Debate re How long should you take to eat?

hello all... As of June 5 I am 2 months post op and down 35lbs, I don't know if that is a good enough loss because my 2nd month I only lost 11, is that too little for it being 2nd month?  I haven't started working out yet. Anyway I was under the impression I should spend at least 30min to eat my meal or if longer even better, but someone mentioned that I was doing it wrong, that I had to eat my meal in 15min tops. Is this true? 

35 pounds is good.  Good depends on a variety of factors, though, like starting weight and BMI, etc.

The longer the better.  As long as you are chewing well I would not stress too much over it.  How long does it take you to eat?

The problem with eating fast for us is that it isn't mindful and we can easily overeat.  This causes weight gain.  Also, post-op, even at a year out, it can be very uncomfortable to do this.

Thumb rule for me is to "finish" between 15-20 minutes. I have learned to give myself distractions in between bites so I don't eat too fast. After 20 minutes, meal time is over regardless if I finished or not.

You'll only see big, fast loss in the first month. Afterwards, most people keep up a steady 1 - 2lb per week, perhaps even slower past the 6 month mark.

Banish the word "only" from your vocabulary :)

35 pounds in 2 months is great.  That was the same as my first two months, and I lost 225 pounds in 18 months!  So be happy with your progress.

In terms of eating,  I don't think it matters too much with the following considerations: 

First,  it is easy to eat too much if you eat fast.  You can cause discomfort.  So eating slow gives you a better chance of picking up the full signals.

Second, It is more satisfying to eat slowly. You have more time to savor the meal.

I don't think it matters if you take 15 or 30 minutes to eat.  With all this said, I don't eat slowly, often eating in 10 minutes or less.  But I don't think this is a good way to do it.

best wishes,

Carol

While we should eat slowly, we aren't eating much food .... I don't think you should take more than 30 minutes...after that it is grazing. Your stomach/sleeve starts to empty out after 30 minutes so there is room to eat more and thereby overeat.

20 mins max - then stop or you're basically grazing!  Although we should always take our time, you will probably speed up again later. 

I'm almost a year in and still find it hard to slow down when I eat.  I chew but then forget and swallow a lump.. Ugggg I suppose I will get there but waiting patiently.  Doesn't help when everyone is staring at my plate.

One thing that helps me is to shoot for tiny bites-- about the size of a grain of rice. That definitely forces me to slow down!

First of all, your loss is amazing! And like mentioned before, it will probably start to level out but that is normal! I was told to take 20 minutes to eat. At almost 16 months post op I sometimes find myself eating faster than I had before so I have to slow myself down or I feel horrible. It takes your body 20 minutes to realize it is full, this is what I have always heard, that is why you need to eat slower so you do not overeat. Listen to what your body is telling you. Stop when you are satisfied not full. It's hard to get used to that but is possible.