Obey the Stop Signals!

Stop signals aren't there just to make you late for work. They're there for your protection. Some of the worst car accidents in my town happen at a major intersection on a busy road where some drivers seem to be ignoring the stop signals. As those drivers are sped away from the scene in the back of an ambulance, I wonder how badly they're hurt or whether they'll survive. I think it's good that our town has installed cameras at that intersection.

Stop signals are equally important to bandsters. How?

In addition to the 4 signs of restriction explained above, you will also get hints to stop eating that I call "stop signals". As newly-filled or newbie bandsters, we expect our bands to give us good, loud, clear stop signals with clanging bells and flashing lights, but eventually learn (if we work on it) to recognize the quiet stop signals such as mild queasiness, fullness or pressure in the back of the throat, difficulty swallowing, burping (or the urge to burp), sneezing, sighing, hiccups, watering eyes, runny nose, and so on. If we heed those signals, we stop eating before something more drastic and uncomfortable happens. You may not experience any soft stop signals, but don't stop looking for them just because you aren't noticing any; they could sneak past you at any time. And if you experience no hard stop signals (like stuck episodes, PB's, sliming), don't go looking for trouble! The absence of hard stops does not mean that your band isn't working or that you have no restriction. It just means you're doing a good job!