cc1967

It’s often quite a surprise to learn how slowly you really need to eat after surgery. For those of you that have had surgery, you know that even one very small bite too many can be painful or lead to vomiting. Before surgery, we encourage you to eat slowly to learn that it takes about 20 minutes of slowly eating before your brain recognizes your stomach is full. After surgery it may only take a few bites to begin feeling full.


It’s often quite a surprise to learn how slowly you really need to eat after surgery. For those of you that have had surgery, you know that even one very small bite too many can be painful or lead to vomiting. Before surgery, we encourage you to eat slowly to learn that it takes about 20 minutes of slowly eating before your brain recognizes your stomach is full. After surgery it may only take a few bites to begin feeling full.
The first step in slowing down your eating is to chew your food to applesauce consistency. A lot of our patients find success by making each bite last 25 chews. Chewing to applesauce consistency works better when you take a very small bite. Think of a bite of food being about the size of a pencil eraser or the size of the tip of your pinky finger. Use smaller utensils like the salad fork or teaspoon or even toddler or baby spoons and forks.
Speaking of utensils, put them down between bites which helps you slow down your eating. A lot of us already have a bite of food loaded on a fork or spoon ready to put in our mouth immediately after swallowing bite of food. Use a saucer or salad plate to reduce portions so you have less food in front of you.
No seat, no eat. Sitting at a table without distractions around you will help you focus on business of chewing. Remove distractions from your eating area. Eating while standing at the sink, driving, watching TV, working on the computer, answering texts or e-mails, reading, making “to do” lists or doing another load of laundry are common distractors in our busy lives.
When you are able to start eating food you can chew foods like cottage cheese or scrambled eggs, start with eating 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) every 10 minutes. Discover your “I’m just about to get full” signal. Our patients report they will hiccup, sneeze, sigh quickly or just realize that next bite of food really isn’t going to work. Focus on the enjoying the few bites you are able to have. Concentrate on the flavor and texture of the food. Many of our patients discover that chewing food well often results in finding out that the foods they really liked before don’t taste as good as they remembered.
If you are eating with others, focus on the conversation and people at the table. Many of our post-surgery patients report that the focus of the meal becomes the conversations, enjoying the company and socializing rather than the food. Learning to slow down your eating will be a difficult skill to master, but is an essential skill to have successful surgical outcomes.

Thank you. Sorry for the typos, don't know how to edit on my Kindle

I am have surgery in two weeks, it will be 53 weeks after my first info session. There were a few reasons why the journey has been such along one; I couldn't get an initial appointment until 8 weeks after the first session. Then, I stat a new job and couldn't get time off to see the P.A., or exercise physiologist. I had a few other delay but fortunately they were not due to being unable to lose the pre-op weight or pass the exercise test. The info sessions and six weeks of behavior modification training, mindfulness eating has been helpful. I have also gone to therapy and a 12 step program for over eating. I know full well this is not a cure all but a tool. I think full disclosure is crucial as well as realistic expectations. I learned that the first year is critical for getting the weight off, while my body is healing from the bypass and afterwards I will be focused on maintaining. The post open people explained how important it is to follow the instructions to a "t", and discussed all the good and bad.
I have had a few major surgeries and one laparoscopic so I think I am prepared physically. I have also been told by surgeon and others the first couple weeks are very hard psychologically and I will have a stage of "OMG, why did I do this?"
I read the boards and think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations and also have a lot to deal with if they are also going to be learning how to be a healthy weight for the first time as well. My surgeon start up told me people have killed themselves if they don't have another coping mechanism besides food. One woman told us she ran up an $8000 credit card bill buying new clothes right after she started losing weight. So, i am grateful for the stories, education and know I will still have down days. I also know that I will still be disorganized, have a temper and other issues but will have less pain madness body fat as I continue to work on improving.

I am have surgery in two weeks, it will be 53 weeks after my first info session. There were a few reasons why the journey has been such along one; I couldn't get an initial appointment until 8 weeks after the first session. Then, I stat a new job and couldn't get time off to see the P.A., or exercise physiologist. I had a few other delay but fortunately they were not due to being unable to lose the pre-op weight or pass the exercise test. The info sessions and six weeks of behavior modification training, mindfulness eating has been helpful. I have also gone to therapy and a 12 step program for over eating. I know full well this is not a cure all but a tool. I think full disclosure is crucial as well as realistic expectations. I learned that the first year is critical for getting the weight off, while my body is healing from the bypass and afterwards I will be focused on maintaining. The post open people explained how important it is to follow the instructions to a "t", and discussed all the good and bad.
I have had a few major surgeries and one laparoscopic so I think I am prepared physically. I have also been told by surgeon and others the first couple weeks are very hard psychologically and I will have a stage of "OMG, why did I do this?"
I read the boards and think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations and also have a lot to deal with if they are also going to be learning how to be a healthy weight for the first time as well. My surgeon start up told me people have killed themselves if they don't have another coping mechanism besides food. One woman told us she ran up an $8000 credit card bill buying new clothes right after she started losing weight. So, i am grateful for the stories, education and know I will still have down days. I also know that I will still be disorganized, have a temper and other issues but will have less pain madness body fat as I continue to work on improving.

@@cc1967 it sounds like you're really ready. The best of luck to you! You deserve this!

I am have surgery in two weeks, it will be 53 weeks after my first info session. There were a few reasons why the journey has been such along one; I couldn't get an initial appointment until 8 weeks after the first session. Then, I stat a new job and couldn't get time off to see the P.A., or exercise physiologist. I had a few other delay but fortunately they were not due to being unable to lose the pre-op weight or pass the exercise test. The info sessions and six weeks of behavior modification training, mindfulness eating has been helpful. I have also gone to therapy and a 12 step program for over eating. I know full well this is not a cure all but a tool. I think full disclosure is crucial as well as realistic expectations. I learned that the first year is critical for getting the weight off, while my body is healing from the bypass and afterwards I will be focused on maintaining. The post open people explained how important it is to follow the instructions to a "t", and discussed all the good and bad.
I have had a few major surgeries and one laparoscopic so I think I am prepared physically. I have also been told by surgeon and others the first couple weeks are very hard psychologically and I will have a stage of "OMG, why did I do this?"
I read the boards and think a lot of people have unrealistic expectations and also have a lot to deal with if they are also going to be learning how to be a healthy weight for the first time as well. My surgeon start up told me people have killed themselves if they don't have another coping mechanism besides food. One woman told us she ran up an $8000 credit card bill buying new clothes right after she started losing weight. So, i am grateful for the stories, education and know I will still have down days. I also know that I will still be disorganized, have a temper and other issues but will have less pain madness body fat as I continue to work on improving.