Question:
Problems Chewing food?

I am just wondering how long it took other post ops to get the hang of this chew chew chew, and eat really slow. I am 3 and 1/2 months post op and I still have at least one if not two episodes a week of throwing up because I eat to fast or don't chew long enough. Everytime it happens I feel like such a failure because I feel like by now I should have been able to change those habbits but I can't. Has any one else had this problem? What did you do to overcome it? Sometimes I feel like I will never get the hang of using my new tool (pouch). Thanks    — Tami S. (posted on November 10, 2003)

November 10, 2003
I an 6 weeks post op and have had two instances of inadequate chewing. I find that I have to concentrate on eating and not try to do other things, even talk to someone, or I'll get carried away and eat too fast and chew too little. I spent just about an entire day in misery the second time I did it so have been a lot more careful. Just hang in there, keep trying and remember, habits that we've had for a lifetime can't be changed overnight.
   —  SCbabe B.

November 10, 2003
It's really hard to break old habits. You have to consciously do things to break the old patterns. Force yourself to slow down by making yourself put the fork down between bites. Early on, I made myself count my chews (I required different numbers for different types of food) before swallowing. As a previous poster said, concentrate on eating. We eat too fast and don't chew well enough when we are distracted, so stay away from the TV, or the phone, or the conversation of the moment while you are chewing. Measure out your food so you cannot eat too much. Old habits break as you form new ones. You can do this.
   — Vespa R.

November 10, 2003
It's really hard to break old habits. You have to consciously do things to break the old patterns. Force yourself to slow down by making yourself put the fork down between bites. Early on, I made myself count my chews (I required different numbers for different types of food) before swallowing. As a previous poster said, concentrate on eating. We eat too fast and don't chew well enough when we are distracted, so stay away from the TV, or the phone, or the conversation of the moment while you are chewing. Measure out your food so you cannot eat too much. Old habits break as you form new ones. You can do this.
   — Vespa R.

November 10, 2003
Do you actually measure your food and finish your meal within 15-20 min? Might not be the chewing, but the volume. If your full-o-meter doesn't go off, you could eat right past it and then find you have to refund part of the meal.
   — vitalady