Drasan

Linnielady, I just realized I didn't answer your question. "I would appreciate hearing what the "Sweet Spot" feels to others. " It feels different for me at different times of the day. But I don't feel it until I eat. It's tighter in the morning and late evenings. I have to drink something warm like tea or coffee in the morning before I can eat. In fact, I no longer eat Snacks after dinner because it hurts if I do. The discomfort/pain is in the middle of the chest and kind of feels like a rough, jagged knot. There are times during the day that I can eat without feeling the restriction. I use caution at those times, eating the right amount of food. If I eat too much or too fast, I get that discomfort and pain in the middle of the chest again. You learn to want to avoid that. I can get stuck if I don't eat small bites and eat slowly, chewing until the food is pulverized before swallowing. Being stuck is NOT fun. You don't need it to happen more than once to know you want to avoid it. It hurts in the same place, middle of the chest, but more intensely. It makes me cough and spit up slime until the food finally goes through the band. And that's what restriction feels like to me.

woo hoo!! Baggy clothes! Congrats!

It took me over a year to reach proper restriction. It took this long even though I received regular fills. It's a process. Hang in there. Don't get discouraged and most importantly keep working with your surgeon. This journey is a process that is different for every person.

I can speak from experience both without having restriction and with having restriction, or the sweet spot as some call it. I lost weight the first 6-8 weeks following surgery. I felt restriction from the band. Then the hunger grew and the ability to eat more grew. For 10 months I continued to get regular fills but I felt no restriction from the band. It was just me and my willpower which sucks, my will power that is. I felt like I was back at square one, where I was before being banded. Needless to say, I stopped losing weight. I didn't gain weight back, but I stopped losing. I knew I didn't have restriction. I knew what it felt like after surgery and it was no longer there. Then I got a fill under fluoroscopy last month. BINGO! Restriction! I had to reteach myself to work with the band. I call it my little shock collar. It tells me when to stop eating and if I don't stop eating I pay for it. I LOVE having restriction. I have to eat slooooooowly now and I have to be careful about what I eat and when I eat. I can eat pretty much anything if I do it right. There is such a thing as restriction. I just lost 10 lbs this month since I FINALLY got restriction! Yay band!

I had never heard of problems with flying. So it caught me by surprise when I had a problem with pain after one of my flights. My surgeon has since advised me to only take liquids before and during flights to avoid future issues. As others have mentioned. The altitude of your departure and destination can affect your band. Also the rate of ascent and descent will affect the pressure in the cabin of an airplane. The cabin is also pressurized differently, depending on the age of the plane. I believe this might be why we have different experiences, even from one flight to the next.

I went to a bariatric support group meeting a few months ago. I've been determined to let go of an incident that happened but another thread just brought all my feelings to the surface again. Please forgive me for using this forum to vent. I'm a band patient who didn't get restriction right away from fills. It took over a year of working with my surgeon to get me to the right place. Needless to say, I didn't lose weight like some others have reported. At times I've been discouraged but somehow, I've managed to stay mostly optimistic and keep working at it, which is finally paying off. At the support group meeting, two women asked me when I was banded and how much weight I had lost. The way they looked me up and down with obvious disgust/disapproval made me feel like a failure and want to crawl into a hole. When I thought about it later it just made me mad. This was not my first experience with judgement and comparison. In the surgeon's waiting room I met another woman who'd had surgery around the same time as me. We talked about our weight loss and she'd lost a whole lot more than me. The smug, judgemental air that came off her really hurt. Of all the people in the world who should be supporting another heavy person I would think it would be other people who have actually walked in fat shoes. I don't understand the competition and the judgement.

Oh my! I wasn't able to read the forums for a few days. Your posts to this thread are so thoughtful and thought provoking. Thank you everyone! Great points all. Thanks for the hugs and well wishes. Claudia, I would love to buddy up. I'm not real consistent about being on the forum, but when I'm here, I'll be here for you! Fran, your point-by-point insight into the positives of losing slowly .. wow! Love it! Dave, I questioned myself about exactly what you pointed out thinking maybe I was reading it wrong. I wish I was, but there was no denying the attitude. It was that obvious. Kudos to you for being in tune to somebody else and their feelings. This is a crazy emotional ride .. sorry your positive turned into something not so positive. HUGE congrats on your weight loss! Thank you to all of you who are in the Slow Motion Boat with me and offered your empathy! Maybe we need a new group for us? I think any forward, stalled or even backward motion is valuable as long as we can remain encouraged and encouraging. It's so easy to get discouraged and feel left behind. I try to keep believing and stay optimistic.

I lost weight for 6-8 weeks after surgery, then nothing! Nothing for about 10 months while the surgeon gave me fills attempting to get my band to the right restriction. I didn't gain any weight back, which was great but I stopped losing. The last fill I received 3 weeks ago. My surgeon filled me using fluorscopy to get the fill to a safe maximum fill for me. Now I have restriction and I've started losing weight again, YAY! My point is this, everyone's journey is different. When I looked at the weight others were losing, it was easy to get discouraged, and sometimes I did, But I hung in there and worked with my surgeon. This is a process, not a race. We need to be careful when comparing ourselves to others. Good luck with your process!

The first time I got stuck it lasted 1 1/2 hours! I had huge amounts of slimming. I coughed and coughed and burped . Sometimes it felt like I might throw up but all that came up was that thick saliva (slim). The pain was so intense! Fortunately, because I've been reading the forums I knew what was happening. But still, I didn't know what to do. I posted on here, "HELP, I"M STUCK!" and I got some great advice. - take papaya enzyme (I'm picking some up today) - stand and walk around, even jump up and down - sip something hot/warm - stay on liquids for a day or two after it happens to let the swelling go down Good luck. I KNOW how much it hurts. I said once before that getting stuck reminds me of a shock collar on a dog, to remind us to do it right. ouch

It's painful for me when I eat at different times of the day, mornings and late evenings are especially tough. I shouldn't be eating late in the evening anyway, so the pain acts as a good deterrent. I find when I begin a meal it helps if I take a small bite, chew it very, very well and wait a few minutes to see how it feels, If it hurts, I wait a several more minutes until the pain subsides, then I try again. Sometimes I simply can't eat some foods at that time without the pain. So I don't eat or I choose something softer. The pain doesn't happen all the time. It's odd, it's like my band is a fickle thing. Some foods that gave me no problems one day can give me problems on another day. I'm still learning to work with restriction from my band. After over 10 months with no restriction, I finally have it. I'm losing weight again, finally, so I'll deal with a little discomfort. No problem! My surgeon said this, "I've fine tuned your piano, now it's up to you to learn how to play it." I'm still learning to play the scales and chopsticks, no sonata yet. But I'm getting better at this! Best wishes to everyone.

I had 4 fills over the past year after surgery which had little to no effect. I finally had my last fill (#5) under fluoroscopy which has definitely given me the restriction I've been hoping for and waiting for. Your first fill may or may not be the one to get you to restriction. Good luck. Be patient. Don't give up. It's a process.

I've finally achieved restriction after a slow, slow year of conservative fills and it has made HUGE difference in what and how much I can eat. Depending on the time of day and what the food is, I eat between 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups of food at a meal. This morning, I'm trying to eat some light ricotta cheese with thinly diced fresh apple and I'm having a hard time. I've taken about 3 or 4 tiny bites and I'm uncomfortable. This often happens in the morning. I try to start the day with something warm to drink, like coffee or tea and then wait 30 minutes to an hour. Doing that usually helps me to be able to eat something in the morning. A really cool thing has happened. I can't eat the late night snack I often crave. I get stuck every time. Bonus! The band is my behavior modifier! Oh my gosh, it just occurred to me that it's like a shock collar on a dog. awesome oh and something I've read several times in this forum .. you don't want to eat to get full, you want to eat to be satisfied. Great advice!

I was banded over a year ago. I lost weight during the first 6 - 8 weeks following surgery. Then I played around with the same 5 lbs for the next 10 months even though I was receiving regular fills. With each fill, I kept thinking, "this will be the one that gives me that restriction I felt after surgery." But it didn't happen and I started losing faith in the band and in myself. I started to think, I've failed again. Then my surgeon told me he would give me a fill under fluoroscopy. This is how it worked. He filled the band completely under xray closing off the opening from my pouch to my stomach. I drank barium and it stayed in my pouch. He then began to slowly withdraw some of the fill, until the barium began to drain into my stomach, leaving the opening from the band at what he felt was good restriction. It's been 2 1/2 weeks since the fill under fluoroscopy and what a difference!!! I have restriction! THIS is what I expected from the band. I'm finally getting the help I wanted and needed from the band. I haven't weighed since the fill but I'm feeling the difference already in my body. My husband was holding me and said, "You're losing weight!" BUT .. over the past year, I developed some bad habits. I've had to go back and review and get my head on straight to work with the band again. I've gotten stuck several times, a couple of really bad ones with slimming and coughing. It hurts and works as a great reminder and reinforcer to do what is right. I really have to pay attention now and really slow down. I can't just eat whatever anymore and I can't eat nearly as much. I get full very quickly. I am now eating the recommended amount of food ... and very carefully. I'm a happy bandster .... at last!

After a year of getting fills, I'm FINALLY experiencing restriction from my band. It is a HUGELY different feeling from having little to no restriction. Before restriction - will power was my main tool and I suck at will power With Restriction - I have to be careful about what I eat and how I eat .. eat SLOWLY and chew, chew chew. I can eat different amounts and different foods at different times of the day. Like Elcee said, "EAT SLOWLY, MAKE SURE THE food IS SITTING WELL(YOU WILL GET USED TO THE SENSATION)AND THEN TAKE ANOTHER BITE." Overeating - is an uncomfortable feeling. It can even be miserable and a little painful. I'm learning to read the signs of being satisfied before I get to full. You don't want to be full. You want to be satisfied. I eat between 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups of food, depending on the food and time of day. Stuck - causes pain in the center of the chest with coughing and slimming (which is a thick, saliva.) My first stuck episode lasted 1 1/2 hours. This is something to be avoided. It's a good deterrent and reminder to do things the right way.

I've recently been kicking around the idea of seeing a counselor or a behavior modification therapist. I've seen a nutritionist off and on as recommended by my surgeon. I'm pretty confident knowing WHAT I am supposed to eat which doesn't mean that I've always done what I'm supposed to do, obviously. I wouldn't have needed the band if I could apply what I know. So I've wondered if my dollars might be better spent on psych counseling that might help me with the reasons why I don't always do what I know I should be doing. But I'm going to give it a little more time and this is why .... After 1 year of not reaching restriction with the band, my surgeon finally gave me a fill under fluoroscopy. What a difference! I finally have restriction and I am unable to eat and eat and eat any longer. I'm hoping THIS is the behavior modification I originally sought when I decided to have band surgery, I'm very hopeful and keeping my fingers crossed. I believe in counseling. Been there, done it .. it works.

I LOVE that statement! It makes perfect sense! I'm going to incorporate it into my self talk. Thanks!

I got a flouroscopy fill last week. This morning I had my first solid food and I'm stuck. Apparently I didn't chew quite enough. It hurts! I'm coughing and slimming, Can somebody tell me how long this is going to last? It really hurts.

Eat flavorful soft and mushy foods. Vary the flavors, savory, sweet, etc. One of my favorite mushy/soft foods is refried Beans with melted cheese on top. Good Protein and definitely yummy! On the sweet side, non-fat Greek yogurt is another of my favorites, all flavors. I find it helpful to drink aromatic hot tea as well. There are some great ones out there. I've even found one that tastes like black licorice. Hang in there. Even though you feel like you can eat anything, don't risk it. You have a lot at stake. Use this board for encouragement. The people here are great.

Thanks again for the responses. I got brave and decided to try a little solid food for dinner. Before this though, I hydrated all day, taking in about 45 oz of Water. I'll drink more before going to bed to total 60 oz. Anyway, I'm happy to report successful results! I ate small bites, chewed, chewed, and pulverized before swallowing. Thu, I can see why eating on the run would not be a good idea. I needed to pay attention tonight when I was eating, to be sure the bites were small and well chewed. I know that wouldn't happen if I was eating on the run. Good advice! Thanks again everyone for the help. I feel like I'm brand new at this all over again! Restriction is where it's at! I can't wait to see the results!

Thanks for the smile! It's been a tough morning and that was a great story!

ohh hydration, now there's a good thought. Of course in the morning, I haven't started drinking my Water yet. I'm usually pretty good about it. I'll start getting my water in right now. We have to do it EVERYTHING correctly.. It's great to be reminded of that. Thanks Fran! Zeniada, stay hopeful. After a whole year of mediocre success, I'm still trying to remain positive and not give up. I've invested way too much in this to stop now. Good luck everyone.

Thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely keep the warm Water in mind if I get stuck again. I can see where drinking hot liquids can relax and open me up before I eat. I plan to do that from now on. NOW I understand what restriction is. It's been a year getting there. This is definitely a process. Thanks again everyone!

My second stuck episode is now over. It lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes. I'm going back to liquids today. I'll try solids again later. I hope the information in this thread might help others somehow.

I'm over a year out. My weight loss happened the first 6 weeks post-op. For the past year, I've been playing around with the same 5 lbs, up and down. I had 4 fills, none of which gave me restriction. Last week the surgeon decided to fill me under flouroscopy to give me a safe, maximum fill. Now, I've been posting on this board this morning about being stuck after eating my first solid food. Looks like I have restriction now! I just hope it's not too much and that I can make it work. I initially lost weight and I've kept it off, that I'm grateful for. But over the past year, I wanted more help from my band than I got. If I could control my eating on my own, I wouldn't need the band. Right? I'm stuck for the second time this morning .. and it HURTS. I'm slimming and coughing and it's disgusting. I don't want to call my surgeon cause I don't want an unfill. I want restriction, I want this to work. It's so frustrating. So, is the band working for me? So far, not like I'd hoped. But I am still hopeful, is that crazy?