Bandsters,

I had my band Nov 9, 2009. I had no restriction afterwards, and I quickly could eat normal amounts of anything. I had my first fill a couple of weeks ago, and again I get no sensation of fullness.

I have a couple of questions:

1. What does restriction feel like? Is it a satiated feeling? Is it a discomfort? Is it a fullness?
   
2. How long does this sensation last before the food passes through the banded area into the main part of the stomach?
   
3. When do you start feeling hungry again? Is it as soon as the small amount of food passes into the stomach? Or is there a satisfied sensation that lasts for some times.
   

Thanks in advance for your information.

I'm new at this and just got my first fill a week ago so this all may change. But at this point if I get "full" it immediately turns to a chest pressure/shoulder pressure I'm in misery kind of feeling. What I've discovered this week is that if I eat until I am no longer hungry and feel satisfied and then stop at that point then I am good for several hours. If I take 2 or 3 more bites I'm in misery, which, again, lasts for hours. Depending on what I ate that satisfied feeling may last anywhere from 2-4 hours. I no longer feel "full" like I did pre-band, it's either hungry, not hungry, or stuffed to the point of pain and misery.....so I'm shooting for the "not hungry" feeling. I know my restriction is likely temporary since I just got my first fill last week but I'm working with it while I've got it and trying to take advantage of it. Hope this helps a little! Good luck, you'll find that restriction, sometimes it just takes time.

Thank you so much for the comments.

What does restriction feel like? Is it a satiated feeling? Is it a discomfort? Is it a fullness?

It's hard to describe. I just 'know' when I've had enough and know that if I take one more bite, I'll be uncomfortable. It's not and never will be the same feeling of full you had pre-band. It's just 'knowing' you're done. No discomfort. No 'fullness' like you had pre-band (i.e. stuffed feeling). If you have discomfort or feel like you ate so much you want to upchuck, then you ate too much.

How long does this sensation last before the food passes through the banded area into the main part of the stomach?

It should last at least 4 hours.

When do you start feeling hungry again? Is it as soon as the small amount of food passes into the stomach? Or is there a satisfied sensation that lasts for some times.

I'm never hungry...or wasn't until yesterday. My meals are 5 hours apart, but I drink a low carb/low cal Protein drink (100 cal, 3 carbs) midway between my meals and then one midway between dinner and bed. This keeps my blood sugar levels stable and thus no cravings or hunger.

Yesterday, I forgot to drink my Protein shake and 4.5 hours after lunch I felt like I was starving. My stomach was growling and I felt like I was starving (blood sugar was most likely dropping). If my husband hadn't come home early last night and started preparing dinner and had it on the table when I got home, I probably would've stopped at a fast food place on the way home and done something incredibly stupid.

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