Little restriction but getting stuck all the time.

[zeniada 9]

Ok here goes I need some advise from some of the older bandsters out there.

I wouldn't have what you would call my sweet spot because I can eat a lot more then I should and get hungry 1-2 hours after a meal.

But every day I will get stuck at least once maybe twice if I'm not careful and will have slime and vomiting.

If I'm not at a good restriction level what could be causing this? Am I not chewing well? Taking to big of bites?

Could someone please help me try to understand what's going on...I also get the hiccups like crazy after a stuck episode. Is this normal?

[MaineJackie 3]

Hi,

I have NEVER gotten stuck, PB'd or slimed (knock on wood) so I can't offer much advice as far as that goes.......but I would think the hiccups might be a reaction to getting stuck??

I am not always perfect at taking small bites or chewing......and I don't really understand the why some people get stuck and others don't........I hope there are more experienced bandsters who can help you.

Jackie

[jguttery 0]

Ok here goes I need some advise from some of the older bandsters out there.

I wouldn't have what you would call my sweet spot because I can eat a lot more then I should and get hungry 1-2 hours after a meal.

But every day I will get stuck at least once maybe twice if I'm not careful and will have slime and vomiting.

If I'm not at a good restriction level what could be causing this? Am I not chewing well? Taking to big of bites?

Could someone please help me try to understand what's going on...I also get the hiccups like crazy after a stuck episode. Is this normal?

I've only had my band for a little under three months and just had my first fill the other day. The times I have got stuck have usually been when my band feels tighter in the mornings, and usually on meat or bulky foods. Or when I try to take a too big bite of food. You may not be at your sweet spot, but you have just enough restriction to get stuck. Try keeping a journal or make notes on what type of food and what time of day that you get stuck.

John

[HeatherinCA 10]

It's never gonna stop you from eating. Remember that.

Hmm I'd say either your bites are too big, you are eating too much, or your band is too tight?

I never get stuck either, maybe everyone reacts differently?

[cwm812 11]

I'm thinking that your stomach is really irritated from being stuck so often. There is no way you should be getting stuck every day. I'd eat safe foods (mushies) for a couple of days and let everything settle down, and then try to assess where you are restriction-wise. If you're still getting stuck and hungry too soon, I would look at how you're eating. For me, I don't usually get stuck from eating big bites....I get stuck from eating too fast (usually because I waited too long to eat) or not mixing up my textures of food. If I eat like many people recommend on here: First the meat, then the veggies, then the carbs..I get stuck. I need to eat a bite of meat, then something else and eat varied textures. Eating salad with the meat helps greatly with this.

One of the many things I've learned from my band is that the "rules" really do vary from person to person. Sometimes, it's just trial and error.

And as for the hiccups, I get them, too, I think it's just your stomach letting you know it's not pleased.

Cindy

[Humming Bird 275]

If you get stuck, slime ....... you do have restriction. You may have to play around with it a bit to figure out what is going on. It could be that you are not chewing well or taking too big bites. It could be that you are eating types of food you can no longer tolerate no matter your restriction level.

I can only go by my own experience. There are many foods I can no longer tolerate no matter how tight my band is, so I don't eat them. I don't chew my food to a liquid state where it grosses me out. I just take very small bites and make sure each bite is well chewed with no large chunks making it down to my stomach. I get hungry between meals and just have to eat a little something or drink a Protein shake. If I got another fill to make things stick with me longer I would be so tight I would die of malnutrition...lol. You just have to find what works for you. Many bandsters eat 4, 5, 6 tiny meals. If you are losing weight at a steady pace it's a good thing no matter how much time passes between eating.

[ElfiePoo 109]

If you're hungry 1-2 hours after a meal then you do not have the restriction the band was designed to give you. The band was not designed to physically restrict the quantity we eat and leave us hungry. What a hell that would be! There are a number of reasons you could be getting stuck though.

Sometimes your band is just tighter for no reason. I've found that if I drink something hot before I eat, that helps loosen the band up just enough that I don't get stuck.

For many of us, the band is just tighter in the morning. For a long time I could only do a Protein shake in the morning. Then for months I could actually eat Breakfast. For the last week I'm back to Protein shakes for Breakfast. Don't know why. I just go with the flow.

Once you start having stuck episodes, you're irritating that band area causing it to swell...which will cause you to get stuck more often...which will cause more swelling. Well you get the idea. It's a vicious circle. I'd be kind to your band and go back to softer foods and then once you've a 2 or 3 days without stuck episodes, get back to eating solid food.

Take small bites. Seriously. If you're having trouble monitoring the size, use a baby spoon. It's really hard to go from loading up a fork or spoon to just putting a small bite (the amount a toddler would eat) on the end of your utensil. You shouldn't have to chew it to mush. My surgeon said we should be able to eat things the size of a pencil eraser without getting stuck.

DO NOT drink with your meals and wait 30 minutes after a meal. It has nothing to do with washing your food through the pouch too quickly and everything to do with getting stuck. When you put Water into your pouch, it kind of moves things around and then they resettle, sometimes blocking that opening and causing a stuck episode.

Then just pay attention to what gets stuck. Many people have problems with bread, biscuits or other things that tend to clump and cake together. Things you might not expect to get stuck...eggs and ground beef...are a problem for some.

I used to have problems with all of those but I realize now that, due to my constant stuck and sliming episodes, my band area was most likely permanently swollen. Once I had an unfill (but eating softer foods for awhile would do the same) and my band area had time to calm down, I no longer had a problem with any of these foods when I had my fills back. Partly because I took longer between fills once I realized that it took 2 weeks for my band to show any effect from a fill.

[CheckYes 46]

When you say you get stuck if you "aren't careful"? What do you mean? I'd say get careful like you normally are and that should solve the problem.

Ok here goes I need some advise from some of the older bandsters out there.

I wouldn't have what you would call my sweet spot because I can eat a lot more then I should and get hungry 1-2 hours after a meal.

But every day I will get stuck at least once maybe twice if I'm not careful and will have slime and vomiting.

If I'm not at a good restriction level what could be causing this? Am I not chewing well? Taking to big of bites?

Could someone please help me try to understand what's going on...I also get the hiccups like crazy after a stuck episode. Is this normal?

[jodi8135 6]

it could be what you are eating... i know i can no longer eat any bread or simialier foods, no more red meat and no more chicken. i now eat a lot of seafood for me it goes down the best.

[thsisme 14]

I've given up soft breads and beef. Sounds as if your stomach may be irritated and it is letting you know. When my stomach was irritated, I went back to liquids, drank warm peppermint tea for 48 hours and then re-introduced foods.

Good luck

[zeniada 9]

ElfiePoo- Great Info thanks so much for that It has given me a new prospective on my band and the way I eat...It sounds as if I am swollen from throwing up every day and I have to buck up and do liquids and soft foods for 1-2 days to get rid of the swelling no matter what.

CheckYes- Careful as in not chewing well or taking too big of bites/eating too fast.

Thanks to everyone for all the great responses!

Zen