OK, so I was banded on 6/3 and have had two fills so far. I feel restriction, but it just feels uncomfortable as I feel the food going down. I can still eat almost as much as pre-op so I don't think I'm in the Green Zone yet. It seems the more restriction I have the more uncomfortable it is to eat.

Has anyone else experienced this as you approach the Green Zone? I'm curious what the Green Zone feels like when you swallow your food. Does it get better?

Right now I'm what I consider to be my green zone. Yes, I feel the food pass through the band as I eat (always have though). When I'm done eating, I often feel a sensation that is similar to what "full" felt like pre-band. It's sort of a pressure... kinda hard to understand. If I over-eat, I have that same feeling but much stronger and it's really uncomfortable, so much so that I'm more careful with my portions so I don't have to deal with it.

I stay full for about 5 hours. In fact, I haven't been hungry much at all since this last fill, so I do need to make sure I eat my meals. I have never been stuck or PB'd. If I stay at this level I will be very, very happy.

I guess I don't have restriction because I don't feel my food going through the band at all??? That would be strange...I do "sigh" when I start getting full and have noticed a huge decrease in what makes me "sigh" - maybe I'm getting there. Is it strange to feel the food going down and through? I don't know if I'd like that?

I think I am in my green zone. I feel like what Rachel412 said. I used to pb a lot until I got in my green zone in June. I just feel full most of the time. It is just a weird feeling that you know when you have had enough and you stop eating, because if you take one more bite it will be coming up or you will feel very uncomfortable. I had my surgery 9/22/10 and have lost 110 lbs. I did have a plateau for a couple of months, but once I got my last fill which was only .2 (with flourscopy) they weight started coming off again. I go to the Dr. next week and will discuss with him further.

I guess I don't have restriction because I don't feel my food going through the band at all??? That would be strange...I do "sigh" when I start getting full and have noticed a huge decrease in what makes me "sigh" - maybe I'm getting there. Is it strange to feel the food going down and through? I don't know if I'd like that?

I don't think being able to feel the food go through has anything to do with restriction- I've been able to feel it since I got banded. I feel food and drinks going down, and anything coming up. But I don't think most people feel the same way.

I guess I don't have restriction because I don't feel my food going through the band at all??? That would be strange...I do "sigh" when I start getting full and have noticed a huge decrease in what makes me "sigh" - maybe I'm getting there. Is it strange to feel the food going down and through? I don't know if I'd like that?

I would compare what I feel to when I was pre-op and would take a a big bite of a dry chicken breast and it going down. It can be very uncomfortable, and often I just get tired of that feeling and stop eating even though I'm not full. Tonight I tried to chew my food even more than I had been and that seemed to help with that feeling. Maybe that has been the problem all along.

I still feel like I may need a bit more to get to the green zone to feel full on a half cup of food.

I think your green zone is just that YOUR zone. Everyones is different. Some people want to be so tight they can't eat much, some people want just to feel less hungry. Me I just want to feel a little less hungry between meals. In no way shape or form do I want eating to be uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable eating, I would think you're to tight. That's just me though

OK, so I was banded on 6/3 and have had two fills so far. I feel restriction, but it just feels uncomfortable as I feel the food going down. I can still eat almost as much as pre-op so I don't think I'm in the Green Zone yet. It seems the more restriction I have the more uncomfortable it is to eat.

Has anyone else experienced this as you approach the Green Zone? I'm curious what the Green Zone feels like when you swallow your food. Does it get better?

Great question, here's my experience:

Fills 1 thru 3 - no effect. I could eat whatever, whenever. Hungry within one hour of eating.

Fill 4 - started feeling restriction, but problems with food consistency. If I chewed too much, food went thru easily and hungry within an hour. If I chewed too little, I would see my food again.

Fill 5 - Probably very close to 'green zone'. Can chew to "baby food" consistency, and stay full for 2-3 hours. Very pleased.

I think my fill is a little tight but I am okay with it.

In the morning I simply can not eat-I do have my coffee. Sometimes later in the morning I can do oatmeal or yogurt. I rather drink a Protein shake on my way to work.

Lunch-well it depends. Truthfully I usually skip lunch, but if I am meeting someone for lunch I will opt for Soup (maybe a salad). I also discovered I can eat a small piece of chicken from McDonald's snack wrap (no bread though).

Dinner-a small piece of protein. I would say my dinner is less than an average Lean Cusiene meal.

Snacks- vary I usually dpn't snack between meals but if I didn't eat lunch I come home and snack before dinner. I always have a small snack at night.

I can feel food going down and I can sometimes feel in pop into my large stomache from my pouch. Sometimes my body makes all kinds of grugling sounds-only my dog can hear it and she tilts her head to the side! lol

When I go outto dinner with my hubby we need to share because there is no way I could eat a full meal. I like having soup when I eat out. Sometimes I can eat more and other times I can't.

I really need to get better eating lunch because I am hungry when I come home from work. I also need to drink more Water.