What does Restriction feel like?

umonica · April 12, 2005

I am filled at 1.5cc - I have never felt full after a few bites. However, I must eat real slow and chew food well because I can feel it slidding down. I can actually feel it slowly sliding down as I eat so I chew well and eat very slow. Is this okay? Do I need another fill to hold the food in the pouch longer? What is the normal time food is to stay in the pouch? Mine is slidding down within 30 seconds. I have never felt the fullness after several bites. Any advice would be helpful... Because I'm FRUSTRATED

Monica · April 14, 2005

Hi!

I'm in the exact same position as you!! I received my first fill 8 days ago of 1.6cc's. I didn't feel hungry for the first couple of days and then when I started solids it was back to being able to eat what I wanted pretty much! They say that you should never eat for more than 20 minutes. I've been doing this the last few days and it does help. Sometimes the full feeling will creep up on me after that, but I have yet to feel that feeling of "I couldnt possibly take another bite!" I think Im going to go in for a touch more fill!!

Good Luck,

Monica

MeganA · April 14, 2005

It's all in the fill, baby.

You aren't filled enough. There are various levels of restriction:

Level 1- I can still eat half of a pizza if I chew slowly and take my time. I can feel the food hit the band then slide right down. That means I can eat more!! Woo Hoo!

Level 2- Still can eat pizza, only 1/4 of one now...and every once and awhile something gets stuck and it hurts! I notice I'm not as hungry in the morning and have to remind myself to eat Breakfast.

Level 3- Pizza, who can eat pizza? food stays in the pouch for just a bit, I notice that it's still not long enough to make me full for several hours. PBing (throwing up stuck food) happens more frequently if I'm not super careful because I'm still hungry after I've eaten the bandster portion, an because it doesn't stay in the pouch, I'm frequently hungry just an hour or so after I've eaten.

Level 4- I can eat a piece of lunchmeat and stay full for several hours. I can feel my pouch now, and know when it is getting full so I stop. I rarely PB, even though I have such good restriction because I'm no longer still hungry after I only eat a few bites. I'm satisfied.

This is my experience, and maybe others have a better way of describing it. You really only know it once you have it, which is very frustrating when you're just starting out. It takes a few fills to get to Level 3 or 4.

Megan

April 14, 2005

Megan,

Excellent description - wish I'd had it put that way before. On my second fill and feel like I'm at Level 3. Just might go for 4.

April 14, 2005

I get fills as I get sloppier and sloppier with my eating, if you can yourself actually restrict your own eating, why run back and get another fill? If your Trying to go crazy and eat everything in sight go for it, get a fill. I mean.. if your doing OK for now why mess with it? =) Restrictive eating probably feels different to everyone.. with me, I feel this pressure in my chest.. I gurgle sometimes as air passes through the food that I just ate. I stay full but not in my stomach. Its in my chest.

sensy · April 15, 2005

After my first fill which was to 1.5cc I gained two pounds. I did feel some restriction with certain things, but I found that if I ate very slowly I could eat just about anything and a lot of it. I am now at 1.9cc and it is MUCH better as it is keeping me from overeating. Ask your doctor if you can come back in for a little more of a fill and you will begin to see.

umonica · April 17, 2005

It's all in the fill, baby.
You aren't filled enough. There are various levels of restriction:

Level 1- I can still eat half of a pizza if I chew slowly and take my time. I can feel the food hit the band then slide right down. That means I can eat more!! Woo Hoo!

Level 2- Still can eat pizza, only 1/4 of one now...and every once and awhile something gets stuck and it hurts! I notice I'm not as hungry in the morning and have to remind myself to eat Breakfast.

Level 3- Pizza, who can eat pizza? food stays in the pouch for just a bit, I notice that it's still not long enough to make me full for several hours. PBing (throwing up stuck food) happens more frequently if I'm not super careful because I'm still hungry after I've eaten the bandster portion, an because it doesn't stay in the pouch, I'm frequently hungry just an hour or so after I've eaten.

Level 4- I can eat a piece of lunchmeat and stay full for several hours. I can feel my pouch now, and know when it is getting full so I stop. I rarely PB, even though I have such good restriction because I'm no longer still hungry after I only eat a few bites. I'm satisfied.

This is my experience, and maybe others have a better way of describing it. You really only know it once you have it, which is very frustrating when you're just starting out. It takes a few fills to get to Level 3 or 4.

Megan

Megan, Wow thank you so much for you reply; What an excellent description of the fill stages. Thank you so much!

La_madam · April 17, 2005

Megan you described it beautifully!

I would have to say I am between level 3 and level 4

Somedays it is level 3 and somedays it is level 4

QWINNER · April 18, 2005

Great description Megan. Did you mean a whole pie in level 1 or a whole slice. I hope you meant a slice. I agree with you. I think I am at level 3 most of the time now but I have to say that if I don't eat slow enough or take small bites, I can feel very uncomfortable. Only PB'd once and that was enough for me. Funny thing is, even though I have such great restriction, the easiest foods for me to eat are all the unhealthy ones such as Icecream, Cookies, candy, pretzels, chips. I know because I have tried one of each in the past few weeks. The other not so funny thing is that the healthy Proteins like chicken, eggs, fish, yogurt, turkey are very difficult to swallow. They have to be moist and tiny. The good thing is that salad with some diced chicken and fat free dressing goes down easy too. I think my point is (got off task lol) that restriction is great in many ways but it is not so great in other ways. Too tight and you can blow your cookies sitting at the table with friends, or you can't eat a yummy seafood pilaf that you and your son made together cause you took too big of a first bite. Restriction is not going to automatically make you stop eating or make you pick the right foods to eat. Like everyone says, the band is a tool and we have to use it but it is no magic gatekeeper for what we grab off the table or out of a bag and hope that the band won't let us eat it. I just wanted to all that in because I thought that once I had restriction, I wouldn't be able to eat much at all. THat is true but I still have to decide what I am going to eat. Salad with grilled chicken or a milk shake and cookies. It would be nice though if the band was so powerful.

Tracy_in_Texas · April 21, 2005

It's all in the fill, baby.
You aren't filled enough. There are various levels of restriction:

Level 1- I can still eat half of a pizza if I chew slowly and take my time. I can feel the food hit the band then slide right down. That means I can eat more!! Woo Hoo! <snip>

Megan, would you mind if I used this on my profile on OH so new people can read and be informed? I will give you all the credit.

You have really hit the nail on the head with this post!

MeganA · April 21, 2005

Of course you can use it! I'm glad it has been so helpful!

Megan

Nykee · April 21, 2005

Restriction feels like this to me:

I feel a tightning in my chest, its a very obvious feeling that has never been felt prior to banding. It doesnt feel good, but its not horrible either. Kinda like a bold hiccup in the chest.

Then I feel the need to breath deep breaths and push out a burp.. not a regular burp but like a burp of deep air.

Some gurgling and noises go on in my throat or chest and I tend to cover my mouth although it does not really seem like I am going to throw anything up, its more like covering up the fact that my mouth is moving to let out these air burp things.

About one minute or two and it subsides.

I have never tried to eat more while this happened, so I dont know how much worse it can get.

Tracy_in_Texas · April 22, 2005

Of course you can use it! I'm glad it has been so helpful!
Megan

Thanks! It is up there now! http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=M1105896917

Tracy

DeniseG · April 22, 2005

Usually doctors use the first fill to get you use to the feeling of restriction. Most believe the 2nd one is usually the better judge of what your band is suppose to be like.