no fills
I had my surgery on Sept 15th. I have lost 43 lbs so far, but it has slowed dramatically. I have not had a fill yet and am wondering what my doctor is waiting for. I go to the gym 4-5 times per week. I do 40-60 minutes of cardio 3-4 days per week and weight lifing and cardio blasts for an hour with a personal trainer on the other day. Why am I stuck?? i have only lost about 6 lbs in the past 4 weeks. I am frustrated and think I need a fill. I made an appt with my doctor for the 15th, but i do not think they will give me a fill on that day.....HELP!!
Shannon
Shannon
Shannon,
Abkin's standard practice is to not give a fill until 3 months out. Insurance does not pay for it within this timeframe and he believes that it is a better practice overall. He also does not believe in more than 4 fills per year - once he starts filling, the fills are right-sized (since under fluoro). If you really, really want a fill, then he will do one in the office for a fee, but he is not a fan before the 3 months.
When I first started out and I saw many folks on the boards getting fills as early as 4-6 wks out, I was really frustrated. But, I was so determined to lose weight that I began working out like a fiend and controlling my own portions. Let's face it, even unfilled, the band is better than not having anything at all.
Here's what happened: I started to read about many of the people who had surgery around the same time as me that had to get unfilled and were having major problems within those first 3 months after surgery! I could not believe that before I had even had one fill, they were already experiencing unfills. It made me realize that the 90 day wait period does a lot more good than you think because it forces your body to heal completely, forces you to change behaviors on your own, and it proves to you that you do not need to rely purely on fills (i.e., being tight) to lose weight.
Trust me when I say that if you are continuing to exercise and you can do your best in watching what you eat during this period of time, it means that you will be a truly successful bandster long-term. Don't ru**** and don't compare yourself to others. Eventually, you will be much better off.
BTW, I have had 4 fills, no unfills, reached goal in 10months, and still have plenty of wiggle room in my restriction (i.e., I can eat bread, pasta, rice, etc.). Dr. Abkin's approach is spot on.
Abkin's standard practice is to not give a fill until 3 months out. Insurance does not pay for it within this timeframe and he believes that it is a better practice overall. He also does not believe in more than 4 fills per year - once he starts filling, the fills are right-sized (since under fluoro). If you really, really want a fill, then he will do one in the office for a fee, but he is not a fan before the 3 months.
When I first started out and I saw many folks on the boards getting fills as early as 4-6 wks out, I was really frustrated. But, I was so determined to lose weight that I began working out like a fiend and controlling my own portions. Let's face it, even unfilled, the band is better than not having anything at all.
Here's what happened: I started to read about many of the people who had surgery around the same time as me that had to get unfilled and were having major problems within those first 3 months after surgery! I could not believe that before I had even had one fill, they were already experiencing unfills. It made me realize that the 90 day wait period does a lot more good than you think because it forces your body to heal completely, forces you to change behaviors on your own, and it proves to you that you do not need to rely purely on fills (i.e., being tight) to lose weight.
Trust me when I say that if you are continuing to exercise and you can do your best in watching what you eat during this period of time, it means that you will be a truly successful bandster long-term. Don't ru**** and don't compare yourself to others. Eventually, you will be much better off.
BTW, I have had 4 fills, no unfills, reached goal in 10months, and still have plenty of wiggle room in my restriction (i.e., I can eat bread, pasta, rice, etc.). Dr. Abkin's approach is spot on.
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