I know you have to start off small, but I have no restriction and I have to wait a month to 2nd fill. I don't want to get discouraged but this is taking FOREVER to finally take hold--I have waited long enough!!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't 4cc's a pretty big fill?

Hi, in order for us to help you figure this out we need to know a few more statistics about your loss so far. Don't get discouraged.... it will work out.. Julie

I have lost 20lbs--about 12lbs getting ready for the surgery and 8lbs just after surgery when I was on a liquid diet then pureed foods, etc.

BUT, I could have lost that weight without having the surgery!!!!!!

I'd like to see some loss DUE TO the surgery! Sorry, I am just having a bad day, I guess--I just want to get the show on the road......

It depends on alot,what was your start weight, what size band do you have?I would just be guessing you have the oh so large APL holds about 12-14cc I think, if so that is not alot for first fill.Even so restriction has to be done gradually so you do not get alot of swelling and possiably hurt yourself with an over fill.I know in the VG that is what I have they say it takes 3.5cc's just to fill the band and the tube.I just got my fourth fill that brought me to 4.5 yesterday and I am happy for the first time ,I fill restriction ,I only eat a few bites and I am full.So hang in there your day will come too.

From what I have seen and experienced, many people don't notice a difference with their first fill. As bamagal said, they have to take it slowly with fills. Won't your surgeon let you come back sooner? Mine tells me that if after a week, I feel like I need more, I can call. We have all been through this, it is a normal part of the process-be patient, your sweet spot will come.

I was banded on 9/15/08 I have lost only 12lbs since...I was hoping for more but 12 is good. I feel some restriction and I go to the hospital on 10/30/08 to get my first fill. My doc likes to do a flourscopy and make me drink a barium drink so he can follow the liquid flow and make sure he does not put to much in at first. My doc did indicate to me that some patients feel alot of restriction and some don't feel any at all until he gives them their first fill. Then they should see some real results.

I am hoping for the best.

Hi,I'm getting my first fill 10-21-08,i was wondering what to expect?

Personally I'm in this for LIFE. If I'd HAD to have fast WL, I'd have gotten bypass. No thank you. 10 years down the road, 20, I want to still be successful.

I assume we ALL want that. The point isn't "couldn't I lose this without the band", for me, but "could I EVER keep it off without the band?" answer for me is NO NO NO.

I got 1 1/2 cc in a 14 cc band. My doctor explained his philosophy once I gasped in horror (LOL) and I have to say I agree with him. He feels he is setting me up for success years down the road, He wants me to eat only 3 meals a day, no Snacks, NO CALORIES in between. I go back in 4 weeks and if I've mastered that (regardless of what I am eating during meals) then he'll fill more. He did tell me he'd give me more right now but in his experience his patients are very successful doing it his way.

I trusted the man with my life, twice. I trust him on this.

SO just remember you trust your surgeon. It is a long process but 5 years from now when you are (still) trim and healthy, this wait for restriction will not even be a dim memory.

Hang in there.

Thank you all for replying. Although I can appreciate having to wait month after month for my 4th fill to get the restriction I need, I could have used restriction tonight when I ate a whole sleeve of saltines. What's worse, I am presently thinking about where I can hide the other 3 sleeves so my wife won't find them and I can have them on another day. I simply don't have the mental toughness to just throw those sleeves away. That's why I'm fat today.

Someone asked how much I weighed starting out: 300lbs, now 275. I have maintained my weight since my surgery ( 6 weeks ago ) due to an aggressive physical activity routine. My surgeon said my band could hold 14 cc's.

A better plan would be to ask your wife to hide the crackers from you.

I had a 14cc band put in. At the time of surgery my doctor put in 3cc. I went for my first fill 6 weeks after surgery. I got 3cc more. Losing really well. At my second fill only .08 was added. My last fill, I opted not to do it cause I was going out of town for a wedding and didn't want to be miserable or wanted to enjoy myself without a lot of hangups. I'm still losing, but just very slowly now. Almost can't wait to go back at the end of the month for my third/fourth fill. :thumbup:

jkend, i totally get how you are feeling. i am 4 months out and just got restriction. now i get it. i had NO self control before this. now i can get down 1200 calories a day max and eating is just not recreational like it used to be. you will get there...but i get your frustration. can you ask the doc for more fill? (i now have 8 in a 14 cc ap large).

I just don't understand why I have to wait a whole month from my 1st fill, where my surgeon said I probably wouldn't notice any restriction, until my 2nd fill--he said "I will see you in a month". A month seems like a lifetime when you are trying to lose weight, and for me, just trying to maintain. It's a struggle every day for me not to overeat.

And Restless Monkey --my wife is trying so hard to help me. She exercises strict environmental control. I am so sick in the head that I have known about these saltines for a long time now--way back in the back of the pantry hiding. And tonight I decided I would get them and eat them. My wife doesn't eat saltines, so if I told her about them she would throw them out. I just pray that sometime tonight I will muster the courage to throw them out myself. Why haven't I already? Good question. WHY WON'T I THROW THEM OUT RIGHT NOW??????????? I need analysis to answer that question--any analysts out there?

You know what? I understand. I love saltine crackers. What you need to do, actually, is just go toss them and throw water or something icky on them. I've found that it is so much easier to resist temptation when there IS no temptation! LOL Funny but true, you know? You don't need an analyst. You're just human, no need to pay the big bucks to have that confirmed. But be strong and toss 'em. You'll feel better.

Oh and FYI in my family we don't say "I ate the whole sleeve"...that's too clothes-ish. LOL we say "I did a whole line of crackers". No we've never done crack or any illegal drug, but that "do a line of cracker" just seems to fit with the whole mindset. :thumbup:

That's funny. Hey, while you were replying I threw the crackers away in the garbage can, tied up the garbage and took it out to the garage. What is really disconcerting is that I am still mildly sorry I did it!!

AND, I have begun in the last few days to visiting my favorite fast food places. Now, THAT is actually disgusting to me--that I have done that. Will I stop? I pray that I will.

Now you can see why I need the restriction NOW, not in a month, which is a lifetime away for me at this point.