Thought I'd grab y'all with a funny headline - but here's my question, since I got my first "real" fill last Friday , I noticed that when I first start eating meat (chicken, turkey, etc.) like I'm supposed to do, it's REALLY hard to get it down. Still haven't PB'd yet, but definitely felt the "slimes." I fought a piece of turkey today and the turkey definitely won! Gave up on the meat portion of my lunch pretty quick and moved to the veggies. Anyway, after a few bites, it starts going down kinda ok -- I don't think I'm FULL when I'm getting that first pain right? That's not supposed to be what "restricted" is, or is it? There's no way I can be full after 1 piece of turkey. Soooo, what IS that pain anyway? Is it the Turkey trying to go down through the band right away? Why doesn't it just chill out in the pouch for a little while?? What's the darn hurry?!?

I really don't think I'm too restricted and I'm really happy to feel this pain (yes, I know that's sick on a certain level -- ha ha). Able to drink lots of liquids and eat Cereal in the mornings. Just really hard to get those first few bites of meat down at every meal.. Anyone else have the same problem??

I sometimes have the same problem with meat. I have 2 suggestions- (1) use soft meat like fish & chicken, stewed stuff, deli sliced, and (2) always take small bites & chew until it is pulverized.

So I take it from reading some other posts that what I'm feeling is a "Golfball" as the lovely term is used?? What am I supposed to do when I get the first feeling of a golfball? Stop eating, slow down? PLEASE HELP ME WITH YOU WISDOM FELLOW BANDSTERS!!!!

You might want to find a good food lube as well. I am very fond of fat free sour cream, and the Jim Beam bbq sauce is mighty tasty at 20 calories per 2 Tbls.

I have the most difficult time with turkey, even if it is sliced lunch meat from the deli county, turkey is difficult for me.

When you feel the golfball or anything close to it- stop eating. Slowing down will not help nor will drinking something. Sometimes, getting up & walking around helps- anything to get gravity to move the "stuck" food through.

Ok, so then this might be a silly question, but I think I thought that the food would sit in the stoma/pouch for a while, not go straight through -- like liquids I guess. I don't know, it sort of confuses me! Am I supposed to be filling up the pouch or is the pain of each bite going through the band that's supposed to stop me from eating so much? I though I understood this very well but evidently I dont!

And DEbW -- how long do I stop eating for? Until it passes and then try to resume my meal? That seems to work ok but I'm wondering if that's what I'm supposed to be doing? Or am I supposed to stop eating altogether for a while? Just seems odd to sit down to a meal and then have to end it after one bite.

I can only speak from my own experience but whenever I have discomfort, I stop eating until the next mealtime. I do not know if the "golfball" comes from the food stopping the the poch or on it's way through. I only know that it's my clear signal to stop putting anything in my stomach. Truly, you should not to get to the point of discomfort if you are taking small bites and chewwing them to death. However, reality is that you will have this happen & need to let it clear itself.

I stop eating - it might be 5 minutes, or 20, until I just feel "better" again.

If its only the first few bites then no, you're not full, its just that first bite syndrome going on probably. I take the first few bites of anything very very slowly (and tiny bites).