30 Chews

I am having a really hard time with 30 chew rule.  I had my band put in a month a go and I feel so good that I really forget that I have my band at times. and as a result I get myself into trouble.  I am now eating regular foods and i find that tend to chew, chew and then swallow when I really need a few more chews in there.  I had no idea that  I would struggle so much with this aspect... I thought the no drinking during and 30 min post meal would be hard (not a problem) but the chewing and allowing it to settle before the next bite!  I stink at that.  Fortunately I have not had any productive burps or vomiting, but I have had a few stuck episodes.

What worked for you to get this down?  I really want to learn this before I have a real issue!
Michele

 At the beginning this was an issue for me as well.  As I have received a couple of fills the chewing has become essential.  I just chew, chew, chew until it is a pureed consistency.  Certain foods, such as chicken for me, I have to chew more than say lean ground beef.  It is different for everyone.  I just really concentrated on it during meals.  It was awkward thinking about it at first all the time and concentrating on it.  Now I just do it without really thinking about it.  It is a matter of habit now.  When you sit down to eat, I limit all my distractions and concentrate on the task at hand.  I would tell my husband not to talk to me while I ate.  It sounds silly, but when I am distracted I tend to swallow too soon.  For a while you really just have to practice at it until it becomes habit.

This is such a tough task. I tried doing it before my band was placed, and kept giving up. It's hard to socialize while you're trying to chew and count, etc. I know when I start solids that it's going to be one of the hardest parts. I have a friend who is 3 years out, and she said it's such second nature, that she just does it.
(Here's hoping)

I started to push the food into the front of my mouth instead of letting it fall to the back. This way, I have to chew with my front teeth as opposed to the back and more saliva is produced. Once that happens, the food almost instantaneously dissolves, with the combination of chewing and the enzymes in the saliva.
Then a few chews on the back teeth, and it slides right down.
It's a workout, but one way to avoid letting food travel too fast down the throat.
Just another detail needed for sucessful band survival.
Best of luck.
Mary

This is a concern for me as well.  I am scheduled to have lap band surgery on July 20th.  I thought the biggest deal for me was going to be giving up soda.  Well, I have conquered that but I cannot seem to slow down the eating.  I am a phenomally (sic) fast eater.  So my best wishes to you in your endeavor to slow it down.  :o)

Yes, all the new rules are hard to follow, especially when your early out and do not have too much restriction. But the best part is you are learning a new way to eat, and it actually does get easier. I really don't count this far out, anymore, but eating small bites, chewing well and not drinking with meals is routine for me now. Your are doing great, continued good luck!!

Michele,

I focus more on slow eating then i do on chewing.  I find that when I slow down I am able to concentrate more on what I am doing, so I focus on what is in my mouth.  This has worked for me.   I am a little over 3 months out and have not had a fill yet.  However, I try to think of when I mght need a fill in the future and think of having to relearn how to chew then.  Just not worth it so I work on it now.

I have never been stuck, never vomited and never PB'ed.  It gets easier as you go on!!

Small bites and slow eating is the hardest part for me.  I too have gotten stuck a few times because of this, dry chicken, and occasionally, bread.  I didn't think the waiting for fluids would bother me, but I find myself watching the clock.  Getting used to it though.  Also I found if I take smaller bites, 20 chews works:)

Hi there, 

I learned to take small (what I would have called "tiny" pre wls) bites and put my fork down between bites.  With every fill my band reminded me to slow down and wait until my mouth is empty after I swallow before I pick up my fork again.  Eating became a different experience.  Now when I see people taking bites the size of a 1/4 of a hot dog in the bun I almost begin to choke.  I'm sure I use to shovel food down like that too pre wls, but I'd end up in the ER if I tried it now. 

I read somewhere that our bites should be the size of a plain M&M.  The more fills I get, my bites get closer to that size.  Right now I take bites that are about the size of a grape.  It's also important for me not to get ravenously hungry.  That's when I want to scarf food down which would cause a big problem.

With practice and negative reinforcement reminders from my band, slowing down and chewing became second nature.

 The rule of chewing is something that I believe over time becomes habit. And trust me when I tell you that if you don't follow the rule, you may feel the food "stuck" and feel pain. I know that feeling all too well! Sometimes I feel feverish, body aches, pain that I just want to roll over and die! So the band reminds me of the "chewing till its pulverized" and then swallow. Put my fork, spoon,  down for a rest in between. Habits. Breaking old, In with new ones.....Keep up the great job!  


SW  267
CW  222
GW 165