Restriction....finally?!?!

[HelloSkinny 0]

I was banded on April 7th. I have had 4 fills and am just now starting to feel restriction. I haven't lost any weight yet, other than about 10 pounds at the beginning, which I have managed to keep off. But.....for the longest time I was able to eat pretty much anything and did get stuck once in a while, but never got full on less than what I thought I should have. Now after the 4th fill, I am starting to notice a difference. I had noticed a difference at the last 2 fills, but the restriction seemed to go away. My doctor's explanation was that the stomach swells after a fill, so you feel more restricition immediately after and if you aren't filled "enough" that feeling may go away.

I so hope that I am on my way....b /c I have totally doubted this band up until now. I am still not 100% sold though.....we'll see.

Anyone else in the same boat?

[Jenfs5 19]

I kind of know what you mean. I have had 3 fills so far. when I got my last fill I did feel some restriction but now I dont. The only thing that worries me is that at my last fill my Dr said I did not have as much in there as he had put in and that I might have a leak. So now I dont know if I have lost the restricion or lost the fill...LOL. I guess I will find out at my next fill.

[vagabond 0]

I got banded on 4/15 and have had three fills. With the last fill I seem to have more sticking with certain foods but I can still eat as much as I want to. I plan to have my next fill in October and I am hoping that it will really make a difference.

I have the Realize band and I think in general that you can eat more types and quantity of food anyways.

[Meliwriter 9]

I have had three fills since my surgery in January. I lost about 13lbs between surgery and the first fill. But my first fill didn't give me much restriction and I only lost about 5lbs and had to go back in for a second fill about 6 weeks later. Then I had some restriction and stayed their for a while. I've lost 35lbs to date but have been stuck here for two months. I had a fill in August and another scheduled for September, but long story short, it takes patience and faith. It definitely isn't a science like they would like us to believe.

I do wonder if I have a leak because I have been getting pretty large fills too. Anyone know what the signs of a leak are or how they can check?

[suepro 39]

The other reason why restriction after a fill wears off is that as you lose weight you lose internal fat so the band is looser.

It does sometimes take a while to get restriction just right and it isn't an exact science, more trial and error.

I am now only a few pounds from my desired weight and I have had 4 fills and 2 small unfills.

some of us find our bands tighten with our monthly cycle so I get one pretty tight week every month.

Sue

(Banded November 08 weight 260lbs, August 09 weight 149lbs)

[HelloSkinny 0]

Thanks everyone!

It's definitely been slow going since the surgery...slower than I thought it would be. But I do feel like I am on my way and that perhaps one more fill and continutation of my exercise program and drinking lots of Water will keep me going!!!

[JayTee562 1]

I do wonder if I have a leak because I have been getting pretty large fills too. Anyone know what the signs of a leak are or how they can check?

My last fill the Dr pulled out all of my Fluid to see how much was in there all was present and accounted for so he put it back in plus some for my fill. Pulled out 5 put in 7.

[AngieB2009 0]

I was banded on April 7th. I have had 4 fills and am just now starting to feel restriction. I haven't lost any weight yet, other than about 10 pounds at the beginning, which I have managed to keep off. But.....for the longest time I was able to eat pretty much anything and did get stuck once in a while, but never got full on less than what I thought I should have. Now after the 4th fill, I am starting to notice a difference. I had noticed a difference at the last 2 fills, but the restriction seemed to go away. My doctor's explanation was that the stomach swells after a fill, so you feel more restricition immediately after and if you aren't filled "enough" that feeling may go away.

I so hope that I am on my way....b /c I have totally doubted this band up until now. I am still not 100% sold though.....we'll see.

Anyone else in the same boat?

When I read your post I felt empathy for you. I am a slow looser. My total weight lost thus far is 27 lbs. That includes the 15 lbs I lost during the pre-op diet. So, after being banded I have lost 12 lbs. The disappointment is very real. I thought my expectations were realistic, so when the scale was not moving a harsh reality set in.

I have had 3 fills. With this last fill, I can say I have a decent level of restriction. I would not go as far to say it is my "sweet spot" but at least I know the band is there. Yay for the tool! I need it for help and support so I can be a healthier me!

If you are anything like myself, I build momentum from success. The more I loose, the more I want to do good to loose. When I am not seeing any results, well I have a different approach. Not saying this is the right attitude, but lets face it, it's the truth. So I get what you are saying and feel your skeptisism.

I have plenty of NSV that are keeping me smiling and helping me to have a positive outlook. I have mini goals, I focus on 10 lbs at a time. Since I am 252 I am nearing 2 of my mini goals. First being out of the 250's, second hitting the 30lbs mark.

Do yourself a favor, and don't give up before you actually hit a good level of restiction. Keep going for fills, get them under floro if at all posible. Talk to the Dr about how you are feeling. Focus on Proteins first. Get your H20 in and set a few goals. Remember why you had the surgery. You can do this!!!

I tried on my wedding ring again this morning. I am getting closer to being able to wear it again. I haven't worn it since I was preggers with my son, who is 21 months old. That is a bigger goal. I am able to wear my first engagment ring, so that is another victory!

We are in this together and you are not alone. It's hard at times to see the awesome success of others when we are not sharing the same success. It will come! Hang in there!

[rosetah2006 0]

Hi,

I have been banded since 30th june 2009. I need to have a fill. I live in denmark, copenhagen and need a fill. Do you know where the best fill to be? what are the costs?

Happy loosing!!!!

The other reason why restriction after a fill wears off is that as you lose weight you lose internal fat so the band is looser.

It does sometimes take a while to get restriction just right and it isn't an exact science, more trial and error.

I am now only a few pounds from my desired weight and I have had 4 fills and 2 small unfills.

some of us find our bands tighten with our monthly cycle so I get one pretty tight week every month.

Sue

(Banded November 08 weight 260lbs, August 09 weight 149lbs)

[rosetah2006 0]

Hi,

I have been banded since 30th june 2009. I need to have a fill. I live in denmark, copenhagen and need a fill. Do you know where the best fill to be? what are the costs?

Happy loosing!!!!

[jayne02 0]

I am so glad I decided to read posts today. I have had 3 fills and feel very little restriction also. I am losing some weight because I am eating healthy and exercising. I hope I will get more help with my next fill. It is good to know that others are having the same issue.

[JWL08 0]

HANG IN THERE!!! I was in the exact same boat until this week, actually. My doctor only does one fill per month and I've only had 2 fills prior to this week (even though I was banded April 9th). I thought 7 cc's must be enough and I was failing at this. I had no restriction and I clung to my measuring cups for dear life to ensure my own accountability.

To make me feel worse when I talked to the doctor about being able to eat full sized meals and my concern with that, hsi response was that it was OK to have full sized portions, as long as I was going a long time in between meals. I felt like saying, no offense doc, but I already did the Lean cuisine sized meals for years and it didn't work for me. I got this operation to change that. I decided not to be hung up on the number of cc's in my band and what others deem "a little" or "a lot" and scheduled another fill. Now I am at 8.5 cc's and although it has only been 2 days, I feel a MAJOR difference. I am already down 4 pounds in 2 days. My best advice would to be to keep going--- things will get better. Good luck!

[AngieB2009 0]

I had a fill apt today. They added .4 cc's. I now have 2 cc's in my band! Let's hope fill #4 does the trick for a while! 4 fills in 4 months....