Expectations vs. reality

[Wheetsin 714]

What did you expect or assume you would see with the band, that actually isn't the case? This will be an interesting way to see how different our indiviudal "band realities" are.

I expected that my restriction would be random in terms of the food it would pass at any point in time, but continuous throughout the day. In other words, I assumed I would be as restricted in the evening as I would be in the morning, but that sometimes I could eat chicken Mon but not Tue.

That's soo not the case for me. My "sweet spot" seems to include extreme restriction in the morning & afternoon, and almost none in the evening. I used to try and combat this with fills - I need more because I'm too open at night, I need less because I'm too tight in the morning. Now I accept that my restriction has its own patters, and that by being careful in the early part of the day, and careful (in a different way) in the evening, I can accept some version of a sweet spot being different than what I had expected.

I assumed I would have a soft stop. All the other stories I read about had them, so why wouldn't I?

I don't have a soft stop. The closest I have is pressure in my chest. food eotiehr goes right down, or I get pressure. If I stop at the first sign of pressure and wait for it to clear before taking another bite, I'm fine. If I keep eating after the first sign of pressure, I'm probably going to have a problem. The pressure feeling took me a while to notice - it's not very prominent. About 10 months in the concept of really listening to my body struck home, and I picked up on this tiny whisper. Life has gotten a lot easier since.

I actually expected having something stuck to feel like a "golf ball," and that when the food needed to come up it would just come up, unexpectedly.

I don't know what "golf ball" all you guys out there are referring to, because when something is stuck with me, it feels a lot closer to needing to burp but not being able to (in fact, that's exactly it - a burp tries to move but can't, tho occasionally a tiny one can squeeze through), coupled with a hand squeezing my esophagus. And that's before the straight-up pain kicks in. In my world there is no such thing as, "Oopsie, look, a PB!" My PBs HURT. From the time that I know I have to PB, until I'm done, we're looking at 20 - 45 mins (that's if I can clear the stoma on the first 1 - 2 tries... the last time I was stuck it was 8+ tries). I have a high pain tolerance, but in the last few minutes before I can actually get anything up, I'm nearly doubled over. I attribute it to esophageal spasms, which would make sense since I can have the same pain if I wretch but cannot produce.

So what sort of incorrect assumptions did you have? What's different for you than the 98% of people you read about?

[skyeblu79 0]

I don't have a soft stop signal either. I also get the pressure in my chest, but never the golf ball feeling. If I wait for the food to go down, I can normally eat fine after that first feeling of being stuck.

An incorrect assumption for me would be that I couldn't drink normally. I don't sip like I hear other people saying. I don't gulp either. I can tell the difference if I take a longer swallow of Water, but I don't have to take small sips all day.

Another incorrect assumption for me was that I would have to wait minutes between bites, like I hear some people say. I was never a fast eater, but I eat a lot slower now and take smaller bites. I have heard people say they take bites the size of a pencil eraser. I can type larger bites than that. Not huge or quite normal, but not tiny either.

Another assumption for me was that PBs would hurt. I don't really have any pain. The worse for me is that I am trying to run to the bathroom or somewhere to get rid of it, but no pain @ all.

[Jachut 487]

I dont really have a soft stop either.

I thought the initial lack of appetite and lack of interest in food would stay with me. Unfortunately it hasnt, and although it takes much less food to satisfy me, I still want to eat 1000 times a day like I always did.

[babygrl1234 6]

I thought the initial lack of appetite and lack of interest in food would stay with me. Unfortunately it hasnt, and although it takes much less food to satisfy me, I still want to eat 1000 times a day like I always did.

Ditto for me.

[Iluvharleys 15]

I don't have a soft spot either. For me it is when I hit a certain point I know I better not put another bite in my mouth.

I thought my band would be the same all the time too, but I can eat anything one day, and not be able to the next day. I am sometimes tight in the morning and loose at night, and sometimes loose in the morning and tight at night.

I thought there would be lots of things I couldn't eat, but I can eat anything, just smaller amounts.

[wombat712 2]

I thought I would have to take tiny tiny bites. And, I don't. I can take normal size bites with no problems. I am a good chewer though.

I thought I wouldn't want food or be interested in it. I think of food just as much. I think about what is going to be the next meal or how many calories I've eaten, etc.

I thought this would be harder. :eek: I love my band!!!

[anonemouse 1]

Like others have said, I thought I would have to take tiny bites and sips. I don't. I can take normal-sized bites and drink normally very easily.

I thought that there would be a lot of foods that I wouldn't be able to eat. In reality, the only food that gives me trouble is very soft bread. And even there, I can get small amounts down if I go slowly. I can eat Pasta, meat, and any vegetable just fine.

With the soft stop, I thought it would be very easy to tell what it was, that it was going to be a hiccup or burp or whatever. Instead, it took me nearly 4 months to figure out what mine is, and it's a lot of sinus drainage. If I eat beyond that, I don't PB or anything, I'm just uncomfortably full.

I thought I was guaranteed to PB or slime. I haven't done either yet, and I've only gotten stuck once (and it went down after a few minutes).

[socaldixiegal 0]

I'm pretty new, but I hear all these people talk about how hungry they are and how they can eat lots of food after liquid phases, but prior to first fill. That "lap band hell" stage.

I'm on regular food now, but get full REALLY quickly.

[Cindi 0]

I was under the impression, for most of my journey, that a tighter band = greater weight loss/more control.

It doesn't. It actually has slowed me down, and I fight that nagging fear that if I back off the fill level, my weight loss will stall and I'll spiral out of control.

I've heard soooo many times to follow the band "rules". For the longest time, I would not eat Protein first, necessarily.

Changed it up, eating Protein definately first and foremost. And I fill up quicker. I look back now and think of all the calories I stuffed in prior to protein, which did not fill me up, and caused me to overeat.

Mexican food is full of fresh, healthy ingredients!

Reality? Sure it is, with high fat content and high calories to go with the tomatoes and lettuce. Check out how many calories in one of those Taco Bueno Taco Salads.

Being too restricted can, sometimes unknowingly, cause you to devour soft calories in great amounts.

The "rules" sound so simplistic, but are so for a reason. Easy to follow, and 90% of the time, they work.

I've realized I can be stubborn. I don't need to reinvent the wheel. All the info given to me has been consistant. It is when I AM CONSISTANT, that it works!

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I thought that I would eventually find my sweet spot. I have found that I am either too tight or too lose. When I was too tight, Water would come up in the middle of the night while I was sound asleep and I felt like I was drowning. I went in for a slight unfill, and now I can eat anything I want. ANYTHING. I have to choose not to eat the wrong foods, not because they won't work.

Here it is almost a year later, and I can't decide if another fill would be an advantage or not.

[Coo 1]

Just wanted to thank you for this thread :eek:

I am waiting for my first fiill still, and finding that my old habits are creeping back, and I have to really fight for Portion Control.< /p>

[OH Juli 15]

I assumed that restriction would be the key, finding that sweet spot and the pounds would melt right off.

I have okay restriction and it works when I eat meat first stay away from soft foods, but the same mechanism in my head that lead me to be 300+ pounds allows me to eat more soft foods than I should.

The congnative and behavorial parts that I contribute to this weight loss process are larger than I assumed they would be when I started.

I thought getting the band would be like "set it and forget it!" It so is not like that!

[areellady 1]

I agree Juli, I thought it would be like that too. The head work is harder than ever and if I could just forget about food everything would be fine, but it is just like before, I think about it all the time...sucks...

[GREATFUL 24]

I just have to say "Thank You" for this thread. I am just past my 6 month mark. I have been feeling like a real looser, and not in a good way. My head hunger is out of control. I have fairly good restriction and could be doing alot better if I could get my head screwed back on straight. I realise that it is time to face my demons. The wonderful "Food Demons" that have been stalking me all of my life. Ice Cream is one of them, junk food is its twin. I thought it would be like you said "set it and forget it", no such luck. I think about food alot, have great restriction in the AM and very loose in the PM. So, I still have to face the things that made me fat and deal with them. Like they told me.............the band is just a tool, not a magic wand.

[tonya66 13]

I assumed that I would have to take small bites and eat with baby fork & spoon as indicated by so many:

This is not the case for me, I can eat regular bites of food.

I assumed that I COULD NOT eat very much - This is not the case for me, I can eat, even when I'm full. I just choose not to.

I assumed I would feel the golf ball too - Nope, don't feel it.

I assumed I would have to chew chew and chew, this is not the case, I eat regular and swallow just like before the band,

I assumed there would be certain foods I could not eat - Not the case, I can eat anything.

I assumed it would be easier than it is - its not, It's a low easier with the band than without, however, I still have to work at it. But when I follow the rules, I am successful

I assumed I would lose weight every week - not the case, I go 3 or 4 weeks without losing, the I drop 3 to 5 lbs overnight. I'm okay with that.

I assumed my body would look perfect when losing the weight - Okay, what the hell was I thinking assuming this? The wrinkles sure come out with weightloss. I'm also okay with this to some degree, my DH is okay with it, and I look good with clothes on, so I'm not complaining. Plastic surgery could come in the future, but haven't completly decided on it yet.

I assumed I would get a soft spot too - nope. I just feel full and then I stop. Sometimes I continue to eat, and then I get a pain on my side & shoulder. But it passes after about an hour.

All in all, the band just makes me full quicker, so I'm very happy with it. I have no problems with eating, I have had 1 pb, I have slimed a few times, but so rare for me. I am at my sweet spot I guess, because I eat my bandster portion and can go 4 or more hourse without feeling hunger, I am losing weight, just slower.