Hi All - I am almost 3 mo post, have lost 55lbs since surgery, and 85lbs since 1/1/13. That is all great, but eating is such a problem. I am very hungry, but if I eat more than a couple of bites of meat, fish or anything solid - I get an overwhelming feeling (ie painful) of fullness which lasts at least an hour and then turns into nausea for another hour. It makes eating so un-satisfying and leaves me hungry all the time. Plus my hair is really starting to fall out. I know the hair thing is normal, but is this problem eating normal or is it just part of the healing process. I am very discouraged and disappointed if this is the new me...

Have you tried eating slower and chewing it until it is pulverized? Like taking 2 bites off of a baby/shrimp fork and then waiting about 5 minutes before you take the next bite?

I have experienced the same issue. I had to eat more slowly and at times wait a few minutes before eating again. I was mistaking the gas I felt for fullness. For me it was a matter of the food not going down completely into the sleeve to resolve it. It does require me to nuke my food a few times until I finish my required amount of a meal.

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I forgot to say you have to chew, chew, chew, chew until things are mushy. That also helps me with my eating issue.

FYI- make sure the hunger you are feeling is true hunger and not head hunger. I am at 12 weeks and have to miss meals before I realize I need to eat something.

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Thanks for the replies. I guess I can always eat slower, its just that beyond some point of chewing it gets gross. It almost feels like it would be better to chew until all the flavor is gone and then just spit out whats left, but then I guess I'd miss the protein. Plus, when I chew so long and then stop eating, the problem is that I am still hungry. Uggh! Just frustrated.

Also try waiting a little while between bites. I know it's difficult when you feel really hungry, but it will pass quickly.

I get hungry too! My Dr. And Nut both seemed surprised by that.

I am about 10 weeks out and dense protein is still very difficult for me but it is getting slowly better. I cut it into teeny bites and chew very slowly. I still cannot get more than 2 ounces in. so I eat things like chili and ground meat instead. my doc says not to worry just go back to earlier stage and get protein that way. I also use premier bars (30 g each) every couple days. even Special K has protein version now and fiber plus protein bars have 10.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I can always eat slower' date=' its just that beyond some point of chewing it gets gross. It almost feels like it would be better to chew until all the flavor is gone and then just spit out whats left, but then I guess I'd miss the protein. Plus, when I chew so long and then stop eating, the problem is that I am still hungry. Uggh! Just frustrated.[/quote']

It doesn't always taste good when you chew so much, trust me I know. However, it is really necessary to help you get the food down. I was advised by my nut to eat as slowly as needed to get the required amount in and to cut all meat into thimble sized pieces. Your priority is to get in your protein to stave off other side effects ( hair loss, muscle loss, vitamin deficiencies, etc). Spitting food out robs you of the protein and leads to other issues. I actually started living off yogurt and protein shakes since they went down so easy. You should not stop eating because you are chewing so much, again I went through this. You should chew, put your fold down and then get another forkful once that goes down. You'll need to heat up your food several times and can put a little extra seasoning to help with the flavor. This will get easier , but you need to get through this fork in the road in order to succeed. Good luck to you.

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You bring up an interesting question... So why exactly do we have to chew so much. I can understand that if I had the RnY - everything is changed, dont have a stomach, etc. But with our sleeve - nothing is changed, really, except we have a smaller stomach. So why do we have to make things small or chew excessively. Its not like there is some new small hole that we are trying to fit our food through. Dont we just need to eat a smaller amount so as to not overfill our small stomach? I know this must sound crazy, but I started wondering as I was trying to explain to someone else....and yes my hair is thinning dramatically.

You bring up an interesting question... So why exactly do we have to chew so much. I can understand that if I had the RnY - everything is changed' date=' dont have a stomach, etc. But with our sleeve - nothing is changed, really, except we have a smaller stomach. So why do we have to make things small or chew excessively. Its not like there is some new small hole that we are trying to fit our food through. Dont we just need to eat a smaller amount so as to not overfill our small stomach? I know this must sound crazy, but I started wondering as I was trying to explain to someone else....and yes my hair is thinning dramatically.[/quote']

If you swallow your food in chucks it makes u full to fast if its chewed down to nothing you can it more protein .. Chew well helps you realize when you eating enough but if you take big bites and swallow chunks you might be too full before it hits your stomach then you be vomiting the rest

If you swallow your food in chucks it makes u full to fast if its chewed down to nothing you can it more protein .. Chew well helps you realize when you eating enough but if you take big bites and swallow chunks you might be too full before it hits your stomach then you be vomiting the rest

Or you might get the stuck feeling the opening to our new tummy is small

You bring up an interesting question... So why exactly do we have to chew so much. I can understand that if I had the RnY - everything is changed' date=' dont have a stomach, etc. But with our sleeve - nothing is changed, really, except we have a smaller stomach. So why do we have to make things small or chew excessively. Its not like there is some new small hole that we are trying to fit our food through. Dont we just need to eat a smaller amount so as to not overfill our small stomach? I know this must sound crazy, but I started wondering as I was trying to explain to someone else....and yes my hair is thinning dramatically.[/quote']

You need to chew so much to make room for the required amount of food you need to meet your protein goals. We have a smaller stomach ( sleeve) which will hold only about 4oz of food. At this point you should be getting in 3-4 oz protein and 1/4 cup of vegetables. You're over thinking this.

My brother in law had RnY 5 weeks before me and has lost 92lbs, but is dealing with malabsorption and has experienced dumping a few times. He was initially only able to eat a small amount of food, but now eats 1/2 subway sandwiches, buffalo wings, etc. it is also easier to stretch out the pouch with a bypass.

Speak to your nut and surgeon for guidance. Just try to stick to the plan and you'll see results and to minimize and stop hair loss.

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My dietician said to cut meat into pieces the size of a pencil eraser. Then chew each piece a minimum of twenty times. Always put your fork down between bites. Don't know if this will help you, but can't hurt.

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