Lap band to bypass

[lbugher 41]

So my primary issue with my lap band was that my pouch would never stay full for long. One burp or drink of Water would empty the pouch and I would be hungry again. My stomach is like an hourglass with a small pouch on top, the band restricting, and then the rest of my stomach below. You eat and the food rests in the top pouch and, ideally, filters through like sand in an hourglass over a long period of time. Water dilutes the food and boom, it all slides through within 15 minutes of drinking anything. Or a burp creates a good slide where it all spills down from the air bubble making room. Hunger returns and I eat.

Worse, the foods that are healthiest get stuck (like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins). I avoid them now. Strawberries were once one of my favorite foods and now I can't really eat them, even with my band empty. Also, my band is tight in the morning so Breakfast (the most important meal of the day) is difficult to eat. My band is magically nice and loose at night so I can eat as much as I want. It sucks.

Anyway, my point is, I'm wondering if this sort of crap happens with bypass. Can you clear your pouch out that easily and push everything into your intestines by drinking water? If I can eat a few bites of food, drink some water, and empty the pouch, this is not going to work for me. I need something that's going to slow me down. I keep asking folks to explain what eating feels like after bypass but I can't seem to get a straight answer 😕 Thank you!!

[The Greater Fool 2,055]

Headline answer is eating rules work about the same for band as for RNY: Small bites, chew thoroughly, then chew some more. No drinking during meals.

We are not supposed to drink with meals for the very reason that it washes it through a bit too quickly. Unlike the Band, there is no full stomach below our pouch, so when you drink you are washing it into your intestines. You won't be able to get as much food through with the band and it probably won't change your sense of hunger. Do it enough and you defeat the restriction aspect of surgery. So, don't get back into the habit of drinking during meals.

Burping won't change things much. In fact, with no stomach below the restrictive pouch, burping probably won't be an issue as long as you don't swallow air when you eat.

Like the band, you need to learn to chew thoroughly then chew some more. Fruits with skins or membranes (oranges, grapefruit) I find difficult to chew well enough that they definitely won't get stuck, so I tend to eat fruits I have more success with (grapes, peaches, banana). I don't care for strawberries, but the few times I ate one were no issue. Chewing well is the key to a happy life.

Obviously, you know the band doesn't change, it's just our own "stuff" going on that lets us eat well at some times and less so at other times. So, your good and bad times will likely remain in some fashion with the RNY. For me, morning eating seems to be more restrictive also.

As time passes I developed a sense memory such that I imagine what I want to eat and my pouch will communicate that it is good or not. I've learned not to argue with it.

Good luck

Tek

[BayougirlMrsS 3,935]

2 hours ago, lbugher said:

So my primary issue with my lap band was that my pouch would never stay full for long. One burp or drink of Water would empty the pouch and I would be hungry again. My stomach is like an hourglass with a small pouch on top, the band restricting, and then the rest of my stomach below. You eat and the food rests in the top pouch and, ideally, filters through like sand in an hourglass over a long period of time. Water dilutes the food and boom, it all slides through within 15 minutes of drinking anything. Or a burp creates a good slide where it all spills down from the air bubble making room. Hunger returns and I eat.

Worse, the foods that are healthiest get stuck (like fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins). I avoid them now. Strawberries were once one of my favorite foods and now I can't really eat them, even with my band empty. Also, my band is tight in the morning so Breakfast (the most important meal of the day) is difficult to eat. My band is magically nice and loose at night so I can eat as much as I want. It sucks.

Anyway, my point is, I'm wondering if this sort of crap happens with bypass. Can you clear your pouch out that easily and push everything into your intestines by drinking water? If I can eat a few bites of food, drink some water, and empty the pouch, this is not going to work for me. I need something that's going to slow me down. I keep asking folks to explain what eating feels like after bypass but I can't seem to get a straight answer 😕 Thank you!!

simplest answer... Yes pretty much is what i hear. I had the band for years and you are correct. Drinking makes it move. I did my best to not drink right after and wait at 30 min.

I can say that with the sleeve it's pretty much the same. Now i can only eat about 3-4 bites and then im full. As soon as i drink, hungry again. I can eat almost anything now, whereas the band i had a lot of "no go" food.

i lost and maintain a 89lb loss with the band till it slipped. 232lbs down to 143lbs. Sleeved 8/28/19 at 173lbs and today i'm at 120lbs...... 5'2" and 52 y/o

[lbugher 41]

I would always wait at least a half hour to drink Water when I was done eating but it still washed the food through. I drink a TON of water, and I thought you were supposed to drink a lot of water with WLS, too. If it washes the food through, how on earth do you stay full? Do you just deal with being hungry all the time?