When do I stop eating?

There are so many important tips and techniques to help people who have had Lap Band surgery achieve their ideal weight loss. But one item that comes to mind over and over again, is the issue of portion control.
We see too many patients expect the Lap Band to stop them from eating. They want to keep getting fill after fill and tighten their gastric band. They think the magic for weight loss is to get the band tight and then they won’t be able to eat.
That is not the way to do it.
One of our most important tips:
“Don’t eat until you area full and feel tight. Stop eating when you are not hungry!”
The whole point of the Lap Band is to help you with your hunger so you can eat less. Slow down, and allow yourself to eat just enough food that you are satisfied and not hungry. Do not keep eating until you feel full and feel tight. With time you will learn portion control. We have one patient who has had her Lap Band for over 5 years. She says she can gauge how much food she should eat down to a grain of rice! Now she is exaggerating (we think!), but the point is that Lap Band patients need to learn to stop eating before they get full, and to practice proper portion control.
Look at the picture above. Think about your stomach as a gas tank, and never fill it up. Get it about 80% full.