Newly banded on 12/19 so I'm still on mushies and trying to figure it all out. Standard instructions seem to be 3-4 oz of Protein followed by 1 cup of veggies and 1/2 cups of carbs if still hungry staying under a calorie limit set by doctor. I'm clear on that. The method of eating is confusing me. Take very small bites and chew fully. (Check) Wait one minute between bites. (Check) Don't eat longer than 20 minutes. (Ch....Confused!) In all seriousness, if I take small bites and wait in between I can't imagine even getting the protein eaten in 20 minutes let alone the veggie and possible starch.

I tried this with a 1/2 cup if cottage cheese and didn't finish it within 20 minutes.

Any insight is appreciated.

Yeah, I never really paid attention to those rules during the healing phase and during bandster hell. Those are good rules once you get restriction(after a few fills), but I agree with you. I was told to use a baby spoon and eat just like you explained. LOL No way that's going to work for me?

Once I started to find some restriction it would take me 30-40 minutes to eat. I was still looking for that full feeling but then learned it was the satisfied feeling I was looking for. But, that's not your case here at all?

Not doctor recommended, but maybe you can eat a little bigger bites while on mushies?

tmf

For starters, I was told that my meals should not exceed 1 cup of food total. Are you sure it is 1 cup of veggies your dr. recommended? Mine was 3-4 ounces of protein, 1/2 c veggies and 1/4 cup starch if still hungry. I wait about 30 sec. between bites (putting my fork down). Also, the chewing they told me to chew about 20-25x per bite. I am able to finish most of my meal w/ the exception of the starch, which isn't really the nutrient rich item anyway.

In the beginning you won't be able to eat so much. I did not eat that much for months. Take it slow and let your body let you know when enough is enough right now. You are still healing. Good luck!

I was banded 12/17 and I'm still on full liquids

Newly banded on 12/19 so I'm still on mushies and trying to figure it all out. Standard instructions seem to be 3-4 oz of Protein followed by 1 cup of veggies and 1/2 cups of carbs if still hungry staying under a calorie limit set by doctor. I'm clear on that. The method of eating is confusing me. Take very small bites and chew fully. (Check) Wait one minute between bites. (Check) Don't eat longer than 20 minutes. (Ch....Confused!) In all seriousness, if I take small bites and wait in between I can't imagine even getting the protein eaten in 20 minutes let alone the veggie and possible starch.

I tried this with a 1/2 cup if cottage cheese and didn't finish it within 20 minutes.

Any insight is appreciated.

You might want to clarify with your doctor the amount of food. I eat 3-4 oz of protein, 1/2 cup of veggies & 1/4 cup of starch if I'm still hungry & usually not. It takes me about 30 minutes to eat that. I do wait 30 seconds to 1 minute between bits. This is a learned skill and it will take you a while to find a rhythm that works for you.

Good luck.

I was asking about after mushy stage when one begins to eat "normal". I might be wrong about the amounts, I'll have to double check. But still it seems it would be hard to accomplish even with the reduced amounts of veggie and starch in 20 minutes.

I was asking about after mushy stage when one begins to eat "normal". I might be wrong about the amounts, I'll have to double check. But still it seems it would be hard to accomplish even with the reduced amounts of veggie and starch in 20 minutes.

Luckily its not exact science. You will find what works best for you. Just go with that and you will do fine.

Good luck to you.