How long before food gets stuck?

lynjami · November 16, 2008

I was banded on 11/7 and am just starting to eat soft foods. I am very scared about getting food stuck and am eating very, very slowly. How long after you take a bite do you know if what you are eating won’t work with your band?

pattygreen · November 17, 2008

Hello. I was banded on 9/9/08. If you eat slowly, like 1 bite every minute or two, you shouldn't have a problem. Remember before the band if you sometimes ate real fast, it would feel like it was stuck in your throat (chest area) and you could drink something and it would go down hard? Well, now it might feel that way if you put too big of a mouthful and eat real fast, but you can't drink Water to get it down. (if you do, you'll just make it worse) When that happens, just wait patiently for the food to go through. It might be uncomfortable for a few minutes, but it will go down. I used to think that when that happened, it was a signal to me that I was full. It wasn't. I was just eating too fast. If you stick to no more than a half cup of food at a time,(at this stage) you'll know how much is ok. After I started eating solid foods, I found that I could eat anything. Only steak, pork and dry chicken were a problem. I stay away from them now. I eat approx. 1 1/2 cup of food at each meal now. Approx. 1200 or 1300 calories each day. I am losing about 1 lb or 2 lbs a week. I have not had a fill yet because I feel that as long as I am losing steadily each week, then I don't need one.

Just remember, you can probably eat almost anything after you are off the pureed food, because you haven't changed the stomach by cutting it like in gastric bypass, you just put a band around the stomach to make it smaller. I am able to eat all of the same things I did before the surgery, only less of them.

Don't worry, as time goes on, you will learn by trial and error these things. God bless, Patty

lynjami · November 18, 2008

Thanks so much for your input I've been so scared I've been waiting a good five minutes between bites.

Good luck on your journey!

pattygreen · November 18, 2008

Lucy, you're welcome. I remember the first week after surgery. It was liquids only. That was tough. Then when I moved to puree, I thought "wow, is this all I'll be able to eat?" But as another week rolled on, I was able to eat a little more. As you heal, in the first 4-6 weeks, you will begin to be able to eat a little more and more. Just remember not to rush into solid foods too quickly. follow the food plan. Your body is healing itself right now. I know how hard it is for you right now at this stage, but you will get through it very well. It is at this time that you will probably lose the most weight, and that's great! Take care! I hope this helps you a little. Patty

HeatherO · November 18, 2008

Some people never have a problem getting stuck. You are more likely to experience it when you have tighter restriction ... or if you are distracted and eat either too big a bite or not chewing enough without thinking (it happens to all of us at least once post banding because life goes on and banding doesn't fill every thought once you are a veteran).

I never got stuck until my second fill.