If you never felt full before the lapband, I have a question

[perrysmom 0]

The one thing (other than if I don't get insurance approval) that would possibly stop me from going through with lapband is that right now I never feel full. My stomach never talks to my brain and says that I've had enough. I can literally eat until I'm ready to vomit before I feel satisfied.

I'm scared that after going through the expense and having the surgery that I still won't feel full. My coworker who had the surgery done says that you can't overeat because you'll vomit it up and yet I'm reading on the forums here about the people who are able to overeat.

My diets have always been sabotaged by the feeling of being hungry and never full. I've wanted to chew my own arm off even when on a high Protein, low carb diet. I did have more energy but always still felt hungry. I know that some of my eating is habit and for something to do, but there are times where I hurt until I eat something.

Those of you who were like that before your surgery, how were you after (and now)? Did you feel enough full that you were able to stick with the diet? I realize we all have days every once in a while where we may feel hungry but I'm so afraid if I always still feel hungry after the surgery I'll sabotage myself.

I guess I'm looking for some encouragement that there is hope that I can at least not always feel like gnawing my arm off.

I'm getting older and heavier and the weight doesn't seem to want to stabilize. Gotta do something and dieting in the past never worked. Lapband is my last hope.

I'd like to read both sides. This forum has helped me so much before I've even made it for the first talk (I go Thursday after work for the seminar and talk with staff). It helps me to know what I'm getting into and to read about it from people who have lived it. I like to make an informed decision. This isn't something that I can simply return to the store if I change my mind! This is a life-changing decision.

Thank you!

Mary

[TKW 501]

Hi Mary -

I could also eat and eat and eat. I felt some restriction right from the start with my band but it took 4 fills to get to the point that I would feel "FULL" on less then a cup of food. I get full really quick now. That being said, it doesn't always stop me from nibbling or wanting to munch on something, especially at night. Your head has so much to do with it. You really need to learn to listen to your stomach!

[Mrs. Schultz 0]

I was so happy to read this and the response!!! I was banded on July 19, 2011 and a cup of food sometimes does not fill me up. I'll stop eating because I know that's supposed to do it but I always want a litte something between meals. I try to make is something healthy and low in fat and sugar but still I want it. I get my first fill next week and I pray it is better.

I am so happy to find others like me here though.

[Jonna 4]

I know what you mean, but I can honestly say now I know when I am full and satisfied. I love having the band, because it really makes you pay attention to how much you're eating. I don't have a lot of restriction right now, because I haven't got my first fill yet but still know when I am full. Before I got the band, I could go to Chilis and a bunch of their chips and then eat an entire chicken Caesar salad. Now, I still eat some chips but my friend and I split the salad and I can only eat 1/2 of the 1/2. I used to be able to eat an entire salad, baked potato, steak and bread. Now I have to decide what I want more. Now I eat a 1/4 to 1/2 of the steak, a small salad and 1/2 piece of bread. The potato doesn't even make it on the plate.

Best of Luck to you!!

[cakegirl 12]

The nerve receptors that get the "full" message and signal the brain for you to feel full are at the top of the stomach. In some people, these receptors spread a long way down to the bottom of the stomach. (Those are the people who eat like birds.) And with other people, they're only right at the top. (That's those of us who never feel full - I know I can eat and eat until my stomach is distending and my SKIN hurts, but I'm still not feeling "satisfied.) When you have a lapband (I'm assured by my surgeon), it slows the food going down, so that it's in contact with those little receptors up the top for longer, so you do actually feel "full".

I hope so, anyway! I'm getting banded on Monday!

[Dave_NW 92]

Mary, the purpose of the band is not to stop you from overeating (as you try to feel "full.") The purpose is to dim your appetite so you can use your willpower and common sense to stop eating BEFORE you overdo things. Once your band is adjusted correctly (which takes a bit of time to get right), as you eat proper, bandster-style meals (small bites, one at a time, chewed thoroughly, and eating slowly), the pressure of food in your pouch above the band puts pressure on the vagus nerve, which turns off your hunger switch. IF you eat slowly, this process is amazing and works VERY well. After a normal bandster-sized portion of food, (and sometimes even before you're finished with it), you will find you HAVE NO MORE HUNGER, and you can walk away from the table. The trick is to be self-aware of how you feel while eating. When you get to the point where your hunger is done, you can stop eating. It's that simple.

I was someome who never had a "full" sensation pre-banding. I could eat till there was nothing left on the table, and I'd still be in the fridge twenty minutes later, looking for something to eat. That concept was completely, utterly, and thoroughly erased after I was banded. Now I eat a bandster-sized meal, and i'm done eating for several hours. I don't get hungry, I don't feel deprived, I never have those 2PM energy crashes, and I feel as though I've eaten a big meal every time. It's about satiety, not food volume.

An extremely important point to fully understand: The band will NOT stop you from overeating, or from making bad food choices. Even if you no longer have an appetite at your meal, you CAN continue to eat, until you're stuffed and miserable. DO NOT DO THIS. There is no point, and doing so only causes you discomfort. The trick is to serve yourself a bandster-sized meal portion, and stop there. Once you've eaten it, get away from the food. Sitting at the table only encourages you to eat more, even though you aren't hungry. A lot of bandster success is about developing good habits, and not encouraging bad ones.

Having a band is a LOT about learning to listen to and feel what your body is telling you. When you know the clues to watch for, and you feel the right feelings, then you are in control to stop whatever you're doing at that point, and walk away. Over time, as you gain more experience, you'll be very successful with your band, but the two of you have to work together. It sounds cliche, but the band truly is a "tool." You have to learn how to work it - because on its own, the band does not do the work for you. It only gives you the ability to control what's happening in your day-to-day life.

I'm one who used to literally crave food, and I'd lose sleep wondering where my next meal was coming from. I was terrified of being hungry, and not being able to find food. Every day was based around making sure I knew exactly what to eat, and when I was going to eat it. I'd start my day by making plans for every meal and snack I was going to eat that day, and scheduling my time around my meals. Looking back, it was crazy doing that.

Now, eight months after banding, I don't even think about food most of the time. When I realize it's meal time, I grab an appropriate meal, eat it, and move on with my day. I've gained back an amazing amount of time, because I'm not wasting time trying to make sure I have enough food lined up to be wolfed down that day. (Because even though I ate like a horse, I never slowed down enough to taste or appreciate the food I was eating. It was all about "stoking the hulk." Stupid behavior that contributed immensely to my obesity.)

I've posted this link many times, but it's a website you need to read. It'll make your band journey much more meaningful, and easier to handle: Dr. Terry Simpson's page about the band, "It's NOT About Restriction." http://drsimpson.net...estriction.html

Good luck on your journey!

Dave

[perrysmom 0]

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. Far more than any other concern I may have had (and this includes the remote possibility of surgical complications, slippage, erosion, etc.) was that I still wouldn't get the full -- or should I say satisfied -- feeling.

Dave - that's a GREAT article. I've saved the link in case I start blogging about my journey. I seriously believe that the more people learn about it the more informed a decision they can make.

I'm hoping everything goes the right way and I can get banded. I know it will take work on my part. I'm not like some of the people I've read comments on that think it's magic and that I won't have to change my habits. What I believe the band will do for me is help me to stick to the new habits like how much and what I eat. Which will help with the next evil -- exercise.

My coworker who was banded the end of 2008 can only eat a couple of bites at a time before she is ready to vomit. I think she needs some of her fill removed. I was a little concerned (not much) that I wouldn't be able to enjoy food ever again, but Jonna, I loved reading that you were able to eat some of the steak, salad and bread. A bite or two of one type of food is not a meal to me. What you mentioned would be, although my digestive system doesn't really like lettuce - I'd substitute veggies for the salad. Bread I can do without but I guess I'll have to see if I can handle a little (and I do mean little) bit of potato.

I know I'll have to listen to my own body but if the band helps me "hear" the full signal when I've eaten a correct sized meal for me then I know I can stick with the change in how I eat.

The next biggest hurdle is making myself exercise. I have a hard time now and really hurt and am exhausted doing even 10 minutes on the treadmill. I know as I lose weight it will become easier and it will all feed into each other, more ability to exercise leading to a loss of weight (with proper food control) and the loss of weight will give me more ability to exercise.

Again, thanks so much those of you have responded so far.

I'm trying to soak in as much info from people who have been through this as I can. The doctor can give you info but unless he/she has been through it, they can't give you a "real" idea of how you'll feel.

I go for the seminar and meet and greet the staff tomorrow after work. I'm so excited. I need to make sure I have my list of questions with me. I've been thinking about the band for over three years since I first learned about it and can't believe that now that I have insurance it's within reach!

[Dave_NW 92]

What you'll find as you go forward with this is that everyone has a different experience with their band. Some folks eat a few bites, and are ready to vomit (like your coworker. Sounds like she's too tight.) Others, like me, have never vomited post-banding. I've been stuck a few times, because I ate too big a bite and didn't chew it thoroughly enough, but those events are rare, and they teach you how to live with your band.

As to diet, I can eat just about anything, as long as I cut it into small enough bites, and chew it thoroughly enough. Some things go down easier than others, so I learn what works, and what doesn't. I can eat toast easier than I can eat bread. So if I'm in a restaurant and want to order a sandwich, I ask for the bread to be toasted. (Then I only eat part of it, while eating the sandwich filling with a fork. I don't have room enough for a full sandwich anyway.)

Managing a meal and enjoying it is all about doing what works for a bandster. For example, if I go to Olive Garden and order their Steak Toscano, I ask to substitute additional steamed vegetables instead of the potato. When the meal arrives (a 12 ounce steak) I cut off a third, and put the other two-thirds of the steak and two-thirds of the veggies in a to-go box. Then I socialize with my friends, and eat my steak and veggies. By the time my 4 ounces of steak and that one-third amount of veggies are gone, I'm finishing my meal about the same time my friends are finishing theirs. It's a non-issue, and I have another two meals with me in the to-go box. (Hint: Order the steak one level less-done than you might otherwise, and the reheating of the leftovers won't hurt it. That works well for me.)

It's all about learning how to live with the band, and what works best for you. As you go along, you'll sort things out. And if you avoid known triggers and bad behaviors, you'll do fine. Education is vital, and the key to success with the band. Learn everything you can about the band, how it works, and what others have gone through. It sounds to me like you're on track to have a great experience.

Good luck!

Dave

[jsea 3]

I agree, what a fantastic article Dave. Thank you so much for sharing the link. I too have saved it for future reference. That may in itself been one of the most informational pieces I've read about Lapband thus far.

[Dave_NW 92]

I agree, what a fantastic article Dave. Thank you so much for sharing the link. I too have saved it for future reference. That may in itself been one of the most informational pieces I've read about Lapband thus far.

Always glad to help. There is so much confusion out there about the band, anything that helps clear up the mystery seems to make a big difference.

Wishing you great success on your journey!

Dave