Restriction vs "Stuck"

[JudiM]

I was banded last December and have had 2 fills - all at OCC. I have to eat very very slowly to keep from the food getting stuck - at least I assume that is what the pain is all about. Only once have I PB'd and I don't want that to happen again, so I am very careful.

But do I have restriction? I don't know - unless it is the same as being stuck. I measure out my food and only eat that amount but most of the time I don't feel full. I don't want to eat more, but then I would really like to feel some "restriction" - at least I think I want that if you know what I mean.

What does restriction feel like? Will I know the difference from being "stuck" to having a restriction?

Thanks for any help!

Judi

[Smiley]

Getting food stuck doesn't necessarily mean you have restriction. You could get food stuck the day after surgery if you ate a big bite of something, didn't chew it very well and then swallowed, but that wouldn't mean you have restriction in the way we are striving to have it. Now, please note that I am not saying you should eat anything the day after surgery, I am just using it as an example. As you get closer and closer to restriction you do have to chew even more carefully because the band has decreased the size of the passageway between the pouch and the rest of your stomach. If you don't chew super well it will not be pretty, as you have already experienced once.

For me restriction constitutes being able to eat my cup of food (sometimes less) and being satisfied and/or full. Being able to go 4 hours or so without being hungry is also a tell tale sign of restriction. I like to drink a big glass of milk every morning and love to hear it drain thru my band. It kind of sounds like a kitchen sink draining when you let out the dish water. This also tells me that I have restriction.

How much are you losing each week? If you are losing 1-2 pounds a week on average and able to go about 4 hours withouth being hungry then you are where you need to be, regardless of whether or not you are feeling restriction. I had many months where I was losing just fine, but didn't "feel" restriction. Restriction is a nice feeling to have, but it isn't necessarily a requirement for success, so don't get discouraged if you are not feeling it.

[dawns]

I recently had to have a unfill of .2cc because I was too tight and everything hurt going down, even my hot tea in the mornings. I let it go for about 8 weeks because I kept thinking that this must be what restriction feels like. But then after it becoming pretty uncomfortable to eat and having the desire to eat but reluctant because I knew it would hurt going down, I decided to go back to my fill doc and he took out .2. Now it doesn't hurt when I eat and I am back to eating about 3/4 to 1 cup of food and feeling full for about 3-4 hours sometime longer, but the main difference is I feel satisfied after I eat and I get a tell tail hiccup when I am full. Now I know that it shouldn't hurt to eat and I am pretty sure that this is what restriction is supposed to feel like. Also I did not lose anything while I was too tight, now that I am not too tight I have started losing again. Good luck.

dawn

[JudiM]

Thanks for the input. I haven't been losing any weight - not gaining, but not losing. The only time I hurt is when I try something like bread that gets stuck. Now I am so careful of what I do eat. But I don't feel full after a cup of food and I do sometimes get hungry before I should. So I guess I need a fill to get more restriction. I used the Southwest Sale they had last week and bought a ticket to San Diego, but not until the end of October. Until then I will just keep at my cup of food and watch what I am eating.

Thanks for your answers - they did help me understand more.

Judi

[Karen0604]

Hi Everyone.. I just wanted to add that some people don't hit their sweet spot until the 3rd or 4th fill. My very first fill was 2.7 cc's!!!! .. under fluoro, of course. I feel a little restriction. I can already tell that I'm gonna need more. So maybe you need some more juice in the band. Aim to hit that sweet spot.. keep trying, and you will get there!

Karen