What does restriction feel like?

[MR1227 3]

I'm going to be getting my first fill in a couple of weeks and don't really understand what restriction will feel like. Also, if I start to feel restriction how will I know when to stop eating?

Feeling no restriction a little over 2 weeks post op so want to prepare for what's to come. Any explanations are appreciated. Thanks!

[CherieRyde 227]

It's ... hard to explain. It's just a sensation of being "done" with food. There should never be pain though. If you have pain, then you've tried to eat something that your body is NOT pleased with. Sadly, this happened to me yesterday with a ripe banana. Go figure.

[Rizzle01 54]

You should get full easier.

[Soonergal91 20]

JUST SOME THINGS I WAS WONDERING ABOUT TODAY:

I'm a new bander, only a week post op. So how will I know if I have eaten something that doesn't agree with me? Does it hurt? Does it come right back up? Does it just get stuck? And... If it does get stuck how do you get unstuck? Does that mean a trip to the ER?

[TheProfessor 378]

Hi MR1227!

"Restriction" is a 4-letter word to a lot of bariatric surgical teams, including mine in Toronto. I've followed all the rules but I have to say, I love the sensation of restriction. When I first heard the word I was confused to what it meant. I was nervous that it was the same as 'constriction'. Tightness. Yikes. I was nervous that when you are banded you feel some kind of blockage.

These were all questions I had until a couple of months after being banded. Then I was like, "Oooohhh... now I get it!"

First - its SATIETY you're after - the length of time you go between meals with the absence of hunger - not 'restriction'. Pair those two together though, and for me, it's a marriage made in heaven.

Now that I'm in the Green Zone, I finally understand what restriction feels like. Have to say, 4-letter word or not, I love it. Restriction is just like CherieRyde and Rizzle01 say - you feel 'done' with food. You have a nice few, slooooow bites of chicken, some green Beans, a bite of salad, and a thumbnail sized chunk of cheese and WHAM. You feel like you have no more interest in food. And that's your hunger done for hours.

Where once I could have eaten a rack of ribs and half a cup of coleslaw, now, with restriction, I can eat 2 ribs, a tiny salad and I'm done.

Restriction is the same kind of feeling when you push your plate away after eating thirds at Thanksgiving dinner, but without the fullness and discomfort. You are NOT full - you are happily sated. You feel you need not a single bite more.

You are only 2 weeks post-op, so you are still healing. You will likely begin feeling your hunger coming back a little, but as you add mushy foods, soft foods, then solid foods back into your diet, you'll likely find yourself eating a lesser quantity of food. All that is normal.

Eventually you will begin getting band adjustments (some call them "fills") that will increase the pressure of your band. This will likely increase your sense of how much you can eat. (Restriction).

It should be stressed that you can cheat the band. You may get a signal from your body that you simply no longer need anymore food (this is the band working!) but you can easily ignore that signal and continue eating.

The signal you are looking for is called a 'SOFT STOP'. It could be a sigh, pushing your plate away, puffing your cheeks out, a little burp... everyone is different. As soon as you get that signal, put your fork down and STOP EATING!

Be patient - you will get there!

[Miss Meg 199]

@@Soonergal91 - a stuck episode shouldn't mean a trip to the ER but it will mean a trip to the bathroom to 'expel' the blockage. This usually happens when I haven't chewed my food as I should (usually when I have gone too long without food and am way too hungry) This isn't something that we should get used to, as we need to work with the band and not allow those things to happen. Fact is, they happen to everyone eventually and will continue to happen until we get it right in our minds how to eat correctly.

[Soonergal91 20]

Thank you Miss Meg! Are there any foods that I should never try? Like nuts? And I know nothing fibrous right?

[mrsjec 10]

I have had one episode of getting stuck....called the Dr in a panic thought I was having a heart attack! It HURT. Left over steak is a no no for me.

[2babutterfly 483]

Thank you Miss Meg! Are there any foods that I should never try? Like nuts? And I know nothing fibrous right?

everyone is very different in what they can eat. It will be trial and error for you when you get to a good fill in your band. Also, some people keep their bands a little tighter than others... some a little looser and rely on more self control.