What Does Restriction Feel Like???

[loves47 1]

I was informed by the Dr. that u where in the Green Zone when you could last 4hours between meals. I can do that most day however I get head hunger about 4 clock everyday. Dr. said that I should shorten my time between 12 clock lunch and 6:30 dinner. Presently I'm not sure when I'm hungry or full. Most of the time I just know its time to eat, or when I eat I know I need to limit the amount. Not sure I'm hungry even when my stomach is making a lot of noise.

[Skinny_Jill 36]

You will know when you are there. You will get full much faster. For me it feels like the food is just sitting there. Be patient. It takes time and it is very worth it in the end.

Good luck!

[KimJ384 46]

Thanks' date=' and good luck to you too! I have a 10cc band filled 5.5cc, I am going for 3rd fill tomorrow. I hope I get to the greenzone after that. Keep in touch[/quote']

I have 7.5cc in my 10cc band now after my fill last Monday and I now have restriction and feel full faster and longer!!

[KimJ384 46]

I get rid of head hunger when I eat 6-7 small meals a day. I actually set my alarm for every 2 hours to eat something small with Protein and it keeps me full all day and not starving to wear I binge eat! It's worked out great so far!!!!

[KimJ384 46]

hope it helps!

[MandiMand 17]

I have 7.5 in my band (I believe it is a 11cc band) and I have only lost 15lbs since my surgery (Dec 2011). A lot of it is on me, because I have those days when I just don't seem to want to do what I know I should be doing. And I've allowed myself to become lazy on those days too. However, even on days when I'm 100% on, I still don't feel restriction. I have identified what foods will cause me pain (pork and breads), and try and stay away from those. I have chewed gum (by accident!) and I feel no pain. I sometimes have an iced coffee, and sip it through a straw, nothing. I occasionally will get a tight feeling and then it goes away in a few minutes. I got on the scale this morning, and I've gained , The last time this happened, they refused to give me more than a .25 fill, which aggrivated me, because if I'm not getting any restriction, I would think it would make sense that I have more in my band. Am I missing something?

[need2lose2 10]

We're pretty much in the same boat. i was banded Sept 2011 and while i initially lost 15 lbs, i've gained it all back. I have 9.5 in my 11cc band. I am definately able to gulp my drinks with no backup. When i eat, there are times when i do feel that tightening but once it goes away, i can eat large amounts. Then there are times with other foods where i get so stuck that i need to vomit (but it's only if i eat too fast with my first few bites).

I know part of it is my fault as i'm not always eating the right foods, but i just don't feel any motivation when those foods can go down.

It's frustrating when i end up getting stuck with chicken and need to vomit it up, but a brownie will go down just fine! Seems hypocritical, no? LOL

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Here's a great diagram of what the Green Zone is:

I think a big misconception people have is that the band will fix all their food issues. Believe me, it won't. It can make you full faster and longer, and it can control how much you're physically able to eat, but it won't stop head hunger and it won't stop you from eating around it. I have lost over 100 pounds since being banded in January 2012, and I'm very much in the Green Zone, but I still have ask myself at least a half dozen times a day "Am I physically hungry or head hungry?".

Something else to keep in mind, just because you can eat a lot of food doesn't mean you should. Very often if you stop eating after only a cup of food, you will find that while you still can eat more you're satisfied and no longer hungry. Too many of us bandsters are also binge eaters and we try to eat until we have that bloated full feeling we used to. That band won't make you feel that way, so stop expecting it. I'm discovering a lot of people say "I have no restriction" but really they do. They just assume because they physically can eat more that should and do, rather than stopping when their stomach feels satisfied at 1/2cup to 1cup food.

This is also why my surgeon recommends not eating more than a cup of food at a time (total, for the whole meal) and stopping when it's gone because it teaches you what satisfied feels like and keeps you from eating more than you should. I have measured out a cup of food to eat since I got back on soft foods after surgery. At the beginning, it was rough, I was still physically hungry after my food was gone. But, I stuck to it. Now, because I have good restriction, a lot of the time I realize I'm satisfied way before the cup of food is gone and stop eating.

Just my experience.

[Jim1967 3,569]

I think a big misconception people have is that the band will fix all their food issues. Believe me, it won't. It can make you full faster and longer, and it can control how much you're physically able to eat, but it won't stop head hunger and it won't stop you from eating around it. I have lost over 100 pounds since being banded in January 2012, and I'm very much in the Green Zone, but I still have ask myself at least a half dozen times a day "Am I physically hungry or head hungry?".

Exactly!! You need to constantly have that internal talk and ask yourself if it's true hunger or you brain just saying you want it and you want it now.

Too many of us bandsters are also binge eaters and we try to eat until we have that bloated full feeling we used to. That band won't make you feel that way, so stop expecting it.

Actually it will be even worse cause instead of the bloat feeling you used to feel you may end up with the feeling that food is stuck or has not gone down all the way. Imagine it being similar to finding out you're way to full too late. I have done this myself and resulted in chest pain and sliming as well as pb. Not pleasant at all.

I took a 6 week support class called The Hungry Head which is about binge eating and one thing the instructor said that stuck with me was: "OK, that's enough for now. I can always have more later". Everyone has their trigger foods and for me it used to be cheese its. I could devour a 1 pound box in one sitting while camped out in front of the tv. Now if I were to have them I would take about 10 because...."it will still be there and I can always have more later"\

When I was a little kid at the supper table my father would say "slow down, no ones gonna take it away from you". Well that still applies in some form or another.

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Exactly!! You need to constantly have that internal talk and ask yourself if it's true hunger or you brain just saying you want it and you want it now.

Actually it will be even worse cause instead of the bloat feeling you used to feel you may end up with the feeling that food is stuck or has not gone down all the way. Imagine it being similar to finding out you're way to full too late. I have done this myself and resulted in chest pain and sliming as well as pb. Not pleasant at all.

I took a 6 week support class called The Hungry Head which is about binge eating and one thing the instructor said that stuck with me was: "OK, that's enough for now. I can always have more later". Everyone has their trigger foods and for me it used to be cheese its. I could devour a 1 pound box in one sitting while camped out in front of the tv. Now if I were to have them I would take about 10 because...."it will still be there and I can always have more later"\

When I was a little kid at the supper table my father would say "slow down, no ones gonna take it away from you". Well that still applies in some form or another.

Oh yeah, I've had that too. I've only PB'd once but it was not fun. Even now if I eat too fast or eat too much, I do that awful sliming thing. And, as you said, it's very physically uncomfortable if not painful.

The class you took sounds awesome, they should offer it to all bandsters! I'd take it in a heart beat! It's funny you mention trigger foods because I've found them as well. My daughter had some BBQ chips in the house and I thought "oh I'll just take a couple". Then a couple more. And a couple more. And even more. I finally went "holy hell!" and stepped away from the chips. I won't buy big bags of chips anymore since that. If the kids want chips, I'll get them a little bag at the gas station. Same thing with Little Debbie snack cakes. I still buy them for my kids, but I won't buy ones I really like. Otherwise, it's too big of a constant mental battle not to break down and eat them.

You're doing AMAZING btw!! You've lost a lot of weight really fast!!

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

First: Friend Jean McMillan... she has been around for a while and had even written a few books about living with the LB. http://www.jean-onthebandwagon.blogspot.com/

Few tips i used from the get go: first, i eat on a kids plate. You know the ones with the dividers... Protein, veggie and starch. Eat the Protein first, then the veggies... and if i have room, the starch. When eating out... i order, and at the time i order i ask for a go box to be brought at the same time. I also, ask for an appetizer plate. Portion out my food, put everything else in the box. If i'm still hungry, i make myself wait at least 20 min... if i'm still hungry... i will grab a bite more of the protein...

NEVER NEVER NEVER order any liquid when you eat.... I wait till i get home to have something. This will give you your allotted time so you will feel fuller longer.

I would bet that if you really look at what your eating and not really the amount... you will see that your not making good choices.... I know i had to take a long look at myself at first when i was still able to eat two slices of pizza and complaining that i wan't losing weight.... pizza? and losing weight? they just don't go together... so i stopped all the bread, rice and most of the Pasta and potatoes... and started really moving my BuTT around .... and low and behold... i started to lose weight... go figure.

I am still guilty of eating something bad... every single day. I just had to learn to eat ONE piece of candy... instead of the the whole bag... which i did.

I myself am getting my act back together after having a complete unfill for my Tummy Tuck. I went 8 weeks with nothing in my band (i got 5cc in at 8wks).... and boy was i hungry... I completely fooled myself into thinking i could live with out my band and never gain weight again... i was WRONG... i ate... Pizza, rice, bread, and all the other bad stuff that i had went over two years with out. I gained 5lbs back over the last 17weeks.... i know that doesn't sound like a lot... but that's how it all starts... 5 here, 10 there... next thing we know..... 223lbs again.... So I went to my doctor Wednesday and he put in another 4cc to bring me back up to 9cc in my 14cc band.... I'm so happy to have my restriction again.. Thank you LB inventor.

[ccsbulldog 59]

I think I finally have restriction. I have 7 cc's in a 10 cc band. Today for example I ate a turkey burger w/o the bun and was FULL!!!! Before my last fill I could have easily eaten more. I was eating more than 2 cups and between my last fill, 5 weeks I had lost 3.5 pounds and that was watching what I ate, and walking 3 miles a day. I've also lost 2 pounds since my last fill, (1 week). Glad to see the scale moving again. Good luck to everyone!!!!

[Skyvic 226]

Here is a link to a really decent article on restriction: http://drsimpson.net/fills/Lap-band-eating/lap-band-not-restriction/lap-band-and-restriction.html

I find personally I have to do a lot of internal talking between my brain and my stomach. You don't want that feeling of being stuffed but yet you want to feel satisfied so that your appetite is suppressed. As I eat I try to have that internal talk. Is it real hunger or is it head hunger. I also tell myself at times "OK' date=' that's enough for now. I can always have more later".

If food hurts going down then you need to reevaluate the issue. Are you chewing food up small enough?, are you biting off more then you can chew? Are you eating slow enough? Or perhaps your band is already too tight.

Take a look at that article it's pretty good. I read it from time to time as a reminder I should only be eating enough to be satisfied and not stuffed. A lot re-training of the brain in the way I look at food will probably always be a work in progress.

Excessive vomiting can cause band slippage. So avoid that as much as possible. I have had a few stuck episodes because I ate too fast or didn't chew. It's not a pleasant feeling and actually hurts a bit.[/quote']

I really liked this article it explains everything I have questions or concerns about the band, my eating, and signs of fullness as well as restriction and how we handle it to make it successful. I should send this to my surgeon!

[marieistre 20]

To Jim1967, that was a wonderful site you shared. It really made me realize something - eat the small amount & walk away. Head hunger is only under my control. The first 6 wks. after surgery I couldnt finish that small meal, now I feel good but I need to remember small meals, chew, chew, chew & small bites. Thank you for sharing. On my surgery was 7/11/12 & I have lost 34 lbs. about 120 to go.

[jmvanlieu 0]

You will know when u are in the green zone, I wondered the same thing "how will I know" well after my last fill which I am now at 5cc with a 10cc band I can tell a huge difference. I almost thought I needed some taken out because of the amount of restriction but gave it a couple weeks to see if I could handle it, that was on August 22, 2012 and just like I thought it seems to be ok so far. I have lost 12 more pounds since then which brings my weight loss since surgery on May 21,2012 to 48 pounds. It's amazing! Good luck!