What IS Restriction

[jojobeans]

I was wondering what RESTRICTION really is ? What should it feel like? I already come to the conclusion the I should no longer eat red meat because it always gets STUCK ! From what I read it normal. Most meats are hard to eat , and i'll tell you I am not a veg. So if anyone can tell me what Restriction feels like that would really help. I had trouble last weak with pbing and went on a liquids for 5 days, it seemed to help. I do not think that I will be eating meat for awhile. P.S. I tried Tomatoe Pie, loved it ! it went down smooth ! So if you can tell me what I should expect with my 1st fill please do, and what restriction should feel like. Thx

[bogiesmom]

I am not sure if I can address the restriction part of your post in words that describe it accurately so I will bow out and leave the deatils to someone else with a little more experience. I will say restriction for me is best desribed by a tightness in the chest.

As far as meats go - I have found that I can have any meat that is ground & loose (chicken, turkey, hamburger, pork) and if I choose to have meat that is not ground I have to drink or sip something warm or hot first (like soup).

[jojobeans]

Thanks for the post . I have heard about drinking something warm 1st, but I was told not to drink 1hr before or after, is this true 4 you to ?

[bogiesmom]

Thanks for the post . I have heard about drinking something warm 1st, but I was told not to drink 1hr before or after, is this true 4 you to ?

I have never heard of waiting an hour. I was told 5 minutes before and 30 minutes after.

[CALF]

I was wondering what RESTRICTION really is ? What should it feel like? I already come to the conclusion the I should no longer eat red meat because it always gets STUCK ! From what I read it normal. Most meats are hard to eat , and i'll tell you I am not a veg. So if anyone can tell me what Restriction feels like that would really help. I had trouble last weak with pbing and went on a liquids for 5 days, it seemed to help. I do not think that I will be eating meat for awhile. P.S. I tried Tomatoe Pie, loved it ! it went down smooth ! So if you can tell me what I should expect with my 1st fill please do, and what restriction should feel like. Thx

Hi jojobeans..

Dr. So advised me that the sensation of "getting stuck" is an indication that either you didn't chew your food enough..or you took too big a bite and attempted to swallow too large an amount of food. He also stated that certain foods will become stuck..such as white doughy breads, pastries, bagels, flour tortilla's, white pasta. They aren't good for us anyway..so it's actually a Good thing that they are on the "no-no" list! lol

If certain meats don't seem to work for you..take a break from them for several days..then try again with itsy bitsy pieces. You do need your protein and iron..and yes you can get them from pills..but the eating of 'real foods' is part of the process.

Sometimes it is a good thing to start the day off with a warm cup of tea...it seems to relax the plastic in the lapband fill-channel and allows solid foods to pass through easier.

"Stuck" is the term used when the sphincter at the base of your esophagus goes into an "esophageal spasm" when stimulated by the lump of food that you just swallowed. This spasm usually results in the proverbial P.B and or sliming..which is essentially the same thing. (A Productive Burp).

Good restriction is the sensation of feeling full after having eaten a Small portion of solid foods and this sensation of feeling full will last for 3-4 hours. Poor restriction means it takes more food to feel full and that you feel hungry sooner after eating.

Your 'Sweet Spot" is that lovely balanced place where we all want to be...the place where small portions will last us without hunger and our energy is bright and our weightloss/weight management is optimal..

Dr. So advised that the portion lapbanders should be eating is 1/3 of what we would have eaten pre-band. Dr. Martinez advised me to keep my portion the size of the palm of my hand.

So that's what I was told and having several friends who have been lapbanders for years..they also concur that this advice from OCC is accurate for them as well.

Hope this helps!

[AngieB]

Cheryl did a great job of explaining restriction. I am at my sweet spot. One thing I wanted to add when talking about the sweet spot is; When I hit my sweet spot, I noticed my hunger was pretty much taken away. I was left with old/current programing and the dreaded HEAD HUNGER!

I slim or PB now when I take one bite to many or don't chew well enough. To me stuck or slime/PB are not restriction. Those are the consequence of operator error.

Ah such a learning curve...

[CALF]

Cheryl did a great job of explaining restriction. I am at my sweet spot. One thing I wanted to add when talking about the sweet spot is; When I hit my sweet spot, I noticed my hunger was pretty much taken away. I was left with old/current programing and the dreaded HEAD HUNGER!

I slim or PB now when I take one bite to many or don't chew well enough. To me stuck or slime/PB are not restriction. Those are the consequence of operator error.

Ah such a learning curve...

...consequence of operator error.

So true !!! LOL

[jhawkchick75]

Explained very well! And I agree you need to be able to get meat in, so make sure you are taking small bites and chewing really well! At lunch ground beef and sometimes chicken are out for me, but I can do them by dinner. At lunch, consider tuna or I do sliced deli meat and those go down fine. I also do cubed ham, this way it is already in really small pieces which helps me. I am prone still after all this time to take bites that are way too big!

Restriction to me is when I can get full and STAY full off of not a lot. Also, sometimes I can hear it gurgling going down, but it not be painful at all. For me right now I might be just a tad too tight. I am getting full quickly, but I am not staying full long enough. I have tried to push myself too far and play that "just one more bite" game and lost several times last week, so i'm on liquids right now to give my band time to heal. Then after that i'm gonna see how I feel I don't think I need an unfill I think I am just inflamed, but we shall see.

[bogiesmom]

I just wanted to add 2 very important things that have not been mentioned yet.

1. The "full" sensation due to restriction IS NOT the same full sensation you had pre-band. For me this "full" sensation can best be described as a tightening in the chest area (as this is where the new stomai is located).

2. It is perfectly okay to live a vegetarian lifestyle if you choose. You do not need to consume meat to get you daily intake of protein. There are other foods like beans, yogurt, cottage cheese, & eggs that are loaded in protein.

[Aliveat55]

This was about the best info i have seen on the issue. I am still not at the "sweet spot", but am hoping to be soon. No weight loss so far since 12/4/09. Thanks!