FLMichael

I got the band May 12, 2011 and thought I would do great but I am not do nearly as well as I thought. On the pre op diet I lost around 17 pounds which was good. After that I gained some back and knew that was normal. I am now at a 7 pound loss my pre op weight. Here is the thing, I have went for 9 or 10 fills and never really got to this "green zone." A 7 pound weight loss is not where I'd like to be 9 months after surgery. After some fills I had to slow down when I ate and had to chew well but could still eat around the same amount. When my doctor comes in to give me a fill he makes remarks like I haven't been following the diet. Which I haven't. He wants that high protein low carb stuff. Which is pretty much the Atkins diet. Well if I could have stuck to that diet I wouldn't have needed the surgery right? Don't get me wrong when I do feel restriction I am going to want to eat the right things. But as of now I don't and I'm still hungry as much as I was before the operation. This is what I want advice about. I have the 14 or 15 cc band. I always used to ask the doc how many cc's I had after a fill and he would tell me. He told me not to get stuck on a number. Well this last time I went I asked him before the fill how much I had and he said 7 cc's. Ok I think well I guess I need more. I take a drink and when it goes down I tell him and I'm on my way. Well as I leave I ask him how much I have now and he tells me 5 cc's. WTF!!!! He told me it was ok and that happens and the band will move a bit and settle in place. Well for months I have lost that slight restriction that I have had and wondering if he has just been taking some out and adding some in each time I go. I feel as I have been wasting months and money and still not in the green. I'm so pissed and I see a lot of you encourage people by telling then to go see the doc and get a cc put in. This is what I want to do. I want to tell him that every time I come in I want 1 cc added. If its too tight I will have to come in the next day and have some taken out. Does that sound ok? I have been doing it his way and haven't got that far and now would like it my way. I am also a Nurse and now how do body works but I also know how my body works. Do you think I should ask/demand this from him? I feel I have the right and I am so ready to start losing. I'm just getting fed up and a little desperate here. If not I'm ready to go to another doctor. Please tell me if you have had something like this happen or any advice. I feel like I have the right to try it my way now. Thanks for reading and PLEASE help me out. Thanks

Wow Elcee thanks alot. Guess you have been having better luck. And for the record I am not expecting it to do everything for me. I have lost weight in the past and then gained it back and then some so this time I have still kept it 7 pounds under my starting weight. Thats pretty huge for me. What I do expect is restriction. To get fuller faster. Thats why we got the band right? Let me ask you why you got the band? Did you have trouble losing weight too? What I am saying in this post is that its as if i didnt even get the band in the first place. I am as hungry as before and can eat as much. As for the low carb thing i did it and it worked but like everyone else who was on that diet coundnt stick to it. And as for me not eating as well as id like, thats why all diets fail. Because we go back to eating the wrong stuff. I know that if I was in this green zone I would need good stuff and protien to support my body. It would be nice to get full faster off 4oz of chicken and a side salad but I'm not there yet. I wasnt even going to put this post up because I knew I would get a comment like yours. REMEMBER YOU GOT THE BAND TOO CAUSE YOU NEEDED HELP! Stop pointing the finger!

Going for another fill Thursday and hope it gets me to that sweet spot.

I have the 15cc band and have really no restiction. I can eat what I did before the surgery and as much. I have had the band almost 4 months now and have lost little weight. I have had 4 fills and giong in for another. I know after my 3rd fill I had 6cc in the band. I forgot to ask after the 4th. I'd like to know how many cc's people had with the large(15cc) band had before they noticed a differance or felt restiction. Please let me know.

Thanks:)

I went for my 2nd fill like 3 weeks ago and my next one is next Monday. Here is the thing. I got on the scale and gained a few pounds since my first fill. Between the post op diet and through the first fill I lost around 17 pounds. So when I got on the scale the nurse seemed like he was sad and tried to make it sound like it can happen. The thing is I wasnt surprised I gained. But when the doctor came in he seemed real disappointed and told me I need to do better. I told him I was still hungry a lot. Then he told me I needed to eat better and snack on pickles and cucumbers. He is one of the doctors that want you to be on a high protien low carb diet which if that always worked I wouldn't have got the band. I always lost weight on those diets but couldnt keep it off cause I would eat carbs again. Here is the thing, I am not a patient person and my weight loss hasn't been as fast as I thought and I'm ok with that. I know that I haven't got to that "sweet spot" to were my band is tight enough. I can still gulp water and Eat really anything. The only problem I seem to have is when I eat too fast I get some pain. I have a large band "15cc" and think its only filled to about 6cc. I wasn't discouraged untill he said that stuff to me. Tell you the truth I'm still not that discouraged because I know this band will help me. I really think after my 3rd fill I will do a lot better. I can eat what I ate before but I'm not as hungry as I was before. I think this next fill will result in restriction. I hope so. I don't think I have lost much but know I haven't gained any since my last fill but hope he doesn't come down on me hard again. As for the low carb high protien diet he wants me on I think that will work for me when I cant get as much food in. AND BEFORE ANYONE SAYS that I should follow the diet my doctor wants me on, I just want to remind people that I'm sure we were all on the Atkins diet and if we could stick to that we wouldn't be in the band chat. Like I said I think when I cant get as much food in I will be wanting to get all that protien in and will. I have done 1400 calorie diets before and lost as much as on Atkins. Thats what my goal really is so I can get a little of everything in my diet, Well these are always longer than I intend them to be and I hope I get some words of encouragement. Thanks

I got my first fill Thursday and I waited 48 hours to eat normal foods. I was on the go last night and picked up some chili from Wendys thinking that would be the best bet since I could chew it up real well ( pretty new to the massive chewing and trying to get used to the prosess). I also picked up 5 nuggets thinking since I was driving it may fill me up after 2 or 3. Well nothing, I ate all the nuggets and all the chili when I got home and was still hungry. I know that the first fill always doesnt work. I asked my doctor and he said he put 3cc's in. I drank some water and I knew it was going down slow. I thought that was it. I know my band is a big one and can hold 15cc's. My question is what now? Do I wait till my next Dr appointment to get another fill or call and get more in when they open on Monday? Another thing is that my doctor will be out of the counrty and gave me a list of other Doctors I could see if I was having trouble. Pretty much if it was too tight. So should I call them and get another fill. I just dont know if you wait between fills? Or do you keep going back till you hit this sweet spot I hear people talk about? I'm just ready to get this ball rolling and start losing. Thanks

I got my first fill Thursday and I waited 48 hours to eat normal foods. I was on the go last night and picked up some chili from Wendys thinking that would be the best bet since I could chew it up real well ( pretty new to the massive chewing and trying to get used to the prosess). I also picked up 5 nuggets thinking since I was driving it may fill me up after 2 or 3. Well nothing, I ate all the nuggets and all the chili when I got home and was still hungry. I know that the first fill always doesnt work. I asked my doctor and he said he put 3cc's in. I drank some water and I knew it was going down slow. I thought that was it. I know my band is a big one and can hold 15cc's. My question is what now? Do I wait till my next Dr appointment to get another fill or call and get more in when they open on Monday? Another thing is that my doctor will be out of the counrty and gave me a list of other Doctors I could see if I was having trouble. Pretty much if it was too tight. So should I call them and get another fill. I just dont know if you wait between fills? Or do you keep going back till you hit this sweet spot I hear people talk about? I'm just ready to get this ball rolling and start losing. Thanks

I wanted to know if there are any cheap websites to buy chewable vitamins? My doctor sells them but I'm sure he is charging more for a profit. Let me know where you buy yours. Thanks

Thanks Rachel, I never thought of Flinstone vitamins. I loved them as a kid. Good idea

Well your older than me and maybe older than a lot of others here but who cares. Do it for yourself and family and get off those meds and live a better life for you.

I had my Surgery Thursday night and I havent been eating much on the clear diet. I have been eating sugar free jello and ice pops and it is now 6pm and must have had only 25 caloires for the day. I wanted to know if anyone ate or think it would be ok to eat sugar free gummi bears if I chew them well. They are clear and pretty much like jello. Also my favorite candy, well the the worms are but I wont push it. Im not too hungery but would like something in my stomach for a change.

I know all Doctors are different but I have talked to a few people who have had the band surgery and haven't had a post op diet this restricted. For the first 2 weeks Clear liquids. Week 3 and 4 is full liquids. Then after that a high Protein low carb diet. I have heard others talk of a mush diet but my doctor doesn't say anything about it. I had surgery Thursday and I haven't been hungry much and yesterday I only got 25 calories for the whole day and so far 25 today. The nurse today wanted me to get more calories but after 2 weeks of a pre op diet that was pretty much just clear liquids and Protein shakes I'm over the whole clear liquids. I know I can eat but I'm over the broth and sugar free Jello and ice pops. I would love to go on a sugar free soft diet now and feel like something would stay in my stomach vs just wash right through. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm being a baby but I kinda want something that was somewhat like food. Like pudding or yogurt. BTW I can't even have the left over protein shakes. I cant have them till week 3 and 4. I would like a little substance in my stomach. THANKS

Thanks for the fast reply. I have been thinking about it and it is a clear liquid diet. They aren't liquids and I googled it and gummis have wax so thats that, Im not crazy about broth but guess I will start liking it LOL

I wanted to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Michael and I am having my surgery Thursday. I cant wait to start this journey and am ready to start meeting some goals. I have been gaining weight since the age of 19 and will be turning 33 tomorrow. I was looking over some old pics of me during my childhood and I was underweight. I dont think anyone would have thought I would have weight issues ever. I have tried so many diets out there and none worked for me. I know they can work but none seemed to work for me. I never thought I would even quallify for this surgery and am still kinda suprised I am having it done. I am around 80 pounds overweight and thought I needed to be atleast 100 pounds over. I know the FDA just changed some of the guidelines and thats when I started looking into it more. I went to a seminar about 2 months ago and everything pretty much has fell into place. I already could prove that I had the 6 months of doctor supervised diet. I do believe that its God. I know it may sound crazy but I thought at most I only had 4 or 5 at the most months of the 6 month diet down but I had 6 months. Everything has just kept rolling forward since then and here I am. I put my faith in God and know this his what he wants for me:) I have the surgery Thursday and I know that it is not a cure but a tool. A tool that I really believe is going to work for me. I know that since I am not going to be eating nearly as much that I need to make better choices. I know that my body needs nutrients and I am going to privide it with them. YES I will still have foods that are not as good for me but I will not do it as often as I have. I have learned not to deprive myself cause its just not practical. Point is I am ready for this and cant wait. This turned out to be longer than what I thought it would be but guess I had a lot to say LOL. Thanks and please say some prayers for my surgery and recovery and my new journey. Thanks, Michael

I there, I am from St Pete and just wanted to wish you luck. I am getting the Band Thursday and cant wait. May I ask who your Doctor is and where you had it done?

Hi Jack, My name is Michael and I am new here too. I am getting my band the 12th and I am ready for change. I'm sure we will talk more. TTYL