What does full feel like post op?

To me it feels pretty much the same as before surgery. Maybe even better because I get the satisfied feeling, no hunger and have lost almost all my excess weight! That feels pretty good! I have never gotten sick or been in pain after eating nor have I ever thrown up or had the foamies. It is possible that I am just perfect and have never overeaten since surgery, but highly unlikely!!! The only thing that does happen to me is that when I am full, I tend to get a runny nose and/or sneeze a few times. I don't know what would happen if I ate after that because I haven't so far done that. But the feeling I still get after I eat is that warm fuzzy satiated content one - just that now its after 3-4 oz rather than endless quantities and dubious qualities. I would not call it the Thanksgiving or buffet full-stuffed-can't eat another bite type of feeling because that was discomfort physically and psychologically and I have not been to the point of discomfort (beyond the sneezies) post op. In fact eating well and just enough is now a real pleasure.

I am not sure that I have ever managed to truly undereat my sleeve but I know I have not overeaten it to the point of pain, throwing up, foamies or discomfort. I have been known to eat around the sleeve though by grazing (eating every hour or two rather than just at meal times and scheduled planned snacks) and there have been some meals that were more vegetarian rather than protein based. And there also have been some not the best choices including deserts and calorie dense foods. That to me is the real danger and where I must be uber vigilant and accountable. Overeating at any one time does not seem to be a problem but eating around the sleeve is what I need to be more mindful of.

That's funny about the sneezing. With my lap band, I used to get the hiccups when I was one bite from full. Lol. My roommate would look and me and say 'you're done!'. It was horrible if I tried to do more. I can't wait to see the difference between the band and sleeve.. Especially random foods not getting stuck all the time. 

I have never had anything stuck and never had a food I did not tolerate well. Good luck!!!

I have an interesting answer for this I think..

full for me is satisfied..and this takes a while to recognize b/c as you said..

I don't know what eating to just satisfied is..it takes a while to compute..

now onto the interesting part..

if I go passed satisfied..I get that UGGG!! Stuffed, can't eat another bite..I'm gonna be sick feeling, 

mind you,this could be 1-2 bites passed satisfied..

I have also recognized that the uncomfortable, stuffed feeling passes

in about 20-1/2 hour and I have come to realize that if I'm not careful,

aware and present to my own actions and compulsions with food

I can very easily put the weight back on..going back to mindless eating

is a big fear so I go by time...

my meals are spaced at the very least 3 hrs apart many times more like 4-5 hrs

at nite is my old time to munch and even after a year sometimes the compulsion

grabs me and I'm white knuckling it till bed...

Great question for us newly sleeved!

thanks

For me, and this is strictly my own experience, the difference between full and satisfied is a fine line. I will do my best to describe both.

Satisfied: This is the feeling of no longer being hungry. I can be physically satisfied with very little - 3 oz of protein and 1/3 cup veggies does that. However, even this far out, I will still have emotional hunger after being physically satisfied. To combat this emotional aspect of lack of satisfaction I have found that eating highly flavorful, high quality foods helps a great deal. Feeling satisfied equates with a feeling and acknowledgement that I am NOT FULL. I have eaten enough to meet my physical needs, but I have not over eaten or gorged. When my capacity came to maturity this feeling was bothersome at first. Now I understand it. Most days I embrace it, but some days are just plain hard and I want to EAT.

Those are the days that I get FULL. Full is an over stuffed feeling. Early out eating too much was sheer misery. In my first year out this only happened one time - that was enough. It was awful. I regurgitated food all night long and I never felt "full" the way I did before surgery. What I felt was this horrible pressure just below where my Adam's apple sits almost right around the dip in my collar bones. Something (food) was pushing my esophageal sphincter open and it sucked. The food was coming back up my throat.

That is what full feels like now. I don't ever get that pleasant, I've eaten too damn much and want to take a nap feeling. You probably know what I mean. That sort of "belly full, couldn't eat another bite, and totally satisfied because I've eaten everything I've wanted to eat" type of feeling. Almost over the edge, but now quite. I used to eat that way every day.

What I get now if I overeat is that "there's-food-pushing-back-up-my-throat-because-there-is-no-room-in-my-sleeve" feeling. I don't like it, so I avoid it. What I have found is that I still don't always know when enough is going to turn into too much. So I still measure most of my meals. I also have found that I have to eat my meals slowly, because I now do get a sense of physical satisfaction, but it takes about 20 minutes after the first bite to really feel it.

I believe this "full" issue is highly individual. You will find your personal full feeling. Just know that if you feel "it" in your throat, that's a sign that there is physically too much food in your sleeve and it's pushing back up your throat because it has nowhere else to go, but up.

From my journey:

I have to be honest and say it differs from day to day, meal to meal. I am almost 5 months out. Yesterday was the first day I thought I was going to lose it after dinner. I had 2 ounces of chicken and 2 bites of lettuce. I felt digusting and it sat in my throat for almost 2 hours. However, earlier that day, i was able to consume my daily regiment of protein shake, yogurt, and for the first time I made protein pasta. Other days I can eat like 4 ounces of chicken or hamburger no sweat. And, I tolerate chicken the best so I was perplexed why I was having such an issue.

Satisfied means taking my time, measuring my food, and then listening to my stomach. When I know that another bite will most likely put me over the edge, I quit eating, whether I finished or not. I get up clean my plate and move away from the kitchen. Thanksgiving day full means you probably ate to much which is why measuring and weighing your meals is key.

In regard to "work to do", I would encourage you to set the timer on your microwave for 30 minutes, measure your food and eat over that time span. It will slow you down, and eventually you will get the hang out it. It's all a mental game. You have to push through NOT having that next bite and being ok with leaving food on your plate. This is definitely coming from my experience and everyone is different. I no longer put the serving plates on the table and only consume what is on my plate. This stops me from putting my fork into the community bowl for more than i really need. I always have a listerine strip after my meal, b/c who wants to eat anything with that taste in your mouth. I learned this in my pre-op nutrition classes - its signals the end of a meal.

I am a creature of habit, and i had to shed old habits for new ones. I am also someone who fears throwing up so I do everything in my power to not have that feeling. Once you break through mentally, your new habits become second nature.

I hope this helps.

Here's my $0.02:

I am 5 weeks out and am just now starting to feel like my stomach and food "get along." I have to be VERY conscientious and mindful to feel when there is food "in" my stomach, which means I have to eat really slowly. I don't always eat slowly/mindfully, and often have the feeling of food in my esophagus because it has nowhere else to go.

Two weeks ago, I didn't feel like I could rely on my stomach to tell me when I was full. I HAD to measure everything, and eat what I measured, and call it good - every single time I didn't, I'd feel 'backed up' in my esophagus and throat, and had awful heartburn. It was miserable. Finally I had to ask myself "Were those extra bites of food really worth this feeling?" The answer was never yes for me.

Another issue for me was separating true 'need for fuel' hunger from my mind, especially where portion size is concerned. In other words, it was as much of a mind game for me as it was a physical feeling.

Before surgery, I always ate to stuffed or "enough" as defined by my mind ... so I am having to change the parameter (from "stuffed" to satisfied) and the measuring tool (from my faulty stressed out bingeing mind to my 2-3oz capacity sleeve). It has taken some real thought and negotiation and looking in the mirror, and I am not there yet.

I know that when food feels 'backed up' I have had too much ... so now I am learning to eat slower so I can stop before that point. And I have to learn that that 'before backed-up' feeling is my NEW 'satisfied.'

Hoping that with 2-3 weeks more experience you find what 'satisfied' is for you.

Full is definitely different since surgery.  I actually haven't had that blah stuffed to the max experience since surgery.  I actually get hiccups when I'm full that happen before I get uncomfortable which is a nice so I stop eating.

Thank you! You all answered my question better than I asked it. What I found most eye opening is how I resonated to the answers that described the "old" full feeling as satisfying, comforting, soothing, relaxing, rewarding, peaceful, etc... (some of those words I added). I guess what I meant to ask...Or meant to say, is I miss those feelings from food.

I stay shy of 1/2 cup of puree, but haven't got any reward from full, or any negative feedback from eating to much. I'm so darn curious what that coming up your throat feeling feel like. Or even a tightness or foamies. I'll keep to my plan and sounds like I should expect "new sensations" somewhere between starting soft protein and about 3 months after healing of nerves is completed. 

I do find it odd my plan wants me to finish all meals within 20 min and usually thats at least how long we should eat to allow that "full" sensation to reach our brain.