Eating is hard work

[Butterflyjdjl 17]

I'm a month post op as of yesterday. I have lost 19 lbs since the day of surgery and 39 lbs total since starting this journey in November. I am adapting well and enjoying the results but eating has become such a chore. It's often painful to swallow even soft foods and I can feel every morsel going into my pouch. Will it always be like this or will this feeling fade over time?

[popsicle_20721 27]

I'm still relatively new e.g. 2 mos post op, however I don't think it will always be the way you describe. I felt like you do at 1 month post op. I had to devote my entire focus to eating when it was time to eat. Nothing but focus on chewing at least 30X, no reading, no TV, no talking. Even then I couldn't eat that much and what I did eat I remember feeling it make the journey from entry until it reached and moved down the sleeve. Now 2 mos post op, eating is starting to be less of a chore. I still have to chew my food WELL and I know if I eat to fast it is going to come back up. I don't feel each bite of food I eat entering my sleeve, though I do know when my sleeve is empty. Today I went the entire day without eating, not intentionally - but it happened. By the end of the day I was hungry. Lot's of folks say they don't feel hunger, but I do when I don't eat at least 3X per day. Oh well, just know that it won't always be the way you feel now.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

It's temporary. I remember being 4-6 weeks out, and eating was truly a chore. It was hard to get much down, nothing tasted good, it all ran straight through me, and it just didn't seem to be worth the effort. Take heart, it does get better! I noticed at about 7 weeks it became much better, and quickly. I think that must have been when my swelling went down because I could hold more, and food started to taste more normal. Just hang on a little longer.

BTW - I couldn't believe I felt that eating was a chore - never thought I'd say that!

[T'snewstart 251]

I to had that experience...... it seemed from one day to the next it just got easier. For me it was at the 2 month mark. I began to enjoy different flavors of foods. Hang in there.

[Butterflyjdjl 17]

Thanks gang! It's good to know it won't be this way much longer. I am still learning how to chew 30 times...that one is a hard one for me. I stop eating after a few bites even if I have room for more cause I get frustrated with chewing and the pitter patter of food traveling down to my stomach. Glad to know there's hope for the future.

[T'snewstart 251]

Thanks gang! It's good to know it won't be this way much longer. I am still learning how to chew 30 times...that one is a hard one for me. I stop eating after a few bites even if I have room for more cause I get frustrated with chewing and the pitter patter of food traveling down to my stomach. Glad to know there's hope for the future.

I get that.... I really got annoyed counting..... I talked with the nut about it. she said chew until the food is the consistency of baby food..... that helped me to relax and not be so intense. Everything is new.....learning a different way to live. It all gets easier.....Best Wishes

[harleyscgirl 1]

Can't wait for the chewing

[TheGamer 406]

I'm a month post op as of yesterday. I have lost 19 lbs since the day of surgery and 39 lbs total since starting this journey in November. I am adapting well and enjoying the results but eating has become such a chore. It's often painful to swallow even soft foods and I can feel every morsel going into my pouch. Will it always be like this or will this feeling fade over time?

It shouldn't be painful to swallow, imo. Feeling some restriction should be normal, but pain is different to me. If you're having pain even for soft foods, have you spoken with your doctor? I had a similar issue and it turned out that once they widened the opening between my esophagus and stomach, I had no more pain.