Why this continues to drive me nuts I do not know...however, it seems my restriction has fluctuated so much in the past two weeks...it's driving me crazy!

What do you guys find the most valid reason for why restriction can fluctuate so much...

I've noticed the more Water I drink the less restricted I am...I've also noticed around ovulation I start getting more restricted...

Any ideas?

Hi Jennye, My restriction is also so on and off and I drive myself nuts trying to figure it out. I just had my last fill brought up to 1.8cc and I'm so restricted now that my coffee won't even go down in the morning untill I have been up and about for an hour or so. I have been PBing 3-4 times a day even on liquids. I called Dr. yesterday and have to go in for unfill this afternoon. This has been going on since Feb 27th but I let it go because the wt. was falling off but the danger of constant BPing isn't good so I better take care of it. But before my last fill I had 1.5cc in band and woke up one morning and I has no restriction and didn't for 2 weeks and then bingo it was back 2 days before my scheduled fill and I was getting so discouraged so I went ahead with the fill. I am going to let him take me back down to 1.5cc and go from there. I was banded 8-4-03 and am down 55 lbs. 10 of it since my last fill. This band is wonderful thing but it sure is moody. Roxanne

It is weird trying to figure out the whys of changing restriction so I pretty much don't bother. One theory I've heard that makes some sense to me is that indeed, the less Water we drink the more restricted we tend to be. Lack of water makes the body hold on to fluids and this, I guess, can swell the tissues in the stomach. The more we drink the less reluctant our bodies are to let fluids go, and the restriction lessens somewhat.

It's counterintuitive, but jibes with what I've always known to be true--to get rid of excess Fluid, DRINK!

Roxanne, glad to hear your getting an unfill...PBing is definately not a good thing...I was too tight for about three weeks and sure was miserable...now I'm ok...then again I've really increased my Water intake...

Alexandra, I agree it is counterintuitive...so...if I don't drink as much I'll be more restricted (bonus) but if I don't drink I won't lose any weight...EESH!

Bumping this thread up...

I have noticed the ovulation restriction as well. I get so tight I can only drink Protein drinks. Two days later, I am fine. Then when Mother Nature finally appears, I am tight too.

Happen to many women???

You're describing me perfectly! I agree, TOM changes my restriction but someone else posted a thread awhile back stating that sinus issues can affect restriction and I think they're on to something. I am experiencing terrible sinus trouble right now (again) and I feel so much tighter. Do you have sinus problems too??

I prefer to work with looser restriction, and rarely rarely have problems getting anything, except bread, down with ease. I currently have a sinus infection/bronchitis and am on day 2 of my period (talk about a double whammie, lol). I am also on day 2 of liquids and mushies. For the first time in about 6 months I can actually feel and hear water slowly gurgle through first thing in the morning....I am so restricted right now I PB'd oatmeal Friday morning. I truly believe the bloating from TOM and sinus related inflamation both affect the band.

I write down my restriction level/hunger level every day on the calendar. I find that every 5th or 6th day I'm a little looser, then, as you've all noted, around TOM everything tightens up. That I can deal with, but the week before TOM I'm very loose and I find it scary. I figured if I could come to understand the cycle, I would have more tools in my arsenal to fend off the fear when I'm loose.