i have not yet been banded, so excuse the ignorance here. Many of you refer to restriction, saying you feel more restriction after a fill. What is it that you feel? Is it a greater feeling of fullness after a bit of food than before the fill? Do you feel restricted immediately after surgery or is it only after a fill? does the restriction ease up after awhile? Trying to understand this term. Thank you.

Basically it means that you are able to eat less than before the fill and should not be hungry for a couple of hours. Once you have some restriction you will find that you have to take small bites, chew lots, wait between bites because if you don't the food can cause problems and may even get stuck.Some people find that there are certain foods that they can no longer eat. Bread is one that a lot of people find difficult.

You have to relearn how to eat and what suits you and what doesn't.

It is possible to feel some restriction before a fill . Just the band being placed does make a difference to when you were preband. Also some Dr's put some fill in the band whilst you are in surgery.

The restriction does ease off after a while and then you simply go to the Dr and get another fill.

Each fill should make some difference.

What you shouldn't expect the fill to do is to suddenly make good food choices for you. That is something you have to do all by yourself. Unfortunately no matter how much fill you have a lot of the "bad" foods will still go down easily. Foods such as milkshake,icecream,custard,chocolate, Cookies etc. For this reason they are termed slider foods. Some people keep going for fills untill they end up too tight in the mistaken belief that there is some ideal place where they will just be able to eat a tiny amount and never feel hungry. Fills also do not control head hunger - that is something else that each person must learn to deal with in their own way.

Hope some of this helps.

Elcee, thank you very much! Another question for you. I have a bad habit of eating very fast and furious! i am trying to retrain myself prior to surgery, to eat slower and chew, chew, chew. Im guessing that after the band every meal must be eaten very slowly and with much thought. Is this accurate? I dont see eating "on the go" as an option as you may not chew good enough and thus get stuck, etc... Your comments, please. Thank you.

I was also a fast eater and have had to learn to slow down. Practicing prior to surgery is OK but until you feel the consequences of not doing it then it is hard to get right. Even when you know what happens from eating too quickly it can be a mistake that you make more than once!

Eating on the go is not a good idea at all. That is the easiest way to get stuck and that can be uncomfortable, painful and embarrassing depending on where you are. Once you are banded you need to pay full attention when you are eating - do not try combining it with any other activity or you will come unstuck! (Actually stuck would be more appropriate)

Great advice from Elcee as usual!

Thanks.

I use to get a 20 minute lunch. I would have to finish up all my paperwork, so Lunch was now 10 minutes.

If I ate anything at all, and sometimes I did, it was very fast !

I learned threw the band, that you will slow down, put the fork down, take your time, and chew.

My meals always got cold before I could get anywhere close to finishing, but ! I did learn...

I also practiced the same way you are, because this is a change for the better surgery, and at least you will be,

kinda use to it. I know it helped me.

As fa ras Restriction !

Well, Digestion begins in the Mouth, your teeth, and saliva help break the food down, so you chew, and chew to accomidate that band.

When you go in for fills or adjustments, they put saline in the Port which begins the process of blowing up the balloon in the band, and that tightens up around the top of the stomach."RESTRICTION"

So the opening now is smaller, so by chewing up your small pieces of food, it will go down, if you don't,,, it will get stuck at the band.

So whenever you go in for a adjustment, you will always feel tighter "MORE RESISTANCE". To much,, will put you in the Red Zone. Not enough in the fill, and you still have to go back for another adjustment to feel some Resistance.

Hope that helps, Shirley.

i

My nutritionist told me to chew each bite at least 15 times. I started doing that before my surgery and was amazed at how I'd been swallowing my food almost whole!

I'm just starting on mushies now; I bought 24 demitasse spoons (like baby spoons, except for adults!) and 24 appetizer forks and already know that its going to be hard going when I start solid food next week.

I'm just starting on mushies now; I bought 24 demitasse spoons (like baby spoons, except for adults!) and 24 appetizer forks

Just wondering why you need so many. Wouldn't 1 new fork and spoon or at the most 2 be enough?

Not sure about # utensils you need but as far as restriction goes, I can tell you that for me, restriction isn't just about how much I eat but about how I eat. I have to eat slowly and chew carefully. There are certain foods that I can't do anymore. Good example: I cannot do a sirloin anymore. Had to switch to filet mignon. I know, twist my arm, but I have trouble with the tougher cuts of beef. I use my toddler's plate as a guide for how much to portion out but still end up scraping food into trash.

The amount of restriction you feel after surgery is dependent on a number of factors: swelling and whether your surgeon leaves Fluid in band are two easy ones. I couldn't get more than a tiny sip down for the first two days. After 5 weeks I could eat 2 cups of food. I used small tupperware containers to portion out my post-op mushies and it worked out beautifully. Saved me a ton of money too.

Let's face it, I (we) used to eat like pigs. When we would order pizza, I could eat a whole pizza all by myself, with many toppings. Not to mention all the toppings.

Burgers.....French Fries.....huge steaks.....At resturantnts I would order Appetizer, Soup, salad, then the entree, dessert and coffee......not to mention what and how much I drank during the meal.

It took a surgical procedure to put a band aroung my stomach, inflate it with Fluid to tighten it up, so that I cannot overeat anymore!

SIMPLE.....It's not rocket science.

I don't really eat Pizza anymore, because if I did I could only go through 1/2 slice, and I finished, perhaps stuck.

It's that way with a lot of foods.

Thank you everyone. Im really having a hard time with the "getting stuck" issue. It scares me to death and is the only thing that may keep me from going through with this. Although Im 57, the thought of thinking about getting stuck everytime I put something in my mouth bothers me. Send any words of wisdom my way, please.

Thank you everyone. Im really having a hard time with the "getting stuck" issue. It scares me to death and is the only thing that may keep me from going through with this. Although Im 57, the thought of thinking about getting stuck everytime I put something in my mouth bothers me. Send any words of wisdom my way, please.

It will only happen when you eat the wrong way, or put the wrong things in your mouth.

You know, the reason we got fat in the first place.

Getting stuck is a good deterrent to correcting bad eating habits, resulting in weight loss!

You won't get stuck everytime you put something in your mouth. As I said earlier you get stuck when you eat incorrectly (too fast, not chewing properly etc). And yes getting stuck is a good deterrent to bad eating habits as once it has happened you don't want it to happen again. But even the best intentions don't always work.How many times have you had a hangover and sworn off alcohol? Did you and if you did for how long? LOL.

Please don't let the thought of being stuck stop you getting banded. I love my band and my only regret is that I didn't get banded sooner. I love being slim and sexy far more that I love eating giant meals.

Thank you Elcee and B52. Always enjoy reading your posts. You are both always " right on" with your advice.

Stuck all the time !

No ! As long as you take small bites (I like the size of a DIME, you have control of it in your mouth.) chew it up to the consistency of applesauce, and take your time you won't get stuck.

If you eat thick Doughey foods, that are Dry, and won't go down, yes you will get stuck! You will learn very fast, which foods do not agree with you and your band.

Those foods you will not eat.

Good Health to you, Shirley.