So,

How do you know if you stretched the pouch... or if you need a fill? Can you really even stretch the pouch really? Anyone have any information on this? Thanks !

~~Jessica

So,

How do you know if you stretched the pouch... or if you need a fill? Can you really even stretch the pouch really? Anyone have any information on this? Thanks !

~~Jessica

Yes, Jessica, you really can stretch out the pouch. It comes from putting too much food into it and not stopping. The pouch is designed to hold 1/2 cup food....PERIOD. If you go over that, you risk stretching it. And once you stretch it out, it's very easy to do it again. Stretching it out can cause a slip -- where the pouch is overfilled and it starts to "balloon" out and the more food that is stuffed into it, it'll start to "lay" over the band. At this point nothing will be going through and you'll have to have surgery to reposition it, if you don't lose it altogether. The symptoms are heartburn/reflux and not feeling anything going down (I used to drink real cold Water to see if I could feel it going through). There could be other signs -- just do a search and you'll find them. How do I know this? It happened to me. So I know now how very easy it is to stretch it out and I have to be very strict about measuring 1/2 cup food at mealtimes. When you are at your "sweet spot" -- that 1/2 cup of food will fill you up and you won't feel hungry.

Usually, when you need a fill -- you are hungry a lot and can eat more than you should (1/2 cup). Everything else feels fine -- no heartburn, etc. All you need then is a fill. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Since I've been through it, I don't mind sharing, as I know it can be a tough thing to know what's going on inside there. My band is very sensitive to the weather. When it changes (as it has does these past 2 days), I feel a lot of pressure and I go to warm/hot Clear liquids until the weather straightens out (rains/storms have passed).

I hope this helps! Good luck!:thumbdown:

Thanks for the help.... i just need a fill I was getting a little worried ! I usually can eat only 2-4 oz of meat but now i think of it i have been eating more mushy type of stuff . now to find a doctor out in washington....

~~thanks~~

Jessica :thumbdown:

Agree with the above, but just an FYI, my doc says 1 Cup as many do. I'd have a hard time getting in all my nutritional needs and protein with just a 1/2 C at meals...there'd be no room for fruits, veggies, etc. as 1/2C is what I eat in just protein...about 3 oz. of meat.

Yes, Jessica, you really can stretch out the pouch. It comes from putting too much food into it and not stopping. The pouch is designed to hold 1/2 cup food....PERIOD. If you go over that, you risk stretching it. And once you stretch it out, it's very easy to do it again. Stretching it out can cause a slip -- where the pouch is overfilled and it starts to "balloon" out and the more food that is stuffed into it, it'll start to "lay" over the band. At this point nothing will be going through and you'll have to have surgery to reposition it, if you don't lose it altogether. The symptoms are heartburn/reflux and not feeling anything going down (I used to drink real cold Water to see if I could feel it going through). There could be other signs -- just do a search and you'll find them. How do I know this? It happened to me. So I know now how very easy it is to stretch it out and I have to be very strict about measuring 1/2 cup food at mealtimes. When you are at your "sweet spot" -- that 1/2 cup of food will fill you up and you won't feel hungry.

Usually, when you need a fill -- you are hungry a lot and can eat more than you should (1/2 cup). Everything else feels fine -- no heartburn, etc. All you need then is a fill. Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. Since I've been through it, I don't mind sharing, as I know it can be a tough thing to know what's going on inside there. My band is very sensitive to the weather. When it changes (as it has does these past 2 days), I feel a lot of pressure and I go to warm/hot clear liquids until the weather straightens out (rains/storms have passed).

I hope this helps! Good luck!:thumbup:

Do you mind if I ask you about when you stretched your pouch? Do you know how long it took? I mean, was it 2 meals or was it a week of overeating? How bad was it for you? What did you have to do afterwards?

When you eat half a cup, that's half a cup regardless of whether it's liquid, mushies or solids, right? Since I'm not yet a month out of being banded, I'm trying to get my Protein through shakes and have no idea if I should drink the whole cup in one meal or to split it. And if I can drink water right after drinking a shake or if I should wait an hour.

Thank you for anything you're willing to share. PM me if you prefer to answer that way.

My dietician says it is very hard to stretch out your pouch. I am with you, very concerned about stretching it all the time. I would say I usually eat about 3/4 cup of food sometimes 1 cup and I don't feel like anything has stretched my pouch.

xemi, I PM'd you. And Gonna Lose It, you won't stretch it out if you don't eat what you're not supposed to and you stop when you're full and only eat the amount your dr. says your pouch will hold.

I did well for a while, had 3 fills then hit the sweet spot. It was a month or two after that that I started having severe heartburn & Fluid coming up when I was laying down. It turned out I was too tight and it was the weather changes causing it. When the barometric pressure drops, it can cause restriction, as can cold weather (for me anyway). That's when the problems started. I didn't have that sweet spot anymore after having fluid removed for a while and we kept trying to get it back. I was eating when I knew I'd had enough -- it was just hard to not eat it if it was in front of me. (When you eat out, have a to-go box brought to you immediately and leave out the portion you're eating for dinner and box the rest of it away.)

It may not be easy to stretch it out initially (so says your dietician -- I think individuals vary on this), but once you do, it's so easy to do it again.

Good luck!

So...if you are not at your "sweet spot" yet, over eating or eating more than a half cup or cup whichever it may be....will NOT stretch out a pouch? Is that because the food is still sifting through the pouch down to the larger portion of the stomach?