2nd Fill

After white-knuckling the last two and half weeks with hunger (and losing no weight, either..double bonus!) I found out at the bariatric surgeon's office that I didn't have to wait for a whole month for a second fill.  I could have just come in when my hunger told me it was time to get the band refilled.  Ooohhh...  Got it.

I also found out that it'll take 3-5 fills before I really feel the full effects of how this band works.  Apparently, it takes multiple fills to fill up all the nooks and crannies of the band before it's full enough to begin constricting between the stomach and the upper pouch.  Ooohhhh... Got it.  Good to know.  I was having visions of being the first band patient that always felt hungry with their band. 

So, two down, and let's figure two more to go before we get some really serious satiety out of a cup or two of food.

Now, I must have read about needing multiple fills before maximum satiety hits and that you can go in more often than once a month for fills if you need, but boy, I sure don't remember it.  I'm also likely one of those people who has to live it to understand it.  Damn dominant kinesthetic learning style.  It's all words and theory until I live it.

Onward with living...

Interesting Study on Food Addiction

Context  Research has implicated an addictive process in the development and maintenance of obesity. Although parallels in neural functioning between obesity and substance dependence have been found, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the neural correlates of addictive-like eating behavior.


Objective  To test the hypothesis that elevated "food addiction" scores are associated with similar patterns of neural activation as substance dependence.


Conclusions  Similar patterns of neural activation are implicated in addictive-like eating behavior and substance dependence: elevated activation in reward circuitry in response to food cues and reduced activation of inhibitory regions in response to food intake.

http://archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/archgenpsychiatry.2011.32

I have activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the caudate in response to anticipated receipt of these gummy Japanese candies:

Two 20 Minute Walks

I had a tight schedule today but managed to get in two brisk 20 minute walks in two of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Seattle:  Queen Anne and Capitol Hill.    Here are the cherry blossoms on Capitol Hill.