Varying restriction level?

The problem is just called band intolerance- but it leads to weight gain. We can't eat good quality food, so we eat what goes down. It's not considered a mechanical failure by the insurance companies, but it is most certainly a complication. I hope you get this resolved!

I just saw you've been maintaining almost a 100 pound loss. AWESOME. I wi**** had wokred for me!

That's too bad. It certainly should be considered a legitimate reason for a revision by insurance. Goes to show the people making those rules have never experienced this kind of discomfort in something as simple as eating.  I'm already tired of avoiding eating healthy foods that take longer and are more difficult and I've really only been dealing with it a few weeks other than every time I get my period over the last 1.5 years.  So a small unfill may equal increased hunger but it's also going to mean I can actually eat the salads and fruits I pack for lunch every day and don't make it through cause they are too annoying.

I think an unfill (small) is the best option. You may not notice that much opening up- it just might be enough to let you eat again. I'm laughing too b/c my doc told me there was also no way my band could be tighter during my period! It's so nice to hear I'm not crazy! Congrats on your almost 100 pounds- that GREAT.

Thanks. And yes, it's not just you (or me) that experience it getting tighter around the period. It's not that I can't eat either, I definitely am still doing fine. In fact I generally am eating 1500 calories of nutritous food each day (way more if I let myself indulge in the slider stuff.) But it's just annoyingly slow and frustrating and devoid of fruits, vegetables, and fiber. Sorry if I gave the impression I'm living off protein shakes or anything cause it's nowhere near that.

And I'm truly sorry that it hasn't worked for you. I cannot imagine how frustrating it would be. I can live with the inconvenience of it cause I've lost and maintained but if I hadn't I'd be furious.

You hit the nail on the head- if I was thinner and maintaining you get but your butt I'd be putting up with it! To be fat and have a band? NO WAY.

I hear you, and it's really not fair. I hate to suggest this but I have to since it's worked well for me. I know the last thing anyone with a band wants is another diet but I've been eating mostly "medifast" food, supplemented by solid protein, vegetables, and nuts a couple of times a day and I find their food goes down very easily even with the band on the tighter side but unlike other slider foods is nutritous and full of protein enough to actually be satisfying. I can easily be happy on 1200-1500 calories a day with over 100 grams of protein and to be completely honest, not a day goes by that I don't indulge in something that would be considered junk food but that's just part of living.  I don't know if that would help you at all but possibly having food that's nutritous and tastes good (in my opinion) and isn't a chore to eat could help you if you decide to try having restriction again.

Yep just an empty band but I still have some restriction, which is good. Actually I can eat better food now than when I had a fill. So I'm just as happy with it being this  way.

Hey, good for you! I have actually thought about what life would be like if I just deflated the thing completely. I wouldn't do it unless I kept having problems and needed to but I'm pretty confident that I could maintain my weight even without the band now. It was the losing it that would have been impossible. But I don't care to find out if I'm right or not!  

One other thing is that I'm always so tight in the morning and can barely manage to eat 300 calories by 3 in the afternoon when it starts to finally loosen and then I'm hungry all night long. So with it a bit less filled I'm hoping to make breakfast and lunch my bigger meals which is better anyway and then a small dinner.  

The band cab definitely get tighter and looser on it's own - many things affect it.  Weather, stress, PMS and sometimes it seems like no reason at all.   You do have to be very careful with eating slider junk food - I found that when it tightens up on me I have to cut my chicken ito very tiny pieces and eat very tiny bites and chew - it takes forever to eat but I get it in.  My sliders are crackers - I can't eat any bread or pasta - it will get stuck and I throw it up.  Those episodes have made me not crave that kind of stuff anymore - I look at certain things and I know I would definitely throw it up and it loses it's appeal  I know what you mean about fruit which feels a bit weird because we're taught that eating fruit is good for you but sometimes you just cannot get it down but a ****ie goes down no problem... 

Everything worth while is worth the effort - we are worth the effort!
Take care,
Lori