I have a question i am still confused about. When we take a bite of food and chew it up really good, does it go through the band right away into the big part of your stomach? or does it stay in the small stomach for awhile and thats why you feel full because their's no room in the small pouch. If the chewed up food goes straight through the band how do we get full? And how can we stretch the pouch if the food dosent stay in the small pouch at all???? How does it all work?

I have a question i am still confused about. When we take a bite of food and chew it up really good, does it go through the band right away into the big part of your stomach? or does it stay in the small stomach for awhile and thats why you feel full because their's no room in the small pouch. If the chewed up food goes straight through the band how do we get full? And how can we stretch the pouch if the food dosent stay in the small pouch at all???? How does it all work?

IMO, it's a little bit of both.

First, when were you banded? I find the majority of posts are from people who have been banded within a month or so, had no fills or maybe one. It took me 3 good fills, 1 month apart, - 4+2+2=8cc's, before I can say my band is truly doing what I expected. My next visit I may say no fills, or maybe 1 to 1/2 cc.

As to your question. I can now say I am rarely hungry. First month or so I felt the band was not what I expected. Now it is. When I eat, it does not take much for me to say "Enough". It's almost a feeling of getting stuck. I also stop because I feel if I eat any more, I will get stuck. Is this the pouch filling up? I can pace myself, pause, and then eat some more, but I am not hungry so I don't. Like they say, "Stop when you are full"

I do believe some food goes through quickly and some does not, at least not as fast.

There are some foods I cannot eat at all. Breads...french fries, are now a definite no-no. (I love French Fries) So are tough meats. Steaks have to be VERY, Very tender.

Soups, shakes, etc are never a problem, as is Water, coffee, etc.

The other day, I was craving ice cream. Ate a whole qt. of Ben & Jerry's with no problem. Once in a blue moon deal, I just need to stay away from that and not keep it in the house, etc.

Whew, I thought I was the only person out there who can't eat bread or french fries (and I love french fries).

I think when we eat some of the food stays in the pouch too. There are times that I feel full - leave the table - but find I am still hungry. I think that maybe I am partially stuck when that happens, and if it does I eat a spoonful of Peanut Butter. I think they tell us not to eat for an hour after to keep the pouch fuller - although I have also read the food is out of the pouch within 5 minutes. Pretty confusing.

Listen to your body. I know if I drink when I am eating - well it causes the food (often times) to come back up. I don't wait an hour to drink - at least 20 minutes though. I also find the busier I am the less hungry I am. If I take the kids outside after dinner then I am not as likely to snack because we are out until it's time for them to go to bed.

My opinion, for what it's worth....I think the pouch empties quicker than initially thought. I read somewhere that as the pouch empties it stimulates an area of the lining of the stomach that generates the feeling of fullness.

Medicine is full of treatments that were thought to work one way but were then found to work another. But I do think of it as an hourglass, the food starts emptying right away and drains slowly.

I have a question i am still confused about. When we take a bite of food and chew it up really good, does it go through the band right away into the big part of your stomach? or does it stay in the small stomach for awhile and thats why you feel full because their's no room in the small pouch. If the chewed up food goes straight through the band how do we get full? And how can we stretch the pouch if the food dosent stay in the small pouch at all???? How does it all work?

I have heard that the band stimulates something called the vagus nerve which gives you the feeling of fullness.

my nutrionalist(sp) said that the food stays in the pouch for about a minute..thats why we need to eat slow. this tells our stomach and brains we are getting full a little at each bite.