Can anyone describe the feeling of restriction?

[Roudoudou 4]

Hi! One of the reasons I think I'll do well with the sleeve is the element of restriction. When I don't feel good, I don't eat. That said, I'm wondering if any one can describe that feeling. Is it uncomfortable? Hurt? Tight? Just feel overfull? Feel like you're going to vomit?

And just HOW powerful is the feeling? Could you theoretically "push" through the pain or is it really bad?

Thank you for any insight you can provide!

Ann

[Candace2314 117]

To me, it feels like if I take another bite I will burst. I thought at first that I had overdone things b/c it just felt like I was soooo full, almost like I had sat down and ate a BigMac, a supersize fry, 2 apple pies and a large beverage, and I had only in reality taken about 4 bites of my food lol. Once I burped, I felt better immediately though, but I stayed full for like 6 hours, that was the one time I think I overdid things. I haven't had that problem anymore, I usually take a bite read or watch something for a couple of minutes then take another bite. The longer I stretch out the time, the more I can eat. How does it feel to you?

[Foxbins 625]

I try not to feel restriction; that is, I measure my food and undereat so that I am not filled to capacity. That said, twice I have eyeballed a portion in public and eaten it only to find out it was too much. Restriction for me has felt like I had food in the back of my throat on one occasion and on the other I was distinctly uncomfortable--there was a tightness in my chest and it hurt. I had the sense that if I tried to push through the feeling (although why I would, since I paid a lot of $ for the surgery) I would really, really hurt and probably vomit. I hate to vomit. I don't think you can eat through restriction, though you can wash the food down with liquids and fit more in.

[Tiffykins 673]

This is something that I had to train myself not to ever get to that point. It is highly encouraged to stop eating before you even feel full. I understand that is beyond difficult or most of us wouldn't be here. But, let's be honest, this is not just about restriction, or low calories/carbs, it's about behavior modifications, and changing habits.

Early out, your nerves are severed, cut off, staples, damaged and need time to heal. I didn't get a full signal for months post-vsg, and the first time I did, it was a lone hiccup, we were out to eat, and bam, that one last bite I took came up. BUT, I felt NOTHING in my stomach, it was seriously just a single hiccup and I had no idea why it happened, but apparently that is my full signal and to this very day, if I take a single bite after that hiccup, that bite is coming up.

I measured my food by volume and never felt anything in my stomach. I had to lose that memory of what full felt like because I was one of those that loved to get that "Thanksgiving Day" full feeling with every meal. I had to change that behavior.

I have overeaten a few times considering I'm almost 2 years out, we're human, right? So, it happens, and I can tell you that 1 of 2 things happen for me. I either puke up the overage, or I'm disgustingly uncomfortable for about 2 hours. It typically occurs when I am distracted such as at social functions, or at potluck things when I kind of nibble, socialize, nibble a bit more, socialize, so on and so on, THEN BAM, it hits me, "Oh crap, there is no more room in there". For me, there is no pushing through the pain, or avoiding that one last bite coming up. It's gonna happen, and I'm going to suffer through it. I can honestly count on 1 hand how many times I've eaten to being "full". I find satiety in my portions especially now in maintenance. There are lots of ways to cheat the sleeve so I'm not relying on restriction to keep me from gaining weight. If I relied on restriction, I'd be screwed. For me, I had to break 20 years worth of bad habits with food, and my thought process on eating.

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

Someone here put it into words once so perfectly, and for the life of me I can't remember who it was. I'd def give them the credit if I remembered who it was. Anyway thy said it's like the Movie Alien - the Alien baby in your chest. That's EXACTLY what you could imagine it feels like. If you haven't seen the movie, do yourself a favor and rent it.

Can you still push through it? If I could I would, and believe me - my answer is NOOOO!!!!

[samantha209 19]

wow....I haven't felt that...i guess that's good. I basically feel like my tummy is a lil full....i have been measuring...haven't eyeballed food yet...going to a baby shower Saturday and I am extremely nervous...it'll also be my first day of solids

[emilygrace 5]

If I eat too much, I start hiccuping and feel ick. There's no way I could keep eating. Early postop, I would just get slimy and throw up if I ate too much. Now, pain in the tummy and I worry my stomach will burst - there's no way I could keep eating as I feel it coming back up my throat.

[MelissaAnd 3]

I usually get that feeling of tightness right in my chest, then I hiccup. I know I am full. If I take one more bite because I am not paying attention, then I feel miserable for about 30 mins. I usually have to get up and walk around or something. I never measure anymore and I just eyeball what I can eat. I have been using small plates since I had surgery and I know what I can eat by that.

It definetly is not a pleasurable feeling when you take that one bite too many, but it is a nice reminder of the restrictiveness of our new tummys.

[swizzly 901]

I was just talking to my sleeve friend here about this at the weekend. I at first had a hard time to tell when I was full, so I just ate small amounts -- when it felt like I needed to burp but couldn't, that was my signal to stop. I have found over time that I will get the single hiccup thing as well, if I eat just a bit too much. Now -- what, 10 weeks out? -- I am getting my familiar 'full' signal back. I can feel when I've had enough and I stop. It's not stuffed or overfull, just "full." It's like the old signal my brain remembers, I find it both comforting and a bit disturbing (full signals are an old trigger for me, which I thought was long gone, but that's another story). I got a little too full when I ate 80g (maybe 2-3 oz?) of very thin ham last night for dinner, as I was trying to up my Protein for the day and was a bit too rushed. Urgh. Just uncomfortable for a bit, then fine after that.

ETA: I personally disagree with Foxbins about washing things down with Water -- my own experience has been that adding any liquids in while eating can make me very uncomfortable, very fast.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

The first time I ate too much, I felt like I was going to explode for about 2 hours. It was so painful that I quickly learned it was a feeling to be avoided at all cost. I learned to stop before I am full, because in 20 minutes, my stomach would be even more full .

[JamieLynn77 1]

for me its a tightness in my tummy and i feel...bloated maybe. and then like the others i hiccup. i will hiccup before i feel full and that is my new alarm. Oh, i hiccuped, time to stop. and thats just how i know. i would love to measure but sometimes with my job i am on the run. so i love my hiccups now. i have been confused by the gurgling my tummy does. which i used to associate with being hungry, but anymore that isnt the case. sometimes i will grumble and i am not even close to hungry, i would eat and then be miserable. so i am learning to ignore that que and just try to eat a little every few hours.

[Rev Me Up! 75]

There are a lot of good examples of what it feels like. I do measure my portions so I don't feel the full feeling because it is really uncomfortable. You absolutely can not push through it. That feeling stays for at least 20 minutes until the food passes. I am most likely to feel full when I go out to eat because i am not measuring reliably. I can have about 4 bites of whatever I am eating and then I feel a bubbly pressure. If I eat more, the pain would be horrible and the food would come back up. It is a very good type of biofeedback :-) Most people feel it once and vow to never push it again.

SOmetimes, I just stop eating naturally. It isn't a painful feeling, I just feel completely turned off by whatever I am eatign and I will stop - even if I haven't eaten a full measured portion. You wil learn to listen to your body in a whole new way.

Lara

[ezlsm 1]

Hi! One of the reasons I think I'll do well with the sleeve is the element of restriction. When I don't feel good, I don't eat. That said, I'm wondering if any one can describe that feeling. Is it uncomfortable? Hurt? Tight? Just feel overfull? Feel like you're going to vomit?

And just HOW powerful is the feeling? Could you theoretically "push" through the pain or is it really bad?

Thank you for any insight you can provide!

Ann

ALL OF THE ABOVE! and VERY POWERFUL FEELING! The sleeve definitely does what they say it will do...restrict your intake!

[MegInNOLA 531]

For me, it happens mostly if I forget to take my time--it's not overeating, it's eating too fast that will bring on that feeling. It feels like food is stuck between my mouth and my stomach, and there is an accompanying feeling of intense pressure and pain right at the breastbone that does not go away until I go throw up (which has only happened twice because of this, but that was enough!!). There's not any nausea, but somehow, when I go to throw up, my body knows exactly what to do--and I'm not one who enjoys that process at all, believe me, and I have tried all my life to avoid it!! Afterwards, the pain is gone, and after a little rest, if I feel hungry, I'll eat something "safe" and really take my time with it, and it's fine.

The other times I've felt icky post surgery have been when I tried foods that my body was obviously not ready to tolerate, even though they were on my list of "okay" foods. That happens. You might try something (for me, something as simple as 1/2 a hard-boiled egg!) that for whatever reason, your body doesn't want, and the same symptoms appear to me--the same feeling of pain and "I have to get this out of there." And, again, after emphatically removing the food, my body feels just fine and things return to normal very quickly (physically--emotionally, it's kind of demoralizing).

So, I agree with the others about undereating, but also eat SLOWLY. And just me personally, there's no way I could put Water in on top of the food, but I'm only 3 weeks out and am on mushies. It may change as we go--my husband was sleeved a year ago, and he eats and drinks together with no problem.

Cheers!

Meg

[imawhodat 3]

Megin NOLA,

I'm still pre-op and I'm guess from your handle you are in New Orleans? My doc is Dr Redmann in Covington but I'm having surgery in Slidell. If you know anything about this group can you message me?

I'm sorry to hijack the thread but I'm new to the forum and am still learning how to use it Thanks

For me, it happens mostly if I forget to take my time--it's not overeating, it's eating too fast that will bring on that feeling. It feels like food is stuck between my mouth and my stomach, and there is an accompanying feeling of intense pressure and pain right at the breastbone that does not go away until I go throw up (which has only happened twice because of this, but that was enough!!). There's not any nausea, but somehow, when I go to throw up, my body knows exactly what to do--and I'm not one who enjoys that process at all, believe me, and I have tried all my life to avoid it!! Afterwards, the pain is gone, and after a little rest, if I feel hungry, I'll eat something "safe" and really take my time with it, and it's fine.

The other times I've felt icky post surgery have been when I tried foods that my body was obviously not ready to tolerate, even though they were on my list of "okay" foods. That happens. You might try something (for me, something as simple as 1/2 a hard-boiled egg!) that for whatever reason, your body doesn't want, and the same symptoms appear to me--the same feeling of pain and "I have to get this out of there." And, again, after emphatically removing the food, my body feels just fine and things return to normal very quickly (physically--emotionally, it's kind of demoralizing).

So, I agree with the others about undereating, but also eat SLOWLY. And just me personally, there's no way I could put Water in on top of the food, but I'm only 3 weeks out and am on mushies. It may change as we go--my husband was sleeved a year ago, and he eats and drinks together with no problem.

Cheers!

Meg