is that I will continue with the correct eating and exercising and not need a fill.

Almost. I was banded 3/25/08, and had one fill of 3ccs 6 weeks later. By the evening I was having trouble getting water down and the next day I was miserable. Called the surgeon, met him at the hospital and he unfilled about 1.5 to 2ccs. I lived with that for a couple weeks, and when I saw him in the office I told him I was still having a problem so he took out another .5 cc. So I have next to nothing, and when I saw him last he actually talked me out of a fill (I thought I needed one as I could eat more and was hungry sooner) since I had lost about 8 lbs since the last unfill, and was actually ahead of schedule for the band, bypass, and sleeve. I was on a plateau for several weeks, but it appears to be creeping downward slowly again. I feel the restriction I do have when I eat dense proteins, like shrimp, ham steak, stuff like that. Otherwise I feel very little restriction. But I am only 20 lbs from my goal, so I can't complain.

I did not have a fill until my 6 month checkup. In that time, I had lost about 80 lbs. Since, I have had only one more fill and do not have great restriction. But, I workout ALOT and the PA I see agrees that I need the calories to burn so that is not a big problem.

It is possible to lose weight w/o having a fill. Just need to exercise.

hmm Im not out long enough to have a fill yet.. Im post op 12 days and have lost 8 pounds since the surgery.. I want lots of fills lol I had a 20,000 dollar surgery so I want to fill that baby up and use it to the max lol

I just came from weighing in at my local clinic. Surgical Weight Control Center. I weighed 352 pre-op. I lost 121 pounds. I have not had a fill. I talked to Jenifer our fill nurse (stabber), she said I would not need a fill at my next appt. on 7/31. Your's is the same question I asked when I 1st came to this site. My other posts contain information & web contacts about no fills. I've had people tell me I was pre-filled=But I only had restriction in the hospital. They say I'm afraid of needles=But this is my 5th surgery & I donate a lot of blood. There are more people with the Realize band that are successfull at weight loss without a fill. Realize has been on the market in the U.S.A. for about a year & 1/2. I would like see Europen history of Realize. Good Luck, Hasta Pronto, George:thumbup:

missrach - I started my weight loss journey in December, had surgery March 24th. I lost 30 pounds before surgery and 50 since. I have had only one fill. Others have had 2 or 3 fills by now. I think everyone is different. I sort of like being a little loose. I am a rule follower, so I watch what I eat and I exercise. I will probably get a fill at the end of August because I am feeling a little hungry between meals.

My daughter's boyfriend has dropped 165 lb without a fill. He was banded several years ago and the put a 4 cc band on him, and he was a really big guy. He has never had a fill and has been maintaining his weight for a long time.