Small Bites... a question for the experienced bandster

[normal life 0]

Hi i find chewing my food well about 25 times helps and i never drink after i have eaten at least for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Sometimes getting up and walking around if something is stuck helps to push it down. I hope that helps. Bye

[Road Queen 0]

Boo, when u are out in public use regular silverware. chew and have small bites. Nobody will notice. You will start noticing that they are all too busy pigging out to look at the size of your bites.

Those changes will require thinking at first but later will be habit. I don't even think about how small my bites are now.

[Chickie 15]

Great post, Photonut.

How does everyone eat with baby utensils and take bites the size of M & M's and explain to friends? I am now terrified to eat out with friends. I am a closet bandster and don't want to appear as if I have developed an eating disorder.

I was so embarrassed to eat at an event that I ate too much, too fast trying to look normal. The thirty minutes in the bathroom were painful enough to make me want to avoid eating in public altogether!.

You will find no one really watches as closely as you may think.

And if they do, tell them to bugger off :heh:

[PhotoNut 7]

Road Queen's right. Although I have asked for a regular spoon when presented with a Soup spoon for chili. The times I have gone out with family, friends, and other bandsters, everyone has been too busy talking and eating to notice me. I just put my fork or spoon down between bites, spend time focusing on enjoying time with others, and eat slowly.

And if they do notice or comment, just take Aussie Chick's advice!

[Boo 3]

Great advice, Road Queen, Aussie Chick and Photonut (again!).

[Poodles 0]

I was so worried today about eating in public. I am really tight and was scared of eating in front of people... but all went well.

You know people don't really care about what you are eating... as long as they get theirs.

[Stitchy 0]

I only used baby spoons when I was very new and still at home recovering. I honestly don't need a baby spoon to remind me. I just take small bites, put my utensil down, etc. No one notices anything except their own food.< /p>

[Stitchy 0]

I think I probably take rather large bites for a bandster - I eat way slower and take smaller bites than I used to but I enjoy the sensation of food in my mouth, it kind of takes all the pleasure out of it to nibble. My first few bites are nibbles just to make sure I"m not going to sieze up - especially at night when I'm tighter - and then I take bigger ones but I dont actually swallow it all at once. I take a bite, chew well, swallow a bit, chew some more, swallow a bit more kind of thing

Ergh, sounds revolting, lol. But that way I can actually taste what I'm eating.

That's what I do, too. I like the feeling of food in my mouth. I do have to pay attention, though. If there is a lively conversation around me, I need to take smaller ones, though. I don't want to get distracted and gulp it down :omg:

[Sweet Caroline 0]

My girlfriend is a closet bandster who was banded last year does the following to avoid scrutiny in public/work events:

- She takes a regular sized plate and utensils.

- She makes a line through her food dividing her food into the portion she intends to eat and "the rest".

- Then she casually eats from the smaller portion which has been set aside on her plate.

- At buffets she'll take a small amount of food that she intends to eat, and then fill her plate to the gills with food that she doesn't like. Then she eats the small portion of food that she likes, and is healthy.

- If someone notices that she is not "cleaning her plate" she just says, "this really isn't that good" or "this looked better than it actually tastes" or "I shouldn't have eaten so many appetizers" or whatever! And other women - because they notice that she has lost so much weight - they really DO watch her and interrogate her.

GOOD LUCK!!

[kiniharri 0]

Theres a site where you can get small bite utensils to help you manage your portions when eating out. Very neat stuff: Home - Portion Control Concepts