I am being banded in less than a month. I am getting very scared. I've overeaten all my life, and many times I eat when I'm not even hungry. The food just has to be there, and I'll eat. My question is, how can you tell when your full, when you are used to not noticing? Is there a strong full feeling, like all of a sudden you just can't eat another bite?I usually don't even notice I'm full untill I'm stuffed! I'm really afraid of throwing-up. What does "full" feel like with the band? :help:

I was banded 4 weeks ago and since I started eating solids I have noticed I get fuller faster. I haven't had a fill but I can't eat hardly as much as I did before. For me, I feel a "full" feeling in my upper chest. When I start to get that full feeling I stop, I don't even bother taking more bites because the fullness feeling makes the thought of eating more unappetizing. I could take another bite but I don't even feel like it...it's a mental change I've had I think because before the band I'd just eat eat eat regardless of feeling full or not. When I say "full" I can only describe it like the feeling you get when you eat too much without the band, kind of a gorged feeling...like you don't want another bite of food. I hope that helps, it's kind of a hard thing to accurately describe.

Fullness takes on kindof a different meaning now. When you start to get "full", you geta kindof tightness and fullness feeling in your mid-chest. It's in a different location now because your food isn't dropping into that bottomless bag we call a regular stomach. Now after having a fill I cannot push eating "just a few more bites" because I find a get a little queasy if I do, and that can be a prelude to a PB, and I really just don't have the time for that now. Note, you are going to feel full all the time for the first week or more. That's the band settling in and healing and your body going "What the hell???" The operative word here is SLOW eating. Don't worry about the liquids stage. That is strictly for healing. Don't worry about your caloric intake (that being said, don't dump a bunch of ice cream down your gut!) because the first month is going to be different. During this time, don't worry about weight loss or anything. Just concentrate on getting PROTEIN (i.e. protein drinks or shakes) and liquids in constantly to keep up your energy while you heal.

"Just concentrate on getting Protein (i.e. protein drinks or shakes) ..."

Hi K,

Just wondering what you think of whey. I just ordered it off the internet and don't yet know how to prepare it. This is good to use as protein I believe. Do you know if it can be my only source in the beginning after surgery?

You seem knowledgeble.

Thanks,

Alfie

:help::help::help::hungry:

I am being banded in less than a month. I am getting very scared. I've overeaten all my life, and many times I eat when I'm not even hungry. The food just has to be there, and I'll eat. My question is, how can you tell when your full, when you are used to not noticing? Is there a strong full feeling, like all of a sudden you just can't eat another bite?I usually don't even notice I'm full untill I'm stuffed! I'm really afraid of throwing-up. What does "full" feel like with the band? :help:

Almost all Lap-Band patients develop a new "Full Signal" or "Soft Stop" sign.

"What is a "Soft Stop" and what will my "Soft Stop sign be?" I wish I could answer that, but I can't. My experience is that it took me some time to recognize that that funny little hiccup was a stop sign. I don't even recall how long it took me to figure it out. What REALLY messes me up is when my body tricks me by substituting another sign for my hiccup. Many a PB followed when that happened, so now I look for ANYTHING different. A feeling of fullness, stuffiness, a runny nose, a hiccup or hiccups, watering eyes... ANYTHING that's different!

Janet, there is a definite difference in how your body feels being full with a band, and being full without. If you overeat with the band in place, the food backs up into your esophagus, which hurts! That is the feeling in the chest people are getting. Continuing to do that can do damage, so you learn not to eat enough to cause that. It is aversion therapy. It hurts, so your body learns to tell you not to do that again.

I never noticed it before, but in hindsight, I know it has always happen---but I get soft stop signals. They tell me I am reaching my limit---to stop eating. For me, my nose gets sniffly, it means I am full. I imagine it is something to do with the same trigger that causes us to "slime" if we do overeat, or get stuck. I have also pushed it to a point of giving myself hiccups!

I have really tried---and it has not been easy---it is a lesson still in progress, to learn just to eat until I am no longer hungry, and forget about what is or isn't "full". In my house, there is not going to be any problem with going hungry. I know if I stop, and I do happen to get hungry in a little while, I can always find something to eat. And without fail, when I stop---I find myself satisfied. And comfortable.

None of us knew how to work with this little silicone buddy of ours before we got it, and each of us has found our own way of learning, and dealing with it on a daily basis---so will you! It is a scary thing to think of learning to do differently and learning to do without. I do not do well with deprivation---I was really scared! I was losing a good friend in my food I thought. In reality, I did not lose my friend, I just see less of it! And since I can eat anything, I am not feeling deprived. I know I could have lost more faster if I dieted with my band, but I knew myself better than that!!! If dieting were something I did well, I might not be here!

When you get your band, you will learn your signals, and adjust your lifestyle around them. And until you figure it out, we are always here!!!

Alfie---what kind of whey did you order? Is it a Protein powder?

Kat

I too, was having difficulty figuring out what full was.....but i got all of the above listed signals....and I know that I DO NOT want that pain in my chest - or slime in my throat. As the person above said - aversion therapy! It's a tool. I was banded 6/18/07 and the first month was not hungry - because I was still healing and everything in there is irritated - so it's a help. I have lost 35 pds....although it is a slow go....I'm hoping I don't get too baggy - saggy of skin. I like the New Whey Protein drinks from Nashua Nurtition.com on Bariatric Eating .com. They are 42 gr protein bullets - easy to drink - transport - already mixed...you don't have to refrigerate unless you want.

I'm losing about 1 1/2-2 pds a week. Not a fast track...but a TRACK. I'm also using fitday.com to track my intake and weight loss. So for 10 wks out I'm feeling good and like others - still trying to decipher the best way to use this little tool - or as someone above said our little silicone buddy!

I'm still on liquids but I feel a tightness under my left breast area when I'm full.

Also my port area bloats and becomes hard.

I swallow all of my meds whole and I even get full from that.

The crushed tastes horrible.

Sometimes you will feel it in your chest. Sometimes you will feel that your stomach just can't take anymore food. Sometimes you even hiccup. If you overeat you will PB after you start to get fills. As far as eating just to eat, you can certainly eat around the band so you'll have to be careful. Eating several meals a day is not a good idea. You should be able to go hours without eating if you have the right fill level. I can only eat 1/4 cup of food at a time. Sometimes just 1oz of protein. The key too is to eat solid protein first. It keeps you fullest the longest. Once you get on solids that will be important. Soft proteins like cottage cheese go through the band faster and will not keep you satisfied as long. Good luck.

My first symptom of fullness is a pain in my left shoulder. Once that starts, I know I better quit or I'll progress to the "stuck pill" feeling, pressure in my chest, and burping. Twice I haven't "listened" and have then progressed to swallowing hard, sliming, and a pb. It IS a learning experience and we are all different so we have to learn for ourselves. I agree that one of the band's greatest purposes is causing discomfort for eating too much--when we go too far and experience pain, the band has done it's behavior modification job! I'm trying not to be a slow or stubborn learner.

alfie

i wanted to let you know that i bought whey at walmart about 2 months ago. i got the vanilla kind and it tastes pretty good. it has 23grams of protein per serving and it comes in a 32oz container

andrea

Thank you everyone. I feel so much more at peace. I was so worried about eating. Well, I still am a little. I guess it's just the unknown that's so scary. I am so worried that my bits might be too big, I will take that one last bit that I should not have. I'm so glad to know that there are signs to look for. This is such a great place to get support!

I was banded on August 7 and I have been reading this sight for a few days now and I always see everyone refer to PB or slime.

Can someone tell me what that is?

I just joined this - am having the surgery first part of December - can't wait - I was wondering too - what is slime and PB? Thanks, Tara

Check out this link: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f73/abbreviations-what-they-mean-7959/

PB is different than vomiting because there are no stomach fluids mixed with the food. It's just the food coming up from your pouch and looks just like what you swallowed. The sliming comes first and means you better go to the bathroom. I think the slime is your body trying to lubricate the food to go down but once I start sliming I cough once and my pouch empties into the toilet. People have different experiences. For some it's really painful and they can't eat for a day or so but it's not like that for me--however, I've only PB'd twice and I don't have adequate restriction yet so I'm no authority. But this is just my take on PB'ing and sliming. Good luck on your journey!