When will I start to "feel" it?

Hi everyone,

I had my lapband surgery at the end of December (12/27) and have had 3 fills so far - a total of 4cc's in my 10cc band.

To date, I have not lost any weight post-op. In fact, I have started to GAIN back some of the weight that I lost while on liquids before surgery and immediately after.

I am following the rules, eating healthier, mostly protein, etc..... I just can't seem to figure out why I don't feel restriction. I'm not as hungry, that's for sure, and I know that's the goal, but the other goal is weight loss!! I can basically eat as much as I want, of whatever I want. 

I'm starting to get a little bit frustrated by the lack of weight loss. I thought I'd be down a bit by now!

Any advice would be helpful... Thanks! 

It's really hard at the start because it takes time to feel any restriction.  I have a 14 cc band and I did not start feeling any restriction until maybe my 5th or 6th fill - at about 6 ccs.  I have around 9.2 in my band now and I'm happy at that level.  It's really a matter now of following the band rules and learning to live with the band.  If you do that, the weight will come off.  Patience is the name of the lap band game.  Not always easy, but necessary.

Are you exercising?  That's really a key.  Just look at what you're eating, protein, veggies, carbs in that order and exercise and you'll do great.  Don't get frustrating, just stick with it.

Good luck,
cat

 It CAN take a while to find the right level of restriction. Sometimes as little as 0.1 cc can make all the difference. And as stupid as it sounds, you have to make sure that you're eating ENOUGH food. Track what you eat, use a calorie counting website and make sure you're getting enough in. If not, your body isn't going to let any weight go.

Y'know, you and I should get together for lunch one of these days!!

 HEY! Did you steal the title of my blog for your signature?? STOP! Thief!! 

 Haha! NOPE, I stole it from Ralph Waldo Emerson!! 

I'm in the same boat.  Just had my second fill today, which gives me 5.5 in a 10cc band.  Doc says i will most likely start to feel some restriction with this fill, but i read so many stories where it doesn't happen, i'm not going to expect too much.

I've only lost 4 pounds since surgery, but i've also added 4 pounds of muscle, so that is 8 pounds of fat gone forever.  At least that's how i'm looking at it!

Restriction is a funny thing.  For some people it takes many fills and quite a bit of saline in that band and for others it is the opposite. I think I got really good restriction at about the fourth fill and I was losing weight at a good clip.  I hit 10.1 cc in a 14 cc band and was doing well then starting having some problems with being too tight and fearful of what could be problematic so I had a slight unfill.  At .2 cc later I felt that I could eat everything with a shovel and a trowel and gained three lbs in about four days. What was scarier was the behavioral change.  I was starting to look for food, eyeballing other people's food, vastly overeating for the fact that I have a band and dreaming of food. I went back in and had that .2 cc put back in. For me it is not just the weight gain that was a problem, it was the way I fell back so quickly into very unhealthy food and obsession habits. My biggest fear was that I would start driving to fast food restaurants in the middle of the night due to the obsession and cravings for food because that is the one thing that has not happened since I had my band.  So now I will be more careful in following band rules (I know I was taking too big of a bite and eating way too fast before I started to feel tight and had the unfill) so I don't have to have another "too tight" episode.

Long story short, I understand your frustration at the lack of weight loss but your body is still adjusting to your WLS and your new way of eating/living. I may take some time before you get to restriction and weight loss but I took more than three months to get to your weight gain so give it some time.  It sounds like your doctor is conservative with fills so go with it and continue to keep the positive changes you have started.  That's the greater gift your band may be giving at this time.

PS: are you exercising and getting a good amount of water in?  

I am sooo glad to see that you all have went thru this also ... i THOUGHt i was failing until I got my 3rd fill on 03-01 ...... i NOW get the full satisified feeling. I was to the point of being in tears that I had the surgery and " it wasn't working" lol but low and behold it FINALLY came ..... give yourself time ...... my DOS was 12-07-10 and I am just now there ... it will come ...... i also gained during the trial and errors of the 2 fills ..... threw my hands in the air and said the heck with it ...... until now ...... i am currently either 9 or 100 cc .... feel reallpid coz this last fill I never asked how much BUT i was at 7c****il then and NOTHING .... everyone is different and their body will react differently ... do NOT give up ... YOU WILL GET THERE AND YOU WILL SUCCEED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with what others have said that it can take time.

It took me I think 8 fills until I felt like I had a band at all.   It was a good 9 months after surgery and I have over 9cc in my 14cc band before I felt anything. 

It will happen so don't lose hope.   

 Thank you for all of the encouragement! Like some of you have said, I have recently started throwing my hands in the air and am getting ready to add WLS to the "been there, tried that" column. Deep down inside I know it takes time, I guess my expectations are too high. Thanks for bringing me back down to earth :)

I have another appointment for a fill in 1 week (which is 2 days before I leave for a cruise.... secretly hoping I won't feel anything after that appointment either! Just kidding!!!), so we'll see if I get something there. The doctor yells at me every time I use the word "restriction" because he says that's not the goal, which I agree with to some level. 

Either way, thanks for the positive feedback!