Do you really need to eat slow.

Do you really need to eat slow.... and without drink post op vsg???

 Yes.  At least at first.  Anytime I would eat to fast I would be hovering over the sink or toilet with about a gallon of saliva coming from my mouth feeling as if i was about to die lol.  The foamies suck.

5 1/2 months out now its not so bad eating faster but I still won't drink while i eat.  I have very good restriction and there just isn't room for both nor do I want to wash down the food that is keeping me with that "full" feeling.

yes, you need to eat slow in the beginning because the nerve ending in your stomach are kinda numb and won't feel the stretch. After about 4-6 weeks, you have to eat slow to avoid getting too full and feeling sick and/or puking. not fun

I still have to eat slow. I'm better at it now because it only took a few times of feeling horrid to have that second nature thought pop into my head while I'm eating.
You know the one that says " uh, you might want to not swollow that last bite, ya know?" Oh I listen, I do listen now. LOL

As far as drinking while eating. Not enough room for both. Better choose one.

cheers,
donna

DING..DING...DING!!
oh let me tell you how much trouble I have with that. Especially the eating slow part...

YES. YES you do.

I eat too fast..drink too fast and it hurts. And I have caused myself to vomit. Even if you think you have chewed enuff, if you don't allow time enuff for each mouthful to pass, it accumulates at the top of your stomach/base of esophoges and cannot pass freely..causes an almost choking sensation.. then I would need to vomit to clear it some. DONT LEARN THE HARD WAY.....


Drinking too soon after eating causes the food to pass TOO quickly, thus allowing you to potentially overeat which is also dangerous and counterproductive.

For best results, and optimal satiety, the easy answer is YES.

If you don't, a few things can happen that are very unpleasant. Eating slow allows your stomach to prepare to accept food. This is a HUGE deal early out. Your stomach has no idea how to "work" properly, it's pissed off, been traumatized and needs time to recover.

As time passes, it begins working, by mechanically mushing down food more efficiently. Shoveling food in is a fat behavior. A huge portion of long term success means changing those fat behaviors to healthy habits.

Eating slow is essential for me even at 3 years out. If I eat too fast, I still get uncomfortable and it's NOT pleasant. It takes a solid hour to feel decent again.

NOW, the flip side to that coin is that the further out we get, our transit time (gut empyting) increases. The slower you eat, the more you can fit in. So adhering to the 20/30 rule is essential for me. I make sure to stretch my meal to 20 minutes, yet I stop eating at 30-40 minutes. Anything over 40 minutes, I can easily fit in more food. It's a cheat tactic with the sleeve.

Eating while drinking simply liquifies your food which means it leaves your stomach faster. Another cheat tactic. You eat, soften up your food, you fit more in. Another fat behavior. Now, to take a couple of tiny sips with my meal is not detrimental to my capacity or transit time. Starting to drink too soon after meals is uncomfortable and it allows for me to eat again much sooner if I wait 30-45 minutes after eating to start full on drinking.

This is really excellent information!

I didn't think about the liquid making the food easier to digest - I thought you just didn't want to take up valuable room for protein.

I can't not drink and eat at the same time, but I'm keeping it to sips of water. I love water. I could drink it all day (well, I do). 

Thanks for the reply!  I am 11 days Post Op and this continues to be a challenge as I have always been a fast eater.  Everything so far is going great and no vomiting.  I do however find that feeling every once in awhile that I have never felt before....like something sitting just below my throat... and I am trying but still catch myself taking a sip of drink while eating. I am trying to recondition myself to the new habits.

Just my 2cents and tips I give everyone and what saved me:

1) Just STOP bringing a drink to the table with you, it's not going to be a big deal for your to leave your glass on the kitchen cabinet

2) Sit your eating utensil down in between each and every bite, do NOT pick it up, play with it, fidget with it, lay it down folding your hands across your lap while you chew.

 I actually had to relearn how to eat since I had always ate really fast.  I set a 2 minute timer on my cell phone each time I swollowed.  After about a week of this I was able to eat without using the timer