Too Tight or Just Right
By: Cher Ewing
Too Tight or Just Right
Okay Iâm sure each one of you has a fickle band like me. It is enough to drive you insane, one day youâre wide open and the next your band is so tight you can only take two or three bites and your done. I know, I know, Iâve been there done that, it actually happened to me last week. I was eating a ham steak; took three bites and I could feel the tightness in my chest. At lunch I had chicken tacos and was able to eat just fine. How can that be? It boils down to the actual food we are eating, some foods are more dense than others so it makes it harder or easier to get full, depending on how you look at it.
Take what I ate for example. The ham steak was much thicker than the cubed chicken I had at lunch. I waited too long to eat and basically tried to scarf my food. I should have taken the time to chew the ham much more than I did the chicken cubes. Had I taken the time to really chew the ham I could have had more than three bites. We are all guilty of this, we eat too fast and donât chew well enough then we get frustrated because we want to eat more but we canât. Donât get upset if you take a couple of bites and youâre full, itâs one meal. I hear this all time âI only had three bites and I couldnât eat anymoreâ. I know how it feels it still happens to me even four years out.
When this happens to some band patients; they automatically think thatâs it âIâm too tight and I need an un- fillâ. Look at what you ate and how fast you ate; it can be as easy as slowing down and paying attention to how you are eating. We have to be aware of what we are doing as patients and not be so quick to blame our fill amount.
I have stated this before and itâs worth repeating, if you are stressed or eat too fast this can cause premature fullness. If this is happening to you from time to time, start paying attention to your eating patterns.
A. Are you waiting until you are starving to eat, then you try to scarf down your food? Donât let yourself get to this point, eat well before you reach starvation mode. B. Do you test your band to see if you can eat something? If you do thatâs fine just make sure you are chewing to liquid before you swallow. This will help you avoid PBâs. C. Are you getting stuck every time you eat, no matter what the food is? If this is happening you could be too tight and need to schedule an appointment with your surgeon. D. Do you choose band friendly meals because you know you can eat it? Itâs okay to eat softer foods if you are going out or will be with a big group. However donât make it a common food choice just because you know you can get it down.
I know it can get frustrating from time to time. Try to be patient and honest with yourself before you decide if youâre too tight or just right.
Cher Ewing, CC Certfied Life & Wellness Coach website: www.bandedtogether.net email: [email protected]
