OK so tomorrow is a month since I was banded, my 1st fill is on April 2nd. My problem is that I am realizing that I really don't know how to band eat. I take a bite, and chew chew chew the hell out of it. I just don't know how long to wait before taking my next bite. I haven't gotten stuck, just SUPER full.

Any advice??? How long do you wait between bites??

I measure out my food--and take tiny bites. I don't tend to pause terribly long before bites until I pass the halfway point of my measured food. Then, I really do start to pause after each bite to feel how I feel....it helps me gauge when to stop.

As Betsy stated, measuring food is a very important habit to get into. I also weighed my hard protein. Could not always finish my 3-4 oz. I just waited for the "full signal". I always tried to cut my meat into very small bites and waited a bit between bites. I tend to get that feeling....one more bite would be too much.

I found it was much easier to listen to my full feeling if I ate my meals when I was very calm in the beginning. If I felt stressed, it was more difficult to watch for the signs of when I have had enough. In the beginning, I ate some meals alone and eventually worked up to eating with the family at most meals.

your full warning could be really subtle or glaring.

you just have to in my opinion feel around so to speak till you find your full cue.

I precut all my food so I know I can't absentmindedly get too big of a bite. The opening of your band is about the size of a pencil eraser, the flow through is the width of your bra wire. Gage it by that. I tend to put my fork down in between bites, it seems to work for me though I have gotten stuck more than I care to admit!

Forgot to say that there are foods that I can do one day and can't do the next or vice versa. Its worth it to retry them. I have done chicken noodle Soup one day, tried to eat it the next time I went to the restaurant and it got stuck. There are many foods for me that stick every single time and I don't even try them anymore. Bread, eggs, etc will not work for me but do work for some friends of mine. Experiment, have fun and remember what works and what doesn't.

Edited March 22, 201016 yr by mominkansas

You sound like you are on the right track.Chew the hell out of it ! I ve had problems in the beginning with just slowing down. I had to step away from the TV where I lose all track of time when I am eating.

I make sure to set my fork down between bites, and don't pick it up again until what I've already put in my mouth has been chewed well and swallowed. THEN I pick up the fork and put another bite on it. It has worked to really slow me waaaay down at each meal.