Is this where it ends? Need Advice from "experienced" Bands

[Princess losealot 0]

I have been banded for almost 2 months. (Aug 5) I lost 17 pounds on the "infamous" liquid diet right afterwards. That was great~ BUT thats where it ended. I have not lost nor gained any since then. I had my first fill a week and a half ago. (4 cc's in an 11 cc band) I still weigh the same. I dont get my second fill till the begining of November.

I have to be careful, because I can eat a good amount, but don't feel that full feeling until about 20 minutes after im done eating. If I eat too much, then I feel yucky. Will that full feeling come sooner to me as I get more restriction with more fills?

The nutritionist mentioned that usualy the weight comes off a lot easier after the second fill. I sure hope something more happens more when I get it. Has anyone noticed this to be true? I am getting realy discouraged. Not even my in-laws noticed any weight loss this weekend and they last saw me right before the surgery. I guess 17 pounds doesnt "look" a lot different. They still dont know.. I just figured something would be said about me looking like I have lost some weight. :smile2: Oh well~

[chocolate_snaps 3]

Are you exercising?

[Princess losealot 0]

yea, every day I walk. im not the type to sit around so much.

[chocolate_snaps 3]

I mean vigorously. In order to really burn calories you have to get sweating. Walking wasn't enough for me either.

Adjustments help tremendously. But, really, who wants to wait around for an adjustment to lose a couple pounds when with exercise you can make that 2lbs loss into a 10lb loss.

Edited September 28, 2009 by chocolate_snaps

[KartMan 58]

I would disagree with the way your nutritionist said it. The weight doesn’t come off after a certain number of fills, it comes off only after you get restriction. Restriction comes at different times for different people. I was lucky, I had restriction from the beginning. Others on here don’t get it till 3,4, even 5 fills. That is what it is really about though, the band is a restrictive device, without restriction you are just basically on a diet (if diets worked we wouldn’t need the band).

Once you get restriction, it is just a matter of calories in versus calories out, sounds simple right? Many people don’t want to believe this though. They don’t want to take the time to look at what they are eating. When you do get to restriction, and you are eating less (I mean way less, like a cup of food per meal) and you are still not losing, then you need to look at your calorie counts. For me, I find that I need to eat 1200-1500 calories a day to lose (1500-1800 on days that I work out). I have gotten so used to tracking calories that it is second nature to me and not any trouble at all. I was using the “LoseIT” app for the Iphone and am now using SparkPeople on the iPhone – both have pretty robust databases and make tracking calories pretty easy.

Aside from calories, I would strongly suggest exercising. Building muscle is a great way to burn calories. Muscles consume something like twice the calories throughout the day than fat, so those babies work for you even when you are not exercising.

[Princess losealot 0]

I guess im just trying to figure out if it will help me to feel fuller quicker with more fills. It just takes too long to get to that point still. By the time I feel full I would have eaten too much. I need an earlier warning system.

[coltonwade 27]

I guess im just trying to figure out if it will help me to feel fuller quicker with more fills. It just takes too long to get to that point still. By the time I feel full I would have eaten too much. I need an earlier warning system.

Yes when you get a fill you will feel full quicker and stay full longer . The fill will give you the early "warning" your looking for. But you have to be patient. its like the other poster said some people do not get restriction for several fills. I too got it from the very first one.

I know its hard but try to be patient .

Mindy

[Inspiremeslim 1]

I can completely sypathize with you! Im 9 months post op and it took me until I was 8ccs in a 14 cc band to get to my sweet spot...i think it was 4 fills ....pay attention not just to how much you are eating but WHAT you are eating...i have a NASTY habit of eating things some people call slider foods....things that dont stay in your band...like chips Cookies etc...you want to eat high Protein things not only because they are good for you ..but because they make you feel fulling longer...you can get all the fills you want but until we eat right...not gonna work.....

Second you need to do more than just walk...get out do some vigorous exercise I bought a Gowear fit if you dont know what they are ...google them. ( gowearfit.com) ..coolest thing EVER they track your calories in... calories out steps etc.......3500 calories = a pound so in order to loose a pound you must burn 3500 more calories than you eat....keep track of what goes in your mouth...it makes a HUGE difference..and DONT GIVE UP!!!! keep moving and keep trying it will come to you!:tongue2::thumbup:

[jms462001 9]

I have been banded for almost 2 months. (Aug 5) I lost 17 pounds on the "infamous" liquid diet right afterwards. That was great~ BUT thats where it ended. I have not lost nor gained any since then. I had my first fill a week and a half ago. (4 cc's in an 11 cc band) I still weigh the same. I dont get my second fill till the begining of November.

I have to be careful, because I can eat a good amount, but don't feel that full feeling until about 20 minutes after im done eating. If I eat too much, then I feel yucky. Will that full feeling come sooner to me as I get more restriction with more fills?

The nutritionist mentioned that usualy the weight comes off a lot easier after the second fill. I sure hope something more happens more when I get it. Has anyone noticed this to be true? I am getting realy discouraged. Not even my in-laws noticed any weight loss this weekend and they last saw me right before the surgery. I guess 17 pounds doesnt "look" a lot different. They still dont know.. I just figured something would be said about me looking like I have lost some weight. :tongue2: Oh well~

Hopefully your Dr is aggressive enough that after the 2nd fill you will have some good restriction. It's too bad he won't let you return a month after the first as one fill does not do it for many people. Don't get discouraged.

[Princess losealot 0]

Thanks for the answers. We will see what my second fill does for me in November. Until then, Ill keep moving along the best I can.

[dubailady 0]

Yes very true. I was banded on 13th july. Its been over 2 months but i havent lost any weight except the 5kgs which i lost after the liquid diet. I also had a second fill but still no losing weight. I m very sad as i have spent a lot of money and no drastic difference. Keep me updated if u feel any difference.

[chocolate_snaps 3]

Ive been banded for 2 years and just recently got to my sweet spot. I would suggest that you not completely depend on this next adjustment, it is an imperfect science.

Trust me exercise is the key to success for most successful bandsters. My surgeon confirmed what I believed all along, that I would never have lost as much as I have had I not been exercising.

You seem to be on to a pretty good start even though you havent lost as much weight as you want to, but you are asking the right questions. Good luck with your journey.

[coltonwade 27]

I agree with chocolate. what people do not understand is you WILL LOSE your "Sweet Spot" . It will come and go as you get a fill and then lose weight you need another fill.

Your TRUE Sweet spot does not come until your at goal and you can maintain, eat small portions and dont gain or lose. That is the TRUE Sweet Spot. I think people have this mis guided notion that they will get that ONE fill and that's it , your done. It does not ( at least for me ) work that way .

If you lose the "Sweet spot" you have to "find" it again .

[Princess losealot 0]

Oh, I didn't get into this thinking one fill is all I was going to need. TRUST ME. I think what the dietition was saying was that you probably wont usualy begin to even start losing until you get the second fill. She was just letting those who have had just one fill know that it usualy takes more than that to get things going. Not that it was ALL you were going to need. My doctor was telling me, when I was doing the barrium swallow durring my fill, that I didnt have hardy ANY restriction at all before the fill. I think it's going to take a lot more cc's to get me there. Like I said, I think MY key thing I am after is the feeling of being "full" a little..er..a LOT sooner than I do now. I could do a lot of damage at the supper table in 20 minutes if I didn't stop myself, I don't know about you. :tongue2:

[coltonwade 27]

Oh, I didn't get into this thinking one fill is all I was going to need. TRUST ME. I think what the dietition was saying was that you probably wont usualy begin to even start losing until you get the second fill. She was just letting those who have had just one fill know that it usualy takes more than that to get things going. Not that it was ALL you were going to need. My doctor was telling me, when I was doing the barrium swallow durring my fill, that I didnt have hardy ANY restriction at all before the fill. I think it's going to take a lot more cc's to get me there. Like I said, I think MY key thing I am after is the feeling of being "full" a little..er..a LOT sooner than I do now. I could do a lot of damage at the supper table in 20 minutes if I didn't stop myself, I don't know about you. :tongue2:

The fills will do that . Keep you ful longer and get you there faster. even fills that are not very much can help with that for a little while at least.

I was not meaning you specificlaly . But alot of people you see post on here will post " I am not losing i have had one fill , or its been 2 weeks I have not lost any weight since my surgery " you have to have the fills to get the restriction , you have to have restriction for the band to work .

It will come in time dont worry . Just try to be patient. Eat LOTS Of Protein , the Protein will keep you full.

HTH

Mindy