I was banded in late July and received my first fill approx. 4 weeks later (1.5 cc in a 4cc band). I had absolutely no restriction and actually gained a few pounds. Therefore, I had my 2nd fill last week and that brought me to 2.6 cc. My doctor felt this 2nd fill was very aggressive, and implied that it might be a problem for me. Not so it turns out!

When I eat I feel some restriction, atleast I assume so. I feel tightness in my chest and have to eat slowly and chew well. Some foods just seem to be not worth the effort, such as bread or dry chicken. That's all very well and to be expected.

But the problem is that I never seem to feel saitiated/full. I haven't really pushed this too far but when I eat 1/2 cup, or more, I never get a feeling that I should stop because of fullness. I feel restriction, but not full.

Does that make sense? I'm losing weight but only because I make myself stop eating and not because the band is stopping me.

I become hungry quickly after eating so try to fill the void (until my next meal) with Water.

So to sum up, I'm wondering if getting another fill will help to increase my feeling of fullness without making me so restricted I can't even swallow my own saliva.

Anybody have any experience with this?

Thanks,

Marie

Hey There,

I am experiencing the same thing. I just had my third fill and hope to feel a saiety/fullness as well. WIth my last two fills I felt only some restriction and often times stop eating because I physically can't keep eating but this does not mean I am "full." I will stop eating and still feel quite hungry. I just had my third fill yesterday, so I will let you know if it helps. Sure hope it does...

Marie, you're at the start of a process that will change the way you feel satiety. That's the hard part for a lot of people, and I know it was for me. What I did that really helped was this: When the time came to stop eating because I couldn't swallow any more, I made a serious attempt to understand this NEW feeling as being FULL. This is what full feels like now. Give yourself 20 minutes and take stock again--if you are really having hunger pangs then go ahead and eat some more. But if you're NOT, you're not hungry and lo and behold, the band is effectively making you eat less (which is, of course, the point).

We wouldn't have gotten obese if we didn't rely more on our heads than our stomachs to tell us when we were done. "Done," to a non-obese person, is the point at which one is no longer hungry, not the point at which we no longer "want" to eat any more. Mentally satisfied is really a whole different thing than physically satisfied, and it's the latter we have to learn to recognize and accept.

It's not easy, but it is worthwhile. It's this leap that changes us from obese people to normal people!!

This is the hardest part about being banded. The band makes it physically impossible for you to over-eat. Your head, however, has no such limits. We were fat because we ate too much. We ate past the point of feeling "satisfied". We ate (not always, but often enough) until we were stuffed. We could eat a helping (or more) of everything on the table. Now we can't do that, but we still WANT to. We still love the taste of food. And we still WANT to over-eat.

I was also guilty of grazing. I thought I had to have a drink or a piece of food in my hand every waking moment. I ate at the computer, while I read, in front of the TV....the only place I didn't eat was in the car. I have worked really hard to break those habits. I have learned to read without food, and that was a biggie. I also used to eat in the middle of the night. I don't allow myself to do that any more, either.

The band is a tool. I'm sure you're sick of hearing that, but it's true. It's the difference between cutting a tree down with an ax and using a chain saw. Don't fight with your band. Let it take the lead. Let it choose what you can eat and how much. In the end, you will be glad you did.

Even if you have a hard time distinguishing between real hunger and "head hunger", remember that neither one is going to do you any harm. The best thing to do is distract yourself - go do something that requires you to think, and you will forget all about food.

I haven't been banded as long as you guys, but I've experienced something similar and was a really strange experience at first.

My stomach growls so I know I'm hungry. I eat a small amount and know that I've had enough, but the lower part of my stomach is still growling! If I wait 20 minutes or so, my stomach stops growling...this learning process is fascinating!

Bravo Alexandra, you hit the nail right on the head.

It will be a learning experience. I felt the same in the beginning, and

feel that a lot of it was habit. Hang in there Gilbert, be patient.

The band is your Drill Sergeant, listen and learn.

15 months post op.

200 pounds lost, (at goal)

430 then, 230 now, (6'2)

54 BMI then, 24 now. Life is good!

Gilbert,

I was banded 8/28 and just had my 2nd fill about 10 days ago. I feel the same way, I'm still hungry but I definetly am restricted. I can't seem to swallow any meat or bread. It gets stuck in my esophogus and normally I have to burp it up. I drink most Proteins and try to vary my food which is hard, when it doesn't want to stay down. I talked to my doctor and he said I may be too restricted and could get an unfill. Leave it out for a few weeks and then slowly re fill back up. I'm going to wait until Wednesday which is his fill day, we'll see how I feel then. I just drank a 17gram EAS Protein shake and I am still hungry...:help:

I think the reason that you're still hungry after the Protein shake is that the shake goes right through the band.

It's my understanding from my band doc that the "full receptors" of the stomach are right at the top of the stomach, so if you drink your calories the full receptors really never kick in.