I have been banded now 10 weeks. I received my frist fill about 1 month ago. I have had quite a bit of a learning curve. Have PBed many times. I am still losing very well, but I am having a hard time determining if I am full or if I have not chewed well or if I have eaten to fast. I can;t tell 1 feeling from the other. Actually I really never feel hungry anymore,but I am eating very little. I mean I can not eat much at all. Can some of you explain the differnce between being full, eating to fast and not chewing well. I feel the burning sensation in my chest a lot.

It's a whole new way of eating. My fill doctor says to chew every bite 30 times, and to take half the bite you would have taken preband. Eat slow. If I feel discomfort after the first few bites, I will put the fork down and wait several minutes until it subsides. Most times it's air, and after I burp, I can eat a few more bites. I haven't figured out how to avoid swallowing air yet. Did your doctor use fluoro to fill? You might be a little too tight.

I thought I had the those issues licked until a month ago --then it all changed. I'm re-learning how to tell if I'm full or if I ate too fast. After 4 months, it's still a challenge. I also think I rarely feel true hunger. I think I started eating faster and relaxing since it was going so well and now I've had to back off again.

Go slow and if you still pb often, you may need a tiny unfill. I don't pb, but I get the pain.

Unless you are eating soft foods, you will probably not feel that 'Thanksgiving' Full that we all had become so accustomed to. With the band it's a much more subtle feeling. Usually your body will give you signs, such as one big hiccup or a bit of shoulder pain, maybe a sudden bout of sneezing or coughing. Michelle says she gets an ice cream headache. These are things you will have to watch for and learn that your body is trying to signal that you are 'done' eating.

Most of us will reach a point that ONE more bite will automatically come up. I don't really have that reaction much, but I definitely know that when I have that one big hiccup or a sort of sharp pain in my shoulder or under my left ribcage area that I am 'done'. If you continue to eat past that point, you could be in danger of stretching your pouch, although I would think that would take something like consistently overpacking it.

You'll not feel that 'stuffed' feeling in the lower stomach anymore, which was quite a relief to me. If I never lose another pound, I am SO glad that I don't go to bed at night feeling bloated and overstuffed anymore.

You'll get the hang of it, just listen to what your body is trying to tell you. The 'full' you'll feel is much farther up, in your esophagus.

Good luck!

Yep I get an ice cream headache and that is my signal ..after that I'm done eating.

I hiccup alot of times when I've had enough.

I'm still trying to figure that one out too. I need to go back to my original method of preparing a small plate, sitting down w/ no distractions (t.v., etc.), eating leisurely for 20 minutes, stopping (whether I feel full or not), and getting up and away from the kitchen. I've gotten slack about being in a hurry, watching t.v., and too many soft foods. O.K., that's my confession for the last couple of weeks. I'll do better tomorrow. (As Scarlett O'Hara lifts her muddy fist toward the sky..."Tomorrow, things will be better.")

I often have to here my stomic rumble before I eat and then of course my eyes are to big for my stomic...but in general I can tell when I full because I feel icky if I eat any more.

I agree with all of you. If I eat with distraction the phone ringing baby crying door bell ringing etc I am in big trouble. I will take everyone's advise and try to chew chew chew, take very small bites and spend more time. One thing that is really werid that happens to me is this really loud and I mean loud gurrling sound that comes up from my throat. Also is it possible for my fill that is about 4 weeks old to be becoming more restrictive? How long does the fill take to kick in for most of you? Some days I can eat almost normal and then some days I can hardly get anything down.

. Also is it possible for my fill that is about 4 weeks old to be becoming more restrictive? How long does the fill take to kick in for most of you? Some days I can eat almost normal and then some days I can hardly get anything down.

It is very possible, and very common. Don't ask me why. I think our band goes along with the barometric pressure or something. Truly, it is fickle. You'll see this experience far and wide across all band boards. From one day to the next, no one really knows if they'll feel their restriction or not. I had a fill last week that I am just now starting to notice some real signs from and by next week, who knows?

Cateringqueen, I do that, too! It's like a really loud stomach growl, except it's in your esophagus! I just know everyone at the table can hear it when it does that! I guess that's our "sign"!

I posted that question a little while ago!That noise is embarrasing if you are eating in a quiet setting with un-family members!

I tended to take bites off my plate at work in between serving clients and it got so bad that i had to stop that!(my lunch is at 11:30 and i am usually not hungry)

My restriction varies ALOT as well...

bumping for newbies

i agree with all of you's, to know when your full, is very hard , cause, their are different things to look for in everyone. pain under your ,left breast, pb's, last spoonful, really bad back , and esophgus pain, nause, chills 2or three hrs later, so systums are not right away, you start feeling discomfort, a few hrs later , backach..all in all.... you need to be very careful, and place very small portions in front of you , make it hard, walk for secounds if you have too, which will make you thing ..why,

don't make it easy for yourself to do the same things ,you use to before the band, and remmber you can only ,fill your little tummy with just 4oz. so why? why? put , more in front of you then you can eat, don't temp your self , you will come out losing , with pain, and feeling sick, trial and error, it takes time, but, the good side, we'll feel better, about ourselfs and all that's been acomplice till day and that's worth it, ... feel better

margie,

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margie

295/257.8/140goal

Hmmm..... I still get the growling tummy hunger and hunger pains just like pre-band. I can eat and eat and eat and still never really feel full. I'm beginning to wonder if I really have a band!!!

"Hmmm..... I still get the growling tummy hunger and hunger pains just like pre-band. I can eat and eat and eat and still never really feel full. I'm beginning to wonder if I really have a band!!!"

Blossom I was banded on November the 1st and I feel the same way. I still can eat a lot. Still less than I could but a heck of a lot more than what I thought. Hopefully I don't gain every pound back before my first fill. Now that I am back on any food I want the growling has subsided a bit, but I am sure shovin it in and wondering when my band will tell me to stop!

Kim