Small Bites... a question for the experienced bandster

[stella 0]

Great Question Poodles and just what i've been wondering about since my first fill last week. I have had the hardest time trying to keep down more than 2 bites of anything. No 3 meals a day for me, I can barely get split pea Soup down. The problem I notice since the fill (before the fill I could eat like before) is, if I make a bowl of soup, lean cuisine, etc, I want to eat it. It is impossible now. I'm hoping the restiction will go away as I lose weight. Like someone said before even Water can start the PBing.....I dont want to go back for an unfil lso soon but I'm also not sure how long I can look at food I cannot eat and the PB thing is driving me nuts!

[Road Queen 0]

to see how food goes down, take a funnel. put in yogurt. (if you want to see the effects of drinking Water with meals, put in some Water with it)

now put in mushies. they tend to go down slower.

[stella 0]

Road Queen ,

Are you saying we shouldn't be eating mushies? Is there 1 food that everyone agrees on is a quarantee to go down; where you can at least enjoy the portion:)

[princess_n_thep 2]

For the first year after banding, I used a small baby fork (or those tiny lobster forks) and baby spoon (yes, the plastic coated one) for ALL meals. COMPLETELY WORKED!!! Maybe I looked dumb in a restaraunt getting my utensils out of my purse but I could really give a S*$# what they thought. IT WORKED.

[princess_n_thep 2]

Road Queen ,

Are you saying we shouldn't be eating mushies? Is there 1 food that everyone agrees on is a quarantee to go down; where you can at least enjoy the portion:)

Dr. Miranda (Ortiz nutritionist) does NOT have mushies in their diet. (which I personally think is crap and didn't do it myself) but those are their guidelines.

[pier13 1]

I have not been banded but, I was wondering what is pbing???

[Mrs. P 0]

I was told by the nurse at my surgeon's office that your bites should be the size of half of the first joint of your pinky finger. Being a new bandster I'm sure my mouth dropped open when she said that. :omg: This is definately a whole new learning process for me.

[Jachut 487]

I think I probably take rather large bites for a bandster - I eat way slower and take smaller bites than I used to but I enjoy the sensation of food in my mouth, it kind of takes all the pleasure out of it to nibble. My first few bites are nibbles just to make sure I"m not going to sieze up - especially at night when I'm tighter - and then I take bigger ones but I dont actually swallow it all at once. I take a bite, chew well, swallow a bit, chew some more, swallow a bit more kind of thing

Ergh, sounds revolting, lol. But that way I can actually taste what I'm eating.

[PhotoNut 7]

I have not been banded but, I was wondering what is pbing???

This link will provide you with a list of abbreviations used here at LBT. The first one is PB. I think it's rather brief, but it is the basic idea.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7959

Often PB's are accompanied by large amounts of slime in the mouth as the body tries to get the stuck food lubricated for passage. It is painful, much like the feeling of a golfball stuck behind your breastplate. PB's are usually caused by eating food too quickly, not chewing well, eating foods that are known to be problematic for bandsters, or simply by the band being filled too tight.

[pier13 1]

thanks photohut. that was helpful.

[pier13 1]

sorry photonut! Typo.

[supermodel 0]

The small bite thing and chew... chew.... chew!

[supermodel 0]

I seriously don't know if I need another fill. I have an appointment next week. Yesterday I was able to eat alot and did not get full, yet today everything I ate seemed to get stuck. I haven't had a "full" feeling in a whille which of course makes me want to eat more. I have not had a PB

but some things do tend to get stuck. Any advice??

[PhotoNut 7]

This past week seems so focused on the $10million question.. do I need a fill?? I've posted the link to this list in other threads, but thought I'd just go ahead and put the whole thing here for those of us who need reminding. I hope that all of us who are questioning the need for more (or less) restriction will take a few minutes and go thru this list of questions, answering each honestly, and then make an educated decision rather than just walking in to the Dr.'s office and letting them decide for us based on only a tiny bit of the entire picture.

Here ya go:

Adjustments

How to Tell When You Are Perfectly Adjusted

You are losing 1-2 pounds per week.

If you are not losing 1-2 pounds per week:

A. You may need an eating adjustment

1. Are you eating 60 grams of Protein a day

2. Are you eating 25 grams of Fiber

3. Are you avoiding all liquid calories

a. Soup can be sign of “soft calorie syndrome”

b. Alcohol contains a lot of calories – 7 calories per gram

(1) It’s also a stomach irritant

c. fruit juice is just sugar Water

4. Are you making healthy food choices from a wide variety of

foods?

a. Are you avoiding soft foods

b. You can’t just eat what’s easy

c. cheese is glorified fat

5. Are you drinking 6-8 glasses of Water a day between meals

6. Are you eating too much junk

a. chips, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, Cookies and other highly

processed junk foods are too calorically dense to be regular parts of a

healthy diet. But don’t avoid them completely to the point where you

feel deprived.

b. Stay out of fast food places

7. Are you getting in two servings of Calcium daily

8. Do you always eat the Protein first

9. Then the vegetables or fruits

a. Five servings a day

b. Potatoes are NOT a vegetable

10. Is your portion size appropriate?

a. meat or fish

(1) 3 ounces – the size of a deck of cards

b. Vegetables

(1) ½ cup – the size of your fist

c. Starch

(1) If you eat the protein and the vegetables first you don’t need

much

(2) Avoid: rice, potatoes, Pasta

11. You might try avoiding artificial sweeteners

a. Some people think that artificial sweeteners stimulate the

appetite

b. They are HUNDREDS of times sweeter than sugar

c. They teach you to like things too sweet

d. There is no evidence that people who use them are any thinner

than people who don’t

12. Avoid most diet foods

a. Real food usually tastes better

b. Real food is more satisfying than low calorie substitutes

c. When you are only eating a tiny bit the caloric savings is not

that great

(1) Use a teaspoon of real butter instead of a tablespoon of diet

margarine

(2) The body has no way to break down artificial fats

a. They may go into permanent storage

b. Some people think liposuction is the only way to remove

hydrolyzed fats from the body

B. You may need a behavior adjustment

1. Are you eating only when you are hungry?

a. If you’re not sure drink 8 ounces of water and wait.

2. Are you eating three meals a day?

a. With maybe 1 or 2 small Snacks

3. Are you sitting down to eat?

4. Are you eating consciously?

a. No distractions, turn off the TV, put the book or newspaper

away, pay attention to your food and your companions

5. Are you eating slowly?

a. Put the fork down between bites

b. Take 20 to 30 minutes to finish a meal

c. Taking longer might cause the pouch to begin emptying

6. Are you taking small bites?

a. Tiny spoon, chopsticks, cocktail fork

7. Are you chewing well?

8. Are you drinking with your meals or too soon after your meals?

a. Practice water loading between meals

b. You won’t be thirsty if you are well hydrated before the meal

9. Are you stopping at the first sign of fullness?

a. Sometimes it’s a whisper: not hungry, had enough

b. Hard stop versus soft stop

10. Do not eat between meals. Stop grazing.

11. Do not eat when you are not hungry

C. You may need an activity adjustment

1. Are you getting in 30 minutes of physical activity at least 3

times a week?

a. Over and above what you would do in the usual course of your day

b. Could you make it 4 or 5 times a week?

c. Could you make it 45 or 60 minutes?

2. Are you taking advantage of opportunities to increase your

physical activity?

a. Taking the stairs instead of the elevators or escalators

b. Walking on the escalators instead of riding

c. Parking your car further away from the entrance

d. Getting out of the car instead of using the drive through

e. Getting off the bus one stop before your destination

f. Washing you car by hand instead of the car wash

g. Playing with your kids

D. You may need an attitude adjustment

1. Are you committed to your weight loss journey?

2. Are you totally honest with yourself about how much you are

eating and exercising?

a. Log your food and activity on ww.fitday.com for 3 days

3. Are you using food inappropriately to deal with emotional

issues?

a. Have you identified what the emotions are that drive your

eating?

b. Can you think of more appropriate ways to deal with those

emotions?

c. Are you willing to seek help from a qualified counselor?

4. Are you attending and participating in support group meetings?

5. Have you drummed up some support from your family and friends?

6. Have you dealt with saboteurs realistically?

7. Do you have realistic expectations about the weight loss

journey?

8. Are you still obsessing about food, weight, dieting, eating?

a. Obsessive – compulsive thoughts

(1) Obsess about something else

b. Perfectionism

(1) All or none, black and white thinking

c. Patience with the pace of healthy weight loss

9. Are you acknowledging your successes with non-food rewards?

10. Have you learned how to take a compliment?

11. Are you giving up diet mentality?

a. Stop weighing yourself several times a day or every day

b. Stop dieting

c. Stop depriving yourself

d. Stop defining food as “good” and “bad”

e. Stop rewarding and punishing yourself with food

12. How do you feel about all the changes taking place?

E. You may need a band adjustment

1. You feel like you are making healthy food choices in appropriate

portion sizes but getting hungry between meals?

2. You can still eat white bread, fibrous vegetables and large

portions.

3. You are having to struggle to lose

4. You are gaining weight in spite of eating right, exercising and

having a good mind set.

F. You may need your band loosened

1. There are times when you can’t get fluids down

2. You are vomiting too much

a. How much is too much?

3. Do you have frequent reflux or heartburn at night?

a. Do not lie flat or bend over soon after eating

b. Do not eat late at night or just before bedtime

c. Rinse your pouch with a glass or water an hour before bedtime

d. Certain foods or drinks are more likely to cause reflux:

(1) Rich, spicy, fatty and fried foods

(2) Chocolate

(3) Caffeine

(4) Alcohol

(5) Some fruits and vegetables

a. Oranges, lemons, tomatoes, peppers

(6) Peppermint

a. Baking soda toothpaste

(7) Carbonated drinks

e. Eat slowly and do not eat big meals

f. If you smoke, quit smoking

g. Reduce stress

h. Exercise promotes digestion

i. Raise the head of your bed

j. Wear loose fitting clothing around your waist

k. Stress increases reflux

l. Take estrogen containing medications in the morning

m. Avoid aspirin, Aleve and ibuprofen at bedtime

(1) Tylenol is OK

n. Take an antacid (Pepcid complete) before retiring

o. Try other over-the-counter heartburn medications

p. See your health care provider

4. See your health care provider immediately (or call 911) if

a. You have a squeezing, tightness or heaviness in your chest,

especially if the discomfort spreads to your shoulder, arm or jaw or is

accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, irregular or fast

heartbeat or nausea. These could be symptoms of a heart attack.

b. If your symptoms are triggered by exercise.

c. If your pain localizes to your right side, especially if you

also have nausea or fever

d. If you throw up vomit that looks like black sand or coffee

grounds. Or if your stool is black, deep red or looks like it has tar

in it. These are symptoms of bleeding and need immediate attention.

(Note: Pepto-Bismol or other medications with bismuth will turn your

stool black. Iron supplements can also make the stool tarry.)

e. If your pain is severe

[Boo 3]

Great post, Photonut.

How does everyone eat with baby utensils and take bites the size of M & M's and explain to friends? I am now terrified to eat out with friends. I am a closet bandster and don't want to appear as if I have developed an eating disorder.

I was so embarrassed to eat at an event that I ate too much, too fast trying to look normal. The thirty minutes in the bathroom were painful enough to make me want to avoid eating in public altogether!.