The Interim

TxChelsey · June 1, 2008

I was banded 8 weeks ago and had my first fill almost 2 weeks ago. I was on liquids (6 weeks of liquids :lol: ) until 3 days before the fill, so I have only been eating solids for about 10 days. I gained 5 lbs immediately :smile:, panicked, and went back to Weight Watchers last Sunday. I do well with structure. Today, I went to my WW meeting and I lost a whopping .4 lbs for the week. What?? I lost 35 lbs in 6 weeks after surgery!! I am allready eating more than I am supposed to and not eating the right things. The minute I was given some food choices, I started making the wrong ones all over again. Old habits die hard. Granted, I am eating nowhere near the amount I did pre-op, but I am not very restricted and EVERYTHING goes down. I stop eating when I start getting full, but it is not happening as fast as it should. I think the fill was a bit too conservative (I did tell him to "take it slow" ) and I don't think I can wait until July 22 for the next one. How long will I need to wait for the second fill? I have heard there can be a delayed effect. I would like to go in asap and am planning to call my surgeon on Monday. On a positive note, I do get full faster and I have started working out a few times a week. I believe that offset Sunday dinner at Mom's, Memorial Day BBQ, Pot Luck at a work meeting, and a birthday party, all in the same week!! Please, send good vibes my way. I need all the help I can get!!

Edited June 2, 2008 by TxChelsey

auntlucy · June 1, 2008

Hi Tx Chelsey! I was also banded by Dr. Hamn (on March 10th). When I met with Dr. Hamn during my first post-op visit, he told me to not worry about losing weight yet. He told me to focus first on letting my body heal from the surgery. Once my body was healed, he told me to focus on making the lifestyle changes.

I also gained about 5 pounds after I started solid foods and that 5 pounds came off pretty slow at first. Your body is adapting to all of the changes and stress that it's been through. Try not to worry about that. Instead, put your energy into making the right food choices. Dr. Hamn told me to stick to lean Protein, salad, veggies, and fruit. For the most part I have done that, and I'm doing well. Is it coming off as fast as I would like? Of course not. But, it is coming off at a healthy rate.

I take my own food weith me almost everywhere I go. That way I know I will have a choice if the food there does not work for my new lifestyle.

If you feel like you need more of a fill, I agree that you should call Dr. Hamn's office. I'm sure they will talk you through it.

Good luck! You can do this. Feel free to reach out to me any time if you need some support!

gkeyt · June 2, 2008

That is normal. Losing 35 lbs in the first 6 weeks is WAAAAYYY ahead of schedule. Most of us gain some back when we start eating solid food again. Like AuntLucy said, this time isn't for weight loss, it's for healing and for your stomach to slowly get used to the band and being filled.

It's not recommended to get fills sooner than every 4 weeks because the stomach swells very easily if you do too much too soon. It usually takes a few fills before you feel like your band is "working". In the meanwhile, use this time to try to learn the band rules and follow them as best you can.

I know it's stressful, not wanting to gain back any weight you've lost. But if you are careful about getting fills at the right times (not too soon, and only when you need them) and not getting overfilled, you'll be losing weight soon enough. You'll get there! Be patient. This time is hard, but you made it through 6 weeks of liquids so you can do this too!

Good luck.