Long timers, big losers , at restriction question

When you are "at restriction", can you still eat more than you might expect (but you don't)?  Meaning, when you are in the green zone, does that mean that you eat 5-8 bites of food and just feel done, can't eat lots of things (bread, white meat chicken, etc.)?  OR does restriction to you mean that you eat your portion controlled amount, feel like it's enough, and can go about your business without really thinking or worrying about food (in an average situation****il you feel hungry again 3-5 hours later?

I think restriction might mean different things to different people.  Since I'm a newbie, I'm trying to wrap my brain around where I am in the mix.  I have definitely been stuck, but I've been stuck at all points of my journey when I eat too much or too quickly.  I *can* still eat too much, but it's far easier now than it has ever been before to *not* do that.  And then other days, I eat half of my 1/2 cup of protein and start to feel that ENOUGH pain feeling.  It's so random, some days. 

this might help
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/4270806/A-great-ar ticle-re-restriction-and-how-the-band-works/

This is where I am in the green zone:

OR does restriction to you mean that you eat your portion controlled amount, feel like it's enough, and can go about your business without really thinking or worrying about food (in an average situation****il you feel hungry again 3-5 hours later?

Jodi,

That article is WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!  Thanks so much for reposting it!

your welcome, a few people have it. It gets posted every now in then. It helped me a lot.

That was well worth reading. A friend of mine and I have been discussing this very thing, and I certainly had a different understanding of "restriction" from this article. But it does leave me confused.

I have not felt what I thought I would feel as restriction until this last week. (My surgery was in late October and I have had fills every month since.) I got a fill a couple of weeks ago and was feeling nothing until last week when I had what I guess was a PB -- not vomiting, but just a little came up. For those few minutes before it came up, I could barely talk and was feeling a SEVERE acid-reflux kind of feeling in my chest. Since then for several days I felt OK but occasionally was experiencing a SLIGHT acid-reflex feeling. Then, about two days ago, I began feeling like what I thought "restriction" should feel like. That is, I could eat a bit, but it didn't take very much to start feeling uncomfortable. No where near what I was feeling when I had the PB.

So if I'm reading the article right, that "feeling" is not restriction. But if it's not, what is it?

Restriction to me is eating a controlled amount usually 1/2 to 1 cup of food depending on what I am eating.  I usually eat every 2-4 hours  I don't eat on a time schedule.  I eat when I am hungry,  I just try to eat small portions  I am not limited on what I can eat bread, chicken, etc. (If I limit  what kinds of food I eat I tend  to have cravings) so I eat what I want. . The only time I had stuck or Pb episodes was when my band was to tight. To me restriction is not about restricting the amount I can eat.  Its up to me to do that , its about making it easier to make good choices and stay full longer.

that web site was wonderful..Thank you for sharing!!

I'm a little over two years out and have lost 157 pounds.  I still can only eat a small amount of food or I get sick.  I can't eat anything like chicken or steak.  I can eat some breads but only in small amounts.  Much more luck with them if they're crispy or toasted.  It is worse some days than others, but it's never to the point where I could eat TOO much. 

Wonderful responses - thank you all so much for your help!!  In light of the article, I have wonderful restriction and probably have for a while.  Even with a hefty (a lot!) amount of fill in my band, though, I can still eat all kinds of foods.  I think I might just be someone who will never have that kind of restriction that limits what and how much I eat, but that isn't something I should rely upon or expect either.