Help! Eating Too Fast?

I'm a little more than 3 weeks post op and started on soft foods last week. I've done pretty well with them, but have had two very painful episodes of stomach pouch pain that each lasted about 20 minutes and then finally subsided -- once with ground beef and then again today when I had sliced deli turkey & ham on crackers. My portions and bites are small. The effect was almost immediate after my first couple of bites. I didn't dump -- but, oh! the pain! I think maybe I ate too fast? I've always eaten kind of fast, and honestly, I thought I was doing pretty good at eating so much more slowly. Does this sound familiar to anyone? If it's because I'm eating too fast, does anyone have any tips or suggestions for help with slowing down (more)? Thanks!

Sounds like you may be either eating too fast, not chewing it up good enough, or just not ready for hamberger and lunch meat. I did that one time with lunch meat when I was about 4 weeks out. Ate too fast, too big bites and didn't chew up good enough. I made the mistake of waiting too long to eat, doing it in front of the tv to boot. Oh and the pain! Lord. That was worse than giving birth. 2 hours of pure hell. I tried and tried to throw up, but got nothing at all. Just misery. Then it passed. It happened again at about 6 weeks with boiled chicken...ouch. This time it did come up because it couldn't pass through at all! yuck. Some times you have to make a complete all out effort to chew chew chew chew and wait about 5 minutes or longer between bites. And, your pouch is probably not ready for those types of meats yet. Try underwood chicken spread. It is very moist, doesn't require tons of chewing, and is loaded with protein. You can eat it plain or with crackers and cheese. I hope this helps. Take care and hang in. Remember this is truly a learning experience all the way around! Valerie Curry, Rn Lap RNY 07/10/2003 268/172/145

You're probably not ready for meat yet. I am almost 7 weeks out and today for the irst time i actually ate a few pieces of chicken without being in pain or just plain puking....I think my tummy is adjusting finally, but i am only going to try something new once a week to see what else i might have problems with. This sound silly, but i try to read something while eating and it slows me down...or tryting to talk to someone. Just make sure you chew really good and if you still feel sick then back away rom the meat for awhile. I was really surprised it made me sick, i used to love meat............ Good luck......Patty

At my 3 week time i was only on soft protien, fish, tuna, cottage cheese, eggs. and NO crackers. But i am on a totally different program then you are. I know if i eat anything that expands i feel that way, so no crackers, bread, rice...well, i felt that way in the beginning. I can have A LITTLE of that now, but i mean maybe 2 tiny bites and thats it. Hope you are doing well other then that. Oh yea, when i eat too fast i feel that way too. Good luck! Carrie Nov. 5, 2004 Lap, RNY 245 lbs. size 22 4 months later -100 lbs. 7 months later at goal...-115 lbs. size 4/5 130 lbs. 10 months today...still there!!!