I know after sleeve we need to slow down our eating. I have a tendency to eat fast like many of you. I have graduated to soft food and of course that is still 1/4 to 1/2 cup food. How long should I stretch that amount of food out?

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The rule at my surgeon's office is that you have to stop eating at 20 minutes (earlier if you are no longer hungry). You can not extend your meal time beyond the 20 minutes because they consider that "grazing".

If you have your food portioned out, you are not grazing. Especially when you are fresh from surgery. Grazing is just mindlessly eating non stop. It might take some people 30 minutes to eat 2 ounces when they are on soft foods. People need their nutrition, as long as they are eating their proper allotted portion there is nothing wrong with it taking longer.

I never really ate slowly. I hate cold food, so I never really slowed down. I eat my allotted portion and that is it. I did make sure to chew thoroughly.

The most important thing is to always weigh/measure your food and do not over eat.

I think I need to get a food scale! I have never weighed my food, I think it's time to do so!

Food scale is the most important tool after the sleeve itself imo.

My plan states 20 minutes for a snack and 30 for a meal. I always use a scale.

My program recommends a meal should take 20-30 minutes to eat. They stress protein shakes and supplements to help bridge the gap with nutrients during the early months. I've been relatively lucky and can drink with ease and consume almost all of my meals in that time frame.

20 minutes or so. I put my fork down, and sometimes have to remind myself to force my fork down. Hard habit to break. But I hate feeling sick so I force the fork down. I try to wait 1 minute between each bite.

I bought a scale just before leaving home for surgery. I confess that I have yet to use it, almost 6 weeks post op.

The caveat is that I have to portion my food for a week at a time because I am not home for 7 days, home for 36-48 hours then gone again for 7 days with my work schedule. So each meal is ladled into a small tupperware container, 1 cup at a time.

Often it takes me several hours to get the whole cup of chill or Soup down. I also cooked and froze some meatballs that I can zap in the microwave, and they're easy enough to portion control.

I think I need to get a food scale! I have never weighed my food, I think it's time to do so!

I use a scale all the time, but I combine it with a measuring cup. Volume and weight don't always match up. I was gettting hungry early for a while, and discovered that a 1/2 cup of the food I was eating came out as 6-7 oz on the scale.

I have religiously used a food scale since the beginning of my six month pre-op diet back in March. I actually have 4 of them now because I have forgotten one on a couple of trips and had to pick a new one up. It is my most relied-upon tool after the sleeve itself.

I know that I eat too fast, but it hasn't caused any problems. One of my meat meals (e.g., 2 oz of salmon and 1 oz of green beans) takes about 10 minutes to eat.

As far as this grazing thing -- I have always taken grazing to mean you are constantly eating throughout the day and many of these foods are things you shouldn't be eating, not that you are working toward your appropriate daily Protein goals. I eat 8 times a day, about 90 minutes apart. I'm not grazing; I'm eating comfortable size meals that add up to about 950-1000 calories, less than 20 carbs, and 90-100 grams of protein per day -- exactly where I should be.

Edited December 10, 20169 yr by blizair09