Help! I need to learn to eat slow!

[krisstep 31]

Omg I am having such a hard time eating slow ... I know it's all about chewing 100 times before swallowing, but why am I having such a hard time??

[lvan83 8]

I am having a horrible time too. I feel like food keeps getting stuck in my esophagus. And then I have to wait forever for it to work it's way down to my stomach. It sucks, but its a work in progress.

[krisstep 31]

Well that's the problem I don't have a hard time with food. Maybe if I did get stuck it would have slowed me down... Am I normal ?!

[Djmohr 6,965]

I still struggle with this. I find I am eating too fast all the time but don't notice it until something gets stuck. I am waiting for the day I really do a number on myself. I try hard to pay attention to what I am doing but I hate when my food gets cold and I still eat so little that it simply goes down too fast.

I guess the answer is practice, practice, practice!

[Mayaresearchmom 104]

I was told to chew each bite 40 times, and to put my fork or spoon down between each bite. I also used baby spoons and forks at the very beginning to get used to the smaller bite sizes needed. LOL, believe me, if you use those you will have no choice but to eat slower.

[SandyS 77]

I still use baby spoons and forks. I am 9 weeks post op. I have eaten with a normal fork and boy I really made myself sick with bigger bits. Love those little utensils!

[PhillyChick 8]

I'm working on this as well. I wasn't given a "chew number" but was told to wait a minute between each bites. So I read a paragraph or two between bites and since I'm reading 3 books at once, it's getting easier to slow down. Also, the other thing I've tried is walk around the house between bites.

[goodnuff 239]

I'm pre-op but this is one, of many, things I knew I needed to practice ahead of time. I bought tasting forks and spoons, smaller plates and bowls and am using an app called Eat Slower. It is unreal how long a minute feels and how long I'd eat if I ate my "normal" sized meals. It took me 45 minutes to eat two eggs and 1 cup of quinoa this morning. I love the app, I can put my phone on my leg with my hand over it at restaurants and feel the timer vibrate without my companions noticing. Hope you find something that helps.

M

[SSMMOO 2]

I too struggle with this. I've learned to set a timer on my phone and I cut my food into 4 "portions" on my plate. I'm still on stage 2/3 with mushy foods and full liquids so it's super hard! But I give myself 5 minutes for each "portion". I also use baby utensils and saucers to eat so it looks like a lot more than it is! I've even learned how to make a string cheese last 20 minutes!!