What are Symptoms of Reaching One's Sweet Spot?

Please let me know what it feels like - what the symptoms are.

I just read a comment about it on the regular Lapband board and now I am thoroughly confused.

I am having episodes with my evening (largest) meal of sticking once I have just a few well-
chewed small swallows of moist chicken, ground meat.  The poster said this is restriction.  I hope not - I suggested maybe it was symptoms of getting there because to me it's just
plain ugly.

I am able eventually to eat my entire dinner and full for about 3 hours - but no more really
than say week three.  I don't feel any extra restriction so I say I have not reached my sweet spot.
I think I'm heading there, but not there yet - this is, quite frankly, an ugly phase I'm going thru
not something sweet.

PLEASE, THOSE OF YOU who have reached your sweet spot, can you share your thoughts about what symptoms are?

I have 6.6 cc in a 14 Lap - 12/12/08 - and have lost almost 40 lbs.

Thanks.

Katherine B

Katherine,

First of all, I think the "Sweet Spot" is a myth.  IMO, it's a mistake to think of good restriction as a single point on a line.  It's more realistic to think of it as a range, or what the makers of the Lap-Band call the Green Zone:


I didn't read the post on the lap-band forum that you mentioned, but I agree that if you are having stuck episodes, you do have at least some restriction.  And if you are eating a reasonable amount for dinner and staying full for 3 hours afterwards, that's restriction.  Did you have some other expectation of what restriction would be like?  If so, tell me what your expectation was and maybe I can explain this whole thing better.  If your expectation was that with restriction, you would never get hungry, that certainly hasn't been my experience, even when I've been in the Green Zone.  No matter what, I get hungry every 2-3 hours.

From what you've said about your evening stuck episodes, my guess is that you're experiencing what we call First Bite Syndrome.  One suggestion is to drink a hot liquid (like herbal tea) just before you eat, to open and lubricate the stoma.  If you post a question on the band forum asking for suggestions about how to deal with First Bite Syndrome, you may get more ideas.  My other thoughts are that the meat could be too dry or you may just be discovering some "no go" foods.  I can't eat poultry white meat at all, no matter how I prepare it.  Any kind of ground meat can be a problem for me.  Sometimes I can eat a piece of medium-rare steak (cut up in small pieces) and sometimes I can't even eat it if I puree it.

Jean

Thanks, Jean, I appreciate it.  I think I do have first bite syndrome and am being a bit careless
with exactly that, my first bite.  And it is a tiny bite of protein - but not well chewed.  Chicken
may be my downfall then - even tho it is always moist inside and with a bit of sauce or the like.

The poster on the Lapband site was confusing restriction with first bite - or at least that's
what I think it was but I was confused because I am having this sympton almost every  night. 

I am trying to prime my throat with warm liquid - even water - beforehand.

Am I correct in assuming that now that I am having this first bite syndrome - not before say 2
weeks ago - my last fill to 6.6 - (14 Lap)that I may be getting closer to more restriction with a larger dinner?  I only eat the food I apportion myself - about a cup and a half for dinner.  During the day I amjust fine - protein drink with skimmed milk around 8 - then a small cottage cheese - 4 oz -  lunch is small salad and some tuna some low carb crackers - lotsa water about 2 qts -
then my dinner of a cup and a half and a ww icecream bar for a snack.

I was hoping to feel more satiated earlier during my cup and a half meal at night.

I need to exercise now that I've lost weight - I'm still very hefty, prob more than you ever were.

Thanks again,

k

K,

Let me make sure I've got this right.  Your last fill was 2 weeks ago, and just now you're experiencing the First Bite thing?

I've had a fill take 2 weeks to kick in, more than once, so yes, it is possible that you are now moving into the Green Zone.

I do understand why you're calling this phase ugly instead of sweet, because it's no fun to get food stuck, but unfortunately the only way to discover the idiosyncrasies of your restriction is to experiment with different foods.  Every time I get a fill, I have to go through the learning process all over again, but it's a lot easier for me to do that now than it was earlier in my WLS journey.

I just read your post on the lap-band forum (sorry, I was too tired to do that last night) and I agree with the posters who said that you need to pay close attention to your eating skills.  Sometimes it's hard to do that when you're hungry and have been eagerly awaiting a meal and the food smells so good...it's so easy to take too big a bite, not chew it well enough....but careful eating, and avoidance of problem foods, will really help get you through this.

Eating 1-1/2 cups of food for dinner is not unreasonable.  My surgeon says I should be able to eat no more than 1 cup at a time, but other doctors would say 1-1/2 cups is fine.  How much you can eat at one time will depend largely on the type of food.  For example, I might be able to eat 1-1/2 cups of oatmeal (for dinner, not breakfast - I can't eat anything in the a.m.), but only 1/2 cup of solid protein and a non-starchy veg.  The more solid the consistency of the food, the sooner you'll feel satiated, and the longer the satiety will last.

You might need another fill in order to reach a point where 1 cup of food for dinner would be enough, but I wouldn't recommend getting another fill until you've mastered this "stage".

Jean

Ahhh,so this is alike then. We have "smushey food",like salad,spinach,etc. They chew down to nothingness. I consider my yogurt a liquid actually,as it is 10 Gms protein. I had 3 this evening,because my protein was low and the Fangster likes it. Sorta like a protein shake,I use Carb Master.
Then you have the dense protein like the meats and such that hang with you.
I just love finding the sameness,I peek in other forums now and again,haven't done it in awhile,so I will today,I never say anything because some people are touchy,or hungry...LOL.
I do see that the one's who are eating the healthiest are basically eating the same things. I eat a decent amount of good carbs everyday,my NUT says that helps burn the fat,among other things. I have been remiss of nuts lately,so will be picking up some chunky peanut butter.
I am now enjoying a little rice,potato and noodles,and still lost 3-4 pounds I do vary depending on meds. I am lucky to have my own nurse that checks in with me through Wells Fargo,and my NUT,Jen,has been and is a jewel,she wants to film me,but I am not ready for that.I am really a introvert,and when my server was down,I was blue,I told my grandsons that my friends live in there!
I do stay away from the trigger stuff though,the white,enriched,empty carbs. For me this has been a life altering process. I realized today that I weigh 30 pounds more than my eleven year old grandson....wowsa!
Unlike a lot of choices I see here,I do have a certain amount of fat everyday,nothing to write home about,like 35 Gms (get Gms and such confused),but I do understand, heck,you can get that in a piece of chicken. I do not like the KFC grilled chicken,I thought I did,but it is greasy.
Cabbage is another smushey food,I love it,and actually plan to cook on Sunday,the boys did quite well on their report cards,so I am treating them to the movies,The Night at The Museum,Smithsonian,we loved the first one,and will be watching it again before we go for the 2nd one. I am a history buff,and both grands are too,so they goggled and found out a lot about the lives behind the statues. When I get to costume designing and such,I go on a bender,I have been up 48 hours,it has been a very very long time since I have done this. I do not miss a hubby asking me when am I coming to bed...smile.
The grands enjoy my cooking so much,there is no sugar in our homes,well,no refined sugar,but brown and there is honey,from the area,I assume as we buy it at the farmers market.
I am so happy to be a part of the first generation of unfat people in my family and am talking to my beloved brother about cleaning out his pantry and such. As Dr. Phil says,these kids are not driving themselves to the store for this food.
My my,I am chatty,I have been sewing and drawing also.
I love learning more and more here.
I am so happy you stepped up to the plate for this kind lady.
  

Linda,

One of the reasons I like the OFF forum is that there is a mix of surgery types, so I can see the similarities (and differences) in our WLS experiences, but there is rarely any kind of the surgery-bashing and temper tantrum stuff that goes on elsewhere (I'm thinking of the Main WLS forum).

Often on the lap-band forum I hear people questioning which kind of WLS they should have, or wishing they had done RNY or whatever instead of the band, and I always tell them what I learned here on OFF: every successful WLS patient I know, no matter what procedure they had, has made the same lifestyle changes that I have.  It's not the WLS that's magic: it's the person's ability to change their behavior that's magic.

Jean

Jean,

Just sticking my nose in here. Thanks so much for the great job of explaining to those of us who know little about the band. I too latched onto the "sweet spot" post! Darn, it's been so long that I almost forgot the "other" sweet spot, but not quite!

You did a great job of explaining some things that I've wondered about. The medical progress in the area of treating obesity has come a long way and you my friend have too. Just look at you. You look gorgeous and are actively living and helping others to achieve healthy bodies too. I admire you!

Thanks, Karen.  Any band questions you might have, I'll be happy to answer.

Dog questions, too.  Though don't ask me about housebreaking puppies.  Not doing so well in that department.

Jean

Jean, thank you for taking the time to send me your suggestions.  I do agree with you, and thank you for your insight, that I am entering the Green Zone.   I appreciate you sending me 
that chart.

I do chew about 30 times a mouthful - and I do take 20 minutes to eat, but, yes, I am guilty in the beginning of eating too fast the first few mouthfuls (first bite syndrome).  This fbs does seem to be a new ingredient probably following my last fill.

The lady I was responding to on the other site was saying that this gurgling, etc. at the beginning of the meal was restriction and that was what I was responding to.  I equate restriction with the sweet spot which is a big topic on the Lapband board.  I think this was a semantics issue
on both ends.

I'm also happy to report that I just weighed in and have lost 3-l/2 lbs this week - so I am
definitely following certain patterns I've read about - no weight loss for no reason and then
bam.  I'm not celebrating until I make sure it stays off next week.

Thanks for imparting all this knowledge - I love both boards and don't know what I would do without them.  Kate is also a wonderful teacher.

Katherine B

I hadda do a double take on this one,because "sweet spot" in my world had nothing to do with food!
In my experience,I eat slowly and chew much. They told us in our pre-surgery class that our mouths would be our main "digestive organ".
As time went on,I felt satisfied and then I was happy,only really feeling hunger when I had emotions,head hunger,this still is a dragon for me.
I have found though,miracle of miracles,I HATE feeling full,it is awful,I feel stuffed to the neck the few times this has happened.
I now find myself not feeling the need to finish everything on my plate because it was my do.
Your body will signal you. I am also a graduate of Over Eaters Anonymous,which so helped me to change my "relationship" with food. I think food counciling should be included with all WLS,as our heads are villians.
I hope I am making some sense..