I am hoping to have my sleeve done in early December, but the pre-op diet is killing me. I can do it first thing in the morning when I have a lot of will power, but as the day goes on I find it harder and harder to make myself eat those stupid pea-sized bites of food.

For those of you who has this same issue pre-op,

how is it going now that you have actually had the surgery? Are you still frustrated by the tiny bites, or does eating that way feel more natural now that you have your new stomach?

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I am in the minority here but I think practicing tiny bites pre-op is pointless and a waste of enegy.

You learn real fast, like day one, how to take small bites and sips. The swelling from healing will teach you real fast.

It also changes, and you adjust.

You can NEVER know pre-op what post-op is going to feel like.

If you want to do something now that is going to help you post-op, weigh and measure all your food. That skill is doing to do a lot more for you long term than fake practicing small bites when you have no idea what a small bite is really going to be for you post-op.

I agree. BUT I will say that chewing until mush was helpful for me to learn.

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I had every intention of small bite practicing but I'd finish and be like, "dang it I finished." I'm 5 days post op and have just increased from 1oz to 2oz each half hour. Large bites just are not an option. It causes gas a fullness pains. In the hospital they brought me way too much food. The nurse suggested I take the 1oz med cup and portion out what I wanted. Worked like a charm.

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It becomes second nature not to stuff your mouth. We became so aware how fast our daughter and others inhale their food. It really is enjoyable to eat slowly with small.bites.

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Tiny bites.....I don't do 'em.

Smaller bites......yes.

Chew the heck outa each......yes.

Eat a bit faster than was preached by NUT......yes.

You'll find what works for you.

@@anonmom I'm with @@OutsideMatchInside on this one. Eating slowly and mindfully pre-op will probably be more helpful in the long run. The best thing I did pre-op was dealing with emotional eating (boredom, mindless) with a few weeks of therapy. I didn't necessarily cut back portion sizes - but I stuck with high protein/low carb and when the time came for my pre-op liquid diet - I stuck to it 100% (with help from the therapy I received). I wouldn't bother practicing small bites/sips.

Thanks for all the replies! I'm really glad to hear that many of you seem to feel the way I do. I think slowing down my eating, chewing each bite thoroughly, taking smaller bites, eating more mindfully, etc. are important. But when the dietician says I should be taking pea-sized bites, it seems impossible.

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