How do you know if you are full................hopefully not by throwing up. I have never felt full or uncomfortable. Is this common after surgery or do I need a fill???? I am not due for one until Feb 4th..................:girl_hug:

I have been wondering the same thing. I am always starving..I go to bed early because I don't want to sit there while my stomach is growling.

Are you on mushy or solid food...it makes a huge difference. I do get full, but I can still eat quit a bit (at least more than I thought I would be able to)! I really have to pay attention but I do notice myself getting full. Kind of like eating Thanksgiving dinner. When I was on liquids I didn't get full at all. I was hungry about a half an hour after I drank!

I see you are both recently banded - I'm only a month before you and I found that once I got past the liquid and mushie stage, I got full on around 1 - 1.5 cups of food, prior to my first fill. I don't want supertight restriction, so I went easy on the first fill and only had 1cc put in, so the situation is much the same now.

It feels a little different to the FULL feeling that you get after Xmas dinner or something like that, but is similar enough to recognise, just higher up in your stomach. I didn't get that same feeling from liquids after the first couple healing days.

It gets you really fast. All of sudden, you feel pressure in your chest and for me, the pain in the left shoulder. I have not thrown up yet, but boy did it hurt!

I am in my second week of mushy food now.

I felt incredibly full, almost so uncomfortable that even when I had nothing to eat, I felt like I was close to throwingup I was like this for about 10-12 days post op.

In the last two days or so I began feeling hungry and started on mushies but the level of uncomfort is almost like I am back to being one day post op. I am thinking its just "head hunger" since my tummy does not growl or am I weak from hunger pains or depreviation ( I know from the feeling, as I use to work 8-10 hours without eating sometimes).

Differetiating the two is so important. Real hunger and Head Hunger, being on full liquids again and puddings and yogurts are lowering the pain levels around my stomach and gas discomfort

So take it easy and stop eating after a couple of spoonfulls and question if you are feeling like eating anymore.

I have my fill the same day as yours, and I dont know if I want it! more discomfort not looking foward.

I have not had my first fill yet but I notice that I fill up pretty quickly these days. I did eat too much the other day and I felt slightly ill and uncomfortable. I try to remember what I felt like right beofre I got to that stage and stop eating then. Right now I can eat about 1 cup to 1.5 cups a food at a time and I eat twice a day. I eat off my kids kiddie plates to keep the portions under control. That really helps.

I got terribly full the other night on some hummus.

I usually measure out 1/4 cup or so, of food for myself, and eat it super slow. I had the bowl of hummus I just prepared, and just assumed I would know when to stop. WRONG! After about 30 minutes of grazing on it, I felt really full. Slightly sick to my stomach, but OK. Then a few minutes later, the pain started. A combination of cramping and gas-like pains. I was actually doubled over. I felt like I just ate 2 pounds of Pasta and an entire Thanksgiving turkey! I just had to lie down and wait it out. It took about 2 hours before I felt better. A hard way to learn to measure out my portion on to my plate!

I'm glad to see this thread. I don't think that I've been full yet. I have just been eating what I think is a small portion and stopping there. I just wonder how much I would have to eat to get full (don't worry I'm not gonna try it). Sometimes I wonder if I even have a band down there. I haven't experienced any sensations of restriction at all. I'm basically on a diet right now, thats what I would consider it. I'm pretty much hungry all the time. In fact I woke up from surgery hungry!!

Nikki, I'm with you. Sometimes I feel like I could eat as much as I want (but don't). But, there are those days where I do get the full feeling (pain in the chest and back shoulder). I can't wait till my first fill to see if it makes a difference.

Kat

Well I know that now I eat several times a day, about 4oz of mushy food at a time, I seem to be losing weight/inches. I refuse to get on a scale, but jeans I wore to the surgery were big on me yesterday. When I had the doctor visit last week, I hadn't lost or gained anything.

I don't see my surgeon until next Wednesday, not sure if I am getting a fill, but will get on the scale then.

I still get incredible pain if I am eating too fast, or if I stop early and put that next two spoonfuls in, I have to stop immediately. If I didn't feel that pain, I wouldn't know if I was full. I can't go on with life like that so now I am trying to pay attention to the number of times the fork/spoon goes into my mouth so I can gauge when I have eaten enough.

Today, I had 6oz of yogurt, and still wanted more, so had chicken broth, 8oz, and that ironically was enough, hit the spot. I just had 4oz of Cottage cheese, I am still at work, and my tummy is grumbling, but I am not putting anymore food in until I go home.

Ever since my surgery, my friends, family and co-workers have been asking me "do you feel full????" My answer has always been NO and I don't feel hungry either. I went from liquids to mushy gradually adding new foods. I never felt full. I was even wondering if I even had a band. No vomiting, no nausea....then it happened.....I was gone from home longer than I had intended and when I got home I was really really really hungry. I had dinner all planned out, but when I got in the door it smelled sooo good. My son had made meatballs and I just started eating....no plate, no measuring, no weighing and certainly no thought or self control.............OMG........Did I ever feel BAD....I was miserable.......physically and mentally. Who said Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently...... I need to print this and keep it close so I never do that again.

I bet feeling that pain will make you aware from now. It did me, and I still miss the body signals. But geez, does it hurt.

I was just given the go ahead to start mushies like soup or oatmeal and gradually go to soft foods. But my Dr. said to only eat 3 x a day. You have got to get away from grazing and snaking or you will just eat around the band and it won't work. I can't evan imagine eating a meatball or chili this soon. This is a time to really change your tastes and alter your behavior. I went to a meeting the other night and there was a woman there who had gastic by-pass 18 months ago. She lost 100# and has now has regained 14# because she says she has just been eating and snaking all day instead of 3 meals and exercising. This band won't work if we don't alter our eating habitis. Yesterday I had a few spoonfuls of soup, and thought I felt full. It lasted for about 31/2 hours. Then I had muscle milk for dinner and a few bites of yougrt and was satisfied. We have to stop snaking, eat 3 meals, be satisfied on less food, and let this work.Diane

Seajules,

That quote is from Henry Ford. I went on a website to get another one he has that is something like Whether you think you can or can't, either way you are right, but I ended up liking the one I've got better. It just sums me up.

I really like this quote............I sure hope I learned it well and don't have to fail to learn it again................Much better today. I am back on optifast for another week before I start adding foods again......ahhhh, my security blanket.