I "wolf" and I'm trying to stop!

[hairagain 0]

I think you will know. I seem to need to be reminded by a major pb miserable event every so often. Last night I think was the worst ever. Today my banded pouch is even a little sore. I am taking the food on the mushie side today. What I have I think is first bite syndrom. No matter how small the first bite is, it seems to stick in the pouch and feel like the golf ball. Sometimes I have lost my Cookies so to speak. Yuc!!! Any idea what that is all about and why after I let the golf ball reside I can eat a small portion no trouble. Happened again tonight with my spaggetti. It is weird. Answers anyone?

[Stitchy 0]

What I have I think is first bite syndrom. No matter how small the first bite is, it seems to stick in the pouch and feel like the golf ball. ...Sometimes Answers anyone?

I have seen suggestions of drinking a little warm liquid before the first bite. Kinda' loosens things up. Might be worth a try.

[sheryl 3]

I have seen suggestions of drinking a little warm liquid before the first bite. Kinda' loosens things up. Might be worth a try.

I get that all the time. I do the warm liquid thing when I am out in a restaurant. It never fails, my band will clamp down after the first bite, no matter how small or how much I chew. I have to wait sometimes 30 minutes before I can get anything down. But when I am at home, I just wait a bit until it unloosens, sometimes 10-20 minutes, then I will take another bite...

The signal that I get is so subtle. Perhaps it is me feeling food move out of my band, but I don't know if that is what it is. It is more like a green light that switches on. It took me a long time to feel this signal, perhaps 8-10 months after getting banded... But I know it well now, and I listen to it.

[Wheetsin 714]

Normally I take a bite, and by the time I've chewed and swallowed it all I'll be ready for another bite, but I'll also know if I'm not because I'll feel it. I will feel one of three things:

1. Something "sitting there" or "going through" - basically just feels like it says, something is making its way through the band. Not a feeling that makes me want to write poems, but not bad - more of an "awareness". When I feel this I will stop until I'm sure it has passed, normally a few minutes.

2. What I think is my version of "first bite syndrome" - hurts my belly to either side of my bellybutton, and is more painful than #1. May take as little as 10 seconds or as much as 15 mins to be gone. It comes and goes, like a delayed throb. When gone, it is followed by throaty gurgling for several minutes. Once gone I can resume eating like normal.

3. Something "stuck". So far I've never had something stuck clear, I've always had to PB it up, or MAYBE once it cleared but I still PBed up the saliva so it doesn't count. This feeling hits pretty immediately. It may feel like #2, but way more intense, and doesn't lighten up at all - no "throbbing" quality. Pain is there, and there to stay. I know (after just 3 times) that I've progressed to "have to PB" when my back starts to hurt between my shoulderblades, and my sides hurt. #1 and #2 never cause pain in these places, but every time I've had to PB I've had it. If I PB, I'm done eating, often for the entire day, but definitely for the next few hours. It really has a way of sapping away your appetite. When I do resume eating, it's warm, thin Soups.

I don't think I have enough restriction for it to control my intake yet, and I've not yet picked up on any kind of a "soft stop" - so I guess I'll have a few more chapters to add to my "weird PB feelings you can't describe" book after my next fill.

[mrclaf 0]

Hi All,

I am so new to this. I am scheduled for surgery on the 5th of June :clap2: (Lap Band). I have been reading this site and came across allot of slang, I would like to know what some of this stuff means, i.e., PB.... Whats that? I am sooooo looking forward to this surgery and getting healthy. I have hypertension, diabetes high cholesterol and GERD. I feel like crap all the time. If someone could help me out that would be great. I love this site!!!! It has been sooooo informative and helpful in my choice as far as bypass or banding. My sister had the bypass and has gained 40lbs so far and on her way to more.

[TexasTerry 0]

Thanks for this thread. I've been pondering on the same subject.I'm not banded yet and I've been noticing how fast I eat and how large the bites are. I'm really trying to be aware of my own habits and what I need to change.

[pj robinson 0]

my advice & what i try to do with each meal, is to 1) take a bite 2) put down my fork/spoon 3) chew, chew, chew each bite 30 times 4) wait 1 full minute in between bites. harder said than done i know but good habits to form in order to slow your eating down. just a few tips that has helped me along this journey. take care & good luck, p.j.

[hairagain 0]

I will the warm Water thing and see if that helps. I will also try to take first small bite and then wait a few min and see what happens. gosh, do you ever think about the days when eating wasn't a project? I am doing well and very happy with the band, just seems kind of like work sometimes. I guess that is part of the learning curve. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Today went pretty well. Only one little funny feeling. I had a few chips and I didn't chew those well enough so

dinner had to wait till they passed through. I guess I wasn't maybe spose to eat them so I ate them too fast. Anyone else ever do that? Ha Ha!!

Part of my problem sometimes. If it is a little "cheat" instead of just doing it and enjoying it, I eat it too fast so the "evidence" is gone. Actually I did count out my 12 chips and counted them in my daily calories. We had a very busy day and I had not eaten a great deal and could have them, they just are always such a red light for me that I felt guilty.

I did something interesting. I got a food saver, you know the kind that vac seals stuff? I sealed the left chips in a bag and now will have to cut open the bag instead of just taking off the clip. We don't usually even buy the stupid things. My skinny husband said he was demon posessed in

the store today. I guess we need to learn Portion Control too. So far so good.

Darlene

[Northernsun 4]

I just had my 3 rd fill and before this had no restriction. I tried to train myself to eat slowly and chew chew chew but apparantly didn't set the habit. Since this last fill I have had a bit of restriction but a lot of the golf balls and last night my first bad PB attack and it was not really any fun at all! My stomach is a bit sore this morning and I am sticking to liquids for the day. If there could possibly be a good side to this I think the chicken might have been bad- my DH has had the runs since dinner and swears he will never eat BQ chicken again! I didn't get it down so might have saved me some misery! I plan on stopping at the store today and pick up the baby silverware- That and the 4x4 upside the head I got last night may have taught me something! ( I hope!!)

[Andy Liz 0]

Hey All!

I've been out of town for a week and just made it back to my computer. All your advice sounds great and I'm going to get some infant utensils to see if that helps me take smaller bites - surely it has to! I ate with friends and family for almost every meal while I was gone and really tried to concentrate on eating more slowly. What I discovered was that I wasn't always the first one finished and that I filled up on less food. Amazing - what I've always heard IS true! I'm just seem to be alittle slow!

Thanks again for all the great advice!

Andy Liz