What does restriction really mean? I often hear people talk about “band restriction” in many different ways. Some say it means you can’t eat certain foods like Pasta and bread; others say it means PBing; and yet others say it means I’m less hungry.

What does “restriction” really mean for the band to work optimally?

Restriction is when the band is filled properly and it reduces the amount of food that it takes for you to feel "full". It really doesnt have anything to do with the types of food that you eat, although eating the good foods will help the band work better.

8 more days till I have my first fill and hoping for some restriction......Dave

The word "restriction" itself means just that the band is tightened to a point where the banded person feels its effects. The actual sensation and effects vary considerably from person to person, and even from time to time in the same person. And there's "good" restriction and "bad" restriction (which usually means over-restriction).

When people have what feels like perfect restriction for them (also called their "sweet spot"), the effects will be such that:

--a small portion of highly nutritious food, eaten slowly and chewed well, satisfies hunger;

--hunger remains at bay for 4-6 hours.

There should be no other negative effects; if there are, there is something wrong with the patient's behavior or the level of restriction. (I say that assuming that we all agree that an inability to eat a whole pizza at a sitting is not a "negative" effect.)

Thank you for your responses. I do know, theoretically, what restriction in the band means. I guess I was looking more for an objective take on it.

Let me elaborate… I have had four fills to date. I have a 10cc band and when I was at 4cc’s I felt more “restriction” than I do now at 6.5 cc’s. By restriction I mean that some foods went down very sluggish (bread, pasta) and I felt full for longer. The problem is… the feeling of “restriction” didn’t last very longer, maybe a week or two with each fill. The last two fills did not seem to make a huge difference in how I feel but what I have noticed is great inconsistency with my hunger and food intake. For instance, the day before yesterday I had a one egg omelet for Breakfast and didn’t feel hungry all day until about 6pm. However, yesterday I could have eaten a horse, felt hungry all day and never quite felt full. Today, I seem to be hungrier as well.

I have come to realize throughout this journey that behavior in eating is very important (eat slowly, chew well, recognize satiety). In trying to do this, I have still not had much success. :faint:

I guess I am feeling frustrated! Will I reach my sweet spot? Will I recognize it when I do?? Will it help me manage my eating and thus lose weight??? Will it stay with me for awhile or am I going to be forever getting fills and/or defills???? :cry

For those of you who have had the band for an extended period of time and have had several fills, what does restriction mean to you?

Yeah, I think good restriction varies by definition amongst people.

I think loose, able to eat anything, just help to reduce quantities is good restriction, whereas the next person might think that because that allows them to eat a cheeseburger or a few slices of pizza, that's nowhere near enough.

I think we all come into this with varying amounts of damage to our ability read our own bodies. I dont like to use the terms "self control" or "willpower" because I think that implies a moral judgement. I just count myself lucky that my ability to listen to what my body wants and needs is not too badly damaged and that therefore I dont require tight restriction. Also that I am able to run lots and burn tons of calories so I have absolutely no need to restrict portion sizes to 1/2 a cup in order to lose.

Therefore I dont really think restriction can be quantified. Its different for everyone.

I have a 10cc band. I had my first fill of 4cc on Tue. 10/2/07 I feel like I have a knot in the middle of my chest. I eat everything I'm suppose to. I don't do junk food. I still get hungry, but I just drink a lot of water inbetween meals. Do you think I'm over restricted, even tho I still get hungry?

sorry i know this is not the answer to ur question ts completly diferetn can u plz tell me how to make a tricker weight loss scale i see every one with one here but i dont know how to do it my self plz any sugestion and ps sorry about my spelling mstakes thanz

Thank you for all thoughts on restriction, i thought restriction was just the amount you could eat, but we all want to make certain we eat healthy from now on so restriction helps us not overeat or eat the bad foods.

I like this definition of restriction (he's talking about the Sweet Spot here) from a Texas band surgeon's blog:

In the Lap Band what we consider the 'sweet spot' is the ideal fill. If I had to think about a perfect sweet spot I'd have to tell you about a patient. One of our patients was 66 years old when he had his Lap Band surgery. Over the course of the first 9 months he lost over 90 pounds! But he was confused and every time we saw him he would say "Doc my Lap Band must be broken. I don't feel restriction, I can eat what I want, and I never have food come back up."

That is the perfect sweet spot. The Lap Band was adjusted to the point that he felt control of his hunger and was able to control his eating portion size, but he had no significant restriction preventing him from eating any particular food nor did he ever have any regurgitation of food.

Many people who had lap band surgery find the sweet spot elusive and some people end up with a fill greater than they need because they rely on the Lap Band for restriction rather than hunger control.

If you are having a tough time keeping many foods down or having more than a small number of PBs (productive burps) you might be too tight and need some Fluid taken it.

To summarize, the Lap Band is meant to help you with hunger control. By limiting the amount of food you eat with smaller portions, you can reduce your caloric intake, and lose weight.

This can be found here: Texas Arkansas Lap Band Blog from Texarkana: What is the Lap Band sweet spot?

Hope this helps!

Restriction and hunger are completely different. For me restriction is the sense of fullnes. Hunger is just something that happens when you have good restriction. If that makes sense.

Thank you Gwen for your copy and paste. I have been thinking that something is wrong with me because I don't pb or slime (unless I am not paying attention and eat dry meat too fast), I can and do eat more than 2 oz per meal, and I can and do eat anything - in moderation. What I have found the band helpful in is hunger control (not head hunger), but actual hunger. I can actually go hours without eating and often times it is just the clock telling me to eat or I get the sore, achy post surgery shoulder telling me I am empty.

I have been saying that I haven't been overly restricted, but reading that dr's stuff, I would actually say I am at my sweet spot. YEAH! :thumbup:

I like this definition of restriction (he's talking about the Sweet Spot here) from a Texas band surgeon's blog:

In the Lap Band what we consider the 'sweet spot' is the ideal fill. If I had to think about a perfect sweet spot I'd have to tell you about a patient. One of our patients was 66 years old when he had his Lap Band surgery. Over the course of the first 9 months he lost over 90 pounds! But he was confused and every time we saw him he would say "Doc my Lap Band must be broken. I don't feel restriction, I can eat what I want, and I never have food come back up."

That is the perfect sweet spot. The Lap Band was adjusted to the point that he felt control of his hunger and was able to control his eating portion size, but he had no significant restriction preventing him from eating any particular food nor did he ever have any regurgitation of food.

Many people who had lap band surgery find the sweet spot elusive and some people end up with a fill greater than they need because they rely on the Lap Band for restriction rather than hunger control.

If you are having a tough time keeping many foods down or having more than a small number of PBs (productive burps) you might be too tight and need some Fluid taken it.

To summarize, the Lap Band is meant to help you with hunger control. By limiting the amount of food you eat with smaller portions, you can reduce your caloric intake, and lose weight.

This can be found here: Texas Arkansas Lap Band Blog from Texarkana: What is the Lap Band sweet spot?

Hope this helps!

Just going to read that article now, thanks for bringing to our attention.