Please share your story, I need some encouragement. I had been doing fabulous on Weight Watchers, but after staying perfectly on plan a whole week only to GAIN 1.4, I lost it mentally and gave up the plan. I've regained at least 5 pounds.

Did anyone else gain weight before their first fill? And did you still have success with the band?

I don't know if I count since I'm still a work in progress, but I lost 32 pounds preop and 9.4 during the 2 weeks of liquids post op. Then, from Week 3 (around 9/12 until 11/13) I gained back 22 pounds. (Fill 1 happened in there...no restriction. On 11/13 I got my 2nd fill. Then, through Thanksgiving and a LOT of stress and pre-christmas, I gained ONLY 1/2 POUND by 12/18. I was ecstatic. Got fill #3 on 12/18 and since then OVER CHRISTMAS I have lost 5.5 pounds of the 22.5 I had gained. I now am up "only" 17 and feeling the restriction. Although I'm not in the zone yet, I am getting full faster. YAY

I am NOT dieting. I am not counting points, calories, or carbs. I am trying really hard to not snack, and to eat my protein first. My husband wants to do Atkins for a while so I may start that with him on Sunday but won't obsess over it. But I have not done ANY diet since I finished my 6 weeks post op to heal. And by week 3 I was eating mushies, but good amounts.

So I'd say that considering with fill #3 in the days since 12/18, including Christmas (which we do celebrate) I've lost 5 pounds, yes you can gain before you get restriction and still be successful.

I'll be honest with you...I've done WW off and on quite a bit. I gave it a last great try. Your reaction to the gain (which happens to lots of people on WW...usually when you gain one week if you've been on the plan, then yuou drop a bunch the next), the eating until you gained 5 pounds, is why I personally won't diet with the band. I want food to be in the background and on diet plans I weigh and count and fret and worry and plan.

I love my band.

Thank you, I feel more hopeful now. I'm just in a panic over the fact that I can eat so much. I try not to over do it, but I still think I shouldn't be able to eat grilled cheese and stuff. I hope the fills will help.

I DO understand. That panicky overeat/diet/overeat thing is one thing I'm trying to leave in the past; that's why I am NOT dieting. Just watching it. I CAN eat a grilled cheese, but honestly before I could eat 3. I am "watching" it. I haven't had a grilled cheese in a while because I am eating less, so I'm trying to be more healthy. You might try that, instead of continuing the yo yo diet thing, and the bingeing after a disappointment! :Yawn:

Thanks. :Yawn:)

It's hard before restriction. I did not gain before my first fill, but I was hungry and felt like I did without the band. It took until my 3rd fill to really have restriction. This is the best way for me to describe it....

Before surgery I could eat 3 bagels (NYC bagles...big plump ones) with cream cheese without even thinking about it.

After my first fill I could still eat 2 if I let myself.

After my second fill I could eat 1.

After my 3rd I could eat half of one.

Now I can slowly eat about a quarter of one if I take it slow and really chew-chew-chew, and that's OK by me.

I too am not dieting. I am eating much smaller portions and chosing healthier foods to put in my body. If I go back to the diet mentality I end up finding band easy foods to binge on. No more dieting for me.

You will be fine. Do your best to control you eating until you get restriction to help you out. Hang in there....it gets easier.

Christine