I am so frustrated! I am having to use so much self control to NOT overeat because I have absolutely NO restriction. I am 3-weeks post-op, and have already begun eating regular foods because I get so hungry. That was my surgeons solution before getting my first fill at 6-weeks. I'm taking it slow with soft foods first and make sure that I can handle each food before moving on to the next one. I don't over-do it - I've lost 20 pounds since my surgery - but I KNOW I could eat more if I wanted to. I am basically eating high protein/low carb. I get 60-80 gram of Protein per day.

I hope this gets better, otherwise I am going to question why I even bothered with the surgery at all. I was hungry and deprived before, without the band.

You apparently weren't well educated and shame on your surgeon for that; for most the band doesn't do much until it is filled to the "sweet spot" or the "Green zone" as the chart in my doc's office calls it. If your surgeon is conservative as mine is it may take 3-5 fills to hit good restriction.

Regardless right now you are healing and you need to concentrate on that, not loss. It will come; this is the band, not bypass. The loss is slower initially.

You're expecting too much too soon from yourself and your band. Relax, follow your docs orders. It will happen, just not as fast as, unfortunately, you expected it would.

I think I was well educated. Maybe I misunderstood some things. It was my understanding that my "pouch" wold only hold 1/2 cup at most at a time (even less right after surgery), but I know my supposed "pouch" will hold much more. I thought the swelling after the surgery would provide the restriction, but it hasn't. I have no choice but to wait for my 1st, 2nd, 3rd fill to reach the sweet spot.

I do understand that I need to heal, and that I need to be patient, but I am frustrated that I feel like I am struggling just as I always have with hunger and never feeling satisfied. I will try and stay positive and I promise to be more patient, it's just hard sometimes.

Thanks for responding, I appreciate your support.:thumbup:

The pouch probably does just hold a little, but until you are restricted (filled) it is essentially useless because food just goes on through to the rest of your stomach. And some DO have swelling and reduced hunger etc post op, but not all. I didn't, for example, and I'm not alone there!

I understand how you feel; for some it takes 6 months or more, other lucky souls hit the sweet spot early on.

Just hang in there!

Colomom --

You lost 20lbs in 3 weeks? I'm impressed. I lost 8lbs my first two weeks.

I'm having the same issue... and frankly, if I was able to live on Protein shakes, I could've stuck with SlimFast instead of getting surgery!

Seriously, I get frustrated as well. But, as I've learned from watching the Deadliest Catch, if you want to catch a lot of crab, you gotta let your crab pot "soak." OK, probably dumb analogy, but I use it to remind myself to be patient. Which I need to do frequently. :-(

Hopefully you and I will reach our fill sweet spot sooner rather than later.

You are in what we bandsters like to call "Bandster Hell". It is the point before you get your first fill and tightened up. Restless is right, your food is passing right through your band at this point. This is the time when your body is healing and you shouldn't worry about the weight loss. I wouldn't eat the farm of course but it is pretty normal not to lose during this time period. I was very careful and paid a lot of attention to what I ate. I still do because I am not quite at my sweet spot and still have the capacity to over indulge if I really wanted to.

I really didn't feel much restriction till I hit 7.3 cc in my 10 cc band which took 4 fills. Lapband is a slow process for many people. You just have to give it time and until then work to develop good lapband habits, like chewing your food, waiting between bites, asking yourself if you're really hungry, etc. This will make things that much easier for you when you hit restriction. Good luck!

Colomom I am in the same situation. I was banded 2 wks ago and I am feeling great, but so hungry. I drink protein water and shakes, but I am feeling no restriction when it comes to food. Last night was the first night I tried anything other than liquid for dinner. I had some mashed potatoes and I could have eaten way more than 1/2 cup. I have also lost 20 lbs., but I can't wait for my first fill. My dr. hasn't told me when he thinks that will be. I see him again on the 21st and we will talk about it then. I am just tired of feeling hungry all the time. I want some restriction before I fall back into bad habits. I am going to try a scrambled egg with some cheese for lunch. Good luck to you.