1st bite syndrome? Just good ol' restriction?

[Wheetsin 714]

I've read LOTS of descriptions, and there's just enough difference in what I experience that I'm not sure if it's just the band doing what it's supposed to be doing, or of it's one of the more unpleasant things of the band doing what it's supposed to be doing. I'm not conerned or worried, at all, I just want to learn what my body is doing/telling me. For all I know, this is just how things are with true restriction. I don't know, I've never had it before. I'll add that I recently had my 2nd fill, bringing me to 2cc in a 4cc band.

Usually, not always, when I take my first 1 - 4 bites of food, it's unpleasant. Not bad, but just inpleasant enough that I have to stop and focus (which I'm also doing so that I can begin to learn what my body is feeling & what it's telling me)... or if I'm at a restaurant I'll put my fork down, lower my head, and take some deep breaths.

I'll describe it as starting with a mild pain lower in my abdomen, near my bellybutton, pretty much immediately after I swallow... and sometimes very slight/mild discomfort between my shoulderblades (which is where I feel PBs). After that starts to subside, I will feel discomfort where I assume the band was placed... either REALLY feeling the food there, or something that feels more muscular in nature (maybe that's the pouch working to push the food through?) The first time this happened it concerned me a bit so I took a very small sip of Water and that REALLY made it HURT. In the worst case scenario, I feel like I have to burp but nothing comes up, which is part of what happened when I had my PB, but get no other symptoms of PB like salivating, pain in other areas, etc. I do this maybe once or twice, then usually end up hiccuping instead. *shrug*

All discomfort usually subsides completely within 20 seconds. While this is going on, and immediately after, there is some gurgling from the band -- what I assume is the food passing through? There's also quite a bit of other "noise"... that sounds kind of like a burp, but I'm not burping. I can "feel" the noise coming, too... slight pressure, then errrippddddd. I made this noise a lot for the first 3 - 5 days after surgery, too.

I notice this happening most frequently (in the whole 3 days it's been happening) the first time of the day that I eat, regardless of time of day. I also notice it's worse/more frequent if my first bite is something soft, like applesauce, compared to something harder, like chicken. It has not yet happened with a liquid.

[the best me 6]

BOTH! You have restriction and first-bite syndrome, sounds like to me. Now you know I'm going to recommend aloe vera juice at bedtime, just to soothe a banded tummy that has been working overtime.

I think the lower part of the stomach is not used to being occasionally empty (mine still isn't!) and when you put some food in there it wakes up and starts moving again, says WOW and gets to work. All that movement above and below the band makes lots of noises.

Look for the "First-Bite Syndrome" thread I have been seeing and get some ideas about how to deal (if you haven't already) but I'd say cut your first few bites in half. Smaller and slower till your tummy wakes up and gets efficient.

My only concern for you is to very carefully avoid doing anything to cause swelling in the band area or you will need a small unfill. Be a super careful eater till you drop some more pounds and loosen up "naturally".

What quantities of food are you able to eat? Is it good bandster portions? Or do you have to stop after just a few bites? You should be able to (fairly comfortably) get down resonable amounts of calories of real food. Don't go too low on calories or you'll stop losing. Too tight is not a good way to live. You are doing a good job paying attention to your body's cues with your band. At some point, you will need to begin to shift gears and pay attention to the "head" cues too. They are just as important for long-term weight loss, and for maintaining your loss.

You are doing great, Wheetsin! What a good bandster you are!!!!!

[Wheetsin 714]

What quantities of food are you able to eat? Is it good bandster portions? Or do you have to stop after just a few bites? You should be able to (fairly comfortably) get down resonable amounts of calories of real food. Don't go too low on calories or you'll stop losing.

I'm not so restricted that I can't eat, but I do get full faster. I can still eat more than I probably should be able to, but I don't let myself eat more than a visual cup full at a time. I'm tracking calories approximately through fitday but not exactly. My weightloss has REALLY come to a creeping stop, and I'm figuring my calroies probably has something to do with it... or it could just be my body "recalibrating" after losing so much so quickly, but in the last 6 - 7 weeks I've lost 5#. I'd love to know if I'm eating wrong... anything to get the weight moving off again while staying as healthy as I can be, so tell me what you think, here's what I ate yesterday and what I've eaten so far today:

Breakfast: Protein drink made w/ fat free Carb Countdown milk, with a tbl of low fat/low carb Peanut Butter and a bit (about 1/5) of banana blended in.

Lunch: about 40% of a medium chicken breast with a little bit of sauce made with chopped tomatoes, asiago cheese & garlic roasted garlic... and about 2 spoons of mashed potatoes.

Snack: Protein Drink made w/ fat free Carb Countdown milk, with 4 oz light OJ.

Dinner: Microwaved turkey pepperoni (cook the fat out, has lots of protein) and cottage cheese, about 20 pepperoni and about 1/2 C cottage cheese.

Breakfast: 1/2 Protein Drink w/ low fat/low carb Peanut Butter blended in.

Lunch: 3 grilled chicken tenders, about 2 tsp mashed potatoes, and 1 bite of applesauce (that's the applesauce that prompted my post)

Snack: will be the other half of my Protein drink.

Dinner: Will likely be leftover from lunch yesterday.

A typical day might look like this:

Breakfast: protein drink with something blended in it, either PB or SF DaVinci, or maybe just a few berries.

Lunch: Chipotle chicken bol with just a few black Beans, no rice, green chile salsa, just a bit of sour cream, no cheese. I'll eat half.

Dinner: The other half of the chicken bol.

Snack: Protein drink (more to make sure I get enough protein than because I'm hungry), or if I'm hungry I'll make 10 microwaved turkey pepperonis.

[StrawartS 2]

Hot tea, hot tea, hot tea! Drink before, take a bite, drink more tea, take a break. Do that for the first few bites, and go really slow for the rest of the meal, and you should be fine.

[cashley 0]

I've been using the Hot Tea idea and love it. It allows me to get "Almost Normal" bandster amounts per meal of solids.

I find that it really helps with that first bite syndrome.

Thanks for the tip StrawartS.

[Wheetsin 714]

Do my portions seem too small?

[StrawartS 2]

They don't seem too small, that's about how much I eat, minus the Protein Drinks. I usually eat lunch and dinner with 2 Snacks of a piece of cheese or some dry Cereal. As long as you're losing weight, I think your portions are fine.

[Xann77 0]

you might be depending too much on Protein Shakes. I know that I did that for a while and for some reason, when I switched to Proten BARS, the weight loss picked up. I think your body LIKES to have solid stuff to break down and work on... liquids don't always cut it. I am officially in LOVE with Pure Protein SMORES bars -- 30grams of proten/280 cals (which sounds like a lot but these little guys REALLY fill you up for a while and have lots of good stuff in them). Their bars used to be kinda nasty so I didn't try them for a while, but they radically improved their taste. I'd try half of one of those for morning/other half for snack. As I said, too much liquid might be plateuing you.

[Xann77 0]

Oh, here's the link to the bars with a picture so you can see which ones I'm talking about. Kiss Protein shakes goodbye!

http://www.thebetterhealthstore.com/ItemDetail.asp?ovchn=FRO&ovtac=CMP&sku=4982600021&ovcpn=4982600021&ovcrn=4982600021

[the best me 6]

I agree about the shakes! Switch to a bar, or do some sliced turkey breast. For Breakfast, you could do 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 bar. Your portions look great. shake up the menu a bit. I also agree about your body recalibrating. Yup. You know what you are doing! Oh, the hot tea...all great ideas! I love LBT!

[sheryl 3]

I agree with the shakes. My doctor doesn't want us to use them after we heal.

Having said that, I have one every morning! It fills me up, it satisfies my chocolate sweet-tooth, and I am still losing weight. Plus, I am very restricted in the mornings, so that is about all I can handle that is high in Protein.

I save my fruit for a snack in the afternoon. I can eat 1/2 of an apple and it fills me until dinner.

Other than that, your portions sound good. How many calories are you getting? You may be stuck if you are eating too little calories...

[Marimaru 7]

I have the first bite syndrome thing. It happens more often than not, but when it doesn't happen, I think I need a fill, lol.

Sometimes my first few bites will seriously sit there for like an hour. When that happens I have to just give up on the meal and try again later.

I have found that like you, mushies sometimes cause a bigger problem than solid food. It's the strangest thing.

Anyway, just thought I'd share, lol

[Wheetsin 714]

I bought some bars. I enjoy my shakes - maybe they'll have to become the occasional treat instead of major supplement.

I just tried eating some tuna salad (wet, not dry) and the exact same thing happened. I'd sipped warm tea but it didn't make any difference. First two bites (over the span of about 5 minutes) went down ok, I thought I'd made it, but then the pain around my belly button (more like to either side of it) started... pain higher up started... then the gurgling which went on for about 20 seconds, then the "burping, but not burping" about 15 times... then I hiccuped and about 5 seconds later everything felt back to normal. Total "episode" lasted about 2 mins.

I'm going to have to play with this & figure it out, because I could see this discomfort making me not want to eat at all.

[Rockin' Robyn 15]

I know exactly what you are talking about. For a long time, I would stop eating after the first few bites because of the discomfort. Then I figured out that if I could pause and keep going, the esophogeal spasms would stop.

I also agree Angela about the Protein drinks. I stopped taking them after I could get in my minimum of 60 gms Protein on regular foods throughout the day. Now if you CANT get your protein in otherwise, then go for it....but my opinion is that they are still liquid calories...which I avoid like the plague unless absolutely necessary.

Try drinking more than just a few sips of the tea, like maybe a half a cup before eating (I don't know...you may have already done that). I noticed too that just drinking a few sips wasn't as helpful as drinking more and letting the heat relax my stomach so to speak.

Hang in there....you are just like me with the plateaus. It's frustrating during them...but as soon as you start losing again, it will melt off FAST. I'm coming off of a 5 week plateau (my longest one yet)....but over the past 6 days have lost almost 10 pounds. Our bodies are just funny that way.

Talk to you later

Robyn