Old Habits Hard To Break

Well guys there are just some things that I have a hard time not doing. One of the big ones is cramming my mouth full when I eat. You would think my lunch break is ten minutes and I got a whole pizza to eat. The good thing is I don't try to down all that real fast has some of you know it just don't happen that way. I have this mouth full of food and have to chew, chew, chew for what seems like longer than some rodents carry their young. I have yet, thank you Lord, to get sick and throw up or even have the fomies but it sure take a long time. If I do that during dinner with friends (which I try not to) sometimes they will just move on when they ask me a question and I sit there with my cheeks full as a hamster. O well I'm getting better.
I like to drink like that to.
David

So has your pouch gotten bigger?  If it has remained small, then it's a good thing...You will be able to keep the weight off longer.  For most people, between 6-12 months, their pouch expands to between 5-6 oz (as per my surgeon).  This is one of the reasons for many regains after a year or two.  What looks like a curse to you, may be a hidden blessing in disguise.  Brian

I hope the old pouch has not grown very much. I don't think it has cause some things like water if I drink to much I sure can feel. I may have crammed my mouth full but still eat small meals and don't let all that go down at once. I do hope it stays small. I'm getting a lot better at not eating as big a bites.
Thanks,
David

I feel for you Dave. Learning to take smaller bites and chewing.. chewing.. chewing before picking up the fork again is one of the toughest things for me to learn too.  It's one of the reasons I eat a lot of chicken and fish.  If I eat those to fast, I pay the price with some nasty foamies.

 

Thanks Herc;
I have not had a big issues with foamies or throwing up for that matter. I think I'm one of the few who have not. Chicken and fish seem OK to me. I'm not a fan of pork, and don't like beef real well either, tho funny post surgery I like beef more. Because I was such a coward early on I think, Lord willing, my stomach healed up good. I extended all the time limits on food I could eat by weeks and some times months.  It is hard to break old habits.
David

Like you, David, I don't have any of the problems associated with my  RNY.   I didn't have any fomies or nausea since about 8 weeks out, I don't have any problem with dumping, and the only thing I notice is that I can;t eat very much.   What a great thing!   The weight is still coming off, I am only about 10 lbs from the surgeons goal, 15 from mine, and I am not even 6 months out.   Life is great.
I read on the main board of all of these problems that a lot of the girls have, and I am forever grateful.  Of course, I am feeling a lot better now after coming off of a month long stall!  In the two weeks since it ended, I have lost 10 lbs., and boy do I feel relieved.  I thought I was going to stay at 190 forever.  I leave in about three weeks to trek through India and Nepal, and I am wondering what my pouch is going to think of all of that strange food.   Good thing I love hot peppers!

^ months and doing so well, why to go. It is a good thing to not be able to eat to much. I do dump, get nausea if I eat to much sugar, as you say "what a great thing". That will be something for you to figure out what to eat while on your trek. Best of luck there. Only six months out you may lose a little more weight than you had planned. I did.
Have fun on the trek,
David

I am bringing my netbook with, so I will post a "virtual postcard",

I looked up about 4 months out and realised for the first time ever, that I had the habit of reloading my fork while as soon as I emptied it. Because I was chewing everything very, very carefully at that point, I'd have to  hold the next bite of food on my fork for 30 secons or so before I could eat it. All of a sudden I realised that I'd been doing that for years, except that prior to surgery I'd have that next bite in my mouth a lot quicker. I forced myself for a while to put my fork down in between bites and not reload it until I had swalloed. Now that I'm 2 yrs 4 months out and can eat pretty much normally, I'm probably doing it again. I guess I ought to check on that and practice eating slower again.

I am 2 years out.  I've found that I can eat a fairly normal size meals.  Ex.  4-6 oz protein (maybe 8oz if its fish or shrimp), say a small 4-5 oz baked potato of some type, a few bites of some other veggie around 4-5 oz and maybe a bite or 2 of some carbs.  I am fairly sure my pouch has grown a bit but I am careful to try and eat the right stuff (not that I don't indulge, I do from time to time).  I tried to learn good eating habits along the way as far as food choices go but it still takes work.  Exercise is a must to stay where I am at.  I know if I make the wrong choices too often, regain will happen.  I track what I eat religiously and I have a BodyBugg that keeps track of my caloric burn so I know what I am buring vs. eating.  Normal day, I consume 2000-2400 calories and burn 2600-3300, depending on exercise and burn rate.  I am not really losing a whole lot these days but I don't have much to lose.  Been focusing on muscle mass so I think I am swapping out fat for muscle, at least I hope so.  I eat slowly and chew chew chew.  Dinner sometimes takes an hour but I eventually get it all in.  Pouch feels full but not painful, of course, there are days where I never feel full too.  I guess my point is the weight loss is composed of so many aspects, especially long term.  Eating slowly, chewing food well, exercise, and good food choices all make up the equation for long term stabilization.  At least thats my story, everyone is different but this seems to be working for me

Dalton