Being Comfortable After LAP-BAND Surgery
- February 16th, 2012
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After LAP-BAND® surgery, it’s important to be very mindful of when you are hungry and when you are not. For many overweight or obese people, feeling that distinction is difficult. Poor eating behaviors such as comfort eating, binging, and overeating actually suppress your ability to know what physical feelings you may be experiencing. If your body is your enemy because it is fat, it stands to reason that you tend to treat it with disdain, ignoring its signals and discomfort.
After you have a LAP-BAND®, your effective stomach capacity will be greatly reduced. Whereas a normal adult stomach can hold up to about six cups of food, the food pouch created by the adjustable gastric band can only hold about ½ cup. Eating too much can cause discomfort and other negative side effects, so it is important that you pay close attention to how you feel physically. Chewing slowly, tasting your food, and mentally checking on your hunger status during your meal will help you stop eating when you are no longer hungry and before you become uncomfortably full.