a perfect explanation!

Sitting here at work slaving away, tackling these piles of folders on my desk reading blogs, I ran across something I wanted to share, specifically for the newer bandsters like me regarding restriction and what being full, really means.

From a lapband diva who had an 108 lb. loss in 9 months, she explained this way, "What is it that you're expecting to "feel" with restriction? I don't actually feel restriction. I didn't even realize that I had pretty decent restriction until I got a little over-filled and then had to have some fill taken out. Restriction should be very subtle, or else you probably are over-filled. All it means is that you are satisfied (not full!) after eating 1 c. or so food at each meal, and then you have reduced hunger for 3-4 hours. As for full, most of us overweight people consider "full" to be that Thanksgiving-dinner-two-plates-full-of-food" stuffed to be what "full" feels like; that is overfull. Full is when you eat about 3/4 of a cup of food and you don't get hungry for 4 hours. That's a new way to define full."

This was simply and beautifully put. For so long, my full was miserable. Starting my band journey, was full to feel the same?  And when I got restriction, was I supposed to feel like my stomach was being strangled? Since my first fill, I haven't felt anything. I've only realized I have been able to eat appropriately. I have been ever so cautious and in control and stopping when I feel content, or satisfied. An entire cup of food or not, I push the food away when I arrive at satisfaction. So far, I last 4-5 hours between each meal, with no snacking. So, I think not feeling anything is our new skinny.