Is this how it is supposed to be?

Sterbear · July 29, 2007

I am sure this has been asked before, but I can't really find the answer to my question. I had a fill 2 weeks ago. My question is, how should it feel? food gets stuck often, but I am able to eat as much as I want, once I get unstuck. I do not feel full quickly. Some meats, some bread, and raw vegetables get stuck. When I say stuck, I mean I have pain in my stomach and I can feel the food move through the band after a while. Then I can go on eating as if nothing happened. I am not full for very long either. So, my question is, should I get another fill even though I have pain often? Should I feel pain? Would a fill help me feel full? Sorry so many questions, but I feel so alone in this because I do not know anyone who has had this procedure. Thanks in advance!

Kat817 · July 29, 2007

My advice would be to slow down, chew better, and limit your quantities of food, same as you did dieting before you were banded, and plan another fill.

BUT----do NOT get that fill until you can practice the small bites, and chewing necessary for eating with the fill you have now to be pain free.

Take small bites----chew each one really well, then chew a few more times for good measure! Sit your fork down for a few seconds, swallow your bite, and make sure it goes down well, and then cut another small bite, and try it.

Work on getting your food now with lots of protein---fish for instance, is an easy food to chew well, and good for keeping you feeling full for longer.

Then after that, I'd plan another fill. Sometimes it takes several to get to the sweet spot, other times 1-2 fills does it.

Good Luck, and welcome to LBT!

Kat

musicalmomma · July 29, 2007

This was a GREAT question that I had myself...and WONDERFULY informative answers!!!

You are so right that this takes time and practice AND PATIENCE! I was feeling quite discouraged before stumbling on to this thread, now I feel empowered and encouraged.

Thanks Kat & Jack!

Kat817 · July 29, 2007

Jack is 100% right in my book. If I eat to the point of being full--I am without a doubt OVER full! I try to keep my amounts low, and I know in my house, in my life, if I find myself hungry later, I will be able to find something to eat. I do not have to eat now or do without until tomorrow!

They did a piece several years ago on one of the Nightline type of programs where they looked at how people eat. They gave the group of people the same plates of food, and told them they had a set amount of time to eat it. The plates had chicken, potatoes, green Beans, a buttered roll, and a salad. The overweight eaters, ate faster, and more of them finished the entire plate than average sized people. Then they took them each and interviewed them, and found that the average sized person ate their favorite part of the meal first--where as the overweight people tended to save the favorite part for last. Which when you think about it, only prompted them to eat the entire thing to get to their favorite part! I am not saying you should choose the potatoes and ignore the rest of the meal...but if you are going to force yourself to eat all the rest just so you can eat some potatoes, you would have been better off having a few bites and NOT overeating just to get them.

We DO have to learn to eat differently. If you don't change anything, nothing will change, including your weight. Change how you approach food, how you choose to eat it, and it will help a lot!

I am not a person who deals well with deprivation...so I do not deprive myself, I eat everything, I just do so in moderation. It was not a lesson learned or turned into habit over night....I am still working on it every day----but it is a lesson so worth it!!!!!!

Kat

Sterbear · July 29, 2007

I am so glad I got over my fears and posted this question! Thanks so much for your advice. It is weird how I did not even realize how large each bite I took was, even though I chewed, it was much too large. Today, I have practiced small, well chewed bites, and the world is good again! I have had no pain and I am stopping before feeling "full." Crazy, but I always save my favorites for last!!!! I will be changing that also!

GayleTX · July 29, 2007

Some people and even some doctors will tell you that with the lapband you can eat whatever you want, just in smaller portions. Well, that may be true for a few people, but for the majority of people it just is not so. For most of us, there are certain foods that we will never be able to eat again without getting pain or stuck....the very foods you named, in face -certain meats, bread, stringy vegetables. I know of very few bandits who can eat bread at all other than maybe a little crunch toast (and if you are going to be a successful loser you need to eliminate bread altogether.....along with all other white things such as rice, potatoes, Pasta,corn).

It took me several months to learn how to eat.....it was really hard for me to slow down - I'd been working in the schools all my life wolfing down a quick lunch in 15 min. if I was lucky. It gets easier for much of the foods, but for some - they are history.

Best wishes to you.........

Kat817 · July 29, 2007

There is no accross the board can and cannot eat lists. Some people have trouble with many things. As Gayle said some foods are serious trigger foods for some people. There is no way to tell in advance what you will or will not have problems with.

Personally, I eat bread, I eat less of it by far, but that is a concious decision, not a pain based decision. When my restriction was at it's tightest, bread was a harder food to do. I am the same way with Pasta, I enjoy it in small quantities, with other food, grilled chicken or veggies. I have cut down on the foods that are not good for me, I focus on healthy food first. But in my case it has been by my choice and not by band choice. I consider myself a successful loser....without traditional "dieting". I eat and exercise now as I hope to for the remainder of my life. I do not want to give up my today in hopes for a tomorrow.

I have lost well, my blood pressure, and blood sugars are all normal again, as is my cholesterol. In my opinion my band has been highly successful for me. I recommend it frequently!

Not everyone will have the same experience I do. My SIL and I were banded the same day by the same Dr, and she does have issue with a lot of different foods. 2 other banded friends, eat basically like I do, and have no problems with foods.

I wish there was a way to know pre banding what your experiences would be...but there isn't.

Some foods can and may end up being a problem---but the first step to figuring out if they ARE triggers or not, is to eat them in the proper way for a bandster to eat.

Kat

Jachut · July 30, 2007

Lol, I eat bread a couple of times a week, potatoes a couple of times a week, same with rice and Pasta and I'm 2kg below my goal weight with a BMI in the healthy range. Am I not a successful loser?

It is entirely possible to eat less of everything and cut out no foods and lose weight!

But sometimes our bands will not tolerate certain foods. And there's not much you can do about that but kiss them goodbye, but believe me, when you feel the effects of eating something your band wont tolerate, its not as hard as you think it will be.

I made the most beautiful masterpiece of a cake this weekend. It was stupendously delicious - from a recipe we saw on TV. One half of a tiny sliver was all I could enjoy, it was like trying to eat a housebrick. Yummy, but not good friends with my band. Never even looked at the thing again, not even remotely tempted. Which for me, a self confessed carbaholic pre banding, is miraculous.