Will they give me a second fill if I am losing weight?

gingerbug · February 9, 2008

I am losing because I am 'dieting' on the band to remain successful. That and I finished up my period right after my first fill, causing me to lose some of the weight I generally do lose after menstruation. I barely feel any restriction and I scheduled my second fill two weeks after my first. I was told to come in again in 2-4 weeks - when I started feeling hungry or if i started gaining. Well, I am very hungry but very much limiting my diet. I am worried they wont believe me. I suppose I could print out a sample of a daily diet and workout from my logs. I have lost 5 pounds. Any advice?

stacy73 · February 9, 2008

It depends on your dr. some dr's follow the manufacturers guidelines for the fills- mine does not-he goes off of what the patients tell him- i am sure he looks at the weight loss also- average is to lose 1-2lbs a week-so if you are steady and do not feel restricted I think you should be able to get a fill-but again your doc makes that decision.

gingerbug · February 9, 2008

It depends on your dr. some dr's follow the manufacturers guidelines for the fills- mine does not-he goes off of what the patients tell him- i am sure he looks at the weight loss also- average is to lose 1-2lbs a week-so if you are steady and do not feel restricted I think you should be able to get a fill-but again your doc makes that decision.

Hey,we have the same band! I know it is different for everyone but when do you get restriction?

stacy73 · February 9, 2008

well, on my second fill which was at 6 cc I felt restriction for a couple of weeks then it went away- after my third which was over a month ago, I still am very resrticted- from what I have heard most people with the 10cc band feel restriction between 6-8cc. right now I have a hard time eating at times-but I have not thrown up or pb or anything-just have to eat real slow-can't eat very much meat. eat a lot of Soup, salad, and soft foods.

JustCallMeKelly · February 10, 2008

Gingerbug, just wanted to share with you my experience cos' I had the same thought as you before getting banded. I'm on an extremely LOWCARB diet, which always makes me lose weight AND i'm exercising everyday so I knew I'd be losing weight wether I had restriction or not so I was worried about the doctor not wanting to give me a fill, but when I met w/him he basically asked me questions about whether I'm getting hungry after meals and how long that is taking, he never even discussed the 14 lbs. I'd lost, other than to say it was a good thing. So far he's given me 2 fills, 4 weeks after each other and I'm seeing him again in 3 weeks for another if needed. I'm still not at the sweet spot but I've been taking it slow with how much I tell him to put in cos' I don't like the feeling I get right after. So really I think that the surgeon will make the decision based on what you tell him, so make sure you are honest and thorough in your discussions with him. Good luck and let us know how it goes for you. Be well. KKG

nip50 · February 11, 2008

Gingerbug - I had my first and only fill on 11/29. The clinic where I get my fills will not fill if you continue to loose on an average 2 pounds or more per week. I was scheduled for next week, but after speaking with them on the phone and giving them my current weight they said maybe next month. I have had to canceled 3 appointments so far. I too have very little restriction and am loosing with the aid of dieting and will power along with the band. At times I am very frustrated about not having fills, but I'm also very pleased that I'm controlling it so far. I keep telling myself to be patient. I also tell myself to save the fills for when I really need them.

Keep up the good work. Remember some people never have a fill. The band itself is enough.

Chrisann · February 11, 2008

My doctor asked me on my first fill where I fell on the hunger scale. Then how soon was I getting hungry after eating. I got 4cc's in a 10cc band. Using that same questioning now, I am getting hungry 2 hours after eating, but don't feel a bit of restriction 98% of the time. So, I figure that I need a fill. I am averaging a pound a week so I am doing ok, but want to be able to feel restriction because I know that I will overeat.