I really hope I am in true bandster hell as everyone has described, because I would hate to think that I am failing so early on. I lost 10 pounds preop liquid and 10 pounds post-op. I am schedulded for a fill on Aug 5th, and hoping for even a little bit of restriction. I am struggling every day with food and hunger. I have never been depressed in my life even with the weight issues. But the past few weeks I have been really down, which leads to making poor food choices. I know this is a time for healing not losing. I really hope that restriction will make a difference because right now it is hard to have done something as drastic as this, yet still struggling just as before. I have started to increase exercise to see if that helps. Really need some advice, or maybe just a kick in the rear.

I'm in the same boat; I'm not sure I've ever experienced true hunger, really, before this, and God, it's unpleasant. But everything I've read tells me once the fills begin, it gets a lot better. I don't know about you, but I'm 48, and I'm excited to have lost 25 lbs pre-op post-op; it's a wonderful start, and if we just hold on, we're going to go down a sharp downward slope with our weight and be able to keep it off. Keep the long range in your mind.

It gets better. They call it "hell" for a reason...and fyi it covers the time from you get the band, are healing and feeling hungry...to the time where you finally start to get restriction and feel the band actually working in there. It did NOT happen for me at fill 1, or 2, or 3..but it does for some. However once healed you can safely eat more if you want to because until your band is filled and tightened most food goes on through.

The time you are in is a hard time. You generally are physically in some pain, you are generally HUNGRY and you aren't losing much ... you dont' see the light at the end of the tunnel but it's there. Hang in there is all I can tell you.