I have mentioned before how i find it difficult to eat slowly and think i pain i get just above where my stomach starts is because of eating to fast however this really does my head in even at nearly 6 mths out. So my question is when we have the gastric sleeve the only dynamics that change is the size of our stomach not where the food exits the esoephgus into the stomach, so if we measure why do we have to eat slow???

Would appreciate anyones reply but interested to here from vets when and if they can eat at a relatively normal pace and how far out you were....

I would feel so much better to eat my 'normal' pace

In the beginning I had to eat slowly because I didn't know how much it took to make me full. And one bite too many was very painful. My stomach has different limits depending on the food. At around 10 months post-op, it had become a habit.

I also have an unconscious "food meter" which tells me when I'm approaching my limit. So I can quickly scarf down a few bites of whatever safely, if I'm in a hurry.

But most of the time, I eat everything out of the same bowl, so I know I can eat the entire amount at whatever speed I want without getting overfull.

Hi Jo,

Thanks for the reply, can you tell me how many ozs you consume in yr 'bowl' at 10 mths?

It's an 8 oz bowl. Up until around month 6, my bowl was 4 oz. At 6 months I noticed I could eat a bit more every meal and by month 9, I was up to 8 oz.

Now at 18 months, I can eat between 8 oz to 14 oz depending on the food. Protein is much more dense, so I can't eat as much as something like salad, vegetables, or fruit.

It's an 8 oz bowl. Up until around month 6, my bowl was 4 oz. At 6 months I noticed I could eat a bit more every meal and by month 9, I was up to 8 oz.

Now at 18 months, I can eat between 8 oz to 14 oz depending on the food. Protein is much more dense, so I can't eat as much as something like salad, vegetables, or fruit.

This is extremely helpful information. Thank you for sharing.

It takes your brain 20-25 minutes to register you are full. I try to eat slow so my brain can keep up with my stomach. I don't want to over eat and I'd like to feel full for as long as possible.

I don't like eating slow - i mean really - how long does it take one to eat 4 oz of food - most people that is two bites, for the rest of us it is the whole meal.

I do find it difficult to make 4 oz last 20-25 minutes but each meal I try. I notice the slower I eat the fuller I feel longer. As everything else everyone is different - find what works for you.

Good question! I was wondering why if I take a drink of Protein shake or a small spoon of bariatric pudding (low carb, high protein), it is difficult to swallow and will come right back up. This does not occur with salmon or chicken or veggies.

If the only thing that was altered is the size of the stomach-why would some foods just sit in the esophagus or come back up immediately? Is it the body rejecting the sugar alcohols?

why are some foods difficult to swallow and some easier when they are chewed and swallowed the same?

The size of the opening into the stomach is the same but since the stomach is smaller, all that food doesn't have as much space to move to. For me, it's like eating through a funnel. I can put a lot in at once but it takes a while to drain through so it can sit there or backup if I try to put too much in too quickly. It gets quite painful if I do this.

I too struggle with the same problem (.May 12 th was my magic #.) I find myself hungry and scarfing down a bite or two then paying for it ! UGH...the way it makes me feel , sometimes i do end up throwing up , but then its the slimes....I have done well in what to eat and what not, but having to re learn HOW to eat it !!

I had this discussion with the wife last night. We have decided to start eating at the dining room table instead of infront of the TV. It's a confussing topic because of all the different concepts I have been told. For instance, The physisians assistant I see for post surgical appointments tells me to not exceed a 1/4 cup in one meal (I consider her an idiot, she has been wrong several times and not had the surgery), The NUT tells me 1/2 cup is not an issue but dont exceed 1500 cals per day ( She seems to know what she is talking about), but has not had the surgery) . Then you talk with others that have had the surgery years ago and they will say eat slowly until you are full. I have also heard it is painful to over eat, which I have found not to be true. Uncomforatable for a short amount of time yes painful no. My biggest problem is grazing after eating. Although that might not be koser I do document my intake and do not exceed 1200 cals a day.

Got home around 9:30pm and ate a bite of chicken too fast. I had already started to swallow when I realized it wasn't chewed as well as it should have been. No issue, so I had three more bites, then I got sick and it all came back up. The process is awful, foaming and throwing up for 30 minutes. Needless to say, I ended up feeling lucky I eventually got some Water down last night. No dinner.

I think it is essential to make meals a mindful experience. This is the second time this has happened to me. I don't want this to happen again-it's awful.

Nights I end up working late-I need to make sure I take time out to eat something so I don't come home hungry. That was the common factor in both my experiences (above). I'm stopping at the store to pick up some items I can keep at work for such occasions so this does not happen again.

It's a learning experience and it's amazing how if you are not completely engaged in the meal process, you will revert to your old eating patterns.

I got a barium swallow x ray the day after surgery and if your doc does a tight sleeve your esophagus is larger than the opening to the stomach, so as you swallow it has to funnel in. It was a HUGE help to see that visual.

If you haven't gotten to see your own stomach in action, I'd ask for a barium xray and be able to watch yourself swallow so you can see how it works. Really really helpful.

I have also learned the hard way to pay attention when eating !! Small slow bites! Chew chew chew !

I am pre-op but have been practicing chewing my food 20-30 times per bite since I have always eaten fast. One benefit to slowing down is that I get to taste that one bite for much longer and each subsequent bite is more satisfying.