Are you there, BAND?

Hello, fellow bandsters!

I have had my band for 3 and a half months now, and have lost about 25lbs.
Although I am happy with my weightloss, most of it happened in the very beginning of my journey and I have been progressing REALLY slowly for the past couple of months. This is no one's fault but my own, since I have not been making the best food choices, but I've just found myself less than motivated...
When I first got the band I could feel obvious restriction! I was hardly ever hungry! From the second month on, that restriction has gradually lessened and now I don't feel the band at all! Has anyone had this same experience?

I have only had two fills thus far and my hope is that with the next fill(s) I will be back to FEELING the band at work but I am looking for reassurance that will be the case.
I read posts of people talking about getting food stuck, not being able to keep food down, having heartburn, and I have NEVER felt anything connected to my band! If it weren't for the small incision scars I wouldn't even know I have a band! Is this normal?

Everyone is different but the band requires maintenence through regular fills.  That's how it works.  A very few find restriction early on; most require 3-5 fills to feel anything.

You should be having regular fills every 4-6 weeks for the first year IF NEEDED.  You can't expect the band to work if you don't get fills.

With that said, fills are not going to make you lose weight.  You still have to diet and exercise for maximum results.  What you choose to use as your diet is up to you, (there are many varying opinions), but the bottom line is that you need to burn more calories than you take in.  That deficit is what causes weight loss.  The band will help with hunger and portion control but you have to make better food choices.

Go get a fill and make sure you are tracking everything you eat.  Start with protein first and add veggies if you have room.  It will make a big difference to your weight loss success.

Keep coming here any time you need help or have a question.

Best~
Lisa O.

I say: "Ditto to everything Lisa said."

and also...if you've never gotten stuck (or whatever), don't go looking for trouble! It doesn't mean your band isn't working.

It's not a good idea to expect to "feel" your band working. That usually means you're using it as a behavioral modifcation device that punishes you when you do something wrong (like take too big a bite). Using your band that way is too likely to lead to unpleasant side effects (like stuck episodes) and/or complications (like a band slip). Ideally, you shouldn't "feel" your band working at all.

Feeling like you don't have a band at all is quite normal. It usually takes several fills to achieve optimal restriction. Optimal restriction means that you experience:

1. early satiety - you feel satisfied or "full" (but not Thanksgiving Dinner full) after eating a small portion of food.

2. prolonged satiety - after eating, you don't get hungry again for 4-5 hours.

Jean

My surgeon said I should never "feel" my band. If I could feel my band I was too tight or something was wrong.

I have had my band for 6 1/2 months and have lost about 35 lbs.  I wi**** was more, but my doc. says I'm doing great.  I have had 4 fills and I really don't feel restriction, I also don't feel the band at all!!!  I guess as long as I'm loosing 1 lb a week I'm doing good.  Good luck to you,,,