Joining the “slow food” movement - your stories

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,003]

Hi All,

I think changing my type of food will be easy but regulating my (usually front end loader style) eating speed is likely to be a challenge.

5 days post op, ate 3 tspns of yoghurt today over 40 minutes. Wow.

I’d love to hear how fast others eat, and how you learned to regulate it?

Thanks team!

Edited December 19, 2017 by Biddynz

[heatherjudson 62]

Hi All,
I think changing my type of food will be easy but regulating my (usually front end loader style) eating speed is likely to be a challenge.
5 days post op, ate 3 tspns of yoghurt today over 40 minutes. Wow.
I’d love to hear how fast others eat, and how you learned to regulate it?
Thanks team!

I am 3 1/2 weeks post op. I’m very aware of chewing everything very well so that I don’t have pain. I’m also very aware of how much I’m eating so that I don’t have pain (2-4oz at a time). I’m eating a bit slower and taking smaller bites but I’m not eating super slow.

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

If I let myself get really hungry, I have a hard time slowing down when I do eat and then I either get sick or feel sick. I try to eat small Snacks between meals so I don't become famished. It's hard to remember when I get busy though. It's all a learning process, and one of the things I need to learn to do better is stop being so busy all the time and take time to take care of myself.

[mudchickn 12]

If I let myself get really hungry, I have a hard time slowing down when I do eat and then I either get sick or feel sick. I try to eat small Snacks between meals so I don't become famished. It's hard to remember when I get busy though. It's all a learning process, and one of the things I need to learn to do better is stop being so busy all the time and take time to take care of myself.

I really appreciate this thread.. I am a fast eater and it’s something I am worried about and I have two jobs and so I forget to eat and then would be hangry.. I am learning from what you all have shared.. I have surgery tomorrow so hopefully I can make the changes I need to so I don’t get sick..

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

4 minutes ago, mudchickn said:

I really appreciate this thread.. I am a fast eater and it’s something I am worried about and I have two jobs and so I forget to eat and then would be hangry.. I am learning from what you all have shared.. I have surgery tomorrow so hopefully I can make the changes I need to so I don’t get sick..

You can do it. You will find what works best for you and your schedule, and if you mess up, don't beat yourself up about it, take it as a learning experience and figure out what to do differently next time. Try to find small containers to pack Snacks in to take with you. I do yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, Protein Bars, shakes, and Quest brand chips.

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,003]

Thanks to you all.

I am only 5 days post op, but I am finding it hard to ‘read’ my new stomach message. I had my first Protein Shake yesterday - - thought I was slow by taking 15 mins to drink the 6 ozthink it was too fast. All went down fine, but about an hour later I had sharp tummy pains - nothing chronic but I thought it felt like a complaint. The surgeon said I would feel a knot in my chest if I ate too much or fast, but it didn’t happen.

So, I am now having today’s Protein shake, but 6 oz over an hour. I’ll let you know in a couple of hours if that did the trick!

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,003]

1 hour ago, ChaosUnlimited said:

You can do it. You will find what works best for you and your schedule, and if you mess up, don't beat yourself up about it, take it as a learning experience and figure out what to do differently next time. Try to find small containers to pack Snacks in to take with you. I do yogurt, cottage cheese, almonds, Protein Bars, shakes, and Quest brand chips.

So give me a guide - how long to eat a Protein Bar?

[karen_marie 220]

After a time or two throwing up from eating too fast (usually was chatting with people and just wasn't paying attention), I actually used the stopwatch on my phone while I ate for awhile. I would press start when I took my first bite, and would keep an eye on time, with a goal to hit between 20-30min to eat my meal. If I still had food left over after 30min, I usually didn't feel like eating it so I would save or throw out. Also made me chew things to mush, just for the fact that I was working to lengthen the time I was taking to eat, so it worked to help focus on the chewing too.

[Road Runner 66]

I’m having a hard time with this, also, I’m 8 days out and not getting signals that I’m full. I just had a Protein Shake and my stomach is all upset so I’m assuming I ate too fast. But, while I was drinking it, there was no warning signs. I took one hour for 8 oz.

[karen_marie 220]

9 minutes ago, Road Runner said:

I’m having a hard time with this, also, I’m 8 days out and not getting signals that I’m full. I just had a Protein Shake and my stomach is all upset so I’m assuming I ate too fast. But, while I was drinking it, there was no warning signs. I took one hour for 8 oz.

Try cutting that in half - I think I did up to 4oz at a time for awhile after surgery. My timeline was basically something like this during my full liquid phase immediately after surgery once I was home from the hospital:

8am-8:30am Drink 4oz Protein shake/other protein rich liquid as a meal

8:30am-9am Wait 30min before drinking again

9am-10am Drink water/liquids

Repeat 6x/day

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,003]

Thank you, thank you. These comments are so helpful.

Given I can drink a Protein Shake in 15 minutes (which feels painfully slow!] and only suffer the sharp pains later, I’m going to have to use rules! The stopwatch idea is great!

Yesterday I took it slow-slow all day, and - no pains last night, a great sleep, and I feel really good this morning.

Sincere thanks.

[Road Runner 66]

That’s very helpful. I’ll try it tomorrow! Thank you!!

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

21 hours ago, Biddynz said:

So give me a guide - how long to eat a Protein Bar?

I don't think I did Protein bars until I was 2-3 months out. I just didn't think about them until my nutritionist gave me a list of the ones with less sugar and carbs that would be good. Even now, it depends on the day. Sometimes I can eat a bar in 20 minutes, sometimes it takes me a few hours. A friend of mine cuts hers into tiny bite size pieces and puts them in a zip lock, then just takes one piece at a time so she doesn't get overly full. She's about 2 - 3 months out.

One thing I did in the beginning to slow down was pour my Protein Shake into a shot glass (1oz) and drink from that. If you do 1oz every 10 min that's 6oz per hr.

[ChaosUnlimited 559]

21 hours ago, Biddynz said:

Edited December 21, 2017 by ChaosUnlimited
Posted twice, tried to delete second post, apparently you can't delete the whole thing.

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,003]

Oh man, I slow-ate 3 teaspoons of pesto-flavoured low-fat cottage cheese today. An hour of joy!

Thanks for all your help - most grateful