Hey pre-ops out there...

I'm just under 4 weeks to go until d-day. I have a big problem that will be the death of me and I'm hoping for some input or tips from anyone else struggling with this.

My problem is that I eat way too fast and don't chew properly. I've done this most of my life, always being on the go, never enough time to sit and properly enjoy a meal, "hurry up and eat" syndrome is what I call it. Letting myself get too hungry, then finally eating and eating so fast that I don't realize how MUCH it is I eat until I'm way too over-full when everything finally settles in my stomach.

Since knowing I am doing the surgery for a few months now, I've tried to be real conscious about eating and chewing. Sometimes I can slow down. Most times I make a valiant effort to chew chew chew. Since getting my actual surgery date, I know I have no choice now but to get this under control or it will ruin me and I will make things very hard for myself.

I know - small bites, put down utensil, chew. 20-30 minutes per meal. For me, this is proving to be the biggest challenge. This is a lifetime of a bad habit that needs to change within a month. I need some help. Also wondering about the small sipping just post-surgery. So worried I'll swallow too large and either puke or be painful.

Anyone have any other useful tips or advice? Thanks

I can promise you post op it will be MUCH easier to remember and follow suit. I too worried about the eating too fast / not chewing enough thing. I also worried about NOT drinking around meals. All of these were lifelong ingrained habits. Once I started eating post op it was no longer a concern. I could feel as things hit my stomach. I waited to see how my stomach would react to it. I didn't drink because it wasn't really needed at first, not on liquid diet. Now I have been allowed to start introducing "solids". I had a turkey burger last night for dinner. Just a single patty, cooked with a piece of ff cheese and maybe a teaspoon of light mayo. A couple times during the course of the "meal" I had to stop and wait several minutes before continuing. I probably did not chew well enough and I could feel it when it hit my stomach. ( not pain, but uncomfortable) Your sleeve will help you remember what you need to do. But it is very proactive of you to be trying now! Just keep up the good work and you will succeed..

I'm preop and feel exactly the same way. I always say it's from 23 years of working in a hospital where we ate in 5 minutes to get back to patient care. It's a bad habit and it's ingrained in me. I'm so hoping I'll be scared to death and it will slow me down. So many fears but it sounds like there is so much benefit.

Glad to hear this. I tend to over-think and over-analyze situations.

Right now before surgery it's easy to TRY to comply and fail because there is nothing forcing us to do otherwise. Post-op, there really is no other choice because the small tummy will fight back with a swift punch and force us to correct the bad habits, hah.

I feel better about this now, thank you

I can promise you post op it will be MUCH easier to remember and follow suit. I too worried about the eating too fast / not chewing enough thing. I also worried about NOT drinking around meals. All of these were lifelong ingrained habits. Once I started eating post op it was no longer a concern. I could feel as things hit my stomach. I waited to see how my stomach would react to it. I didn't drink because it wasn't really needed at first, not on liquid diet. Now I have been allowed to start introducing "solids". I had a turkey burger last night for dinner. Just a single patty, cooked with a piece of ff cheese and maybe a teaspoon of light mayo. A couple times during the course of the "meal" I had to stop and wait several minutes before continuing. I probably did not chew well enough and I could feel it when it hit my stomach. ( not pain, but uncomfortable) Your sleeve will help you remember what you need to do. But it is very proactive of you to be trying now! Just keep up the good work and you will succeed..