What does the "sweet spot" feel like?

warmmorningsun · 01-07-2007, 03:28 PM

I am kind of confused right now about whether I'm too full, not full enough, etc.
In the am, I have a hard time having something solid to eat unless I drink warm tea first. But then I can eat.
At lunch, with the exception of maybe chicken, I can eat pretty much anything. Easily a cup.
Same with dinner.

I occasionally get that "golf ball" feeling, which made me think I was too full...but now I'm starting to think maybe it's just that I'm not chewing enough?

I occasionally have a PB, almost always related to eating chicken. Or eating fast.

So my question(s)...am I at the sweet spot? What is the sweet spot to you (how do you feel when you eat, How much can you eat, do you ever feel hungry, How much weight do you lose)?
Thanks for feedback!

beachgirl · 01-07-2007, 04:27 PM

I feel like I'm there too but the bad thing is my weight loss as slowed down to a snail's pace. Before I was soooo tight I couldn't hardly eat anything but at least I was losing, but I was pbing everyday which isn't good for your band so I have my last fill taken out and I can eat anything but not much in the mornings and if I eat too fast with bread it tends to get stuck so I wished now I had of left that fill in. I have to drive 10 hours round trip and stay overnight and pay 150.00 and I might as well have set fire to that 300.00 fill. I guess we learn by our mistakes.

It sounds like to me your perfect. Are you still losing at least a pound per week? I have only lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I will be forever and a day at this rate.

warmmorningsun · 01-07-2007, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mysherrijo

Are you still losing at least a pound per week? I have only lost 2 pounds in 2 weeks. I will be forever and a day at this rate.

I go in spurts; 3 lbs here, nothing for 3 weeks, 3 more lbs. I don't really have an idea for what "works" to continue the weight loss. I'm kind of befuddled.:help:

warmmorningsun · 01-07-2007, 09:08 PM

bump bump do tha bump

**Wheetsin** · 01-08-2007, 11:13 AM

I wish I knew. Going for a fill today, hopefully I can answer your question afterwards. I have 2.5 in a 4 and can eat anything. And although I make myself stop eating when I'm no longer hungry, there's nothing mechanical/band that keeps me from eating more, because when I want to I certainly can.

I occasionally PB, like 2 times in the last 4 months. It's always linked to eating something gooey like nuts or peanut butter and swallowing too much at once. I'm rarely caught off-guard, usually as soon as I swallow I'm like, "Yep, that's going to hurt..."

When I first had my last fill I was definitely tighther. I could feel the pressure when I drank a protein shake, and PBed on refried beans. Now I have none of that.

And I've never felt anything that I'd describe as a "golfball". Not even close. I know that my "feelings" the band brings are different from most. I've also never experienced a soft stop.

At my last weigh-in I was around 268. I fluctuate between 264 and 270. October 1 I was 279. So in more than 3 months I've lost about 10 lbs. I don't necessarily attribute that to lack of fill, because I'm really not eating much at all, but you never know and I'm hoping today's fill will help prod my loss to start up again. I haven't weighed much in the last 3 or 4 months because I figure, why bother, the scale hasn't moved and I don't want the disappointment.

abouttobebanded · 01-08-2007, 11:37 AM

could someone tell me what pb is? Please???

**Wheetsin** · 01-08-2007, 11:47 AM

See this thread (found it by searching for "pb"):

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/does-pb-s...5&highlight=pb

warmmorningsun · 01-08-2007, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wheetsin

Going for a fill today, hopefully I can answer your question afterwards.....

I'm rarely caught off-guard, usually as soon as I swallow I'm like, "Yep, that's going to hurt...".......

And I've never felt anything that I'd describe as a "golfball". Not even close. I know that my "feelings" the band brings are different from most. I've also never experienced a soft stop.....

I made an appointment today as well for next week; I want to see if my doc can give me some insight. (novel idea, no? :))

I also am rarely caught off-guard. That "golfball" feeling is that feeling of "yep, that's going to hurt" for me...it's pain, kind of like pressure. Takes my breath away a bit. And when it goes down (if it does and doesn't come back up as a PB) I can fell it kind of KERPLUNK it's way to my stomach.

What is a soft stop? I've not ever heard of that before.

I can't honestly say I've followed 'bandster rules' so I'm trying to follow them a little closer in hopes that I start to lose more weight. Thank you for your insight!

**Wheetsin** · 01-08-2007, 12:30 PM

A soft stop is some kind of indicator that it's tie to stop eating, or else. It's something that alerts people that their pouch is filling, and anything else is going to have to come up. Of course since I don't have one, anyone else please chime in. :)

I know some people who have them. One has this little *sigh* she does, and she's not even aware of it. I know two banded sisters and one of them gets a runny nose and the other describes hers as "tingles" - she says she gets a sort of pins & needles feeling in her abdomen.

I have nothing like that.

THe closest I get is if I drink something too soon (normally I can drink with meals). If the food is just sitting there for some reason, and I take a drink, sometimes it will hurt but other times I'll just get this sort of "numb" feeling that is actually kind of creepy. Like when you stub your toe, and you have that short time before the pain kicks in where you just kind of feel a weird numb wave.

TamifromAL · 01-08-2007, 02:21 PM

I had to get to the point of being overfilled before I realized that I was at my "sweet spot". I got my second fill of .5 added to the 1 cc in my 4cc band. I struggled for the next week: Couldn't eat breakfast, even liquids went down slow, and I would often get a lump in my throat while eating lunch or dinner, even if I ate very slowly. So, I got a small unfill of .25cc, leaving me with 1.25cc. Now, there are times when I still feel like I could eat more than I should, but the difference is that although I might have to use willpower to stop eating after a cup or so of food (because I don't necessarily feel "full"), once I push back from the table, I know I've had enough, there's no sense of deprivation, and I am not hungry for several hours.

Tami

**Kat817** · 01-08-2007, 02:37 PM

I am at what I condsider to be my sweet spot right now. I can eat most anything in moderation. I eat probably 3/4 of a cup of food per meal, and have snacks off and on through the day. I drink lots. I feel it is my sweet spot, because I feel no hunger. And if I keep busy, keep my head out if it, I can go for hours without eating or even thinking of food. It is my head than thinks snacks are required, or it is time to eat again.
The only things I have steady problems with are dry meat, mainly chicken. I also had a nasty reaction to a yeast/raised donut, that I have opted not to try again---not like I needed the damn thing anyway!!!
I was banded last April, had my first fill of 1.25 in June, and another .50 in July, and have had no adjustment since. I have however seen my Dr. since then.
Good Luck---I look forward to seeing what others feel constitutes their sweet spot! Good question!
Kat

sallyjo · 01-08-2007, 05:48 PM

Well girls I have wondered since the end of April. I think I finally found it.
It was my fifth fill on Nov.21. It finally kicked in four weeks later(second time this has happened to me) Went last Friday and had .2cc taken out leaving me at 1.8. I know it has only been four days but I am never hungry but I can eat. I just have to remind myself to eat and I do. Now this may not be a sweet spot for yall but I call it heaven. I am nine pounds from goal. Kat I am so proud of you.Keep up the good work and everyone else also.:)

warmmorningsun · 01-09-2007, 08:46 PM

I have scheduled a fill for next tuesday to hopefully get me to the sweet spot...but if this is it (where I'm at now)...I guess I'll be back. I really just wanted to know what it "felt" like because I'm having a hard time determining what exactly I'm feeling.

Miper70 · 01-11-2007, 07:58 AM

For me also, being too tight helped me realize where my seet spot is. I can now eat almost anything I want, but in small amounts. The thing is, I don't really get hungry. My tummy lets me know when it's time to eat because it growls so loudly. If it didn't, I think sometimes I would just go without. This is perfect for me even though I probably eat too much at one sitting. When I was too tight I lost nothing.....now I'm actually losing.

mommi-hammi · 07-08-2007, 09:04 PM

I am so happy I found this thread!!! :)

I was banded on 1-12-07 and have had three fills totalling 2.2 ccs in a 4cc band. I have been trying desperately to get answers to what the sweet spot FEELS like. After reading all of these posts, I think I may be there!!! Yea . . .

I still struggle with thinking I need to eat, so what I need to pay attention to now is whether or not I am truly hungry or am just eating out of habit or boredom, etc.

I can only eat a tiny amount at a sitting and certain things I just totally avoid (bread, pasta) after several PB'ing episodes. I have found that it is true - if I eat very small bites and chew until I don't think I can chew again, I do much better. It took me several times to figure this out . . .

Thank you so much to all of you who posted on this subject.