No Restriction and no help

[Dawnana 14]

I am so frustrated. I had my surgery on 11/30/09 I have had 2 fills totalling 8.5 ccs in a 15cc band and have no restriction. I never got a nutrionist or a diet plan from my Doctor, I got a piece of paper that said...try these things. I have no idea what im doing. I am eating like i used to of course they are smaller portions but I have not lost any weight in several months. I think i am now at the I give up point of this band. I have another fill on the 24th and am nervous that it wont work as well. I fought for a year with my insurance to have this surgery and I finally get this surgery and i see nothing changing. I am at a loss.

[Startingoverat50 3]

Dawnana

I am sorry you are struggling. A 15cc band is pretty large and I am sure will take several fills to reach restriction. I have a 10cc band and have had about 8 fills. I am at about 6.5cc, and I have good restriction now. Don't give up. Tell your Dr. you are not getting any restriction yet so he will let you get fills more often. As far as eating you can eat what you did before as your band allows, however you really need to make sure you get Protein first. I have not been a calorie or carb counter. All I have really done is make sure I eat protein first no matter what. If I am still hungry I will eat some vegetables, fruit and even carbs. The protein really works to fill you up fast and keep you full. Also, make sure you are drinking atleast 64ozs of Water every day. I was very intimidated in the beginning and worried am I eating the right things. Finally, I just decided this didn't have to be that difficult. If you follow the rule of protein first, the band will work for you once you have restriction.

Finally, there are a lot of great people on these boards with loads of knowledge and experience. If your Dr. is not providing you with all of the information you need, I am sure you can get all of your questions answered here by the people who know what you are going through.

You have a great tool in this band. Don't give up on it. Keep getting fills until you get restriction. It will happen.

[Dawnana 14]

Thank you so much. I am going to try doing that for my eating habits and see if that helps. My sister even said to go on weight watchers and of course im thinking, FOR YEARS I have spent thousands of dollars on every weight loss program in the world to no avail, which is why I had ths surgery so I could for once and for all not have to do that. Here I am several months later looking the same. I am just hoping this next fill is the one.

[jensmallwood 0]

There are some good books out there, too, if you want information more succinctly than replies on the internet.

I recommend (though I hate the titles of these books), The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery by Margaret Furtado and Joseph Ewing.

It's got good info and isn't ONLY about the band, but it is very comprehensive.

I'm sorry that your doctor isn't giving you good information. That's a shame, and I recommend that you recommend to his office that they should start doing that.

[Tish5632 0]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're having such a hard time. I was banded 7/3/09 and I didn't get any restriction until my 4th fill and that was 1/25/10. I have an 11cc band and I have 7.2ccs in it. I still need a little more, but I'm close to my sweet spot now. I was really bummed out because right after surgery everyone is all excited and ready to go, but then it took 6 1/2 months for me to get any restriction. I gained back most of my pre-surgery weight loss - 20 pounds, but I've managed to get that much back off now. Keep up the good fight, your band is there just waiting to be able to help you - AND IT WILL as soon as you get some good restriction. :thumbup:

[bigsis 0]

Thank you for your quote. I had my surgery 11/17/2009 and have had 3 fills, no weight loss. I am going for my fourth fill 03/22/2010 and feeling like the banding is not going to work for me. However, I am a little more encouraged reading your comments. If you have any more suggestions please let me hear form you. Thank you much.

[BetsyB 9]

I agree that a 15 cc band is a big one--and that you likely need considerably more fill to get restriction.

I totally understand your frustration! It's a shame your doctor has not been more helpful, both in terms of helping you achieve restriction and in terms of providing useful guidelines for eating.

If you want a quick online resource that pretty much mirrors my doctor's recommendations, bariatriceating.com outlines an eating plan that is really very effective. Most of the posters on the site have had gastric bypass, but many of us have been banded, and many of our doctors recommend the way of eating they promote.

The book Jen recommended is also quite good.

I personally am not a proponent of "eating the way I used to, only less"---only because what I used to do very clearly did NOT work for me. During the weight loss phase, I feel that learning NEW habits is really important.

That doesn't mean giving everything up. It means making changes that allow you to incorporate old favorites in the context of newer, overall healthier eating. I think this is particularly important during the (way too long!) phase when we don't have restriction. During this time, you can do one of two things: resign yourself to not losing (lots of bandsters do adopt the stance that bandster hell is not a time for losing), or work hard to lose by shifting your eating focus.

Of course, the choice is yours--and either is fine. Just don't give up! Ultimately, you will have restriction--and then I think your view of the band will change considerably!

[bigsis 0]

I have visited the web site you recommended and plan to order a few of the items. Thanks for taking the time to reply. I love this site and it has been very encouraging. Thank you

[Whillow 0]

Dont give up ---

look in your area for a nutritionist that is familar with the band and make an appointment - they are great!!

This web site is fabulous along with the ones others have posted.

[bigsis 0]

Very encouraging. I will see the dietician at my doctors office. Thank you

[RavenClaw779 2]

I'm four days out from surgery and I have no idea what size band was used or if it was filled in any way, but my husband just told me the doctor placed a REALIZE band - does this mean I'm booted from the site? :wink2:

Seriously though - I got a handout along the lines of, "Day 1-3 - Clear liquids, Day 4-7 Full Liquids..." with descriptions of said foods. No indication of how often to eat or how much. That said I'm not hungry and can feel the liquid move from pouch to stomach. I see my doc in a week or so - hopefully she can clue me in.