So, I was banded just 2 months ago and had my first "fill" 3 weeks ago. I've been trying to figure out exactly how much I should be chewing my food before swallowing.

The dietitian and the surgeon are telling me that I should chew well, but not to paste/pureed consistency. They want the food to stay in my pouch longer so that I feel full longer. However, when I do not chew my food to paste consistency, I sometimes get that "stuck" feeling and a horrible tightness in my chest and sometimes have to throw up -- I believe it's called a PB (productive burp).

I have no problem at all eating any type of food if I chew it really well, but I find that I can eat much more than I should be able to eat. It also seems like my full feeling (which is not really a full feeling) doesn't last as long as I would like it to last. I'm usually hungry again within a couple of hours.

I know everyone is different, but I would appreciate any comments you experienced banders might have.

Should I stop chewing my food to a paste consistency and risk the pain of the "stuck" feeling?

Should I chew my food to a paste consistency, but get a fill to make me tighter?

I've lost 52 lbs in the 2 months since the surgery, but things are really slowing down now -- and I know it's because I can eat more than I should be able to eat.

Edited November 18, 200916 yr by phizbam

My surgeon instructed me to always chew my food to the consistency of paste.

If you cannot go 3-4 hours between meals without getting hungry then you most likely need a fill. You do need to listen to your body because it will signal you when it is time to stop eating. The signals are sometimes easy to miss. You may just sigh or start burping or hiccuping. These are all signs of being full when you are banded.

Sometimes when I get really hungry I have a tendency to eat too fast and always end up stuck. This is called 1st bite syndrome. This is a good time to pop a couple papaya enzymes and wait it out to see if the food goes down. If you end up PBing you should return to a liquid diet for the remainder of that day. Do not resume eating solid food immediately because your stomach will swell up around the band and it will be difficult to eat anything at this point. If you push it you run the risk of slipping your band.

There is a fine line between being too tightly filled and behavioral problems. What I mean is that most of the time when I get stuck it is because I a)ate too fast, b)didn't chew enough, c)took too large of bite, d)ate too much.

You will need to discover what you are doing wrong and correct it.

Hope this helps you,

Donna

Forgot to mention that before you have really good restriction you really have to rely on will power not to eat too much. I used to eat about a cup to a cup and a half of food before having enough restriction to be satisfied with 1/4 cup. So don't be too hard on yourself.

Thanks for your help and advice. I think I'm still figuring out what that "full" feeling really is to me. It's very different from being "full" before the band.

Based on the information you provided, I think I am probably not restricted enough and need a fill. I'm going to ask my surgeon about this.

Thanks for the tip about the papaya enzymes. Where do you get them?

Any drug store or Walmart carry papaya enzymes.

Have a great night!