Veteran Banders - Please help me determine restriction or stuck

[curiousinoh 0]

I am 5 weeks post op. Had my 1st fill nothing changed could still eat anything. Had my 2nd fill on 2/2. Here's my dilemma. I am having trouble eating most stuff. I'm trying to determine the difference between being stuck and having restriction.

So, at first bite of chicken (size of dime chewed a lot) I am still getting stuck. So obviously this does not mean restriction because it's my first bite. So in my trial and error testing I found I could eat Chili. So last night I wanted to see if I ate a cup of chili would I get full. I didn't. It seemed as though I could have eaten three cups.

So, today I tried eating a piece of chicken again and each piece got stuck. So it's taking me an hour to eat a piece of chicken, but I never seem to get full. Maybe because it takes me so long to eat it or maybe because there is no restriction.

So my question is there really seems to be no restriction but everything is getting stuck. I feel like I need another fill so I can have restriction but with another fill Im not sure I could eat any real Protein.< /p>

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great!

[Majacw 2]

I am going through the same thing right now and would love to hear/read any advice you get.

[Humming Bird 275]

After my 2nd fill in September I can no longer eat chicken. After a bit of time, you may be able to eat it again.

[curiousinoh 0]

So everyone what are you eating? I cannot figure out where I go from here. Get another fill so I feel restriction?

[hmarko 0]

Its not restriction.... I had this too. You are likely eating too fast an no matter how SLOW they tell us to eat some of us have to eat abnormally slow! :thumbup: I complained about this up until Dec (my 3rd fill) - I was banded in Sept. They said if it continued I would get tested for my esophagus but my doc said I was eating too fast .. she said chew 30 seconds - put the fork down and wait 30 seconds before picking it up. SO i figured before I go for any tests lets see how honest I am about how fast I eat and started w/ a stopwatch (online/or iphone) and the problem went away. It really was reinforced by my 3rd fill where i was overtightened. The tighter you get the MORE you need to pay attention to eating really slow. So try that. Or maybe its just time and it gets better. Mine went away. Now I just feel the food passing thru.

In any case this lap band requires a learning curve and it takes a while to master it.. then you get the days u can eat anything and the days you can't eat a thing :ohmy: But its worth it - its the best thing I've done for myself.

[Cocoabean 430]

Most likely you are encountering a bit of restriction with food going down. But not a lot.

chicken is a hard meat to eat. Especially breast meat. It is just too dry. I only eat dark meat now.

As another poster said, you might also be taking too big of a bite. I still do this if I get too hungry. Even though we know we are to take small bites, our first bit tends to be like our old-habits-type of bite. As my surgeon told me, my eating habits were 43 years in the making when I had surgery, they weren't going to be relearned over night.

I cut meat into bites the size of the first knucke of my pinky finger or smaller. That size of a dime bite? I'd cut that at least in half, more likely thirds.

Also, when you say getting stuck...do you mean the food is not going down, you are in pain, and sliming? Or you get a bit of pain then it goes down? If the latter, to me, that indicates to large a bite.

[curiousinoh 0]

Maybe you are right. I am probably eating too fast. I guess it seems slow in comparison to before but still not slow enough. It is getting stuck and I do feel pain but after a minute or so it goes down.

You got banded two years ago? So did you only average about 30 pounds per year? I was truly hoping to lose 50 within a year. Do you have any comments as to why your loss seems to be slower?

[BetsyB 9]

With chicken, dime-sized is waaaay too big for me--and I don't have anything resembling restriction at this point.

The size comparison I've read the most, in terms of "good" bite size, is the size of a pencil eraser or pinky fingernail. I can tolerate that if well, chewed.

Still, chicken breast is no longer my go-to Protein, like it was before surgery. It is just hard to take.

[curiousinoh 0]

With chicken, dime-sized is waaaay too big for me--and I don't have anything resembling restriction at this point.

The size comparison I've read the most, in terms of "good" bite size, is the size of a pencil eraser or pinky fingernail. I can tolerate that if well, chewed.

Still, chicken breast is no longer my go-to Protein, like it was before surgery. It is just hard to take.

See, this is so helpful. I had always heard steak/pork were so hard to eat after the band so I just thought chicken was everyone main source of meat. That really helps. And, to think that a dime size of chicken is still too big is amazing but that makes sense. Hard to believe before we ate huge bites and that is still too small. So thank you so much for this information. I am not sure where I am going to get all this Protein if I can't eat chicken because I cannot eat fish. Looks like I'll have to have one of those Protein drinks every day that has the 52 grams per drink.

What does everyone eat for Breakfast? I can't do eggs so what does everyone else seem to eat?

[vlp1968 83]

Since my third fill, I have had trouble with any kind of meat (chicken, turkey, chicken suasage) but can do fish. I can also keep down all liquids. I eat protien bars, Cereal, tuna, yougurt, LF cheese sticks. Think I am too tight?

[Cocoabean 430]

Maybe you are right. I am probably eating too fast. I guess it seems slow in comparison to before but still not slow enough. It is getting stuck and I do feel pain but after a minute or so it goes down.

You got banded two years ago? So did you only average about 30 pounds per year? I was truly hoping to lose 50 within a year. Do you have any comments as to why your loss seems to be slower?

Hi Curious,

My weight has been pretty stable for several months. I am happy where I am at, and am not working hard to lose the little bit left to get to my stated goal. I am also thinking of changing my ticker goal, as it was an arbitrary number I selected when I first had surgery and put my ticker up. The ticker doesn't take into account how long you have been at or near goal. I really had no idea where I wanted to be.

I am maintaining with ease, which gives me hope that I will not regain the weight as can sometimes happen.

My weight now is 5 lbs above a normal BMI, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, my cholesterol is good. I have a thyroid issue in that I don't have one, and my levels have been unstable lately. I think it is a little low now. I have an appointment next month to get that addressed. I am hopeful that when I get my levoxyl (thyroid hormone) dosage raised, I can drop a few more pounds. I am also wearing a size 10 and feel fantastic at this weight.

When I was actively losing, it was at a rate of a little less than 1 lb per week average. With a band, 1-2 lbs per week is to be expected. So, mine was a tad below that. But it wasn't 60 lbs in two years, it was more like 60 lbs in 1 year 4 months. Or a bit less, as I was not at my all time high when I began my LAP-BAND journey. I have always been a slow loser. It is the way my body works, so I was not surprised that the weight came off at the lower end of the expected rate. I also don't exercise as much as I should.

Your band mileage may vary. You can burn more calories with exercise and increase your weight loss. 50 lbs in one year is very do-able. Keep your motivation up.

But just remember, setting a pounds lost goal can be discouraging if it doesn't happen. Our bodies let go of weight when they are ready. If you say I want to lose 10 lbs in 2 months and you lose 8, you feel like you failed because you did not reach your goal. When in reality you have succeeded because you lost 8 pounds! Just food for thought.

Time passes by. At one year out, whether you are down 30 pounds or 50 pounds, you are still a healthier you. The other 20 pounds will follow. You have to find the band program that works for you, and one that you can do for the rest of your life!

Ok, enough blabbering......it's all about the journey!

[barbie1978 22]

curiousinoh, you HAVE restriction! I've been banded since July and it took me awhile to figure it out (and that's normal)...i thought that since i wasn't 'full' after 2 bites of food that i didn't have restriction, but we all do! It might be at different levels, but we all have it.

Your restriction might be different with different foods...chicken is a hard one for most banders....i usually have a harder time eating it..if i want chicken i just have to eat less of it. You will have foods that you can eat more of and foods you can eat less of....like chili for you seems to be a 'slider' food..goes down easy and passes through the band so you can eat a lot of it..it doesnt' mean that you don't have restriction, it means that chili is a food that passes easily for you...

It's hard for all of us to re-learn how to eat. After this most recent fill (my 4th) i have GREAT restriction...i get full faster, i eat SOOOOOOOOOOO much less, and pounds just fly off when i exercise! A lot of foods have changed for me after this last fill...any starchy foods (bread, Pasta, rice, etc) ESPECIALLY if it is dry (like crackers) are almost a no-no....a few small bites is all i can take....

Yes, we need to eat slower....but sometimes eating a food that gets 'stuck' or hurts a little (ie gets stuck), well if you eat it slow enough you can eat more than you should.

Listen to YOUR OWN body..we can all give you advice, but we're all different. What i can eat in a day probably is totally different than what you can eat....that's why i love the band because it's so individual from person to person...

I would say to you to just pay attention to your body..if something hurts going down, don't eat it! It could very well change with each fill you get....i didn't figure it out until i'd say this december..which was 5 months post op for me...

Don't worry! You'll figure out what's right FOR YOU! We all do...GOODLUCK!

[Humming Bird 275]

See, this is so helpful. I had always heard steak/pork were so hard to eat after the band so I just thought chicken was everyone main source of meat. That really helps. And, to think that a dime size of chicken is still too big is amazing but that makes sense. Hard to believe before we ate huge bites and that is still too small. So thank you so much for this information. I am not sure where I am going to get all this Protein if I can't eat chicken because I cannot eat fish. Looks like I'll have to have one of those Protein drinks every day that has the 52 grams per drink.

What does everyone eat for Breakfast? I can't do eggs so what does everyone else seem to eat?

I can not eat eggs either. I've had trouble with most types of meat since my last fill in Sept. The past 2 weeks I have had a little fish.

I get my Protein from other sources like yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, shakes, bullets, shots .....Starbucks nutrition info lists amount of protein in their stuff ... I choose "skinny" (non-fat).

In the morning my band is too tight to eat any sort of food for a few hours. On workdays I drink a Protein shake for Breakfast on the drive to work. On my days off I may eat some oatmeal, yogurt or cream of wheat after I've been awake for a few hours. I think it is cream of wheat that now has one with added protein .... reading lables in the store.

[GGQ 0]

Im 5 weeks post band and havent had any fills. I cant eat scrambled eggs, throw them up every time. I ate burger last night and that was fine. Go figure?

Im scared to eat anything but always hungry. Almost everything gives me pain except Soup.

I dont really know what to think either?

[Cocoabean 430]

Im 5 weeks post band and havent had any fills. I cant eat scrambled eggs, throw them up every time. I ate burger last night and that was fine. Go figure?

Im scared to eat anything but always hungry. Almost everything gives me pain except Soup.

I dont really know what to think either?

A lot of bandsters have trouble with eggs. No matter how they are cooked. I do OK with them. The only time I've had an issue was with a fried egg that had the crispy stuff on the sides. I didn't get it chewed up enough.

One of my favorites post-op was mashed potatoes and peas.

At 5 weeks post-op, I was on solids. Around 6-7 weeks out, I did a 10 day cruise. I put off my first fill for that. It was on that cruise that I got the fried egg stuck.

Proteins that I can eat regulary are, dark meat chicken and turkey, flaky fish (of which I am none too fond, but am trying), cheese, Beans, pork (if cut into VERY little pieces), steak (many bandsters cannot eat beef, I can), eggs, and Peanut Butter.

Try smaller bites and chewing them like a fiend. Eggs might not work for you. A banded friend of mine absolutely can't eat an egg. It takes some trial and error to find what works for YOU. You will figure it out, and these things change over time. Lay off eggs for a while and see how things go.

I got stuck on a banana shortly after my second fill. Didn't eat them for over a year. Then I tried one and was OK until my last fill. Now they are off limits again.

Best wishes in your recovery.