I know everyone is different of course but I’ve just been daydreaming about normal eating (months away for me lol)

What if you don’t chew properly, is it a problem every time? Or did you find your stomach got better at dealing with variations?

What was your experience?

Chewing well at the slower pace become my normal by about 6 months. Honestly, it's just the way it is, little thought required.

On very rare occasions, when I'm rushing eating for some reason, food get's stuck. It's still uncomfortable.

My level of restriction is also as it was at about 6 months. I don't know if this is because I rarely pushed my limits, or my surgeon did an exceptional job, or I'm just lucky or cursed.

Good luck,

Tek

I’m almost 5 years out. Sometimes I have to remind myself to eat slower because my 3.5 oz of food can be gone too quickly. Sitting down (not standing up at the counter) & putting my fork down between bites helps a lot. We eat at the couch a lot (it’s just me & my husband) so I cut all my meet up before we sit down. I really have to remind myself to slow down then!
When I’m done eating I will swish some water in my mouth & swallow. It helps to get the taste of the food out of my mouth & any little partials that may be hiding in my teeth out.
BTW: I still weight my food when I’m at home. I don’t go over 3.5 oz. I know if I eat more then that I will be uncomfortably full & have to lay down!

I definitely eat faster than I did the first few months out - not sure if it's as fast as I did pre-surgery, though. And although I chew more than I did pre-surgery, I often forget about the "20 times" rule (you really are supposed to chew things pretty thoroughly, though, because our stomachs don't churn nearly as much as they used to - so some of the "churning" needs to take place before the food even hits your stomach - thus...chewing thoroughly)

if I do a really bad job of chewing, my stomach will usually let me know. It'll either be really uncomfortable, or it'll come back up.

I ate REALLY quickly before surgery, which is one of the reasons I got so big.

To be honest, I never ate as slowly as I was supposed to after surgery, but I slowed down significantly. It was partly intentional, and partly because I simply couldn't go as quickly without extreme discomfort. (Pre-surgery, I didn't understand what people meant about food "getting stuck," but I do now.).

Even now, I feel a bit sick when I eat too quickly. I've tried to cultivate a habit of "mindful" eating and savoring each bite. It makes eating a much more enjoyable experience and also slows me down. At this point, I feel like I'm eating as quickly as I want.

I still struggle to eat meals in 30 min, I'm usually done between 10 to 15min, I do try to take a bit chew chew chew, walk a little and then repeat but still too fast, its a habit I want to kick,since it makes me feel full faster, without eating all my protein.

I still eat slowly. Not quite as slowly as in the beginning. Mostly it’s about eating mindfully for me & not overeating. If I eat too quickly or without care my restriction will kick in & at worst I’ll get the foamies. Also remember it takes time for the message you’ve had enough to eat to get through. By the time you feel full you often have already eaten more than you actually need.

If you want to slow your eating try putting your cutlery down between bites. Sit back from the table. Work out small strategies to slow your eating down. Like if dining out I don’t eat while someone is speaking (unless it’s a long story ?) & I focus on them not my food. If watching a program take a bite when a scene changes. Sometimes I only eat after I win an online game or after I’ve read one or two pages. Instead of a drinking game make a eating game.

I’m 2.5 years out and I eat more quickly now than I did in my early post-op days (I used to set a timer for 1 minute between bites), but still slower than I used to eat. I got in the habit of eating slowly, so even without using a timer, I now automatically pause between bites and chew very well. Because it’s now a habit, I don’t feel like I’m eating slowly, but on the rare occasion when I eat a meal with other people instead of alone, I am usually the last to finish eating.

Early on, I had a lot of trouble with meat feeling stuck on the way down, no matter how well I chewed it. That almost never happens anymore, but maybe once every few months if I don’t chew well enough, it might. Again, though, I now chew everything well without really thinking about it.

On 02/05/2023 at 22:32, BigSue said:

I’m 2.5 years out and I eat more quickly now than I did in my early post-op days (I used to set a timer for 1 minute between bites), but still slower than I used to eat. I got in the habit of eating slowly, so even without using a timer, I now automatically pause between bites and chew very well. Because it’s now a habit, I don’t feel like I’m eating slowly, but on the rare occasion when I eat a meal with other people instead of alone, I am usually the last to finish eating.

Early on, I had a lot of trouble with meat feeling stuck on the way down, no matter how well I chewed it. That almost never happens anymore, but maybe once every few months if I don’t chew well enough, it might. Again, though, I now chew everything well without really thinking about it.

Thanks so much for sharing this! Sounds very workable and gives me hope for the evolution :) we will shall see what it brings me