Question:
Is it normal to have very little to NO restriction 3 weeks LapBand post-op?

I was told that I got the LARGER Band 4 my surgery on May 1 09 (3wks ago). I am now in the "soft/pureed foods" stage after doing 2 wks of liquids. I guess you could say that i have not done EXACTLY like advised in order to "test" my tolerance to foods. But the problem is that the "testing" i have done with food has NOT been a problem for me at all and this concerns me. I have eaten rice, tuna fish with onions and relish ON Triskets, tortilla chips, and pureed chili wrapped in a tortilla and have not had any trouble. Granted I have chewed these things until practically mush b4 swallowing and have eaten them really slow but I have not thrown anything up or even felt discomfort. Is this only b/c I do not have a "FILL" yet which I am getting on June 9 or could it be b/c my Band is too BIG? I am constently reminding myself to not get used to the idea of being able to eat some of these "not so good foods", hoping I will have lots more restriction after June 9 and NOT BE ABLE to eat them....that is why I got the surgery in the first place- duh! lol Have lost 18 lbs so far. Is this ALL normal for Large LapBand Post-op????? thanks for everyone's advice!!!    — ashley32n (posted on May 24, 2009)

May 24, 2009
I had absolutely no restriction before my first fill (which was on Friday). By week 3, I was very, very hungry..eating purreed and soft food (everything high protein) and was still starving. By 6 weeks out, I could eat just as much as before surgery. Once I started realizing that I wasn't going to have any restriction until I got a fill, I fought really hard to make better eating choices, so for example, if I was going to eat 3 servings of something to fill me up, I made it 3 servings of chicken instead of 3 servings of fries. I wasn't perfect the whole time and I definitely ate some foods that were not healthy for me (especially at the end of week 5/early in week 6), but I lost 12 lbs between being surgery and my fill and probably just as importantly I managed to show myself that I **CAN** do this (even though it was hard and I was hungry). The point of the story is that (1) Yes, you will definitely be hungry before your fill and will feel like you have no restriction (and will probably get frustrated and angry about it); but (2) you can take this time to still make small changes and build your confidence in the fact that you can make the changes that will help you lose weight so that once you get to where you are restricted you will already have been practicing good eating habits. Good luck!
   — ads2e

May 24, 2009
I had Realize band on March 12th. I have had 1 fill and still no restriction. If you got the band thinking you were not going to be able to eat everything then you might have done it for the wrong reasons. YOU have to be the one to stop eating. Yes the band will help in the long run but you have to decide that you aren't going to put as much food in your body...or at least control the types of food that you do put in. I have lost almost 70 pounds and even though I have had 1 fill, I have no restriction but just have to manage what I eat every day. Instead of eating when you feel hungry try drinking a full glass of water. Sometimes when we feel hungry we are actually dehydrated and our body is craving liquid. This helps me a lot. When I think I'm just about to starve to death I will drink a full 12-15 ounces of water and then if I'm still hungry I will have a snack. This is just a suggestion to help. Don't be discouraged...there are a lot of us out there going through the same things, but it can be done if you stick with it and do what you know is right for your body. Good luck and let me know if you need anything.
   — Gidget C.

May 25, 2009
I was banded April 1st 09. I also had no restriction until my first fill, but used the time to make better choices and followed my drs advice. Lost 19 lbs doing that in 6 weeks, I had my first fill May 6, and for the first 4 days felt alittle restriction, but not much, still don't feel much, and they put in 4cc. But have lost another 5 lbs will go back for another fill on June 22nd. They say some times it takes a few fills to get the restriction you need. In the mean time us your time wisely. Our Band is only a tool the rest like making good food choices, drinking lots of water and exercising is up to us. The band is a slower way o help you loose weight than other surgeries. I hope you find the right fill for your band and remember that chips and wraps are still just as full or calories now as they were before your band. Carolyn James
   — Cjames3259

May 26, 2009
It is very normal to not have any restriction after surgery. In fact you might notice that it will take a couple of fills before you feel restriction at all. I had my second fill two weeks ago. Finally I feel restriction! Have patience this is a slow process...hang in there, you can do it.
   — lmw9674