Ok, I'm starting to get a little confused here. This last fill did me real good. I was very tight, almost too tight for my liking. I was definately in the green zone, maybe a Dark Green per some other posts I've read. So, I'm used to being very tight one day, and then pretty loose the next. I understand the concept of stress, water, salt, TOM, etc. giving me added tightness. So, on 6/18 i had a scheduled fill. I canceled that because I had been pretty tight. For the past week or so, I've been pretty consistently loose so I scheduled another fill for 7/9, a small one though. Now tonight, I'm eating tuna, which NEVER bothers me, and its taken me real slow eating it. I mean real slow and I can feel myself tightening up again. Sooooo....is this normal for the green zone? Should I not go in for my fill? I really don't like to be too tight where I can't tolerate lean proteins, such as white chicken, lean turkey, eggs, etc. When i'm that tight that its a pain to eat, i find myself turning to slider foods. I do much better with eating healthy in MY green zone, which is probably on the looser end of the green zone. So if you were going back and forth on tightness, would you get a fill or wait it out some more?

I was just having this same problem...I did get a fill though and I can definetly tell I needed it..back in the green zone and down 2 pounds already..it seems my band loosens as the day goes and by the time it's really loose i'm going to bed..lol glad about that...I just got the fill on Monday so I have 2 weeks to see if it is ok before I would have to pay for another adjustment...I think I am going to stick this out cuz I have been stalled and then started gaining weight..but I hear u on the loose..tight..business..ugh..why can't it just stay where we want ..lol...oh well I still love my band

Bands have a mind of their own. At least mine does. She can be very accommodating some days and even go 3-4 days being nice and then, bam, she gets an attitude. Then I can go 4 days where everything but Soup gets stuck. I do know that I'm still struggling to eat slower, take smaller bites and chew but there are times this doesn't work at all.

I've read from others who experience the same. It's our lives with the band I'm afraid.

Seriously though, it's got to be the linings of our stomach expanding and contracting to all kinds of influences such as sodium, meds, blood flow, temperatures, time of day and edema. And of course, how fast we eat, how much we eat and how much we chew?

I'm going in Friday for a small unfill. I hate to do it since I'm losing weight but I don't like this roller coaster and I'd rather take a few months longer to lose my weight than be so uncomfortable now.

tmf

Thanks for your responses. I think I will go in for a small fill but I can typically only get. 5 at a time bagged I'm very sensitive and swell shut at anything higher. Maybe I'll just get life half that and see how it goes. Glad to hear this is normal for y'all . Inconsistencies make me worry.

This thread hit home for me...to fill or not to fill. It's crazy because I am scheduled for a fill next week. But today I could hardly get anything down. It's hot outside and I don't think I'm as hydrated as I should be. I'm working out five days a week, getting muscle tone, but no drop on scale. Very frustrating. I guess I want to see something change. I'm scared to get the fill in the idea that I could get too restricted. Does it mean I go back to more liquids, Soups, etc? Or maintain a slow plateau, continue workouts and take the slow boat? Help me!!!!

It really can be a rollercoaster. I just had a .5 fill yesterday. On one hand, I had really been dreading it because the last fill I had made me painfully tight, but on the other hand I was experiencing alot of hunger between meals. So far, this fill hasn't been quite as painful as my last one. After that fill, water was painful going down but I stuck it out and eventually my stomach settled down. I think I am just one that my stomach can't handle major fills, because once it settled there were times I felt like I didn't have much restriction at all.

I had fill two month ago beacause It was too tight, i couldn't hold any thing and he took 1cc of of 3 cc. since then I gained 10 lb and scares me not sure go for fill or not? everytime I go it cost too much and in other hand gaining weight is worse. Please help me and let me know if you had experience same thing.

I had fill two month ago beacause It was too tight, i couldn't hold any thing and he took 1cc of of 3 cc. since then I gained 10 lb and scares me not sure go for fill or not? everytime I go it cost too much and in other hand gaining weight is worse. Please help me and let me know if you had experience same thing.

What about going in for a smaller fill, like .5 or even smaller?

Well, I'm definitely relieved that I'm not the only one here that has had a "moody" band. I got a .5cc fill on Friday. I had no problem eating or drinking all weekend and this morning I woke up soooo tight that water wouldn't even go down. I PB'd, slimed, and regurgitated about 4 times over the course of 3 hours before I was able to take sips of water and eat a 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. As the day went on, my "moody" band has loosened up, but, boy, was that an experience! I'm on mushies now, and plan to stay on them for the next few days. I've been banded for 2 years this month and am used to the loose then tight "thing", but never so tight that water didn't wanna go down. Anybody else have this problem? Could it be because my tummy has to get used to the tighter band? Wonder if it will ease up or if I'll have to get a teeny unfill...ugghhh!!

I just go with the flow....I'm glad as all heck the band is doing it's job. If I find it hard to eat some day, so what. I don't eat. Simple.

It makes up for the days it's loose. But I like knowing it's there with every swallow.

I have not been able to eat breakfast for nearly a year now. So I have a high protein smoothie every morning.

Ok I was tryn to stick it out but when I wake up suddenlu about to throw up it's a problem...I have dropped 10 pounds in a week...yes my hunger is gone and I really just eat cuz I know I need the nutrition..but not being able to sleep cuz of a gurling band is so annoying...I just want like. 3 cc's out so I can eat comfortably...ohhhhh how I wish fills were an exact science! Ugh! This is the part I hate about my band and wasn't prepared for.

I'm with you on that, Jennifer. Since my fill last week, I can't eat or drink early in the morning cause I'm really tight in the morning. I have to be at work at 7am and am used to drinking a bottle of water as soon as I get up in the morning, however, my first real drink of water is now around 8:30-9:00 am. Yesterday morning, I inadvertently grabbed my water when I woke up and NOTHING would go down! I was sooo scared. I've never had water get stuck. I contemplated going in for a teeny unfill, but when the band loosens up, I have great restriction and can only eat about a cup of food. I've already lost 4lbs. since last Friday! I'm gonna stick it out and see how things go. I'm just gonna have to retrain myself to drink/eat a little later in the morning to allow my band to "wake up". Lol. I also wish that getting fills were a lot easier to get just right.

I can so relate!! I have my band pretty tight. I went from an 11CC to a 12CC and omg I cannot eat like before and one major thing that I know I must do is CHEW~! I noticed that like many of you, I can eat good one day and others maybe 2-3 bites. I am losing inches.. feels good to see the pants get loser and I noticed a total of 10lbs after having my band adjusted... Glad I am not alone on this.

Hello all, I am not there yet and have 3.5 cc's in a 10 cc band. I have very little restriction and look forward to the day when I can really tell this band is working. Good luck to you all.

I just had my third fill last Thursday....my surgery was Feb 28 and my first two fills took me up to 4cc in a 10cc band. I got 1cc on Thursday, and felt very little restriction til Thursday evening. Then, wow! I was painfully restricted. I considered going back in for a slight unfill, and I still might do that Monday....but I am anxious to get back to real weight loss after only losing 3-4 lbs last month. I have lost about 40 with 85 to go....tonight it seems a bit looser, since I have been able to drink pretty well. I was scared last night because I was spitting a sort of yucky saliva. Is this the "sliming" everyone talks about?? Is this just a normal reaction or should I consider an unfill?

I just had my third fill last Thursday....my surgery was Feb 28 and my first two fills took me up to 4cc in a 10cc band. I got 1cc on Thursday, and felt very little restriction til Thursday evening. Then, wow! I was painfully restricted. I considered going back in for a slight unfill, and I still might do that Monday....but I am anxious to get back to real weight loss after only losing 3-4 lbs last month. I have lost about 40 with 85 to go....tonight it seems a bit looser, since I have been able to drink pretty well. I was scared last night because I was spitting a sort of yucky saliva. Is this the "sliming" everyone talks about?? Is this just a normal reaction or should I consider an unfill?

Sounds like sliming to me. Before you go in for an unfill, try eating slower, chewing more and taking smaller bites. The learning curve is slow sometimes and I've had restriction since late March and I'm still learning. I still get stuck occasionally and I slime at times. If you can't swallow liquids then you may need a small unfill but give it a few days if it's not too uncomfortable.

tmf