Here is my story. I have been banded since 2005. For the past two years or so I have been messing with being too tight. I think I need a fill, go get one and almost always have to have an unfill. A few months go by and I gradually get more put back in. I think the issue is, I am not sure when I need a fill. How do you know when you have found your sweet spot? I went in for a fill yesterday because I have been hungry and have been able to eat almost anything. A barium swallow showed total blockage . The band is in the correct place but its stretched. So now for the second time I have to be unfilled for a month or maybe even more and then I get to go to the process again. Any suggestions? What am I doing wrong? I feel like a total failure. I have about 25 more pounds to lose and I am in this cycle of getting fills and unfills and dilated pouches.

I've been banded since 2005 also.

I went through this once and have realised that there's really only so much a band can do. No restriction is ever going to be able to stop you eating when you're not evem really hungry and no restriction is ever going to make good food choices for you. You cant just keep getting tighter forever and at four years out, I decided that the band has really dont what it can for me weight loss wise and any further tightening would be really silly.

I find I no longer have that initial enthusiasm, I'm not motived by or excited by constant weight loss as I hit goal a good 2 years ago now and I just dont really have much left to lose. So I find its harder to make good choices. I'm much much more likely to eat junk these days because I can - i dont gain, I exercise a lot, I'm fit and healthy so there's just a lot less reason to avoid it.

This worried me and I went and got more fill. But I dont think it works that way, lol. I just got too tight and had to take it out again. that was a year ago now and I havent gained an ounce, so I really didnt need it.

I'd really like to see another 10 or even 15lb gone but I really know deep down, that only I can do it and going tighter is not going to help. Its all down to my choices.

wise words Jachut

Jachut, you hit the nail on the head. I have not been banded yet but know from doing every diet in the world that the band is a plastic band it does not have a brain we have to use ours in order to make it do what is was designed to do. I have always suceeded in life at things when i have a plan or when there is instructions to follow so i think the band will be great for me because you are given instructions on how you are suppose to use it to suceed. You must eat small amounts and work out together for the best result.

Edited November 22, 200916 yr by dyingtobethin