Zazzeloop

I seem to be noticing a pattern. I have had 3 fills and seem to lose 10 pounds fairly quickly (within 2 - 3 weeks after the fill) and have a lot of restriction and then plateau for about 6 weeks, going up and down a few pounds and then seem for no reason to almost completely lose restriction. Is that normal? Does the fill evaporate? I don't understand why this happens - it would make sense if it correlated to the weight loss but its not even close - its been over a month since I lost any weight at all. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

You know what -- you make an excellent point! I have been trying to space fills until I almost completely lose restriction so didn't think a fill was a good idea yet, since I still have a fair bit, but maybe that is the problem. Maybe if I went back and got a slight fill once a month the weight loss would continue and plateaus would not. Making an appt tomorrow! Thanks for the advice! It seems so simple when I look at it this way, but for some reason I have been feeling like I shouldn't be going in too often.

I am no expert but it sounds to me like you are doing excellent. 25 pounds is huge. If you are still hungry, you probably need another fill, which will do way more than any diet pill ever could. Trust me. I have tried it all, and diet pills are only as good as your self control and if its not excellent, then they are just an aid -- you may not be starving and have to have it when you take diet pills, but if you still want it mentally you can eat it. Not only that they can be so dangerous to your health - take this from a person who spent 6 weeks on life support in ICU back when I was 23 years old with the diet pills being named as a major contributing cause. The band is actually better than our self control, because if our self control is not good, you will be running for the ladies room -- and that can be awkward and annoying. Now don't get me wrong -- I too am a believer of the belly beasts, but I am also a huge believer that the band is a tool that can change my life albeit slowly, I have accepted this but still wonder about it.... One thing I must say is that it has been a year, and I have only lost 24 pounds but I have no regrets. I have gotten to this point before with gruelling starvation diets and then gained it all back over the course of 6 weeks. Plateauing SUCKS but gaining weight is 10 million times worse.

I am confused. I have really struggled with making this work. I was banded in July '07 and I have only lost about 7 pounds (on a good day 10). I really thought that when I got my 2nd fill at the end of November I had it figured out and that this was going to work for me. At first I was sick a LOT but then I got to know what I could / couldn't eat and how much and I was doing really well and dropped 5 pounds over the course of a few weeks. Over Christmas I managed to keep the 5 pounds I had lost since the fill off because as tempting as the treats were, I wasn't that hungry and I knew my limits and didn't want to get sick. Now its like I am starting over. Sometimes I have a restriction but in the last few weeks, not really. Today I was able to eat a sandwich and a bag of sunchips for lunch - NEVER would have happened in Dec., and then ate pasta for dinner. In Dec when DH served pasta I happily just scraped the meat sauce off, ate some of that, maybe a bit of salad, and called it a meal. Tonight I easily ate a cup or more of pasta including sauce. It seems to me that I need a fill but I don't understand. I haven't lost enough weight to change the fat pad around the band. Does the fill desolve? Have I just stretched my pouch by eating too much?

I am curious about something. I was just banded 2 weeks ago and don't get my first fill until September 10, but I want to prepare myself for what is to come. I realize everyone is different, but generally, are the side effects I am reading about typical (in some or all variations) to most, or is this something that there is a good chance won't happen. I understand I need to chew, chew, chew, and eat small portions but if I do that, is it still a foregone conlusion that bread is no longer an option in my life, I will get the PB, hearburn, throwing up and other side effects? I'm not looking for a guarntee but do these things happen to 99% of people, 50%, 20% of people? If these things do happen, do they tend to be daily occurances, or just happen in reaction to trying new foods etc. I'm not worried about it, after some of the nasty starvation diets I have tried a little slime and heartburn doesn't scare me...:)! but I am wondering.

This may sound like a dumb question, but I do not understand the carbonation thing and my Dr. never mentioned it. Are carbonated beverages not allowed because they will hurt the band, or us somehow, or is this just something that gives people discomfort. I don't understand why - is it the gas? I haven't tried it, but if diet pop doesn't bother my stomach can I have it, or is there a medical reason I can't?

I have read (on this site and others) that for those who's excess calories are coming from sweets, alcohol etc. the band can't really help because liquids and chocolate slip through. Maybe this was the problem?

I'm in the same boat and was feeling a bit sorry for myself! I was banded July 28 and have only been on clear and full fluids so far. Going into this I thought I would see the big drop that I have read many had on the post op diet. My Dr. told me that for my post op diet I could have as much of the allowed foods as I wanted. I realized this week that like it or not, fluid calories count, and those protein drinks have tons of them. I have been watching it more closely this week (e.g. choosing soups with less calories, keeping to a regular schedule for eating and "snacking" less, more yogurt, less pudding, and cutting back on the protein drinks), and I am down 2 pounds. I think everyone is right though. Right now we need to focus on feeling better because that is the most important thing, so you should just do what is right for you, and if the weight loss doesn't come until after the first fill, what's a few more weeks.

Terri, that is amazing! If I could lose 26 pounds by Christmas I would be very happy!! Especially since according to my Dr., once it comes off it doesn't come back!

Thanks for the information Kat! I think that not forgetting I have the band and popping something in my mouth will be the biggest challenge for me -- though I assume the conseqence of a tough lesson or should solve that problem!

I am really curious about the experience of others with low bmi too. My BMI the day of the surgery was 30.2, and from the point I called the center, to the date my surgery was scheduled it was exactly 2 weeks, and it will be 2 weeks since I was banded tomorrow. Considering I only learned about this procedure the day I called, I must sheepishly admit that the only homework I did was reading web sites the day before my consultation. So far so good and now that I feel better, no regrets so far, but I really, really hope that after what I have gone through physically (not to mention the financial expense), my experience is as good as many of the others I have read about here and I am able to lose the 50 or 60 pounds I need to. I have only managed to lose 2 pounds since the day of my surgery, and considering I am still on full fluids, I am not too impressed with myself.