Hello! I was supposed to start soft foods yesterday. I just couldn't do it! I just got the mushy phase down and I'm afraid to move forward.

Looking at the sample food plan I was given I feel like it will look smaller than the 1/2-3/4 c mushiness that I am currently eating ( with much gusto might I add). I am already hungry a lot but what I sit and eat now is satisfying. What if I eat and am still hungry or what if I taste it and go wild. I need someone to walk me through this because I know it's not rational. It's like walking over a rickety bridge.

Than you!

OK, the soft phase requires more chewing and more time to eat so even though it looks less size wise volume wise it is the same. Measure out your 3-4 oz's of protein. (In the beginning, it was more like 2-3 ozs for me. A soft veggie about 1/4 cup and some mashed potato's about 1/4 cup or starch of your choice. I ate a lot of mashed potato's that first six weeks because they were the easiest for me to get down. Put all your food on a small salad plate and sit at the table or kitchen bar and eat. This is where I practiced the rules, I took very small bites, chewed, chewed, chewed and put my fork down between bites. I worked on the meal for 20 minutes and at 20 minutes if I still had food on my plate I tossed it. This takes discipline but if you can learn to do this early it really helps later on. Also during the first month after surgery, I really worried that I would never be able to get all the calories in and food they wanted. I went weeks struggling to get to 700 calories but with practice it happens over time.

You can do this, just think of it as another obstacle along the journey and with practice and patience you can get over it not around it.

To enable the band to work it's magic, you have to eat foods that challenge the tool and create the massaging of the lining of your stomach. Otherwise, you won't find satiety.

I ate more than the recommended 1/2-1 cup of food. No reason to feel hungry all the time. I know you should follow the Dr's orders but being hungry is painful. You'll be in bandster hell till you get a fill that gives you some restriction.

tmf

As formentioned the band will not work on mushies or liquids. You must progress to solid foods for it to do you any good. Also you can't live forever on really mushie foods.

Why are you afraid to eat stuff you like? You cannot eat too much of it if you stick to chewing as if your life depends on it and spending 20-25 minutes only at a meal. If you have the luxury of eating alone, that helped me...sometimes I couldn't follow the 20 minute rule if someone was talking to me and expecting conversation. Part of the reason the band works is that deprivation is not a big part of it. Sure, you shouldn't be eating all carbs, but a couple of bites is good. And milkshakes, potato chips, greasy foods...not good for you anyway, so now is a great time to cut those out and concentrate on healthy foods.

When I moved to soft foods, I had rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies, and a couple of bites of baked potato the first night. That was pure heaven after liquids and mushies!

You're going to do great! Trust yourself.