first fill, no restriction. feel like failure

[Guest debbiedola]

i had my first fill last thursday and feel no restriction. i am worried sick that i will have a band fully filled but still unable to lose weight. i lost about 20 pounds initially post op but started to get very hungry so the doctor said a fill was needed. since the fill i feel no new restriction and my weight seems to be going up( weighing every day, i know its got to stop). please give some insight as to how often you weigh and how much a bandster should be eating. i am about 5 weeks post op. thanks

[pattyann 0]

I didn't feel much restriction after the first fill. I was still able to eat two slices of pizza at one sitting (I know I'm not supposed to have pizza). I was only filled 1cc. I did feel different though. I would get a burning sensation in my chest if I ate too fast and I didn't have that feeling before the fill. After the second fill, I am feeling alot more restriction but not enough to see a weight loss. I seem to lose 4 or 5 lbs. in the two days following a fill because I'm on liquids and then nothing the rest of the month but atleast I'm not gaining any back.

You'll probably feel some difference after your next fill. Good Luck!

[La_madam 20]

My first fill took a week to kick in. Give it a few more days.

What are you eating? Break it down for us, Breakfast? lunch? dinner? Snacks?

Are you drinking liquid calories? Are you eating hard Proteins first?

www.fitday.com is a great site to track your caloric intake.

Writing down what you eat everyday helps in thebeginning, it lets you see where you could be going wrong.

Please post what you eat in a day and we will be able to advise you a little better..Hang in there

[rachel 0]

i didn't have much restriction after my first fill. I had my second 10 days ago and feel a definite difference but my Dr. said I'll probably need one more - which i agree with.

I'm just having faith that the right restriction will come.

[aileena 1]

Don't be so hard on yourself. From what I have heard, very few people feel any restriction with there first fill. I'm sure you will feel it with the next fill.

[thechatrooper 0]

I'm on my 2nd fill and STILL dont have much restriction =(

[SKoenig 0]

How often can you get "a fill"

[TulipStar 2]

I weigh every day when I feel like I should be losing. For example right after I get a fill, I weigh every day bc I know I am losing. If I know I have been eating a lot, I will weigh only every couple days. It's like denial for me

You are in "bandster hell" and are going to continue to gain unless you control your eating. After a couple more fills you WILL feel restriction, trust me (us) and you will miss those day of bandster hell when you could eat certain foods. So my advice is to enjoy it while you can, bc you are soon going to be on your way! I too "only" lost 20lbs at 5 weeks. We are all different, so stop comparing yourself to others.

The band is only a tool, so you have to help by counting your calories and exercising. You shouldn't be eating more than 1,000 calories a day. Keep a food diary, it holds you accountable for what you eat!!

[pvaughn 0]

Do not get discouraged! It is almost a year since my surgery. I have lost 50 lbs. but many in my support group have losted more. I have had at least 8 fills but they have been very small in amount. I agree with the person that says it is a tool. I have finally come to realize that the band is not a miracle cure. I need to get responsible for what and how much(my big problem)I eat. It is funny!! I feel so much better when I eat healthy in small amounts but the temptation is there to eat the junk and lots of it. I strongly suggest, if you haven't already, you take part in a support group. I depend on mine just to keep my head on straight. It gives me a chance to ask questions and feel that I am not the only one having "such and such" a problem.

Gook luck! I know it is alot to deal with but I am willing to deal in order to feel better.

[karla 0]

I agree~ Give it time and it is a tool. I've had 4 fills and I finally have restriction. I'm at 2.75cc in a 4cc band. I had my last fill on Jan 3 and was fine for several weeks. All of a sudden, BAM, I have restriction eating crackers w/pb. Darn that hurts! Good luck and log your food intake. Might I suggest you check out thedailyplate.com if you haven't already. It's an awesome way of keeping track of intake and exercise. :thumbup:

[kbinaz 0]

I know exactly how you feel, I was in the same place! I did not feel any restriction prior to my first fill, after my first fill, after my second fill or after my third fill! Finally, I had my fourth fill (up to 6.5 ccs in a 10 cc band) and felt some restriction (but I am not there yet, probably need one more small fill) I had this little mental breakdown pity party thing "Ohmygosh, I am the one that is not going to be able to do it, they are gonna get me up to 10ccs in my band and I'm still going to be able to eat, I'm a failure, why did I even have this stupid surgery, I wasted thousands of hard earned dollars for nothing"...you know what I mean...and I lost 0 pounds and would get on this sight and read about people who could lose 5 pounds a week (or more) without restriction and then feel even worse about myself because I'd think about what a big loser I was. Anyway, I had my little fit and talked to the nurse practitioner at the center that did my surgery and he talked me down and explained that EVERY SINGLE LB PATIENT feels the same way at some point. He said it is like an airplane trying to get up to cruising altitude. It is hard work and takes all the engines at full thrust to get there, but once you get there you just cruise along. That is how the LB differs from GB - they just start losing weight from day one and it just basically melts off. Banders have a slower start but we are going to be up there cruising right alongside the GB'ers it just takes patience (which I have very little of, especially concerning weight loss!) I am not trying to preach at you, believe me I totally understand how you are feeling!!! I'm just trying to put this thing in perspective for you. It IS frustrating and it IS too slow for some of us. But try to be positive. You aren't going to be the 1% that fails. You just aren't getting maximum benefit from your band yet and may not get it for several fills. And if you need fills, get them. They are not a sign of failure. They are allowing you to get what you need from the band and why you had surgery in the first place. Schedule them as often as your doctor will allow. (I can go every ten days) to get up to the right restriction. Hang in there and don't get too discouraged!

[slikchik10 85]

Ditto to all the folks above. I was feeling the same way and it took a few fills for things to restrict and work for me. Chin up...it will get better, don't compare yourself to ANYONE on this board, just where you started and where you are now. Best of luck!

Annette

[libra 13]

Hang in there. I didn't really feel any restriction until my third fill. I know you're anxious....been there. But remember that this process does take time.

[Valerie617 1]

oh debbie - please don't feel like a failure - you've only had one fill. I understand your frustration, because the same thing happened to me. In my case, it took me 5 fills to feel restriction. When talking to the nurse in my doctor's office, although I had 5 fills at the time, the doctor was putting such a little amount of fill in each time. On some people, if you're filled too much at one time, your stomach gets swollen and the opening is so small that it's difficult for ANYTHING to get through and you have to get an unfill.

It is frustrating though, and some doctors just fill a little at a time - others are more aggressive. I felt that I should have been filled just a little bit more each time.

Right now, you have to work a little harder than you expected, but your band will work better for you as you start to get more fills - just be careful now, have good eating habits - you'll get there!