Recently it seems many posters are saying they still are hungry-needless to say this is discouraging and I hope it's just because they need proper restriction.

Does anyone out there actually feel full with a very small amount of food? If so please raise your hand and give me some hope!

I am 11 months post op, I had restriction from the start but could always eat about 2 cups of food, depending on what it was, before I would feel full. Last week I had my 4th fill. I now am actually amazed at my restriction. I really thought I would never actually be able to only eat 1/2 - 1 cup of food but alas.... that is where I am at, I get full in less that 1 cup of food and I do not get hungry between meals. Now if I could convince myself that I did not need a evening snack! I'm not hungry, but I always think I have to have a snack.

Believe me, I didn't think I would ever see the day but it has come!

I stick to around 1 cup of food, sometimes cup and a half. Not a lot but it's not 1/4 cup either.

I'm usually full after 3 or 4 bites.

I don't feel full right away, but if I wait 10 minutes after I'm finished eating my 4 oz. protein and up to a cup of veggies, I do feel satisfied. I think of "full" as that overstuffed feeling, so no, I don't feel that- but I'm not hungry or interested in eating anymore.

I am 5 wks out and frustrated! No restriction and hungry! I loved the way I felt right after surgery and knew after eating hardly anything that I needed to stop. I did great. Now my mind is playing tricks on me and I don't feel restriction and want to keep eating. I am trying to have self control but this is really hard!!!! I go in 2 days for my first fill and hopefully this will set my butt straight.

I'm only 2 weeks out, and feel no restriction and am HUNGRY... I do not go for my 1st fill for another 4 weeks. I had 2 weeks full liquids, and am now on mushy for 2 weeks, and then start regular food. I CAN'T wait for that full feeling. I'm trying to be as patient as I can.. But, it's hard. The only thing that's saving me right now, is that I have 2 small children at home, and make them different food from me anyhow... So, seeing a meal I can't and shouldn't eat isn't right in front of me... Good Luck..

Please don't take this personally but I don't wantto hear about not feeling full-I am looking for hope here!!! lol

For me, full means something different than it used to. Before surgery, I ate until I literally couldn't eat another bite - that was "full" to me. Now, I weigh and measure my food and when the food is gone I stop eating. When I stop eating I no longer feel hungry and I don't get hungry again for 4-5 hours - this is what "full" means to me now. It took a while to change my mind-set on this but I am much happier with the way things are now.

I agree with vickyd. Prebanding full to me normally was a overfull to feeling sick. Now that I am at restriction I get a different kind of full feeling. It did take me over 5 months with many fills to get restriction.

It takes a bit of trial and error fill-wise to get to this point. It will happen if you get enough restriction. I went way too long just trying to "diet" and eventually I realized, "oh yeah, I'm not supposed to be starving all the time". Then when I got to the point where I am now, at first I thought it was waaaay too tight...but no, it turns out this is what it's supposed to be like and this is where the whole chewing like crazy, eating small bites stuff that people talk about comes in.

Right after surgery is the worst part and who doesn't want to have it all just melt off right away? Super frustrating. Now that I am here I am almost never hungry and the surgeon gave me this book which is a bit different advice than others, more stuff about the whole intuitive eating thing, eating only when hungry. The gist is cavemen didn't eat 3 square meals a day or 6 small meals, they ate when they got food and there really hasn't been enough time for evolution to have drastically altered our genome whereupon this is no longer the case. Everyone has a different opinion. Regardless of what advice you follow, and only you will be able to really determine what works for you, if you get the fills right (and it takes time) not being hungry is possible.

When the band works right, you won't feel hungry very often. Maybe for the general populace who are not overweight the whole eat when you're hungry thing would work but for those of us who struggle, we know this isn't reasonable. That's where the band has helped me. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still eat stuff when I'm not hungry, but since most foods I want to eat that are yummy to me are also foods that don't work well with the band, you generally only get a bite or 2 before that's it. You'll get there!

My weight loss slowed waaaaayyyyyy down after the first 4 or 5 months, but it's still happening and I had to accept that this is the way it'll be and I am looking to reach my goal by Christmas (27 more pounds) which is quite a long time. I am the type that in the olden days could gain 10 pounds over a weekend away and eating out, (not Water weight - it's stuck there forever!!!). I just really have a slow metabolism but it's not technically bad enough to need meds (although if you eat 800-1200 calories for real and don't lose weight, I say wtf!).

HOWEVER, this was the first year EVER where I didn't gain weight over Christmas. The previous Christmas I had 3 weeks off and skipped an entire pant size when I went back in January Lap Band = BEST. INVENTION. EVER.

I get full quickly when I stick to healthy Proteins, carbs and veggies. If I eat junk, I can always eat more.. however, not like before being banded. Since being banded, I've not been able to eat 4 oz of Protein along with veggies and/or healthy carbs and fruit. I usually eat between 2-3 oz of lean protein and a small salad with lots of chopped veggies or some steamed veggies. I eat every 3-4 hours though, where I know some people that can eat more, eat every 5-6 hours. I think that depends on band size and amount of restriction though.

HTH,

Kortni

For me, full means something different than it used to. Before surgery, I ate until I literally couldn't eat another bite - that was "full" to me. Now, I weigh and measure my food and when the food is gone I stop eating. When I stop eating I no longer feel hungry and I don't get hungry again for 4-5 hours - this is what "full" means to me now. It took a while to change my mind-set on this but I am much happier with the way things are now.

I really need to try to get to that way of thinking. I always eat until I have that "full" feeling. I don't weigh or measure my food, think I will buy a food scale and start doing that. Thanks Vicki

I read that if you eat until you are full that's is not good for the band process. Eating till you are full stretches the pouch slowly over time. And just like a baloon that gets blown up repeatly it tends to stretch-likewise with the pouch. The researcj I read suggest measuring food and eatingthat amount only-basically eating right before the full feeling.

PS- Thanks for allthe wonderful insights!! I am feeling hopeful!

I hear you.. but, I'm just saying it is what it is.. and in 4 weeks I know I will have that feeling and am just making the best of it for now. If you don't fill it yet, you will...

Please don't take this personally but I don't wantto hear about not feeling full-I am looking for hope here!!! lol