Hey all!

I am so concerned about my band. I have like ZERO restriction at all... well maybe that is being dramatic. I have restriction after eating 2-3 cups of food. I have 3cc's of Fluid currently in my band and I guess I assumed that I would feel a little "tighter."

I have lost some weight and I am extremely happy with it but it has been purely all on my own will-power! I guess for a $15,000 surgery I was hoping for a little more help and a little less will-power.

Am I just not at my sweet spot yet with fills? What did it take you to finally have great restriction? I honestly was under the impression that I would begin eating like a bird after the surgery... and that I am not.

Also, I feel like people who know I had the surgery are definatly thinking I should have lost more by now. It has been a little over a month now...

Please help. I love hearing from you all.

Blair

Well, I'm sure you know everyone's experience is different, but I personally haven't had restriction at all until the last month, and now I'm at 4 1/2 ccs in my band. I totally can feel satisfied after just 1/2 cup and I'm satisfied for a good few hours. Don't get discouraged. Go talk to your Dr and see if he thinks you might need a fill!

Good luck!

Don't get worried yet! You are doing great! It took me 10 months to lose 50lbs. You are trying to find your sweet spot, I understand. But give it a bit more time. I am filled to 5.7 now, and finally have strong restriction. Give yourself a little slack, and don't worry about what other people think. This is YOUR journey, and YOUR body is different from theirs. You are doing great for being less than 2 months out!

you should not be expected to drop 20 lbs in a month. actually that is one of the differences between gastric bypass and the band. the band is supposed to be a slower rate of weight loss. now some do loose a lot and very fast but usually those people are weighing in the 300-400 lbs range. the more you weigh the faster you loose. now also you might not have much restriction until you get a few fills. i was able to eat like normal for almost 4 months after my surgery. now that i have had more fills and tighter restriction i am really starting to loose the weight. be patient and try not to care what everyone else thinks.

Blair-here is the deal-e-o.

If there is one thing my doc and his staff did not do a good job with, that was informing me that until I reach restriction...basically we are on our own. I thought that after I was banded, I would feel different when I ate or drank. It took me 3 fills before I could feel anything. I am currently at 6.5ccs in a 10-12cc band.

You are totally in bandster hell right now, and yes...its basically up to you and your willpower to hang on until the band starts doing its job.

You should fill pretty topped off after about a cup of food. For example, I can ALMOST finish a chicken breast. But once I start to feel my band, if I push it and try to finish the whole thing...its going to come back up.

Just keep talking to your doc about how much and what you can eat. I called my doc every week to get in for a fill until I actually felt something. Thats what I (and my insurance) are paying him for! LOL.

Also, I feel the same pressure with trying to prove to people the band was worth it. I feel that they think it should be falling off me as well...but most people dont know the difference between this and RnY...and they dont know that we still have to work at it. So, dont give too much thought to that. My doctor made me chant "1-2 pounds a week" last time i was there bc I was bummed I hadnt lost more!

Eventually we will look back on this and say damn...I cant believe I've lost this much weight!

Hey all!

I am so concerned about my band. I have like ZERO restriction at all... well maybe that is being dramatic. I have restriction after eating 2-3 cups of food. I have 3cc's of Fluid currently in my band and I guess I assumed that I would feel a little "tighter."

I have lost some weight and I am extremely happy with it but it has been purely all on my own will-power! I guess for a $15,000 surgery I was hoping for a little more help and a little less will-power.

Am I just not at my sweet spot yet with fills? What did it take you to finally have great restriction? I honestly was under the impression that I would begin eating like a bird after the surgery... and that I am not.

Also, I feel like people who know I had the surgery are definatly thinking I should have lost more by now. It has been a little over a month now...

Please help. I love hearing from you all.

Blair

It took me 3 fills to feel any difference at all. Before that, I felt like I had no band at all.

You need another fill.

dont worry about what other people think you should be losing--- if you have to, show them my profile and tell them that i lost 10lbs right after surgery, hit a plateau for the next three weeks, and didnt lose really that much more weight until starting 6 weeks after surgery. it wasnt until i got to about 6cc (i am at 7cc now, but sometimes i think i am too tight and am still trying to find that "sweet spot") that i started losing weight consistently. i have lost on average about 8-10 lbs every month. im not worried about slowing down at all right now-- this past month i have lost about 9lbs so far! after about 3 or 4 more months i will be at goal! thats fine by me.

talk to your doc, and they will probably recommend another fill (or two! or three!) you'll get the right restriction soon enough. :laugh:

p.s. you have done a REALLY good job so far! gotta give yourself credit!

Thanks Jane... And everyone else!

I need to be patient. Every loss is great... I need to remember that!

It did take 10 years to pack all this weight on... I guess it shouldn't all come of in a month and a half! Haa!

thanks again everyone!!

I'm having another fill May 4th!!

yay may 4th! only one week of focusing extra hard on your eating and then hopefully your band will start working a little better this time! nothing wrong with wanting to get your money's worth.

i'mnot banded yet, but I"m glad i read this thread b/c I didn't understand the "sweet spot" yet. I now have a better understnading

how did your fill go? are you feeling better restriction. when I was at 3cc's I didn't have any restriction either so don't stress. I don't really remember when I started to feel restriction but now I'm at 7.5cc's and I definately feel it!

My fill went great! I have 3.75cc's now and feel soo much better! I finally feel like I have a band! I have SO much restriction! It is absolutely wonderful!