having trouble, need tips from pros

[jingleboob 5]

I've been banded 7 weeks... got my first fill a week ago. I don't know if I notice a difference or not yet.

I also know I'm not doing this whole thing right. I usually do end up taking a sip during meals because the sensation is so uncomfortable.

What should it feel like when you eat? how do you know you're full? is it a different feeling than before the band? I need to understand what i should be feeling because unless I eat chili or something softish I usually feel painful pressure in my chest that only goes away with a sip of Water. Is that my new "full" feeling? it happens after just a couple of bites and if I don't have a sip of Water I can't eat again for ages. So if I don't have a sip of water my meal would be about 3 small bites... which just isn't enough. It doesn't happen during the rest of the meal, just with those first couple of bites. I don't need to chug a drink to make it ease, just a small sip or two, and only right in the begining, not during the rest of the meal or after...

want to know if this is a normal thing and if my sipping is ruining my progress, or if this is abnormal and I should talk to my dr.

or if you can just describe exactly what you feel when you eat maybe I can understand it better. Even when I can't eat I'm hungry- my stomach gurgles so loud all day people can hear it in the room with me.

THANKS :thumbup:

[amycc3 0]

I am bout 2 1/2 years post-op and have lost 148 lbs. I get that sensation as well at the beginning of a meal. But then once it passes, I am able to eat a little more than I was able to eat on that initial run. Make sense? Sometimes, it could be what you are eating. It differs for differant people. I personally CANNOT eat bread and french fries. Not even one fry!!! I know others that can tolerate them just fine. Spicy foods, like chili, tend to bother me too. That lump in your throat or pain in your chest is the full feeling. And sometimes that is a sign that you have simply eaten something that you are not going to be able to tolerate. But with just one fill thus far, you should still be able to eat more than 3 spoonfuls of something. The band requires alot of trial and error. Tinker around with differant types of foods and see if you can narrow down what makes you feel that way so soon. Early on, I was able to drink a few sips of drink here and there while eating. But the more fills I got and the tighter that band got, I was not able to continue to do that. It always caused me to have to purge. Hope this helps and good luck to you.