Changing my mind?

I don't know - yesterday I posted in a more positive vein about the success, or otherwise, of my latest fill. I'm already doubting the wisdom of my optimism! Earlier today I asked for advice from the readers of the UKGastricBand forum. I don't normally do this, but I tought I would post the same basic text here in case any of my blog readers can offer any insight and post a comment.

I need some advice on whether I need another fill or not. It's been just over a week since my NINTH fill and I've been eating solids for most of that time. I have 7.7ml in a 10ml band. My sequence of fills has been:

• Op 15th November, first fill ten weeks later.
• 5ml under x-ray, followed by 1.5ml then 1ml. This took me to 7.5ml which was too tight (slime, indigestion).
• Had de-fill of 0.5ml, then later top-ups of 0.3ml and 0.4ml - taking me to 7.7ml. That was way too tight (acid reflux, couldn't drink properly, slime, constant indigestion etc).
• Had second de-fill of 0.5ml, then later top-ups of 0.3ml and 0.2ml - taking me right back to 7.7ml which is where I am now!

I definitely have restriction - there's no way I could eat a big plate of food now like I used to. I have more restriction in the morning. I can eat absolutely anything, including the so-called 'difficult' foods (e.g. crusty bread, asparagus and pineapple, chewy fish etc) although I have to go slowly with some veggies and fruit that have skins. Having said that, I have never experienced 'iron fist' and never regurgitated, been sick or had a PB. After both of the occasions when my band was too tight, I did experience 'slime'. I keep hearing or reading about other bandits and the typical meals that they eat. I just read a magazine article that described people who could only manage one potato, a small piece of meat and some veggies. And another who said that a meal out consisted of just a starter. And another who said they couldn't manage more than 900 calories a day. A lady at a support group said she takes ten minutes to be able to drink a glass of water - it takes me about ten seconds!

Well I can still eat more than all of them. Although I generally stick to about 1200 calories a day - I have to work quite hard at this. If I ate entirely guided by my hunger I could easily manage quite a bit more than that. A typical evening meal is four baby new potatoes, half a side plate of veggies and a 'normal' sized piece of salmon. This leaves me feeling pleasantly satisified or even full - but within a couple of hours I'm getting hunger pangs again. I think they really are hunger pangs, rather than 'head hunger'.

Don't get me wrong, I am losing weight - but I feel I am having to work so hard at resisting the hunger - which is what I got the band for. I'd love to be able to relax and just eat when I'm hnugry and know that that amount would keep me losing weight.

I don't want to be so tight that I take an hour to eat an apple, say (!) - but does this level of restriction seem right to you? Am I being fussy? Do I need another fill or is this risking going through the de-fill cycle all over again?