finding the sweet spot with first byte syndrome

[Trinity 0]

hi all

So i am having trouble knowing what is going on with my band. When i eat ,i eat very slowly, but i never get a significant FULL feeling, or do i feel like i really need to stop eating. even though my band is in the range when people get full restriction, i know that for alot of meals i can eat way more than i know i should as long as i eat slowly and with enough time.

My question is, what is full for you? My parents both had gastric bypass, and their full comes when they know that if they take another bite they are going to loose all of what they ate. i never feel like i come to that point. ( i know, different surgeries alltogether)... but i was wondering if lapband people have that sensation? or what do you wait to feel for when you are full?

I know the best thing to do would be to weigh out what im going to eat, and just walk away from the table as soon as i hit that, but, like dieting, is hard to fallow through on. I am going to buy a scale tonight in an attempt to help this. (also how much weight should a lapbander eat? i forgot)

Thanks, any insight appreciated.

PS!!!! i have realllllly bad first bite syndrome. As soon as i take my first bite, no matter how big or small, i feel alot of pain and my throat and mouth fill with lots of mucussy slime. Definitley not comfortable, but i have had it for 6 months now and have learned to tolerate it.

I have trouble desciphering a satisfied full feeling from the pain/uncomfortableness of the FBS.

[Cindy C 150]

If you are feeling like that after the first bite you are probably too tight. How's your weight loss been? When I feel "full" it's no longer a feeling in my stomach like the old days. Now I feel it in my esophagus. It's a completely different feeling.

[Rachel412 116]

I don't get FULL. I get satisfied. So I am continually asking myself "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more?" I measure out my meals and honestly, I generally finish them. But once the food is gone I ask myself the above question, and if I'm still hungry, I wait 10-15 minutes, and check again. If I still feel hungry I drink a glass of Water when I'm about 20 minutes out. If I'm still hungry after THAT I eat a cheese stick or something else with Protein.

But I guess to hopefully help you- I don't feel full. Not what I used to call full, anyway- you know, that "there's no more room" feeling. Instead I just don't feel hungry anymore.

[Melissannde 41]

For the first bite syndrome, try a cup of hot tea or coffee just before your meal. You don't have to wait 30 minutes before eating after having the tea. The warmth should allow the band to relax just a tad and maybe the sliming will stop or at least slow down. Try smaller bites and chew, chew, chew. If none of these strategies work, call your surgeon and go in for evaluation. You might be just a tad too tight. I've had one .2cc unfill that made a world of difference.

As to how much by weight should a bandster eat, my doctor gave me the guidelines of 3 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies. I weigh out my food every single day at home. I do not skip doing this. Now my doctor is telling band patients, 1 cup of food. Well, the other day I weighed out my Protein and then cut it up and measured it.. 3oz was 1/2 cup. Perfect with my 1/2 cup veggies, I'm at 1 cup.

You might also want to read Dr. Simpson's article: It's not about restriction. I know you weren't asking about restriction, but about fullness, but I think his article will have some insights for you.

http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

[Coco's Mum 1]

I don't get FULL. I get satisfied. So I am continually asking myself "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more?" I measure out my meals and honestly, I generally finish them. But once the food is gone I ask myself the above question, and if I'm still hungry, I wait 10-15 minutes, and check again. If I still feel hungry I drink a glass of Water when I'm about 20 minutes out. If I'm still hungry after THAT I eat a cheese stick or something else with Protein.

But I guess to hopefully help you- I don't feel full. Not what I used to call full, anyway- you know, that "there's no more room" feeling. Instead I just don't feel hungry anymore.

Rachel - I'm going to need your help once I'm banded. I need to get "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more" tattooed on my hand !! This is going to be a total change for me as I just eat ... until it's gone ... soooo not good. Thanks for sharing your tip with me .... I'm going to need it (and ALL of then that post-ops offer up !)

[Trinity 0]

If you are feeling like that after the first bite you are probably too tight. How's your weight loss been?

I have considered this, but I really dont feel like it is too tight for a couple reasons.

1. i was having first bite problems when i only had 4 ml in a 14 ml band

2. When iwas around 6.5ml fill, after the first bite problems i had no restriction and i could eat just like i did before surgery.

3. after getting over the first bite problems and waiting 5 minutes, i can eat larger portions than others say they can. i hear too often about people feeling like they have no more room, or cant eat anymore... and i have never felt that.

Oh yeah, and my weight loss has been so-so. Took me a while to get restriction (doctor was too busy to do fills, waited 2 months inbetween fills sometimes, he was conservative and only put like 1.5 ml in per fill)

But im down like 45 pounds all together right now, id like to say im im going down 1 lb a week.

[Trinity 0]

I don't get FULL. I get satisfied. So I am continually asking myself "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more?" I measure out my meals and honestly, I generally finish them. But once the food is gone I ask myself the above question, and if I'm still hungry, I wait 10-15 minutes, and check again. If I still feel hungry I drink a glass of Water when I'm about 20 minutes out. If I'm still hungry after THAT I eat a cheese stick or something else with Protein.

But I guess to hopefully help you- I don't feel full. Not what I used to call full, anyway- you know, that "there's no more room" feeling. Instead I just don't feel hungry anymore.

Thanks for the help. i feel frusterated when my parents eat a little bit and they say "im so stuffed, i couldn't possibly take another bite" and i know that i havn't felt that way in months.

The mental part of this whole experience is wayyyyyyyyyy more challenging than i thought it would be. "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more?" is the game that i play everyday. I never knew that i was so programmed mentally to want to keep eating even if hunger is not an issue.

Im going to start weighing food, and simply stopping when thats gone. making the band work is like everything else in life... you need to set yourself up to suceed.

[Trinity 0]

As to how much by weight should a bandster eat, my doctor gave me the guidelines of 3 oz Protein and 1/2 cup veggies. I weigh out my food every single day at home. I do not skip doing this. Now my doctor is telling band patients, 1 cup of food. Well, the other day I weighed out my Protein and then cut it up and measured it.. 3oz was 1/2 cup. Perfect with my 1/2 cup veggies, I'm at 1 cup.

You might also want to read Dr. Simpson's article: It's not about restriction. I know you weren't asking about restriction, but about fullness, but I think his article will have some insights for you.

http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html

Thanks for the weights and amounts that you stick too. Im going to use those amounts going forward.

[LVGirl 4]

I don't get FULL. I get satisfied. So I am continually asking myself "am I still hungry or do I just want to eat more?" I measure out my meals and honestly, I generally finish them. But once the food is gone I ask myself the above question, and if I'm still hungry, I wait 10-15 minutes, and check again. If I still feel hungry I drink a glass of Water when I'm about 20 minutes out. If I'm still hungry after THAT I eat a cheese stick or something else with Protein.

But I guess to hopefully help you- I don't feel full. Not what I used to call full, anyway- you know, that "there's no more room" feeling. Instead I just don't feel hungry anymore.

I am the same way. Actually, I listen to my SOS (sign of satisfaction) and it usually hits right around 3.5 oz. I don't feel "full" or "stuffed" like I used to. I feel satisfied and don't have the urge to eat more.

[Rachel412 116]

It's very very hard- at least for me- to stop eating when I still have food on my plate. I struggle with it all the time. Heck, we went out to dinner tonight and I hit a point where I really wasn't hungry any more but I kept eating. Wish I could say it was a disaster, but for me it never is- I don't get stuck, pb, slime, nothing. I just eat more and then I have to deal with the consequence weight-wise. It's easier when I'm at home since I only put my appropriate serving on my plate.

[beccaboolane 1]

I agree with the eating what's in front of you. I was required to never leave food on my plate! We were poor and wasting food was not an option! I still struggle with that. I get so mad wasting food!

[Melissannde 41]

It's very very hard- at least for me- to stop eating when I still have food on my plate. I struggle with it all the time. Heck, we went out to dinner tonight and I hit a point where I really wasn't hungry any more but I kept eating. Wish I could say it was a disaster, but for me it never is- I don't get stuck, pb, slime, nothing. I just eat more and then I have to deal with the consequence weight-wise. It's easier when I'm at home since I only put my appropriate serving on my plate.

If you want to tackle this issue (and you may not at this time and that's fine), either move your portions to your bread plate and only eat what will fit on it.

Or ask for a to-go box from the beginning and put away half of your meal before you start.

I know another bandster who eats about half of her food and then puts TONS of pepper or hot sauce on the rest to make it inedible.

Good Luck.