How to eat after sleeve gastrectomy – your new eating habits

Having a sleeve means a HUGE change in your eating habits and this is one of those things every single person struggles to get used to. I’m not talking about food choices here at all (that’s another story)… How you eat needs to change after surgery so you feel comfortable and manage your appetite and non-hungry eating.

You are not alone if you still sometimes eat too fast or have trouble leaving food on your plate. All I can say is that it does get easier as time goes on.  The best thing you can do to solve this one is to be more mindful around food.

Try some of these tips to get a grip on your new way of eating:

1. Before you eat, ask if you’re actually hungry. If yes – what do you feel like, and if no – why do you want to eat and what else can you do?
2. Try to keep your appetite between 3-7/10 where 0 out of ten is so starving you can eat your own fingers and 10/10 is Christmas Day full. You don’t want to get more hungry than a 3 as usually this means you’ll eat too fast or too much at your next meal. You also don’t want to eat to more than a 7 as you’re likely just eating too much and will feel uncomfortable.
3. Serve yourself a smaller portion that you think you need (our eyes often deceive us and you can always go back for more if you’re still hungry at the end of your meal). Use small bowls and plate so you have less temptation to serve too much and then less temptation to eat more than you need.
4. Focus on how you eat:
   1. Take thumb-nail sized or ½-1 teaspoon sized mouthfuls
   2. Chew your food really well before you swallow
   3. Rest between each mouthful
   4. Take 20-30 minutes to eat your meal.
   5. Savour your meal. Enjoy it! Take note of the flavours and textures and smell. You don’t get to eat too much, so at least pay attention and enjoy it while you eat it!
5. If you struggle to slow down try:
   1. Swapping your knife and fork over in your hands so you’re a bit uncoordinated
   2. Using a teaspoon or a dessert fork rather than normal sized cutlery to eat with, or chopsticks!
   3. Using the Eat Slower App or a timer to help you time your mouthfuls
6. DON’T EAT IN FRONT OF THE COMPUTER, PHONE OR TV! You will be distracted and find it more difficult to determine when to stop eating.
7. Do not eat and drink at the same time, especially if you’ve accidentally eaten too much – drinking to help the food go down, won’t work and will usually have the opposite effect!
8. Make sure you’re drinking enough between meals. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger and when we should actually be drinking. Sip constantly throughout the day to help keep hydrated.

A few great resources to help you nail your new eating habits:

• Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen-Bays
• Eat Slowly App
• Waterlogged App
• Portion perfection bowls and plates