My dream situation-no fills required to lose weight. Anyone who's done this?

[vickyd 24]

When you say you feel restriction - is it like a physical feeling of fullness when you eat or is it that you are finding you are satisfied with less? I'm so curious about how this is all working.

The answer to your question is that both are correct...normally, I weigh and measure everything I eat so I put my 3-4 oz of Protein and 1/2 cup veggies on my plate, eat it and am satisfied with that (not hungry anymore but not stuffed either). Other times I can't eat all of what I put on my plate (I get this feeling that if I eat one more bite I will be physically sick - I always listen to this feeling and stop...I haven't thrown up or PB'd yet). Then there are nights like Monday where I was eating chicken (which I normally don't have any issues with) and I got stuck - not enough to make me PB but enough that I had to put my fork down for a while and wait for it to pass through...not painful but very uncomfortable.

[reverie 49]

You're my hero! Good for you. Posts like this give me a boost in the right direction!

I'm glad! Looks like you're off to an amazing start. Awesome success in just 2 months.

[Shoegal217 0]

Today marks my 6 month mark! I have only had two fills one in September and one in October..I am down 44 pounds. I feel great- have eliminated a lot of "garbage" from my diet, and feel I have about 40 more pounds to lose. Even if it takes me longer than 6 months- I am ok with it. This is a journey not a race. I have considered getting another fill but I am afraid to jinx it.

[sld21 26]

I must be crazy or confused but I didn't get this tool placed in my body to not use it. You cannot use it effectively without filling it. It's what its made for. Don't make people out to hero status because they perhaps practiced a little more willpower not having a fill. But if they are satisfied without a fill with very little food, most likely their surgeon put some in during the surgery, otherwise, why would you get the darn thing in the first place if you could have done it all on your own in the first place.

Thank God for the fills; I would have never lost the 90lbs this year without them. The tool only works when you operate it properly, work closely with your dr, choose the right food to produce satiety and exercise (all of which I majorly do)

Good luck either way but don't beat yourself up if you get a fill and don't glorify it if you don't. You wouldn't have got the lapband to lose weight if you weren't going to use it to its extent.

[Rchavez101 0]

I am down 80lbs in about 3 1/2 months with no fills. I actually had to have unfills due to being to tight. I have no Fluid in the band at this point and still have restrictions. I hope it continues to work for me. Good luck on your journey.

[Rchavez101 0]

Even if the band has no Fluid it is still being used. Your upper part of your stomach was not the size of the band with out Fluid. They make a small pouch with the band. So I feel that I am still working the band properly even with out fluid. I still have to make choices of eating the right foods and eating slow. If you have the band and don't get fills or have no fluid in it and continue to lose weight you are using the band to its extent.

I must be crazy or confused but I didn't get this tool placed in my body to not use it. You cannot use it effectively without filling it. It's what its made for. Don't make people out to hero status because they perhaps practiced a little more willpower not having a fill. But if they are satisfied without a fill with very little food, most likely their surgeon put some in during the surgery, otherwise, why would you get the darn thing in the first place if you could have done it all on your own in the first place.

Thank God for the fills; I would have never lost the 90lbs this year without them. The tool only works when you operate it properly, work closely with your dr, choose the right food to produce satiety and exercise (all of which I majorly do)

Good luck either way but don't beat yourself up if you get a fill and don't glorify it if you don't. You wouldn't have got the lapband to lose weight if you weren't going to use it to its extent.

[CheckYes 46]

My heros are of my choosing for whatever reason I want.

Also, obviously it CAN be used effectively without having fills as evidenced by the people here who haven't had fills and are losing.

Either way, I have seen many people struggle after fills and it scares me to think of getting one. I'm not against fills because I think willpower is the way to go. Even after fills, willpower is still required to make the right food choices and to exercise.

I must be crazy or confused but I didn't get this tool placed in my body to not use it. You cannot use it effectively without filling it. It's what its made for. Don't make people out to hero status because they perhaps practiced a little more willpower not having a fill. But if they are satisfied without a fill with very little food, most likely their surgeon put some in during the surgery, otherwise, why would you get the darn thing in the first place if you could have done it all on your own in the first place.

Thank God for the fills; I would have never lost the 90lbs this year without them. The tool only works when you operate it properly, work closely with your dr, choose the right food to produce satiety and exercise (all of which I majorly do)

Good luck either way but don't beat yourself up if you get a fill and don't glorify it if you don't. You wouldn't have got the lapband to lose weight if you weren't going to use it to its extent.

[tiggi 0]

I am down 80lbs in about 3 1/2 months with no fills. I actually had to have unfills due to being to tight. I have no Fluid in the band at this point and still have restrictions. I hope it continues to work for me. Good luck on your journey.

80lbs in 3.5 months! WOW! Is that safe?!

[reverie 49]

I must be crazy or confused but I didn't get this tool placed in my body to not use it. You cannot use it effectively without filling it. It's what its made for. Don't make people out to hero status because they perhaps practiced a little more willpower not having a fill. But if they are satisfied without a fill with very little food, most likely their surgeon put some in during the surgery, otherwise, why would you get the darn thing in the first place if you could have done it all on your own in the first place.

Thank God for the fills; I would have never lost the 90lbs this year without them. The tool only works when you operate it properly, work closely with your dr, choose the right food to produce satiety and exercise (all of which I majorly do)

Good luck either way but don't beat yourself up if you get a fill and don't glorify it if you don't. You wouldn't have got the lapband to lose weight if you weren't going to use it to its extent.

What a laughable response. Obviously the band can and has been used effectively without needing fills. If you've ever done some reading, there are some patients who have restriction with just the band. If you have restriction, there's no need for a fill. I have nothing in my band and I am full eating a cup of food. Could I be tighter? Yep. Could I eat less? Yep. Do I want to? No. I don't see a point in keeping a very tight band. I saw my surgeon yesterday and out of the 3 of us there, 2 of the others were in for unfills. I'm glad I don't have to/may never need to deal with that.

Anyway, I'll say it myself. Congrats to everyone who has been very successful with the band without needing a fill, and congrats to everyone who has been successful with a fill. Point is we're all losing someway or another, no need to come down on people in the thread.

[reverie 49]

My heros are of my choosing for whatever reason I want.

Also, obviously it CAN be used effectively without having fills as evidenced by the people here who haven't had fills and are losing.

Either way, I have seen many people struggle after fills and it scares me to think of getting one. I'm not against fills because I think willpower is the way to go. Even after fills, willpower is still required to make the right food choices and to exercise.

Agreed! I 100% believe constant fills and unfills make the band a bit less..stable. I too am scared of having to deal with all that problems that can come about with fills. I'll thank my lucky stars for my fill-less restriction.

[RobinLB 3]

Meee! 108lbs down, no fill, 9 months out. It's plenty possible.

Reverie,

Are you male or female? Just like with regular dieting, I wonder if men loose faster with LB than women. I looked at your profile, you're only 20? So again, do younger people loose faster with LB than older?

[HeatherinCA 10]

Wow that's awesome guys! I have a fill, but basically you don't anymore when your hunger dissipates for several hours between meals. I actually didn't have much hunger when I got my band, but now I feel perfect. I'm almost never hungry. I don't really want anymore (at this point) I feel good, and nothing gets stuck, I like having options!

[reverie 49]

Reverie,

Are you male or female? Just like with regular dieting, I wonder if men loose faster with LB than women. I looked at your profile, you're only 20? So again, do younger people loose faster with LB than older?

I'm female though men do lose faster. And yes I just turned 20 a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if age has a huge role. I guess maybe age is on my side but I know people older than me here who have lost just the same. It's all about how hard you wanna push, and after surgery I came out ready to lose.

[Rchavez101 0]

Yeah that was pretty fast weight loss. The doc wasn't to concerned with it. It has slowed down now. The big concern was gull bladder issues with rapid weight loss. It happened so fast I almost forgot what I weighed before and how it felt.

I am down 80lbs in about 3 1/2 months with no fills. I actually had to have unfills due to being to tight. I have no Fluid in the band at this point and still have restrictions. I hope it continues to work for me. Good luck on your journey.

80lbs in 3.5 months! WOW! Is that safe?!

[vickyd 24]

I must be crazy or confused but I didn't get this tool placed in my body to not use it. You cannot use it effectively without filling it. It's what its made for. Don't make people out to hero status because they perhaps practiced a little more willpower not having a fill. But if they are satisfied without a fill with very little food, most likely their surgeon put some in during the surgery, otherwise, why would you get the darn thing in the first place if you could have done it all on your own in the first place.

Thank God for the fills; I would have never lost the 90lbs this year without them. The tool only works when you operate it properly, work closely with your dr, choose the right food to produce satiety and exercise (all of which I majorly do)

Good luck either way but don't beat yourself up if you get a fill and don't glorify it if you don't. You wouldn't have got the lapband to lose weight if you weren't going to use it to its extent.

I got the band for the same reasons most people do - to use it as a tool to lose weight. I did not set out on this journey intending to be one of those people who doesn't get fills. Every month I see the PA in my surgeons office for a scheduled fill and every time, after reviewing how much I am eating and my weight loss she has suggested that I don't get a fill. If she said I needed one, then I would get one. I am not one of those people who feel like I need to be so tight that I am PBing daily and can only eat 1/2 cup of food...I consistently eat 3-4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies at lunch and dinner, a Protein Shake for Breakfast, only snack when I need to (on something high Protein - greek yogurt, string cheese, etc) and eat about 1,000 calories a day. I am losing consistently at this point and if that changes then I will re-evaluate.

I don't expect to be given "hero status" and I am not necessarily practicing more willpower that others...this is what works for me (and for the record, per my surgeon there was nothing put in my band during surgery). Not everyone is the same...I consider myself very lucky that it has been this easy thus far.