I'm not quite sure I understand "exactly" how this works. I'm going to try my best to put into words what I'm asking....

I have had two fills in my 10cm/4cc band.....up to 2cc. After a few bites of most foods, I get the stuck feeling. Sometimes it goes away after a few minutes and sometimes it doesn't and I end up PB'ing. I know alot of this may be because of my chewing habits, but I'm not quite understanding what is happening to me.

1) liquids go down fine morning...noon...and night

2) Am I too tight or not tight enough? If I'm getting the stuck feeling after just a few bites, doesn't that mean the food is going on through and not staying in the "pouch" which is supposed to keep me full for four hours? I have yet to feel full....just get the stuck feeling.

3) I put off my fill that was scheduled for today until I could understand a little more of what's going on. I thought I had this all figured out but.....

I also haven't lost any more weight since my fill 4 weeks ago. I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong or what needs to be done.....not quite sure.

I appreciate any and all help!

being stuck means that it is not going through, and you are getting really stuck. It means you are not chewing enough, or are too tight. You should not get a fill if you are getting stuck.

But from my understanding, it's supposed to stay in the pouch and slowly go through and that's what keeps us full for hours. This is not what's happening to me.

yes, but it is supposed to go through slowly. what you are doing is eating without chewing well, and it just isn't going through. it is getting stuck. then the food builds up. and up into your esophagus. that is not what you want to have happen. chew better. try that and see what happens.

But I have yet to feel full. I wish I knew what this is supposed to feel like.

I so appreciate your help.

That's the reason I didn't get a fill today...I knew I didn't to practice better eating habits like chewing better.

you have to learn the new feelings of full. it is not going to feel the same. and you have to get over your head hunger as well. Just eat REALLY slowly, and chew chew chew. Your food should be liquid when it goes down. Good luck!!!

Miper I don't have any recognizable signs of being "full" yet either. I have to measure my food onto my plate and stop when it is empty. I do get the stuck feeling also. Particularly in the morning. I usually eat my first couple of bites too close together and I think the food then kinda of sticks together into one big piece that has a hard time passing into the pouch.

I know I did that with two pieces of well chewed chicken breast. Took about 30 minutes to an hour for it to pass on down and it HURT!!!!!!!!!

So I am looking for creative ways to make sure I take really small bites with adequate time between each.

One way I have tried today is to get a baked whole grain goldfish and scoop my food onto it. Makes for a really small bite of food.

Crackers may not be the best choice but my doc says as long as I am losing weight they are okay. Fifty-five goldfish are 140 calories so they are relatively low in calories.

Myra

There is a difference between "full" and "satisfied". You are likely not to ever feel "full" again, unless you load up on Water before your meal, or other liquids. "Satisfied" is more a feeling of "Okay, I don't need anymore".

However, getting stuck in the first couple of bites (assuming you are chewing to mush in the first place) could be what we call "first bite syndrome". Probably 70% of my meals cause this for me. The first couple of bites get stuck right away, and I have to wait it out until they go down, and then I can have a comfortable meal. If I push it when those first couple of bites aren't moving, I'll PB, almost guaranteed. If I wait, 90% of the time, they'll go down without a problem, and I am able to have a good normal bandster sized meal and be 'satisfied'. Sometimes starting on something like a cup of low cal Soup will help this not happen, or I'll even get stuck on the soup for a couple of minutes, but it's liquid/mushy so it doesn't take as long as if my first bites were solids.

Hope this helps.

I agree with Marimaru... It sounds like First Bite Syndrome.

Try drinking warm liquid or soup right before you eat and see if it helps.

Also... Work on your eating, go slower and take smaller bites.

I get first bite syndrome from time to time too, especially at night.

You should never feel that 'Thanksgiving' lower tummy FULL again. Your food now will rest above the band, nearer the esophagus until it moves slowly into the lower tummy. For me, I know I'm FULL when I can tell I have food sitting near my throat, with no where else to go. In order for it to reach the lower tummy, it has to move slowly through the small opening left by your band and hopefully NEVER create that full feeling in the lower tummy again. As stated - if you've chewed well enough, the food WILL move through the stoma as you eat. And, with good restriction, it's not uncommon at all to only get a 'few' bites and have to stop eating. This may be YOUR SIGN. If you are eating proteins first, it's quite allright to only have a few bites and not need to eat more. This is where the 'head hunger' comes into play. We THINK we need to finish.. or eat MORE..

Jessie Ahroni says, practice seeing how little you can eat as opposed to how much you can get in. :eek:

Yes it does sound like that first bite thing. I take my first bite and wait 10 or 15 minutes. This is hard for me but I have been working on it. I try not to wait until I am so hungry either. I cut things up really small and chew the heck out of it. I have learn to enjoy the flavor of food more and not the full feeling. Good luck and chew, chew, chew and chew some more. HA Ha

Whew...thank you guys. I had always heard about first bite syndrome, but never really knew what it was. I thought it was being scared to take a bite after being stuck or PBing.

I had a thought this morning when I was taking my morning meds. I think this problem I'm having has ALOT to do with my chewing because first thing in the morning I take 3 pretty good size capsules and they don't get stuck. Wouldn't that mean that I'm not too tight, just not quite up to par on my eating habits?

As my doctor explains it. As you sleep all night the band is not fully open in the morning,that is why he recommends a protein drink for breakfast.

As we are up and moving around it will open more. We don't always have to have the drink for breakfast but I usually do. When I go out to eat breakfast it is usually a little later on and after I have had a couple of cups of coffee and then I can have a scrambled egg w/cheese and that is all I can hold. I learned real quick to take small bites and put my fork down between bites. I also measure my food and quit most times before it is all eaten.

The only way to find out whether or not it's your eating habits, is to try changing them, right?

I had a tough period where I was PBing alot, etc. I was thinking about getting an unfill, and one day just sat down and decided to go r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w. Turned out, I was chewing well, and eating slow, but I needed to chew MORE and eat SLOWER.

It's a tough thing to master, and you'll probably have to master it again at a new level with each fill.

Just to let you know....I slowed down and started taking smaller bites and so far life has been much better. I think I've only had one episode where something felt stuck and it wasn't for very long. I still don't seem to be losing, but I know it will catch up to me one day.

Thanks everyone!