Depressed Newbie

[Debra McDermott 4]

I had my surgery on August 15, 2008. At first I did well, losing 26 pounds, but now I have gained 3 pounds in the last week. I feel like I spent $7,000 dollars and endured pain to put on weight! I could have done that myself and enjoyed it a lot more! I am scheduled for a fill tomorrow, but am not sure that it is going to help. I just feel like crying! What have I done????

[RestlessMonkey 7]

You were not properly educated about the band. Once you heal, until you get sufficient fills to reach that "sweet spot" they talk about here (where you ave satiety with only a small amount of food, and it lasts for up to 5-6 hours) you are essentially "wide" open...like you were before the band. Band loss is a slow process of 1-2 pounds a week. it will happen.

[coolcrystal 1]

This is very normal. If you read through the forum you'll see about a hundred other posts or more of folks with this same issue, including one from me a few weeks after surgery and complaining cuz I gained 2 pounds. lol. it's totally normal.

You are still healing and as you can eat normal foods again you will gain some weight. Then you get your fills and bam... then you'll plateau for a little bit and it will most likely be because you aren't eating enough. So, you eat some nacho's or some other naughty food and bam, loose a few pounds and it continues like this until like 5 or 6 months out when it becomes like second nature.. trigger foods... plateaus.. the normalcy of it all. We didn't get the bypass, we got the band. And I love mine.. don't panic.

[Danigirl521 0]

I had my surgery on August 15th also. I can't wait until my first fill on Monday. Since my surgery I've lost 12 lbs. I had lost some before surgery too so am happy with what I've lost so far.

I knew it would be a longer road than the bypass but I would rather do it this way. I could easily eat more than I let myself eat right now and am looking forward to eating less and not being hungry as quick. I don't know how many fills that will take but I know I will get there and you will too!

I wouldn't worry about gaining the 3 lbs. I know it is discouraging but right now we are just learning how to eat right with our bands and heal from the surgery. I stopped weighing every day because my scale will move me up or down 2-3 lbs daily. (I'm tend to get obsessive with the scale. lol) Must be Water fluctuations since I know that it takes 3500 calories to gain 1 pound and I'm eating between 800 to 1000 calories per day.

I think 26 lbs is fantastic and you are doing amazing! Hang in there! It will get better!

[josie74 0]

I think every one of us starts to panic when we see even a small gain because in the past, as soon as we stopped losing on diets we immediately started gaining in a steady increase. With the band, a 3 pound gain is NOT the beginning of a 30lb gain. Don't think of it as you've lost 26 but now you've gained 3... just do the total. you've lost 26-3+23.

You've lost 23 lbs!!!!! That's fabulous!! And in a short period of time.

[Minxz 0]

I loved your post Josie

[snowbird 2]

RestlessMonkey is right; check out this thread for some insight into what is happening.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f13/how-lap-band-actually-works-fills-refills-41738/

[BLUEZBANDIT 0]

I had my surgery on August 15, 2008. At first I did well, losing 26 pounds, but now I have gained 3 pounds in the last week. I feel like I spent $7,000 dollars and endured pain to put on weight! I could have done that myself and enjoyed it a lot more! I am scheduled for a fill tomorrow, but am not sure that it is going to help. I just feel like crying! What have I done????

You are lucky you have come to this site because by reading the posts you will learn so much. With more education I am sure you will come to understand how this tool works for us.

Its such a shame that your doctor didn't play a part in that education process.

Please believe after you fill it WILL get better.

Edited September 15, 2008 by BLUEZBANDIT

[mstrina27 0]

I had my surgery on August 15, 2008. At first I did well, losing 26 pounds, but now I have gained 3 pounds in the last week. I feel like I spent $7,000 dollars and endured pain to put on weight! I could have done that myself and enjoyed it a lot more! I am scheduled for a fill tomorrow, but am not sure that it is going to help. I just feel like crying! What have I done????:smile:

U r not doing anything wrong.. i have felt the same way many times...It could be Water weight, it could be a number of things.. that time of the month... any thing..don't think u actually gained 3-lbs of fat!! that would mean that u would have to consume over 9,600 calories and I know that hasen't happened... take one day at a time i'm sure u are doing ok..

[Debra McDermott 4]

Hey thanks everybody!!! I guess the frustration stems from not having enough information, learning to live with the band, and feeling deprived from the food and not getting the desired "benefit. I am also living with the stress of working, taking graduate classes and raising two beautiful, health twin 10 month old daughters. I don't get much sleep!!! I am finding loads of wonderful information here, but I wish my doctor had shared it with me! I am going to give the program feedback as to the kind of information I wished I had been given. They probably won't change what they do, but who knows?! Again, thank you!! :confused: I am wondering though, when I can/should have a second fill. I don't have enough restriction with the 2.6 cc they gave me last time. I am guessing that it will take multiple fills to get to the "sweet spot".

[BLUEZBANDIT 0]

TWINMOMMY13: this site has been my saviour as my doc just treated my like a sausage in a sausage factory, just getting shunted through with only 5 mins consultation to organise surgery in June, didn't even see him before or after the surgery, so basically all the information I received was curtesy of the knowledgable and kind people on here. So hang in there with us and don't be afraid to ask for help. Goodluck with your babies, your study and your weightloss. YOU ARE NOT ALONE HERE!

Deb