I have taken bigger bites of food than I should a couple of times, usually when I am starving. What is that hung up, painful as hell feeling that happens when I dont chew well? I know how to prevent it, but it has happened a couple of times and it hurts soooo bad. Where exactly is the food getting stuck at? I have no fill yet. My mom had hiatel hernia surgery and she says she has the same problem if she takes too big of a bite and doesnt chew well. Makes sense as they wrapped her stomach around her esophagus but what makes ours do that?

Please tell me I am not the only one lol.

lol. nope you're not. and, believe it or not, if our bands are placed correctly, our stomachs are wrapped around them too. however, it does sound as if you have restriction. this is your band trying to tell you something. we call that our 'golf ball' feeling. sometimes, things will come back up or sometimes after a few minutes they'll move on through. just because you haven't had a fill yet, does not mean you can't have restriction. also, sometimes, some of us even get this upon our 'first bite'. i've noticed my new band seems to give me that 'first bite' pain and i have to give it a few minutes to relax. you're not stupid. this is a very valid question. welcome to restriction!

ps. if you KNOW you didn't chew well, i reckon this is your clue that you must try to chew more going forward.

OH no sweetie your not the only one...I just had my second fill and good Lord if i'm not careful it is NOT pretty I dont PB but get the hurt as hell feeling...i dont exactly know the answers to your question but wanted to let you know you are very much NOT alone!!!! lol....btw your not stupid and neither is your question...none of them are

KT

I don't have a fill yet either, but I get this pain in the middle of my back, just below the shoulder blades, a very tight pain....that says without words, warning, warning, warning. I know to slow down immediately.

Leatha...nice pictures, you've always to the tech side covered.

You may still be swollen from surgery or you may have restriction already. Lucky you if you do! The learning curve is short and wicked if you do, though. No gradual build up to learn on -- just BAM!

I am very glad I had restriction right away, but it was a hard way to learn.

Lucky ...Lucky... as Miss Becky said... to be learning this before your first fill and to only be getting the warning pain. I went from warning such as you are having before my first fill and after my first fill I was totally shocked at how the warning signs changed and how I KNEW I better pay attention to them! It is not fun when your one bite too many or one not chewed well makes the journey back out into the world in a coating of slime. Welcome to banding 101a.

Jen,

I had the same thing happen to me I did not have my first fill until I was six weeks out but before that time I had restriction and learned to listen to the signs that I was full as well as portion control. Just listen to the signs your body gives you and remember to chew, chew, chew and smaller bites. I still forget to this day especially if I have skipped a meal. We learn as we go

Hi Jen! You're definitely not alone. I've been banded six weeks and no fill yet, and I get the same thing. I only recognized it because one of the other bandsters here described her first PB and talked about the feeling that a 'golf ball' was stuck in her chest.

One day I ate a tuna sandwich on wheat bread, and had this feeling like something was stuck. Stupid me took a drink to try to "wash it down", then I remembered what the other woman had written (wish I could remember who it was on here!) and sure enough the Water and everything started to come back up! Ack. So I guess what happens (and I'm only guessing) is that it gets stuck further down in the stomach, so things are backing up. It's not stuck on the way down but rather on its way back up!

Anyway this has happened to me several times. Like you, I tend not to chew my food carefully enough. :/ My nutritionist said chew everything until it's the consistency of oatmeal. I have also been avoiding untoasted bread and vacuum packed tuna in the foil pouches, which is drier than regular tuna.

And I also found out that sometimes I just wait a few minutes like Leatha said and take a tiny sip of water and the feeling goes away. PB-ing left my stomach very sore.