newbie

Hi, I had my surgery march 2010.  I have been losing very slowly.  Is that normal.  When I go for a fill I tell them I never feel full.  I do get the pain in my throat a lot and end up throwing up.  Which of course makes me afraid that I'll do something to the band.  Any advice at this point would be helpful.  Can anyone else relate to anything I have said?

Yes, losing weight very slowly is normal, but it's possible to lose faster if you make good food choices, monitor your portions, exercise, etc.

If you get pain in your throat and throw up a lot, your band eating skills need work. And maybe you need to think about what "full" should be. I used to think that "full" was the overstuffed Thanksgiving Dinner feeling. If you're looking for that feeling, you're going to go on puking, and that can harm you - it will displace your band - and you'll never learn to eat like a "normal" person.

To learn what "full" means now, pay very close attention as you eat. Look for the soft stops: a hiccup, sigh, runny nose, fullness at the back of the throat. Pain in your throat and puking are hard stops. Weigh or measure your planned food, put it on your plate, and eat it. If you get a soft or hard stop, STOP EATING. I know you may want to go on eating because the food tastes good or you deserve it or whatever, but STOP EATING. Tell yourself you can eat the rest of it later, put it away, leave the dining room and get involved in something else. 

The band eating skills are:

1.     Don't drink while you eat or for 30 to 60 minutes afterwards.

2.     Take tiny bites.

3.     Chew, chew chew.

4.     Eat slowly.

5.     Eat the protein first.

6.     Learn your stop signals.

7.     Pay attention to problem foods.

8.     Eat only when you're hungry.

9.     Avoid liquid calories and slider foods.

10.  Use a small plate.

11.  Plan your food in advance.

12.  Don'****ch TV or read while you eat.

13.  Don't put serving dishes on the dining table.

14.  Eat sitting down at the dining table.

15.  Follow the HALT rule (don't eat when you're too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired).

If you do all these things and you still feel hungry after eating your small portion, you might need a fill. But until you test your band eating skills, you'll never know if the slow weight loss is your band's fault or your fault.

And if it's your fault, so what? You and your surgeon have to know that you needed WLS because you have an eating problem. That's no surprise. But it's time to make some changes to your behavior so your band can start doing its job.

Jean

 Thanks Jean.
Your response came at a good time for me.
Wendy

That Jean! I get all ready to post and she has already said it for me!

I am with Jean. If you never feel full but are still regularly throwing up, it is very probably your manner of eating. If you use all the skills Jean describes and still get pain and throw up, you need to get this checked out with your doc as you may have something wrong.

Kate

What kind of pain in your throat. Can you describe it .

Thanks everyone for replying!  I think your right about my eating habits.  I will try sitting with just my dinner. No tv or magazine.  I will follow the steps you have lined out for me.

The pain I get in my throat is like I have food stuck there and it's blocking my air way.

My sister was banded in Oct 2010 and has lost slowly (less than 15 lbs so far) and throws up a lot. I think she was stuffing herself and not chewing enough (as witnessed on Thanksgiving Day)

I was banded on Dec 7, 2010 and her experience scared me into chewing my food to a PULP, rolling it around inside my mouth a while, sloshing saliva around, chewing on the front teeth, and then finally swallowing.


That stuffed feeling scares me too. I avoid it as much as possible.

Since doing all that, I've never thrown up or even slimed my food.

I am due for a fill and am holding at about 12 lbs lost in 6 weeks. I'd rather go slowly than risk displacing my band or causing erosion in the esphogus or any other related physical issue.

Good luck and hang in there!!!
 

Thank you for your reply.  And I will take the advice to chew much slower. 

I had the band on July 22nd 2010. I have lost 35lbs. For some reason i cannot eat at the table, it doesnt matter how slow i eat or how well i chew up the food, i always get food stuck, or throw up if i do.Its very irritating, I cant eat a family dinner or go out to eat. But if I sit in a more relaxed position, like the couch or even stand up im fine. Does this happen to anyone else?