Oh wow, I am in the same boat. Surgery 4/19/12, lost 21lbs. Gained back 4, and have absolutly NO RESTRICTION! UGH :...(

i think if you keep digging around this site and you will see that others have experienced this as well. it seems to be pretty normal. once the swelling from surgery goes down most don't have any restriction and some people do begin to gain as the band is not serving its purpose yet because you haven't had a fill. so during this phase most commonly referred to as bandster hell you are totally left to rely on good old fashioned will power to restrict your portions. the best you can do is make better choices so if you are eating more at least its more of the good stuff...if you have been cleared to exercise begin to move a bit if you are capable and this may at least help maintain all that you have lost so far. don't fret you will be ok and your band will begin to work wonders...this is just a part of the process for some:)

I had my surgery on March 15, 2012 and have lost 23 pounds as of today. I too have the issue of not having a food restriction. The best advice I can give you is to make sure you drink or eat plenty of protein. That will satisfy the hunger. Also try drinking water or a sugar free beverage to satisfy the hunger. If you give it a little bit of time, the feeling goes away. Hope this helps!

Not consistently losing before your first fill is normal. I know you are so anxious to began this journey and watch the pounds melt away but unfortunately it does not happen just like that. Restriction and the band working sometimes takes several fills, you have to learn how your body responds to each fill and basically learn to eat again. Have patience and believe in your self and most and foremost do not get discouraged, this is a process and it does not happen over night. I do recommend you take measurements, so many of us lose inches when the scales do not move and this will help you stay motivated. Good luck to you.

losing 25 pounds without a fill is great -- try not to sweat the six pounds after you get the fill you will be back on track once again

I had just talked to my dietition about this. Do you have a support team, nurses, Dietition ect you can call up.

Anyways what she said to me is the swelling goes down and the hunger increases because the band becomes looser.

She also had asked how much water I am drinking and when. I was drinking only 4 cups of water max a day she told me to increase my water intake between meals taking in about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup or so every 15-30 mins. This will help tie you over longer.

It really works and helps flush out your fat that you are burning also.

You should never feel full it indicates that you have eaten too much.

Slowing down eating is hard she said to divide food on your plate into 4 equall sections and take 5 mins to eat each. 45 sec's - 1 min per bite.

I hope this helps you a little it has me.