Fills --not losing!

[BioTeacher 0]

I had my surgery in July 08. I have had three fills, 4ml, 1ml, and 1/2 ml. My surgeon cancels my appt all the time, one time they messed it up and I had to take off work, etc. I bet there have been a minimum of 6 weeks between my visits. They just put me off from Dec. 14th(which was already a month from the last visit!) to Jan 5th! That is three more weeks on the month I was already between fills. I feel I am trying to change my life and they are not helping!! My question is--WHEN will I start to fill FULL!?? I can eat an entire pretty large salad, and meat and could still go. I want this thing to help me stop!! How much should be in there by now!? Why don't I feel full?? I lost a bunch of weight the first four months, this past two almost NOTHING! It is very hard to not eat hardly any bread, no carb bevs, no caffeine, just meat, veggies and some fruit and NOT be losing! Is this till pretty typical?? I have lost about 45 in 6 mos. but almost nothing in the last two....:laugh:

[Mrs. Bubba 0]

I'm not sure what is going on with you, but my first reaction is that you need to change something... Usually when the weight loss is stalled an abrupt change is habit will make a difference. Are you exercising at all? Are you close to your goal? Sometimes that last 40 - 50 pounds come off way slower. I don't understand why you are being pushed off by the dr... that isn't right. I have learned from lots of reading here that I'm lucky to be from North Dakota... We seem to get things done lots faster that those areas that are much more populated. Persistance will have to be your rule... Keep after them and don't take no for an answere.... And don't forget how well you have done... Stalling isn't going backwards..... And just maintaining over the Holidays is a positive thing.. So keep your chin up and keep up the good work... Merry Christmas... Julie

[BioTeacher 0]

Thanks for your kind words! In reading the threads from other places I can see that the Program/doctor I am going to is not very good. They are overloaded with patients and they don't seem to care much. So, as you said, I must fight for myself. I see people who say they do not feel full and they call and go in. I cannot even get in. Every time I turn around they are rescheduling my appt because my doc "has surgery" and is not going to be there. I rarely even see him anyway--I see a nurse practioner, but I guess he has to be there. Anyway, I do exercise about 4-5 days a week walking briskly 1-2 miles with my dog. He insists! Even in the cold! Ha. I am not close to goal, have another 50 to lose. I got another thread that says maybe I should not be looking for "full" but maybe "not hungry". I need to think about that one.... Merry Christmas to you too. You hang in there as well! :tounge_smile:

[arkie 0]

Wow, I am reading here about the fills, more than 1 cc at a time. My clinic gives no more than 1 cc. most times less than 1 cc.

I had my fill 10-10-07, disappointed in the band. Lost almost 50 pounds in the whole time. Alot of that was the pre-surgery diet.

It has been months since I lost anything.

I write down what I eat, I exercise every day, no less than 30 minutes, all at one time. Most days I do extra time, no less than 10 minutes at the extra settings.

My nurse is starting to get upset with me for not losing, I was at probably the sweet spot and had to have it removed, got sinus infection, band blocked. Probably all that coughing made it swell. Anyway , my Dr. took all my 8cc out and started over.

My problem is that now with 6 cc, I am not feeling like there has ever been a band in place. My Dr. said the band doesn't stretch but how do you explain why I don't feel any restriction at all.....

I still need to lose another 50 pounds at the very least..

Also , I do great during the day hours but at night I am starving. Tummy growling, the whole 9 yards.

What can I do to master the after dark hungry sessions? I tried eating salads, fresh oranges, Protein. Nothing works. I have even had spells of going to bed and waking up with the old growling tummy.

[froggie456834 0]

I'm in the same boat with my doc - he wants EIGHT weeks between visits. I have not yet had restriction, and had my surgery in July '08. However, you are doing much better weight loss wise... I have lost a whopping 15 pounds. So you can imagine how disappointed I am.

I have 7 cc's in my band and am hoping the next one will do it for me.

I am going to bring up to him next time that I want to switch docs and see what he says.

[BioTeacher 0]

I guess my situation could be a lot worse! HANG IN THERE! I hope you are holding up OK having lost 15 lbs. I feel for you. I do not know how I would handle it! Look at my complaining!! Hopefully it it will kick in soon? I hope that we are all now "stuck" at a spot that just won't work....I don't understand how these others are so successful..... Keep writing to all of us and at least we can sympathize with you, OK?? I sure hope the next fill helps you out.... My heart is with you on your troubles. I think I am facing the same thing with being stuck. I just do not see anything happening and when that happens with me I start to nibble......bad! Let's keep talking!!! Try to hang in!

:thumbup:

[arkie 0]

We can do it everyone.

We have been too far not to make it.

Today I strated on www.livestrong.com its a free place to do support groups, enter exercises , enter foods, your weight goal, really neat place and its FREE...

I decided today to do more than I have been doing. More exercising, more watching what I eat and how many caloties I take in.I promise myself to be "true" for 1 week and see if those mean scales don't start moving down , even if its just a little.

I plan on asking my Dr. why they only give 1 cc at a time. So far , even after 6 cc. after a complete un-fill, I am not feeling anything at all.:laugh:

Like the Little Engine that could, " I can do this" " We can do this" :hurray:

[vegasgirl44 0]

I just logged onto this site after months of being away. I went in for my second fill the day before Thanksgiving. I had complained to the doc that I could eat almost anything in unlimited quantities. I had lost 7 lbs from my first fill to my second. After the second fill, I was ecstatic. For about 10 days, I always felt full even if I didn't eat. I thought, great! this is where I want to be all the time. I kept thinking I was on my way now! Well, it's been about 4 weeks since that second fill and I can eat just about like I ate before that fill. What happened???!!! That's the thing I want to know. I couldn't eat but very little that first 10 days, and now I put more food away these last 2 days that I'm afraid to step on the scale. And today is my birthday and my family is taking me out to eat, and I keep thinking I shouldn't even be able to eat! Does the band stretch? I got stuck about 5 times on turkey and chicken after that second fill. I'm thinking I stretched out the band or something? I know I eat too fast and don't take small bites. I'm not very compliant there. I'm just being honest. I live a fast-paced life and I just don't think I can eat slow, especially after all these years of eating like a fat person. I, too, lost the most of my weight on the preop diet. I don't think I have the strength to do the whole Protein Shake thing again right now. Yuk!

I want to know your thoughts about why we don't feel full after fills. My doc's office assistant told me that most people, by the 3rd fill, can't even swallow their own spit! But for how long and why does it happen that I can eat more as time goes on? Why can't I sustain that feeling for a longer period of time? :hurray:

[jillrenee15 0]

I believe that after a fill, the area around your band swells closed a little bit. The first few days after a fill I am very tight and can't eat much, and i say, YES!!! perfect, this is where I want to be. But a week later, the swelling is down, and some of the restriction is gone. Also, as you lose weight, the band needs filled again. The extra fat around and in your stomach diminishes and the band isn't so tight anymore. Doctors don't want to see you right away again, they want you to wait a few weeks to let any swelling go away, and give you time to adjust to the fill. That means to adjust your eating and chewing patterns. Then, if you still need more restriction, by all means, get a fill!!! Make sure between fills you are practicing your new eating plan. Eat your Protein first!! Chew thoroughly and slowly. Sit at the table to eat with your family. Take your time. The band is a tool, not an answer to every little thing you are doing to sabotage yourself.