HI,

Need your advice. I had my first fill 1 week ago and only just last night feel that it has kicked in!

I know I'm just learning but I can't seem to realise when I am comfortably full - then suddenly I've had too much and it feels stuck (and painful). :omg: It feels like its a very fine line - and I've just crossed it!! I haven't had a PB yet - not looking forward to that! I would be very interested to hear your "learning" stories.

Thanks

Jen

I don't have good restriction yet so my bites are much larger than a restricted bandster. I take moderately sized bites and swallow it in three or more separate parts. I don't expect this to work forever.

Most veteran bandsters talk about using children's utensils or a shrimp fork and putting it down between bites. This may give you a little more time to find your "max fill line". Luck

I struggled with golf-balls, slimes & PBs after my first fill. I finally seem to have conquered it -- 3 days with no incidents! Weee!!

For me, I use a baby food spoon / shrimp fork.

1. TINY bites
   
2. Chew to goo (every bite... every time)
   
3. Put your utensil down & watch a clock AFTER you swallow
   
4. 30-60 seconds with your mouth EMPTY... then take another bite

The space between bites helps you to catch it the second it hurts, instead of being 2-3 bites too far. Now I stop at slight breastbone pressure & it doesn't get to a golf-ball.

Heh, I'm really hoping that I've learned this lesson... and that it's not just that my restriction is less now, lol. I get another fill next week, so we'll see!

Jen~

Thanks for posting that question. I'm 3 months out and am still learning to eat slowly...I need to improve in that respect. I haven't PBd or anything, although I know eventually it's bound to happen) and I do well with the chewing, but I need to put the fork down between bites. I needed the reminder.

Have a great Easter weekend, everyone!

Emily

Eating slowly is one of the hardest things I have had to learn to do..Slow and chew chew chew...got a small I mean SMALL piece of ham hung yesterday...never had to PB but did have to wait wait wait for it to go down and it hurt......Didnt try that no more :confused: Its trial and error just learn as we go and lean on this for questions...Much love

Did anyone practice this B4 getting the band? After reading this, I think I should get out my kids baby utensils. :confused:

:confused: Thank you all for sharing your experience as I am just 12 days post op and have yet to try semi solid or solid foods. I have read horror stories of the innocent sounding BP (most horrible, wish you could die experience I have ever heard of) :faint: . Made me VERY scared :help: :help: to even attempt solid food :hungry: . I will be sure to heed all of your advise.... Keep up the good work, anything worth achieving must be worked for :clap2: :whip: :clap2: :whip: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

After years of shoveling it in like there was no tomorrow, it took time to learn to eat slowly and to find the small clues that you need to stop. But for me, I finally learned. I eat really slowly now. I usually put the fork down between bites. I don't have to think about it anymore. And I can usually recognize the small signals my body gives when I am done (before full), or if I can proceed to eat one more bite.

Keep practicing! It will happen, but it takes time...

I think the hardest thing too is knowing/learning when to stop...I have been banded since Nov. 2004 and I still learn something with this wonderful tool everyday...I still have A LOT of trouble staying away from something to drink while eating/afterwards.......such a pain for me.....

I was "shy" about eating solid foods at first...which, although helpful, is not really an option. But, I do use small utensils and small plates/bowls too. I don't drink with meals AT ALL...did once, and the liquid BURST back out of my throat immediately. It was not pretty.

I must have a bit of the "first bite syndrome". I often start to feel full after 2-3 bites, even small ones that I chew well. Then, if I go slow, I can continue fine. But, I have to admit that I'm not GRADUALLY crossing that line of full-to-overfill....I tend to go from still hungry to golf ball (or maybe a LITTLE golf ball!). I have PB'd a few times...not more than a handful of them, but they are pretty miserable. BUT, having said that, I'd rather PB and get it out than sit with it hurting for an hour or so. Golf balls and PB's are NOT made for public restrooms either!! I don't puke ladylike or quiet at all...I wretch in every sense of the word!!!

I do find that if I eat Protein (especially cheese, meat, fish or shrimp) at the first of my meal, I stay satisfied longer after the meal. I do salads REALLY WELL...I can eat a decent quantity AND it goes down easy AND I stay pretty satisfied. Adding meat to a salad really helps...but no croutons, etc.

I'm still finding my restriction coming and going from week to week, day to day and meal to meal, without any particular rhyme or reason that I can find. But, I just eat according to how it is at that meal. It's unfortunate when you're out to eat and/or wanting a particular food/meal and your band has decided it's time for a TINY meal!!! Never fails...my band and I aren't on the same page!! But, my band knows best, so I do what pleases it.

Gotta run..It's IDOL night!!

Nanster

I t hink learning to eat with the Band is like learning to dance without stepping on your partner's toes....the more attention you pay to the details the faster it gets easier it gets to enjoy the music....

Heed well what messages you read here....the more compliant we become with the parameters of the Band, the better the results and the less the problems.

So we begin with the 'waltz-bite'....chew chew pause, put down the food, chew chew pause, put down the food, chew chew pause.....and when it liquifies....gently swallow....

When you master 'waltz-bite' we can move to Fox trot bite, tango bite and other little exercises....

Have you ever had the doc do an "unfill" on you? I have had to some removed after my last 2 fills. I am apple shape. Do you think it matters what shape you are. I have had 3 fills and 2 unfills so far. I have 1.50 cc in now. Why do think I have so much trouble? I even eat Soup for the first evening and the next day post fill.