Hello Everybody, How are you all doing? The board has been a little quite the past couple of days. Guess everybody is busy. I wanted to check in and see what is new and check on everybody progress so far. For me I'm moving along very slowly. I go in for my 2nd fill on February 6th, and I can't wait. My surgery was 10/23 and so far I've lost 29lbs total. The weight is coming off much slower than I thought, but it is comming off, which makes me happy. I can honestly say I've not made all the "right" food choices since surgery which I know plays a large part in my progress. I'm not going to beat myself up, but learn and keep moving. As far as restriction I don't have much at this point. My first fill was 3cc and I belive my second is going to be an additonal 2cc. I'm hoping at 5cc I will start having some restriction. I belive my docotors office is to strict on fills. They make you wait eight weeks before you first week and six weeks after that. I'm going to have a long convesation with them on 2/6 about waiting so long for the next fill if I'm not feeling any restriction. How long do you have to wait for your fill and how much Fluid do you have and do you have any restriction?

Please share your progress and give me idea what I can expect with my 2nd fill.

I had my surgery in on 11/6, but I didn't have my first fill until 12/7. There were some problems with the holiday, and my doctor being out. They were initially going to give me my first fill on 12/24, but I say "Oh hell naw!!" I was not going to be eating soup for Christmas. LOL! So we opted for 1/7. It was during that session that I discovered that I already had 2 ccs in me. They added another 1.5cc and on my next visit they gave me just 1cc. I don't think my body will allow me to take too many cc at one time. I was told that 6cc and over is where you can find the sweet spot. I have an appointment on 2/11, so I am hoping that I can tolerate 1.5 or 2cc's. I need to get out of the 280s. Its like my weight has been swinging back and forth, but I haven't left 280's. Its so frustrating.

You had your surgery after me and already have more in your band than I do... I honestly don't understand why some doctors make you wait so dag on long for a fill, they are not letting the band the job it is meant to do. Anyways I'm going to push for 3cc on 2/6 instead of the 2 cc which will put me at 6cc and hopefully I can get somewhat of a sweet spot. I do know how you feel though I've been trying to get out of 260's for the past month. I was hoping by the next time I went back I would be at least 255, but I'm not sure if I'm going to make that goal or not right now 263 is hard to even maintain.

Honestly, it has been a struggle, but we will get through this. We have to stay encouraged, and know that God will make a way for us. As for you getting up to 6ccs in a second fill, you should really be careful with that, because you don't know how your body will respond. You don't want to give you body too much and you can't swallow as a result. Trust that your doctor knows what he is doing. Everyone's body and tolarants is different. I am happy that fills are not done the same way for everyone, because you could hurt yourself that way. We will get there girl.

We have to believe that.

My surgery date was 08.27.08. My first fill was 09.30.08. By then, I had lost 20 pounds. My second fill wasn't until 01.02.09. By then I was down another 16 pounds. I decided to get a fill earlier this year because I felt that I was able to eat too much food in one sitting, even a cheeseburger from Whataburger. Since the fill, I have felt a tremendous difference in terms of restriction. I can only eat half the food I did with the first fill and am down 8 pounds in 25 days. I return next Monday, Feb. 2 for a monthly check up at the True Results center in Houston. I urge you to do this. I didn't see any doctor between Sept. 2008 and Jan. 2009. I strongly believe that this slowed down my weight loss.

I appreciate the feedback. I know based on my last appointment that I will receive a min of 2 cc on 2/6. I think I will be good with that as long as they don't require me to wait so dag on long for another fill if I'm not feeling any restriction.

I think it will be important to just ask the doctor when your next appointment will be, and express yourself if it is much longer than you desire. Be encouraged.

Okay I had my 2nd fill today. Things didn't go as planned :confused:, not from lack of trying. I was expecting for a fill of 2cc, but didn't get it.. reason being is that I've lost 6.7 lbs since my first fill. Personally I don't think that is alot (six weeks), but the docotr is fine with the loss. He said as long as I'm losing weight things are going as they should. I ended up getting 1.5 ccc, but can't go back for 8 weeks. Now I worked for t his dag on 1.5 cc, because when I got there he was planning on giving me 1cc and my next appointment in three months. Needless to say he realized that wasn't going to work :thumbup:. So I have eight weeks to see if I have any restriction and good weight lost.

Sorry for the delay........ since we are the only ones really chatting on this subject. The week was a long one.

Six pounds is good. Congrats! We have to be grateful for the blessing. Hey, it could have been worse. I also tried to prepare you, cause I knew you were not going to get 3ccs. That was just too much. I realize that my restriction are more that I think they are. I find myself experiencing that stuck feeling, when I am not paying attention and I take my normal size bites of food. I was out with a friend, when I had to excuse myself from the bathroom to vomit. I know I shouldn't do that, but its so hard. I just wanna get that food out as fast as I can. I am still losing, I guess I have nothing to be upset about.

The funny thing is, the more I loose, the more I see how big I really am. Is that crazy. Its like, I knew I was a big girl, but I am looking at pictures of myself that I've always seen. I just didn't see the weight as it was. Mmmmm...... transfirmation, huh.

How are your work outs going?

I think 1.5 cc was just enough of a fill (I Hate to admit). If I would have received anymore at that time it may have been too much. I do feel the restriction, I've noticed that I'm staying full longer and getting full much quicker. Yesterday I belive I felt my first experieince of "stuck". Wasn't eating too fast, but think I had one bit to many. Anyway it wouldn't go down and had to come back up, betcha I won't do that again. 4.5 cc is where I am and I go back in 8 weeks and I will see where I am after that. I'm not working out as much as I know I should, but I do try to get in about 2-3 days a week of my firm exercise tapes. I need to increase it to 5 days a week.

So we are now at the same fill. I was suppose to schedule my next appointment, but I have to reschedule it due to work. The stuck feeling is the worse. I haven't been paying attention while eating, and I have gotten that feeling more that I should. They say its not good to throw your food up like that. Oh well. I am trying to do better to chew, chew, chew.

As for the work outs. Stay encouraged. Its been a struggle for me. Normally, I do 3/4. Last week, I did two. I didn't go yesterday, but I am planning to go today. I have seen some weight drop off since I got the 4.5, but I am looking forward to more. More, more!!! I want more weight off :thumbup:

Just kidding :thumbdown:

Hey Ladies,

Jumping in here...I'm struggling with weight loss too. I got my first fill in early January, and felt restriction for about a week, then it was gone.

I'm scheduled for a second fill tomorrow and I'm hoping that jumpstarts my weight loss again. I think I may have lost like 2 pounds, which is NOTHING! I'm not happy with that and I want to lose more - not necessarily faster, just more.

I am still fighting head hunger and stomach hunger, and I feel like I can still eat WAY more than I should. I have been making better food choices, but January was a bad month for exercise and I am not losing.

February has started better, at least - I am exercising more (walking every day, getting on the rowing machine my hubby brought home) and I'm praying that plus a good fill will make the difference.

Have noticed some NSV's with clothing and my blood sugar numbers are dropping lower, so that is good. I'm wondering if the insulin I'm taking is affecting my weight loss - I sure hope not. I think I need to lose another 25 - 30 pounds in order to get off the meds and that's my next mini-goal.

Nice to see you two staying active on the boards - I know I haven't been around much, but I'll get better! :tongue2:

I must say that since my 2nd fill I've seen a big difference with my restriction, but would not say that I've found my "sweet spot". I'm currently at 4.5cc and think if I'm able to get an additonal 1cc fill next visit which isn't until April I may be there. The scale is finally starting to move again and I'm more motivated. At first I found it hard to exercise, but not now I'm excited to hit the treadmill and also do my work out tapes. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I went to the mall to purchase a light weight jacket because we had some nice days last week and I was able to fit in a size 20. Which means since October I've dropped from a 26 to a 20. Now if that didn't give me a kick start I don't know what will. I can even get in my 20 jeans. They are tight as heck and I can't move to much, but I can get in them zippen them up and also sit (first time I tried them on I had to stand the entire time .. lol) I'm seeing progress and I can't ask for anymore. I knew when I decided on the band the weight would come off slow, we all knew that, but I think in our hearts of hearts we wanted it to come off fast, which is why we are frustrated, but if we remember that we didn't gain this weight overnight and that out goal is to lose the weight and keep it off we may be able to accept this slow process. Now I just said this because I know it is true, but someone will have to remind me of this statement when I'm at a no weight lost point again. Keep up the good work ladies and let's kep posting. I think we all need to hear the struggles each other are experiencing to see that we are not in this alone and to help keep each other encouraged. Talk to you later my "sistas"

You are so right, its a day to day struggle. Congrats on the 20's. I know it felt great. You will be able to sit swat and drop it like its hot in the 20's in a minute as you make room for the 18s. Ebony, please stay encouraged. I know we are going through this. Sxvan said it well. We didn't get this weight overnight, and it will be a slow, but successful project for all of us. I am waiting for my next fill myself. I think my body is use to this fill and is ready for the next. I feel the tightness of my band in the morning, so I still have my shakes (which is cool for me, I am too busy in the morning for anything more),but by lunch time I am ready for some food. I have still be snacking (not good at all). Its like even though I can't eat as much as I once was able to, I still have room for all the junk that I don't need. LOL! So I have to be super mindful of that. Like today, I had two donuts. :thumbup: Yeah, I am cussing myself out about that. I will be at the gym tonight, but I just have to remind myself about eating right everyday. Its a struggle. My goal is consistancy. I haven't been consistant with anything for a while, and I am working on making that a priority. I got 3 days of exercise in last week, and the goal is 4 this week. I worked out last night, and I will be there today and tomorrow, and I get my dance class on Friday :thumbup:.

My fill appointment is not scheduled until March 4th, so i am trying to have lost a total of 30 pounds by then. Well that is my prayer. I am too close not to make it happen. Please pray for me. My goal is to have lost a total of 45 pounds by my birthday in April.

Keep looking up ladies

:thumbup: