8 months out & longer...do you still eat slowly & chew to mush?

I'm not taking 30 minutes to eat, either, but I'm taking longer than I did pre-op.  Maybe 15 minutes.  I know what foods my stomach has trouble with and those I do chew to mush--chicken doesn't sit well with me unless I've pulverized it in my mouth and so many people serve chicken when I go to dinner at their houses.  Food that I know doesn't give me problems I chew normally.  I stick to the no-drink-for-as-long-as-possible rule, too.  I don't eat white carbs anymore so can't help you there.

The surgeon warned me that after 6-8 months, it would be easier to eat foods at the same pre-op pace, so part of the experieince in learning to chew, chew, chew and slow down eating post-op was to develop those better eating habits.  That being, said, while I definitely continue to eat slower than I did pre-op, I probably take 20 minutes to eat a meal now rather than 30.  (I still have to chew protein well, because otherwise I can't get in 3-4 oz, which is what my NUT recommends - only 2 oz tops, if I eat it too fast.)  I still do portion control, and I definitely start getting hungry again in a couple of hours.  I either try to have a healthy snack available, or find something else to occupy my time until I can sit down and eat a meal again. 

As has been said many, many times, the sleeve is a tool, so while what you're experieincing is normal, it reminds us all to keep using that tool properly to continue to lose and keep the weight off.