People talk about getting food stuck as it goes down,

but I thought food is supposed to fill the pouch

and make you full sooner.

So how does it fill and make you full

if the food is constantly slipping through

to your "real" stomach?

Think of it like an hour glass. Only a certain amount of food in a certain amount of time can trickle from the pouch into the rest of the stomach. So the pouch gets full and makes you feel full (because that's where the nerves are that send the signals to your brain that you are full), but then slowly empties into the rest of your digestive track. That's why you aren't supposed to drink with your meal (but rather 30 minutes before or after), it would wash the food out of the pouch too quickly. However, if you put a pebble into an hour glass, it would get stuck and none of the sand would be able to tickle down into the bottom of the hour glass and it wouldn't work.

Hope that analogy helps.... Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lapband lives.

.... Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our LAP-BAND® lives.

ROFL!!:smile2::thumbup:

Think of it like an hour glass. Only a certain amount of food in a certain amount of time can trickle from the pouch into the rest of the stomach. So the pouch gets full and makes you feel full (because that's where the nerves are that send the signals to your brain that you are full), but then slowly empties into the rest of your digestive track. That's why you aren't supposed to drink with your meal (but rather 30 minutes before or after), it would wash the food out of the pouch too quickly. However, if you put a pebble into an hour glass, it would get stuck and none of the sand would be able to tickle down into the bottom of the hour glass and it wouldn't work.

Hope that analogy helps.... Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our LAP-BAND® lives.

Thank you.

Though I get the stuck part,

it's the whole "staying full" theory that gets me.

Because if it's moving through the port

then it ain't sitting in the pouch.

Know what I mean?

It obviously works for everybody,

I just don't quite get it.

:smile2:

You pouch doesn't have to stay full.

Once your stomach signals the brain that it is full, the brain is supposed to say, "see you in another 4 - 5 hours."

Edited January 7, 201016 yr by btrieger

You can also think of it as a 6 lane highway. If there is a horrific crash that is blocking all 6 lanes, and the traffic can only get through on the left shoulder, then you're going to have all this traffic bunched up, going car by car, though the little opening. The area right before the opening (your stoma) is going to be full, but the area behind the opening (the rest of your stomach) will be free flowing.

As the others said, once the nerves at the top of your stoma feel that it's full, then they send signals to your brain that says, Hey, don't eat any more, I'm full! And you stop.

Then, as with any traffic jam, it takes time for all of the vehicles to make their way through. Once they do, then it's all cleared up, and now it is back to normal. Meaning, it will take you about 3-4-5 hours for the food in your tummy to get through the small opening, maintaining your full feeling, before needing a refill.

Hope this helps!

like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lap-band® lives.

roflmao.

/.

You pouch doesn't have to stay full.

Once your stomach signals the brain that it is full, the brain is supposed to say, "see you in another 4 - 5 hours."

Well for the first time in a week, I ate lunch and 30 minutes later my stomach was saying "Yo...is it dinner yet?" :smile2:

Which led to a serious cave-in at the movie theater this afternoon. I don't walk to talk about it. Let's just say that I'm now suffering from serious carb overload and I want to kill myself for being so stupid and weak.

.

"Let's just say that I'm now suffering from serious carb overload and I want to kill myself for being so stupid and weak."

If you've gotten the lap band

(and endured the minor miseries) then

you are neither stupid nor weak.

But I'm with you on the movie theater

making me want to break good habits!

Ack!

And thanks to all for the clarifications.

It's all about that "signal" to the brain.

Now I get it.

I have 2 movie tricks: 1 - get a kids snack or (and this is is from pre-band days b/c of the ridiculous price of snacks) I bring something from home like wheat thins...or my soy BBQ snack.

I love the hour glass explanation! Great. Maybe I can now make my mother understand what it's all about.

Think of it like an hour glass. Only a certain amount of food in a certain amount of time can trickle from the pouch into the rest of the stomach. So the pouch gets full and makes you feel full (because that's where the nerves are that send the signals to your brain that you are full), but then slowly empties into the rest of your digestive track. That's why you aren't supposed to drink with your meal (but rather 30 minutes before or after), it would wash the food out of the pouch too quickly. However, if you put a pebble into an hour glass, it would get stuck and none of the sand would be able to tickle down into the bottom of the hour glass and it wouldn't work.

Hope that analogy helps.... Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our LAP-BAND® lives.

Hi there! I have a question about getting that stuck feeling and I LOVED this answer, so I was hoping maybe you can help me out with this. I don't have a fill yet, as I was banded on December 3rd. But there are times when the food gets "stuck" and I HATE that. But is this a different kind of "stuck" than will happen after my fill? Like, is the food just getting hung up somehow? Because I understand the getting stuck thing for after a fill....but it seems like it must be different than the stuck that is happening now. Also, does all this "stuck" during trying to eat subside once the band is tighter? (ftr, I am taking small bites and chewing. I just think I have trouble because my band was pretty tight when it was placed) Thank you so much!!

~Mya

I have 2 movie tricks: 1 - get a kids snack or (and this is is from pre-band days b/c of the ridiculous price of snacks) I bring something from home like wheat thins...or my soy BBQ snack.

I'm thinking a pair of handcuffs to chain me to the seat might be needed as well. :tt1:

.