Just hoping someone could explain this to me, please. I know to stay away from slider foods such as ice cream, shakes, etc. but was wondering how the stomach differentiates between well chewed foods (ex: Soups, crackers, and even salads) if we're supposed to chew them until they're applesauce consistancy?

Went to Olive Garden for their Soup and salad special the other day and couldn't eat the soup even though I chewed very well (Soup Fajoule, but it was very, very think - stew consistancy) but the salad went down great. I had to stop when I thought I had enough because I really didn't feel my band helping me out like I usually do with other foods.

Hope my question makes sense. Thanks in advance for any responses!

Banded 10-7-08

320/284 as of 12/17

Good question. I've often wondered that myself. I know with meat, it chews down to more of a paste, but with salad and soups and stuff, I really don't know.

It is not so much the food sliding through as it is the calorie difference. Why eat a milkshake that have 500 calories when you can eat some other quality food. A milkshake will make me full but it's not going to do anything to help my cause.

Camping, this is my question too. If we're supposed to chew solid food until it is a liquid consistency so it can fit through the band, wouldn't is slip right on down to our bigger bottom pouch, where we don't feel as full?

My doctor said to be sure and not chew my food until it's a liquid consistency. I hadn't been anyway, because I wasn't having trouble with food getting stuck, and it made sense to me that I wanted my food to stick around in my upper pouch for awhile. I wish I could remember the consistency he recommended, but I think he said something like a paste.

Well, like kiz's doctor, I *do* find overchewing will mean I can eat way more. It does slide through more. Its a balance between chewing enough to prevent problems and overdoing it, lol.

But I agree, its one of those unanswerable questions - my big one is if food is supposed to sit in your pouch for a couple of hours, how come things get stuck right away?

thanks Kiz, that makes sense!

That is a big mystery to me. Oddly, I dont have to chew super well or eat itty bitty bites of food. SInce the last fill that got me to this wonderful restriction several weeks ago, I dont have any issues with food getting stuck like it did before. I cannot eat bread or any foods that 'swell' but I dont much care for bread or rice. I take normal bites (normal as in regular size person normal not stuffmyfaceIhavefoodissues normal) and chew a little more thouroughly. I stay full for 3-5 hours at a time.