Have I been too tight for two years????

I keep seeing that many people - as long as they eat slowly - can eat pretty much anything.  I definitely CANNOT.  I think I find myself resorting to "not good choices"  because I can't eat ordinary foods.  Looking back, I lost way more in the first year (but of course that is to be expected) but hardly ANY pounds the last TWO.  If we are on the road traveling, I pretty much know that the only thing I will be able to tolerate is a milk shake.  Strangely enough, a thick shake is easier to get down than a thin drink.  At home I eat a lot of soup...and, of course, the CREAM soups are easier than a nice homemade vegetable soup.  Could it be possible to lose those last 25 pounds by having fluid REMOVED?  I have 6 cc in a 10cc band.  Thanks for any input....

My surgeon always cautions me against getting too much fluid in my band because it can lead to weight gain since people have to resort to "slider" foods that are easy to get down but horrible nutrionally.  He says that his patients that are too tight do tend to gain weight.  Everytime I go in, I do the lap-band quiz (don't know the real name of it), where you answer questions to determine if you are too loose, too tight, or just right, (yellow, read, or green).  If I were you, I would call your surgeon's office and either speak to him or his nurse and let them know what your experience has been. 

In my (non-medically qualified!) opinion, you might well lose by having fluid taken out!

You should be able to eat most (not necessarily all) ordinary foods - and in fact not being able to do so is actually likely to make you eat more calories in the long term as you will (as you say) resort to soft foods and not only can we eat more of these, they don't stay with us long enough to help us control hunger.

Being so tight also increases the risk of complications like slips. And your life must be rather miserable if your food is so restricted.

Kate

If you can't eat ENOUGH protein and ideally SOLID protein at least 80-90 grams daily your weight loss efforts would be minimal. I am very surprised that you have gone 2 years too tight without any band problems. Getting those last pounds off are the hardest with ANY SURGERY including RNY. Those who get to a NORMAL BMI have to do it the old fashion way just like a none wls patient. DIET AND EXERCISE.

Edited to Add: This is a VERY COMMON TRAP for the Lap band and it even has a name called "soft food syndrome", meaning, you THINK the tighter your band is the quicker and more weight you will lose, but it's actually the opposite, initially you WILL lose some weight due to not able to each much, but that will be mostly water weight from starvation. But as you will see the weight loss will gradually slow down. It appears that you are a tad bit over the recommended restriction level, eating solid protein will help you stay fuller longer, eating slider foods will only make you more hungry and ALSO slider foods have MORE calories than lean chicken and green veggies and they are more nutritious also.

Good luck.

Absolutely possible, I find the longer my band is in the tighter it gets all on it's own. My personal theory is that as scar tissue builds around the band it gets tighter. It seem like at least once a year I need to get some fluid out. In fact I just recently realized I need to get more out because I'm eating junk instead of the good food I crave. So I'll be getting a small unfill shortly.

If you can't eat 4-6 oz of lean protein you are too tight. 

I had a friend who kept her band too tight and she did well losing weight for two years.  She lost 200+ lbs.  Here's the problem, if you keep your band too tight it will eventually cause problems;  It's not the matter of if but when.  My friend ended up in the ER and had to have emergency surgery to remove her band.  A year later she has gained back more than half of her weight back.  Do you really want that to happen to you???  I have learned my lesson and will never keep my band too tight and if I feel something is not right I will call my surgeon ASAP.  I don't want to lose my band and gain all of my weight back!!!

I ditto the rest of the posts...you sound too tight to me. You are eating way to much soft food. Good Luck!

I think it's OK to be too tight to have to consume soft or liquid foods for breakfast, but by lunch time I want to be able to consume protein & produce.  And Most definitely by the 3rd meal of the day.

In your shoes, I'd call to make an appt to go in and discuss what you're able to eat and the possibility of having a little removed.   I'd go down in fluid in stages, having maybe .5 cc's removed and see how that affects you.

Good luck.

You sound too tight to me. You should be able to eat solid protein. There will always be certain foods that you may be more sensitive to [for me it is dry chicken, apple peels etc]... but it shouldn't be to the extent that you avoid solid protein. If you are resorting to soups and shakes... then it sounds too snug.

Here is a good visual on restriction:

 

Thank you all! That visual was especially helpful....it's been so long since I've been back for a fill I had forgotten what it said. I go tomorrow for an unfill. I honestly believe I will make wiser choices if I can actually EAT wiser choices. I have not eaten any meat for over a year...nor veggies or fruit. Why oh why did I allow myself to do this? I'm lucky it only cost me ten additional pounds.