After over a month at 4.5cc in my 14cc band, I had fill #2 a couple of days ago. They added 2 more cc's of fluid, bringing me to 6.5cc.

I showed up to my doctor's appointment pretty mad and frustrated. Right now, it seems like I went through this surgery for nothing. Although I've lost a little over 50 pounds, none of it can be attributed to the lapband surgery. The majority of my weight loss came from the strict liquid diet I was on for several weeks. When you go from eating fast food and buffets 2-3 times a day to a strict liquid diet, you're going to lose weight!

Between my first post-surgery meeting and my first fill appointment, I actually put on a couple of pounds. All of a sudden, I began to panic. I went through all of this and now I'm putting on weight? I wasn't happy about it and neither was my doctor. I don't take criticism too well. In the office I just sat and nodded.

I decided I was *NOT* going to go through that again, so about three weeks ago I signed up at our work gym. My employer said they would pay for my membership, and the gym is next to the building I work in, so there's really no reason not to be going. I had a co-worker show me some simple weight training exercises which I've been doing 3 days a week, and I've been walking on the treadmill 2 days a week for 30 mins, and 3 days a week (the days I also do the weight training) for 15-20 mins. Since my first fill I had put on another five pounds, but in two weeks of going to the gym I lost 13, which put me 8 down since my last doctor's visit.

The reason I got mad at the doctor's office was because I knew they were going to say something like, "see? The band's working!" The fact is, the band is NOT working! I'm not losing any weight due to this stupid lapband, I'm losing weight because I'm exercising!!!

Surprisingly, my doctor's appointment didn't go that way at all. They were genuinely shocked that I had lost weight. "Most patients put on weight during this period," they said. I talked with the nurse about my frustrations and she said that everything I was feeling was normal. She said at this point I should have very little restriction.

The only point of contention we had was about measuring food. They kept asking me how much food could I eat and my response was, "as much as I could eat before the surgery." Apparently, that's not the right answer. They keep saying I should be measuring out my meals (1/2 a cup, starting with 1/4 a cup of meat followed by 1/4 of a cup of veggies, continuing until I'm full). I can't imagine doing that when I can eat an 8oz steak with veggies, and everything else. Plus, I really don't understand how you weigh breakfast burritos and whatnot a 1/4 cup at a time. Do you cut it up and stuff it in a cup? I guess I don't get it.

Anyway ... at 6.5cc I am starting to feel some restriction. This morning I had a couple of scrambled eggs, and I feel full. The full feeling is not like before, like on Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving, my belly used to get full. Now when I get full, my chest gets tight. Before, when I was full, it felt GOOD. Now, being full doesn't particularly feel good. I stop eating because it's uncomfortable now. I guess either way works, one just feels a lot better.

I have another fill appointment in a week and a half, so I'm going to hit the gym hard until then and try to go in with another significant loss.