that the pain I get after taking a couple of bites is me getting full. I have had to practice, practice, practice my eating habits and I've gotten it down. My problem is I do not get full. I get the stuck feeling, then soon after, it goes away and I can eat again. Is this feeling full? What does full feel like?

Also, i must say that i have not lost any weight since the first month of being banded back in April. I did lose about 6-7 lbs. after my last fill, then gained it all back. I'm the only person he sees that is not losing weight. HELP!!!!

Hmmmm...on the one hand, it sounds like you've got too much restriction. But on the other hand, you're not losing. Sounds like your doctor isn't terribly helpful.

A few questions:

1. do you get your fills w/ flouroscopy?

2. are you chewing your food to liquid consistency?

3. are you eating 3 meals or grazing through the day?

4. what kinds of foods are you eating?

5. are you exercising?

No, I do not have the fills under fluero. He told me today that I had two choices, I could either get a small fill and see if it helps or I could do a barium swallow. I chose to do a small fill.

I take alot of responsibility for not losing the weight like I should. I have not been exercising like I should AND eating more junk than i should. My kids and I have done alot of eating out during the summer also (who wants to cook in this Florida heat), so that's coming to a halt. Even with all of this going on, I think I should be losing something. I'm eating WAY less than I used to.

I just don't understand how my body is supposed to react. From everything I've read, you eat a small portion, feel full, quit eating and don't get hungry for hours. This isn't happening for me. I just don't know......

You know eating out too much is not healthy. You are maintaining now. Try exericising more, making better food choices, and drinking more water. Are you doing your protein shakes???

Are you sure its tummy hunger and not head hunger (which is what i suffer from) your feeling?

I do one shake a day, but I'm thinking I may need to do more than one. Good idea...thanks!

Adding more protien shakes is not the answer. The band is not desiged to force you onto a liquid diet.

It sounds like you have first bite syndrome, where you get stuck after a bite or two. This is NOT you being full, it is your stoma going into spasm. Not a good or happy place to be.

Try to have something hot to drink before you eat your meal.

Have you tracked your calories, and what are you currently getting in? This will help us figure out what's going on, hopefully.

Of course, you could be like me. (yes, I know that strikes terror in the heart of any sensible person...)

Miper70-

Don't forget the lapband rules of - Protein first, then veggies, then carbs (if there's room). Keep the protein lean (fish/chicken) to jumpstart the weight loss. Drinking lots of Water will also keep down the hungry feeling. Remember, most of the time your body thinks it's hungry, it's really thirsty!

My Dr. says it's fine for me to drink the Protein shakes in the morning since that's when I'm tight and have difficulty eating eggs, etc. So, I have a non-carb Protein shake for Breakfast and follow the eating outlined above for lunch and dinner. I'm not hungry (usually :nervous ) and do not snack or graze during the day.

I hope this helps!

Today I tried the drinking something warm before eating and it sems to help. How do I let my Doc know that I think he is wrong and I have spasms going on, not full restriction? I know he's going to get on the defensive if I tell him....

My was told to drink something warm the first thing of every morning to help with spasm. Try this and see how it goes. A protein shake is better than junk food. It will help with the hunger

So that's how it works? Your esophagus reacts like you're tring to swallow something too big?

My doctor says drinking hot liquids about 20 minutes before a meal helps a lot. Especially if you add lemon. I was explained that a lot of mucus builds up in your pouch and you need the hot liquid to flush it out in order to eat a good, full meal.

You may want to add more exercise to your routine. That made a big difference for my weightloss. Also, try sparkpeople.com to track your calories. I love that website and it helped me realize I was making some bad choices even when I thought I was being good.

Also, don't wait to "feel full". Eat a "bandster portion" (2-3 oz of protein and 1/2 - 1 C of veggies) and then walk away. Give it a half hour and then see how you feel. If you're actually physically hungry -- meaning you are happy to sit down and eat protein & produce, not just carbs or junk food -- then you probably aren't filled enough.

Miper70, sounds like you are just like me. When you get that stuck feeling that is when we are suppose to stop. I push the bands capability if I wait then continue to eat. I think it would be smart for both of us to use the band the way it was intended and slow down and let it work. The stuck feeling is when we should stop.

This is so right about not pushing that stuck feeling, I to am guilty of this and I know I'm suppose to stop but I have such a hard time. It would be nice to have a little support team for this too.

sunflower