I'm getting ready for surgery and my nutritionist wants me to start learning how to chew my food completely.

Problem is, I'm not sure what completely is. Do any of you know? What should the texture of my food be when I'm ready to swallow it?

Basically liquified. My doc recommends chewing each bite 35 times if your not sure how long you should chew. After a while it becomes habit and less of a hassel

Like baby food consistency. You practice so you dont have problems swallowing.

I am not atr full restriction yet so my idea of chewed may be a off. I did get stuck twice with baby carrots because I was really hungry and clearly did not chew enough. My experience has been that before I started this journey I barely chewed my food at all. I ate really quickly and would eat too much before I really noticed it. Now that I serve my food on a plate (sandwich size) and try to really savor each bite; I do a lot more chewing. I don't know if you can really "practice" chewing for when you have restriction. I think you will get biofeedback real time and can then modify your chewing.

I'm getting ready for surgery and my nutritionist wants me to start learning how to chew my food completely.

Problem is, I'm not sure what completely is. Do any of you know? What should the texture of my food be when I'm ready to swallow it?

Before I had my surgery, my nutritionist told me the same thing. She then offered me the advice of taking bites the size of an eraser and chewing it until it literally dissolves in you mouth then swallow. I am not at total restriction just like Honk, but I am so much more aware of eating now. Plan on each meal taking at least 20 minutes to eat. I enjoy each and every bite and I plan each and every meal. You will fall into an easy pattern.

That's awsome on your weight loss!!!!! I have my surgery next month.. Can't wait!!!!!!

I had to do that too. Try eating a cup of food in 20 minutes. It should be like baby food consistancy as someone already mentioned.

my first stuck experience was with raw baby carrots :thumbup: no longer a favorite of mine

The size on an eraser seems very small, but if you actually do it, it makes a big difference and you can eat a whole meal without rushing to the bathroom! Along with chewing, be sure to pause (put down your fork!!!) between bites. This is especially hard for me when I first sit down to start eating since I am feeling rather hungry and the food looks yummy!

When I started paying attention to my chewing I was amazed at how little I had been chewing my food. I was paying attention to other people when I went out to eat too. Wow, each bite might get one or two chews with the teeth, then it's down the hatch and another big bite is already being loaded in.

Since being banded, I do not chew my food to liquid. I just make sure I take very small bites and that each bite is well chewed. I don't chew it to the point where I get grossed out. A good example would be how I used to eat chili and how I eat it now. Before, it was the old shovel it in method. Now, I eat my chili one bean at a time. The bean has not been turned to liquid, it's just well chewed.

I was told to chew until nothing was larger than a pencil eraser. You don't have to chew to disgusting mush; something the size of a pencil eraser can move through the stoma.