I am having a REALLY hard time. I was banded 12/19/05 and after 2 bites most meals, I have horrible pain and can't eat. I would love some feedback from anyone who has also gone thru this.

Thanks!

Do you know why some people suffer from this and others don't?

My doc keeps telling me I'm doing too big of bites or not chewing properly...but I know better! I am VERY frustrated!!!!!!...and in pain most meals!!!!!!

I SO hear you! I can’t seem to eat without hurting. I golf-ball almost every meal, at least once… sometimes two or three times. When I do PB, everything's chewed really well... I'm proud of that part, lol, but why on earth am I still PBing?

StrawartS posted this for dealing with a tight fill. I haven’t done the hot tea part yet… I’m not really tight, lol. But when I follow the rest of it, I do well. I’ve taken to actually watching a second hand… and this is what I found:

1. My normal bites are 0 seconds apart. My 2nd bite is in as SOON as I swallow.
   
2. My “slow” bites are 3-5 seconds apart. LOL!! Sad, but true.
   
3. 30-60 seconds is FOREVER!!!!

Dealing with first bite blues:

1. Drink HOT tea before your first bite.
   
2. Take a VERY small first bite.
   
3. Chew till the end of the earth.
   
4. Swallow.
   
5. Wait 1 minute.
   
6. Drink more HOT tea to wash it down.
   
7. Repeat steps 2-6 for the next few bites.
   
8. Put your fork down for 30 seconds to 1 minute between ALL subsequent bites.

Yesterday I timed 30-60 seconds between bites. 30 seconds seems to be pushing it -- I golf-balled a couple of times. 45-60 seems to work better for me. I'm really trying to FEEL 60 seconds... so I can quit being so clock obsessed!

Good luck! Hope you find your magic number!

Don't worry, you're not alone -- I have no additional word of wisdom, but I get it too...............what I try to do now is look at my plate and eat the least problematic food first (the softest). That way I know if I get a stuck situation not to even attempt the other foods...................