I have always eaten fast. I an trying to slow down, but I don't think I'm slow enough. I am in the puree stage. How long do you all wait in between each bite?

I try to sit away from distractions, at the table, not in front of the TV. (Which was an old munchie habit. ) That really helps me slow down. Sometimes I put my fork/spoon down on my plate in between bites so I am not thinking of it as a shovel. Take the chance to breathe in between bites.

Use small plates, to this day I still do. Measure out your food and use small utensils, this really works. Take your small bite and put down your fork or spoon. Feel your sensation when swallowing and food travelling down to your tummy, be in the moment. This will also help you to know when you are satisfied as it happens with just one bite so you need to be eating slowly to realize it.

Download an app called Eat Slower for your phone. You can set it to chime when you should take a bite.

I use Eat Slower on my phone, too. It was great for teaching me to slow down. I don't use it so much now, but I did for months and it was a huge help. Remember to take tiny bites, too.

When I first got to real food I would be full after 3 bites. If I ate more I would be so sick and uncomfortable. Over time my tummy stretched a tad (I can eat about a half cup at a meal now), and I found that if I went realllly sloooow with tiny bites, I could get down 3 oz. of Protein and a couple of bites of veg in a 30 minute time period and I could easily tell when enough was enough, so I rarely overeat to the sick point now.

It's a learning period to see what your body will handle.

I'm going on three years post, soon, and I still put my utensil down after each bite. Not only put it down, but I put my hands on my lap. If I don't, I'll just grab that utensil immediately. I also chew much slower, ensuring the food is really ground down. This was also a problem for me as when I inhaled food, I would only give it a few chews before swallowing. After I swallow, still having my hands on my lap, I evaluate how I feel.

Am I beginning to feel any restriction? If yes, then I stop.

Do I really want another bite? Do I really like what I am eating and am I eating just for the sake of eating?

Why do I want another bite? Am I trying to feed some emotional hole or is my body needing nutrition?

If I am satisfied with my answers and I am feeding my body, not my head, I pick up the utensil and repeat.

I picked up a nice set of "baby" utensils, and I find that they really help! That and smaller plates. I'll also be getting a hourglass sand timer (30 minutes) and make sure I use that time to consume each meal. It's hard, though, especially when you're only having 4oz of broth.

Be well…

Downloaded Eat Slower and it works! Thank you for the suggestions!

I am having the same problem, thanks for the tip about Eat Slower I will try it.

I am almost 3 weeks post op and I too am having a problem with eating slower.. Thanks for the advice about the app.. I'm going to download it right now!!

I set the timer on my phone for one minute. Two minutes would probably be even better.

For those who use the Eat Slower app, what time interval do you set the timer to?

I bought a few sets of cocktail utensils to use. Each home I took a bite, I would get up and walk a lap around my house after swallowing. This helped me get my steps in and more importantly, it helped me burp when I was newly sleeved.