Oral Fixation...Anybody Got a Solution?

I have always chewed gum.  I know some say your not supposed to because of trapped air or in case you were to swallow it.  But I chewed before surgery and I have chewed for a year after, it has been a great help!!  

Hey hun, I am forever reading your posts...Love them. I wish I knew what could help. (well I will be nice ;-) ) but I have the same issue, when you find out what helps let me know. I keep ice water by to drink every time I feel I need that fix, it helps some. I like the idea of the coffee straw but my teeth would start hurting, I prefer to just suck on something (like a sugar free Popsicle, etc).....okay that didn't sound good but you know what I mean. *blushes* LOL!

Take care

Mel

I like sugar-free candy.  Nuts also work pretty well.  It's nice that my calcium +D chewables taste like candy and so do my multivitamns.  It's nice to nibble on these things throughout the day.

I know this is a serious question and this might sound funny, but what about something you can tie with your tongue?  You know, like cherry stems.  Friends and I used to race to see who could tie them the fastest.  What if you found an equivalent and tied them and untied them with your tongue?  A very flexible plastic of some kind.  Or some type of string you could soak in listerine to make sure there are no germs and for some taste.  Crazy, but it might work.

Sorry couldn't get past "Friends and I used to race"...so what are you doing later?

I used to chew on plastic pens but they wear on your teeth. My favorite is unpopped popcorn kernels.

What's wrong with going back to unpopped popcorn kernels?  I'm not saying to pop the corn, ignore it and corn-dive into the bottom of the bag for the unpopped ones.  LOL!  But maybe get a cheap jar of popcorn, and just go to town on them, one at a time.  It might take up to a couple hours to break one down.  They can't possibly cost much in the way of carbs or calories, consumed that way....  Just a thought.

How about chewing on plastic straws?

There's a product called Stimudents- they are found in the dental products section of stores. They are a cross between a tooth pick and a soft-wood orange stick. Anyways, they are good for your gums and teeth and are totally chewable and gentle- will not tear your mouth up.

I would suggest toothpicks or sucking on an actual cinnamon stick.

On the other hand, how about dealing with the oral fixation and figure out if it's just a habit you could overcome or if it's goes a bit deeper. I figure that when it come to those of us who are or have been obese our oral fixations are usually more than just habits that need breaking. Just my thought.