I was banded June 28, 2004. I received my first fill of 1.5cc on Aug. 9. My band holds 4 cc. I am very confused about the way my band is working. Sometimes I take my very first bite of food, chew exceptionally well as always, and I feel like I have a golf ball in my chest that won't go down. It takes me forever to eat a very small amount. Because I have been restricting myself to 4 oz. to 6 oz. of food at a time and counting calories, as my dietician recommends, I am finding this past week that when I come home from work and eat dinner I am suddenly shamefully famished and would binge all at once. The food seems to slide right down into a "bottomless pit" without that "golf ball" feeling in my chest. I can eat endless amounts of food if I don't force myself to stop. I don't know if I need more restriction or what is going on. I am guessing that if I eat faster and stuff myself that maybe the band is forced open by the volume of food and therefore bypasses restriction??? I had been losing about 2 1/2 lbs. a week. I have gained back 2 to 3 lbs. this week. I am having a real hard time maintaining a strict diet. I have been doing so well for two months and never was able to find this type of willpower before. I can not seem to deny myself anymore. The willpower is disappearing quickly. I don't like feeling that constant growling in my stomach. I seem to be feeling painfully hungry every 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. now. A hard sugar free sucking candy seems to help extend my hunger by 1/2 hr. I am drowning in Water. Water doesn't seem to help fill me up when I am really hungry. It just makes me feel uncomfortable. I also don't know what a full pouch is supposed to feel like. Is it that "golf ball" feeling???

Has anyone ever experienced the same phenomenon? Does anyone know the answer to this mystery?

Gail

This has been a very helpful post.....I too have had this golf ball feeling. It pops up when it wants, most of the time it is from not paying attention to what i am doing....EATING.....eating to fast, dried food, drinking unconcouisly, then it is to late. My understanding of the band for losing was that it will be a lot slower than RNY that was a major reason for me because I want my skin to slowly change also.....I was banded 05-03-04 Baton Rouge by Dr. Bellanger 219/190 now. I am down only 29, more to come but it is also giving my brain the time to ajust to the new me that is coming.......I finally found some support to...I did not get it from where I had my surgery they are still stuck on the RNY....went to a meeting and never went back told my husband there was nothing but a bunch of pissed off fat women there (i can say that I am Fat and a woman) but I am determined to change that and not use it as a crutch......Candy Hang in there hun don't blame the band yet you've lost just give your esophogus and stoma a rest for a few days and try what you ate another time you just not tolerating it yet......scrambled eggs for me still........and that was the first thing solid they told me to eat.....Good luck on your journey....Just curious how much protein are you drinking a day......