I have such a problem with this, and not drinking when I'm eating. I try to use that little sand timer they gave me... But I always forget to turn it I we. Are there any other tips or tricks anyone has learned to help them with this. I have stuck episodes sometimes, but they always go down eventually. Im just worried about stretching that little pouch.

You can get an interval timer online cheap, or get a free app called "interval timer" for your smart phone. I use the latter. I use it to alternate between two one-minute intervals, and the timer counts down one minute for

each. Confused? Here's how it works...

When I take my first bite, I hit the start button. The timer counts down for one minute while I chew that bite of food. When it reaches zero the screen automatically changes color to indicate the change and starts counting down again from one minute while I take another bite of food. I have it set to do this routine 10 times, so after 20 minutes the timer stops. If I'm not finished in 20 minutes, it's time to stop eating.

So far for the amount of food I'm eating, I haven't made it anywhere near 20 minutes even taking very small bites. This may seem a little extreme to some folks, but I've always just inhaled my food so I'm going through some behavior modification for myself. It's working quite well. After even a very small meal I find myself not hungry any more, and I'm actually treating mealtime now as more of a relaxing, enjoyable time instead of a time to see how much I can eat.

Hope this helps.

D.

So you give yourself 1 minute to chew and let it go through your band? Or 1 minute to chew, then 1 more minute before the next bite? I need to work on this eating slower too and am interested. What is this app, where did you get it?

I may be an extreme case, but I take one minute between bites of food and allow each bite to pass through my band. So at "60 seconds" I take a small bite, chew thoroughly, swallow, wait for the timer to count down to zero. At zero, I take another bite and repeat. It's exactly like waiting for the sand in your timer to finish. The only difference is that this timer keeps resetting for how ever long you tell it to.

I have an app for my iPod called "Interval Timer." It was free from the Apple app store. You can also buy a dedicated interval timer from most sporting goods stores or online. Runners use it to switch between periods of high intensity and low intensity - like run, walk, run, walk.

PM me if it isn't clear. Hope this helps.

D.

I get it now , thank you! I'll have to give this a try. I was just thinking I'll never get through lunch with 2 minutes devoted to each bite, lol

Thanks guys! I've been following this board for 6mths

This is the first I've heard of the interval timer. You learn something new every day.

i put my fork down between bites........chew slowly and thoroughly before i start eating again.

as for drinking, i stop before i begin eating and wait 15-30 afterwards.