I got my band March 09, no problems; lost about 63 lbs. and the party was over. I am happy with being a 12/14. I had an issue in Jul of 2010, got to a point that nothing would go down, every meal became a nightmare...didn't mattter unless it was liquid, if it was chewed I was in trouble. DH made me see the doc and he did a small unfill. This was crazy to me since my last fill had been in Oct. Of course I didn't get the refill soon enough and I gained some weight. Got another fill in Oct. (again) and things were fine, I got the extra pounds off and life was good again. Made it through the holidays OK just not great. Then it got cold here, and I started to be tight in the mornings, I would have sips of hot tea just to take my morning meds. Spring come and things went back to normal. When I can eat, I can do bread, steak whatever. I seldom am hungry....this is a big problem. Doc saw no need to take any out, just told me I had to eat. I realize that to drop weight I must eat enough to make my metabolizim work. Summer hits and I am getting stuck again, some say that temps can't do anything to the band and that it must be barartic pressure. But I had learned from the last time and knew when and how to eat. I recently had a cold, didn't want food and lost 4 or 5 lbs. Again the weather is doing strange things, 28- 60 temps in the same week. Snow, rain, wind and sunshine and yup, I can't eat! In the whole journey I have be able to eat something for lunch that won't go down for dinnner or eat it on Mon. and one bite on Wed. and it's stuck. This makes me nuts! There are foods like tuna or chicken salad that I can't even bring myself to make because I just don't want it. Foods that I have enjoyed early in the process don't appeal to me. The doc just tells me I need to eat the right foods at the right time. I can't do 3 small meals and snacks, I can't even do the protein drinks. All I seem to really want is coffee, this might be my problem but I am just over the whole thing. My weight is holding between 173 and 179 so I'm not totaly unhappy, just really confused.

I though about this also.

I have a problem believeing the band can be tighter or looser at any given time. Although we all experience changes in restriction and the expression fits the best. Anyone who has handled a band can see what it is made of.

Changes in temperature can expand and contract I suppose, but placed internally one would think core temperature remains fairly constant.

I beleive it is more correct to say it is the "Pouch" that constantly expands (stretches) and shrinks. I am always tight in the morning. Why? Could it be because I have not eaten any solid foods in 12 hours? And I have been resting?

It loosens up during the day, probably because I have been using it all day.

When things get to where I do not feel much restrictiion at all, I will go on all liquids, shakes and Soups, for at least 2 days, and things get very tight after that.

I try to consume mostly liquids all day, shakes for Breakfast, Soup fior lunch. Then the band is tight for dinner consisting of solids. Seems to be working better for me,

Bottom line, the more I eat, the looser the band gets.

Yes I believe this fickle thing changes. I can go along fine for a week and have no issues then that one day everything gets stuck, Im swollen for days and cant eat. It annoys me most of the time and I really wish I could get this thing out of my gut. I have basically for the last year been doing it on my own because if I get anymore fluid in my band I wont be able to eat at all. Now mind you I only have 3 cc's in my band and would love for every inch of it to evaporate because for the last year I have spent more time on liquids than post op. I dont think that drinking protein shakes is helping us. I finally started doing the body by visalius so that I can get some good vitamins in. I really am only hungry at dinner the rest of the day I could care less but I eat anyway just so I dont feel like crap.

I've read that as little as 0.25cc of fluid can make the difference for someone between being in the green zone or being in the red zone. I'd advise talking with your surgeon and seeing if there is a minor adjustment that can be made.

I too have a crazy band. It's frustrating part is I never know if I will be able to eat. I can have a few bites of something 1 day and the next day won't even think about going there. It just got cold here in chicago and my band seems tighter now. I really don't get it.Ugh...

Thanks for the back up, others had said it was in my head. I must take controll and just go on auto pilot like I was when I decided to do this. I ate when I should and what I should. Back to a protein shake for breakfast, no skipping lunch and goodbye to the sweet tea and coffee, It's hard for people to understand that I am not hungry when I don't eat. My only meal today was 6 mini wontons and 5 french fries. I think I've had 2 glasses of water, 3 cups of coffee and a hot mocha. I really want to get under 170 and I will feel like I did something important. Exercise has not been part of this because I just don't stick with it. But now the "batwings" and cottage cheese on my thighs say I have to make a change in that area. I start tomorrow and I will keep you posted.