I am pre-sleeved and I know this may be sort of a weird question but....

After surgery, how hard is it to adjust to eating, chewing, etc???????

I know you have to chew your food up, what are tips or tricks to that, or to remembering that???

I am currently a drinker while I eat...how did you adjust to that, I have heard you drink first then eat or vice versa????

Any ideas will be awesome!

Thanks

The drinking is the hardest part for me. It is best you don't drink anything for thirty minutes before you eat and wait at least thirty minutes to one hour after you eat. I get so thirsty.....I have always drinked while eating. I have found to set a timer....so it will help me to know when I can have a drink. I have forgotten and taken a drink to soon....it will fill up my stomach and a lot of times my food and everything will come up because I am too full. My NUT told me to take bites as little as the tip of my pinky finger and then chew chew chew. After a few times....of not chewing...eating to fast or eating too much... you will learn. The pain is horrible and it takes awhile for it to go away! There is an app called Eat Slower....it is a timer to help you to time yourself and eat slower. This is something that I am still working on. Good Luck! You can do this!

I thought I would have a much harder time with the no drinking while eating than I really did. I was a bit lucky in that my surgeon only requires I stop 5 minutes before eating and wait 20 minutes after eating. I've heard of some surgeons saying an hour before and an hour after! How could you possibly get all your Water in if you can't drink for like 80% of the day??!?!

Anyway, when I first started eating solid foods post-op, it was a little challenging, because I was used to being able to "wash down" dry foods. So, that took a little getting used to. I found it was best just to not have water within reach while I was eating, otherwise I would drink without even thinking about it. I had to re-train my brain. One fascinating thing I learned was that I had CLEARLY been using drinking while eating as a means of eating more food pre-op, without even realizing it. The first time I got a "full" sensation while eating solids post-op, my instinct was to reach for the water to wash down the food so I could eat more! I never realized that about myself until I was post-op.

I will say that, while I am cleared by my surgeon to drink 20 minutes after eating, I often find that after a full meal, I need to wait about 40-45 minutes anyway. Otherwise I feel overfull and uncomfortable. If I am just having a small snack, like a cheese stick or some yogurt, then it is easier for me to drink sooner after eating.

Thank you both so much! I know it is going to be a huge adjustment for me and your tips are really helping me!!!!

It takes a while to adjust because you basically have to relearn how to eat, lol!

Drinking as per my surgeon: stop drinking 30 mins before and don't start until 30 mins after. (Every surgeon is different however)

It doesn't bother me at all! Even if I eat spicy food which I love. I was told I was allowed a sip of Water if I REALLY need it but nothing to crazy or it will cause me to flush all the food out faster.

It's just something you eventually get used to. I had to learn my "full" signals too like when to stop eating (Still learning!) so that I don't get uncomfortable or have to vomit.

Right now, I am trying to really stop my habit of trying to guzzle water! It really hurts, like I swallowed a bowling ball. I think that is the one real thing I miss now!

I find it annoying to sip all day but I'll be damned if I am going to be readmitted for dehydration.

Good luck to you!

I didn't have a problem with the drinking because I started using that rule at least a month before surgery so that I could get used to it. Sometimes it frustrates me that I can't drink when I have eaten something spicy but I live with it.

As for the eating, I am STILL getting used to the smaller bites, more chewing, slowing down, etc. It will be a year for me at the end of April. I have been having a really hard time with the eating changes and if I don't do those things (smaller bites, more chewing, slowing down) I throw up. Sometimes I get so excited over my food (sounds odd but...) that I wolf it down then throw it right back up too. That isn't a whole lot of fun. There are things I have heard that can help like a bite counter app you can put on your phone that will count down how long you should be chewing for. Using a scale to weigh/measure foods can help with how much you are eating too if you tend to overeat.

The chewing thing wasn't an issue. I don't know that I chew any more now than I ever did. I eat a bit slower in self defense because 1 bite too many is not pleasant, (you learn not to over fill your pouch)! As far as drinking while eating, I thought this would be a problem for me but its just not. Particularly early on, if I tried that it'd kinda make my food float, (think foamies, reflux), so I learned not to do it. Not drinking while eating will also help slow you down and make you chew as you'll need to generate enough moisture on your own to swallow your food.

No drinking 30 minutes after has been tough. You will only need a few meals of not chewing everything to remember you need to chew. Right now I have a timer set so I know when I can drink again. The timer is very helpful with eating and drinking.