Weight loss after a long plateau?

[Angelator 0]

I had my surgery about 15 months ago. I lost about 25 pounds with the first fill, then after losing that weight lost restriction. I've been horrible about going back to get re-filled as appropriate. For about 7 months I've been at a plateau. I feel like I've sort of wasted the benefits of the surgery by not getting fills regularly.

I'm scheduled to get another fill next week--hoepfully it'll give me restriction--but I just hope I haven't screwed myself by not going full speed ahead with the fills. I am worried my metabolism may have slowed down and now I won't lose weight as quickly as I did in the beginning. I still would like to lose about 40 more pounds, ideally (although I'd be happy with another 25).

Anybody have this experience? Lost a bunch at first, didn't get fills for months and months (no restriction), then start up again? Have any success?

[StephC 0]

Angela the great thing about the band is that we can "restart" whenever we need to. Look at all the banders who have had babies, after the baby is born they start back on track again.

I had about 2 months when I didn't lose anything and I wasn't working at it. I went in for a fill and had to have it under fluro and when he was adjusting the band I didnt' need a fill after all. He kinda chewed me out and said it was my eating habits and that the band was working fine but I needed to change my food choices. SOOOOOOOOO that tells me, us, or should I say reminds us that the band is only a tool for weight loss. If we continue to eat wrong we aren't going to lose the weight. Thankfully since I went in for that fill I was shamed into getting back on track. I'm now down about 5 lbs. but I'm working it, tracking my calories on fitday and walking everyday.

You can do it. Just get your head into the game again.

[Wendell Edwards 73]

I had my surgery about 15 months ago. I lost about 25 pounds with the first fill, then after losing that weight lost restriction. I've been horrible about going back to get re-filled as appropriate. For about 7 months I've been at a plateau. I feel like I've sort of wasted the benefits of the surgery by not getting fills regularly.

I'm scheduled to get another fill next week--hoepfully it'll give me restriction--but I just hope I haven't screwed myself by not going full speed ahead with the fills. I am worried my metabolism may have slowed down and now I won't lose weight as quickly as I did in the beginning. I still would like to lose about 40 more pounds, ideally (although I'd be happy with another 25).

Anybody have this experience? Lost a bunch at first, didn't get fills for months and months (no restriction), then start up again? Have any success?

This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week.

The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows:

1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill.

2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band.

3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food.

4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient.

5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again.

6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food.< /span>

7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again.

Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

[farmboy1 0]

Wendell how is your weight loss so far

[CJQuilter 0]

Wendell - that was a wonderful explanation. I have heard parts of all that you said - but you put it together so I understand it better. Thanks. I had my first fill 2 wks ago...it was 1.1 and I didn't feel any restriction. I have lost 4 pds though in the two wks....so I'm hopeful that even though i don't feel restriction or have any negative side effects that it keeps me on track.

My surgery date was 6/18 and I have lost 34 pds so far. Yipee!

Carlotta

[Wendell Edwards 73]

Wendell - that was a wonderful explanation. I have heard parts of all that you said - but you put it together so I understand it better. Thanks. I had my first fill 2 wks ago...it was 1.1 and I didn't feel any restriction. I have lost 4 pds though in the two wks....so I'm hopeful that even though i don't feel restriction or have any negative side effects that it keeps me on track.

My surgery date was 6/18 and I have lost 34 pds so far. Yipee!

Carlotta

Thank you. :car:

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

Hey Wendell, Nice to see you here! I hope you stick around awhile. We all

have so much to learn from all your experience.

[Wendell Edwards 73]

Hey Wendell, Nice to see you here! I hope you stick around awhile. We all

have so much to learn from all your experience.

Hi Denise! Thank you for the compliment! Nice to see you also! :car:

[Morgen442 0]

Hello all,

I just wanted to say thanks for all the helpful info here. I was banded in November 2006 and was incredibly successful in my weight loss for the first 6 months. I've had two fills since surgery but it's been several months since my last one and I've had no significant weight loss lately. It's been a little depressing but now I know that I just need to go back in for a third fill and see if that helps!

I've lost 75 pounds so far and have about 50 more to go. My life has changed in a great way thanks to Lap-Band. Good luck to all of you!

Thanks again!:clap2:

[Angelator 0]

I had a fill done last Tuesday, three days ago. I'm so tight. My doctor gave me a whole 1.0 cc fill and told me to go on liquids for a WEEK! The morning after the fill I had to PB orange juice. Yikes. I'm gonna try to stick with it and see if this will work for me though because I'm sure I would lose weight with this level of restriction.

Any thoughts?

[Carolyn 0]

Hi, I had my band on the 24th of May, lost about 25lbs very quickly. Then things slowed down for me. I kept struggling and my first fill was reschudeled because the dr. was moving. I finally got my fill and felt really tight for about two or three days. I noticed that there was a white looking whelp that came up where my port is. Now I am not as tight and I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Could it be that my port leaked? I have lost a few more pounds, but it is coming off really slow.

[FoxyGramma 0]

Do you have to pay to see the dr. again? Sometimes ports do leak. I don't know why you would have anything white around the port area. Maybe you should have your dr. look at it.

As far as weight loss goes, a lot of people slow down after they have had the band a little while. Some people won't lose for awhile, then drop a few again. Not everyone loses every week.

[annieM 2]

I'm glad to read all your posts. I have been around the same weight since march. I had been doing so well up till then, that that is when i told a couple friends that i had the band. Now my lack of weight loss is embarrassing. I had a fill last tues. and am hoping to get back on the band-wagon.