Hey all, just looking for some advice or pointers or some things. I just went in last week for my 2nd fill since I've had my band, to try to give it another real shot as I failed miserably before and just went back to my old habits.

ANYWAY, I had my 2nd fill last week, my 10cc band already had 5cc in it, they added another full 1cc. I waited about a day and a half before I tried solids, and as long as I don't drink ANYTHING while eating my solid Protein (chicken/tuna/etc) I am getting "full" on approx 3oz.

But feeling full and satisfied are two different things to me. I feel like I can't eat anymore, like it's backing up my throat and what not, but I'm not satisfied. . . does that make sense at all?

So I'm struggling pretty hard with everything. I wanted the band to allow me to have portion control but also wanted it to make me go "god i'm so full" after I was done with said portion. I've been reading a lot lately and I feel like I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Even at this good restrictive level I'm at, it's not keeping me satisfied or filling me up.

Any advice/pointers/tips for this? I do my best not to drink anything for 30-40 minutes after eating, and this is the HARDEST thing for me. . . but even not doing that I'm still getting hungry rather quickly and am never satisfied.

Really hoping I just haven't hit that "sweet" spot or perhaps it's all mind over matter and I'm not accepting the gift I've been given, dunno.

I understand your feeling! being recently banded, i dont have any advice but I wish you luck!

Hey all, just looking for some advice or pointers or some things. I just went in last week for my 2nd fill since I've had my band, to try to give it another real shot as I failed miserably before and just went back to my old habits.

ANYWAY, I had my 2nd fill last week, my 10cc band already had 5cc in it, they added another full 1cc. I waited about a day and a half before I tried solids, and as long as I don't drink ANYTHING while eating my solid Protein (chicken/tuna/etc) I am getting "full" on approx 3oz.

But feeling full and satisfied are two different things to me. I feel like I can't eat anymore, like it's backing up my throat and what not, but I'm not satisfied. . . does that make sense at all?

So I'm struggling pretty hard with everything. I wanted the band to allow me to have portion control but also wanted it to make me go "god i'm so full" after I was done with said portion. I've been reading a lot lately and I feel like I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Even at this good restrictive level I'm at, it's not keeping me satisfied or filling me up.

Any advice/pointers/tips for this? I do my best not to drink anything for 30-40 minutes after eating, and this is the HARDEST thing for me. . . but even not doing that I'm still getting hungry rather quickly and am never satisfied.

Really hoping I just haven't hit that "sweet" spot or perhaps it's all mind over matter and I'm not accepting the gift I've been given, dunno.

This can be either two things. You're not in your green zone yet or you're eating the types of foods, carbs, that won't satisfy you for long. I recommend low carbing it. It's the only way that has worked for me. Protein keeps you satisfied for close 4 hours while carbs gives you that full feeling for maybe an hour at most. Consider these things and think about what you're eating. Good luck friend.

But feeling full and satisfied are two different things to me. I feel like I can't eat anymore, like it's backing up my throat and what not, but I'm not satisfied. . . does that make sense at all?

Eeek :-/ Is that common? I've never heard of the food backing up in your throat...That sounds painful. So when you get that feeling you want to keep eating?

Thanks for the replies. I am low carbing and always eating my proteins first. Im barely reaching my advised 1200 calories tho. I keep carbs under 30 daily. And to answer you wren its not really literal its just how I describe it. It doesn't make me want to eat more but yet I am still hungry and wish I could. I want that feeling gone.

Thanks for the replies. I am low carbing and always eating my Proteins first. Im barely reaching my advised 1200 calories tho. I keep carbs under 30 daily. And to answer you wren its not really literal its just how I describe it. It doesn't make me want to eat more but yet I am still hungry and wish I could. I want that feeling gone.

Ohhh I see.

I have a bit of that too when I eat sanwiches. My belly still rumbles because it wants more food, but I don't want to eat anymore food so I just wrap it up and put it in the fridge (or the bin, depending).

Is it possible you may need to adjust your psychological thinking over eating?

When I got some restriction, this happened to me too. I was usually tummy-growling hungry when I ate, but when I actually did eat, I'd eat only a little, be unable to eat anymore, but not feel that 'oh I'm so full' satisfied feeling. But if I waited 15 - 30 mins, the food started moving through the band and I'd stop feeling hungry. And that's what I started looking to, stopping the feeling of hunger as opposed to the feeling of being satisfied.

Because I think part of the way I used to eat, feeling 'satisfied' took a helluva lot of food.

And if you're getting hungry within 2 hours of eating, you're just not at your sweet spot yet. That's all. But ask yourself too, when you say you're hungry again, are you really hungry or are you looking to obtain that satisfied feeling again?

I don't even know if I'm making sense to anyone, but I get what you're saying and I'm trying to explain that with the band, there needs to be some change in mindset as to how much we need to actually eat as opposed to how much we want to eat.

Please feel free to PM me if I'm not making sense (I feel like I'm not! lol) but I struggled with this too and changing my mindset helped me cope with it heaps.

Billy,

This is exactly what I've been experiencing for the last year. Now I find that there are about 20% of the banded whose bands never work. Yes, we can get them so tight we can't eat...but that sense of hunger never goes away.

According to my surgeon, that is not in our head...it's because the band is not stopping that 'feed me' hormone that the stomach produces. The band sits on two nerves and at some point, tightens enough (and that will vary by individual) so that the stomach says "oh I'm full" and stops producing that hormone. That's why some people never need a fill and the band alone does it...and why some people need a tighter restriction on those nerves. For some of us, we can get so restricted we can't eat and the nerves are still not talking to those hormones.

Perhaps a talk with your surgeon about a revision to a sleeve might be in order?

.

I have felt the same way to an extent. I find I am not feeling "satisfied" when I eat. However I am not hungry anymore. The band really works in the morning, but by the end of the day I get pretty hungry. I just got used to the fact I won't feel that pleasant satisfied feeling you get from a nice large meal, but not so large you feel sick. The band has changed my relationship with food. Best wishes!

I feel the exact same way! I have also posted similar question before From the replies I received and have read on similar topics, I think EVERYONE needs to adjust their interpretation of feeling full and feeling satisfied. I have to admit, I am a little disappointed that I don't feel like I just ate a Thanksgiving meal after I finish eating my recommended portion. I don't think I am quite at my sweet spot yet, either. I just had my 4th fill on Monday. I just ate a greek yogurt for breakfast...I could barely finish it because I didn't feel like I could eat anymore due the physical feeling of "backing up" like you described. However, I am sitting here, still hungry and wanting to eat more. I know I have some restriction cuz I am gurgling constantly when I drink or eat something. However, my "lower stomach" is still saying feed me! That however, is where the mindset has to change. There are plenty on these boards who have been successful with the band after patiently listening to their bodies, learning what foods work best with their bands and staying committed to the process. I would personally never consider a sleeve...I don't want anything that permanently alters my anatomy. I don't think you need to consider a sleeve right now either...you are only 2 fills in. You are in the period known affectionately as bandster hell. I think we will both do fine with this, just have to be open to learning along the way so that when we achieve that restriction, we can recognize it and make it work for us. Best of luck to you!

I totally get what you mean about feeling full but not satisfied. For me it's about wanting something sweet like having dessert. Which is funny because prebanding I did'nt not really have dessert after eating to full. I think is does help to have a couple grapes so that I think that I've had a treat/dessert.

I'm certainly glad I'm not alone in this. I don't feel that it's a psychological hunger, as my stomach physically growls for more food and it's just very unsatisfying. Lord knows I don't want to eat more food, I just want to be satisfied, I don't even really want to be "stuffed" ya know? Just able to go about my day and forget about food for awhile.

I'm going to work it tho and give it a few more fills to see where I'm at with it. I'm gonna work the willpower train as well and lose it no matter what but may seek revision in the end. . . and while it's a permanent change to the stomach, isn't that what we want? Permanent changes in our lives and bodies! I just don't want to die of a heart attack before I've even had the chance to live my life.

I thank you all again for the replies and helping me understand I'm not alone in all this.

Warm holiday wishes to you and yours and God bless!

-Bear