Had my surgery July 20 and I am struggling to eat even the softest food without having chest pain. Any suggestions? I really need help it hurts so much.

I'm sorry to hear that... how quickly did you move from liquid to soft foods? Sometimes, some people need a little more time with liquid before moving forward.

Another thing that really helped was taking really small bites. I used baby silverware for a while, taking REALLY small bites, and setting a timer for 3 minutes in between each bite (after chewing REALLY thoroughly). It was tedious and boring, but it kept me from hurting a lot.

Is it only when you eat or is it all the time? Did your doctor give you a PPE (like pantoprazole or something to help with acid)?

If it's causing a lot of distress to the point where you can't eat, contact your surgeon or nutritionist, as well. They should have some advice to help you, or can give you an idea of what's going on to cause that.

I hope you feel better soon.

I'm on day 16 and I read my grocery list to my dietitian and she was pretty okay with it. Mix it up. I try to buy things I can easy mix in my Genepro. I bought Wholly Guacamole, Applesauce, Yogurt, Deli Meat. I also agree, baby spoon is something I want to buy. The only time I felt stomach pain was with my diet lemonade, stay away from citrus. Sorry to hear you are going through this.

Did you have a puréed stage? This usually follows the liquid stage. Give it a go & leave the soft foods for another week or so as your tummy probably isn’t ready for more dense foods yet even if they’re soft.

Don’t worry if you move more slowly through the stages. We all heal differently & can eat different foods at different times as we progress through our weight loss. Listen to your tummy - it will quickly let you know what it can or can’t tolerate as you progress.

If you are experiencing pain or difficulty as you advance your stages, simply take a step back. Like Arabesque discussed above, if soft foods are not working for you, go back to puree for a couple of days then try it again.

And, as always:

• Take small bites (like baby-spoon bites)
• Chew well
• Eat S-L-O-W-L-Y. To the point where you put your fork/spoon down in between bites. If you have trouble with this, put it down and sit on your hands for a little while.