Anybody have trouble adjusting to amount of food?

emjay · 08-04-2009, 12:57 PM

Just wondering if some of you fellow bandsters had any trouble adjusting to the small amount of food you're able to eat? I got a fill Saturday and feel I'm at a really good restriction. It's just my eyes are bigger than my stomach at this point. I mean, I just came back from lunch and a Lean Cuisine and 2 crackers absolutely stuffed me! Not to mention I had to reheat the entree' twice since it takes me 1/2 hour to eat it.

I'm having to adjust my mindset a bit on the amount of food that satisfies me. Anybody else have this problem?

RestlessMonkey · 08-04-2009, 01:04 PM

Because of my doc's conservative fill schedule, I've been slowly adjusting downward the quantity I can and do eat. I am still pleased and surprised that I get full on less but I wouldn't say it gave me trouble.
I still sometimes think I can eat more than I really can, but frankly I did that when I didn't have the band. It's not like I used to have a perfect ability to gage what would satisfy me and now its gone. The difference is preband if I took too much I'd probably just graze on it and eat it anyway. Now I don't! :)

Mimilou2004 · 08-04-2009, 01:18 PM

Every fill is a new experience in adjusting to a smaller amount of food. Sometimes I do better than others at adjusting, but your new little stomach will let you know it has changed, that's for sure. Best wishes,
Mimi

catcalico · 08-04-2009, 03:53 PM

The longer you do this, the easier it gets. Before my last fill, I could eat anything as long as I had the time to eat it. Half of a sandwich or a bowl of refried beans would take me 45 minutes to an hour to finish. I know if the food tastes good, I am going to eat it even if it takes 3 hours! I started limiting myself to 30 minutes and to throw away the rest of the food so I wouldn't think about how good it was. I really hated throwing away food, so now I just make smaller portions and don't think twice about it. I just got another fill and honestly, now there is no room to over-induldge even if I had the time. I am truly full with the limited portions. It took me a year and a half to get here, but there was a lot of learning in that year and a half!

Albacheeser · 08-04-2009, 11:28 PM

Nice and helpful posts everyone. Thanks. I just had my first fill today and only 2cc in a 14cc unit.

I can understand the gradual nature of the band adjustments. If I carried my portion control problem into full restriction I probably would snap the LAP-BAND® like a broken rubber band.

I have some restriction so far, but not a tremendous amount. Even so, I am losing weight and optimistic because I do feel satiated with less food.

ocotillo · 08-05-2009, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catcalico

The longer you do this, the easier it gets. Before my last fill, I could eat anything as long as I had the time to eat it. Half of a sandwich or a bowl of refried beans would take me 45 minutes to an hour to finish. I know if the food tastes good, I am going to eat it even if it takes 3 hours! I started limiting myself to 30 minutes and to throw away the rest of the food so I wouldn't think about how good it was. I really hated throwing away food, so now I just make smaller portions and don't think twice about it. I just got another fill and honestly, now there is no room to over-induldge even if I had the time. I am truly full with the limited portions. It took me a year and a half to get here, but there was a lot of learning in that year and a half!

Catcalico, what a great idea...I still haven't been able to stretch my meals into 30 minutes (most times) but I'm not restricted yet. But I think limiting the time to 30 minutes and then throwing everything left over away is a fabulous idea. When food tastes wonderful I just want to eat and eat and eat. Now if I can practice that..................

ocotillo · 08-05-2009, 12:35 AM

Sorry Emjay...I got so carried away with cat's post I forgot your initial question. Yes, I am having problems with wanting more than I need....my eyes sometimes are much larger than what I can hold. I still want to eating everything I'm used to eating and I really am not hungry and I still want to eat. Head hunger.

I think with time, we will be able to adjust our eyes to fit our stomach.

ee

lbndoc · 08-06-2009, 11:19 AM

I'm having the same problem as ocotillo. I really want to keep eating just because it tastes good. It's a true effort to watch hubby pile his plate high while I take a tablespoon of this and that.

Still adjusting.

willowcat · 08-07-2009, 06:37 PM

cat, Isn't it funny how we can think of ways to bypass the band?! I figured out early that if I wanted to, I could keep eating slowly and eat as much as my mind said it wanted to eat. But that's not why I got the band, so I told myself that that was not a good plan and that it wasn't any different than eating a lot of slider foods. Giving yourself a time limit to eat a meal is a good idea. Good for you for thinking of it! :)