How long does it take you to eat a meal?

cookielover · 12-05-2007, 05:03 PM

I was wondering how long does it take you to eat an average meal? According to the books I have read it "should" take around 30 minutes to eat your meal. I want to know what the average is.

Jachut · 12-05-2007, 05:50 PM

About 25 minutes - I find that after that, if I keep eating, I can just keep on going and going, becuase my pouch is obviously starting to empty.

wombat712 · 12-05-2007, 06:02 PM

it doesn't take me long 10-15 min; maybe 20 if I'm REALLY trying to slow down. I just don't have that kind of restriction. I generally don't take the small bites that we are supposed to either. I think I just need a good tight fill :D

***Susan*** · 12-05-2007, 06:05 PM

It takes me about 25-30 minutes. I don't use a full size dinner plate, I use the smaller dessert plate. I just go really slow because if I am not careful, I have problems.

Chickie · 12-05-2007, 08:14 PM

I don't really know. I don't time myself.

WASaBubbleButt · 12-05-2007, 08:14 PM

It easily takes me an hour but I have a weird stoma.

There are some that actually suggest getting a kitchen timer and setting it for 20 minutes and when the timer is done, so are you. I think that is an individual thing. For me if I did that I'd likely starve to death. I HAVE to eat slowly or I'll barf. I think that is another reason I get lazy and do protein shakes. Who wants to spend three hours a day chewing? I'm not suggesting protein shakes are the way to go, I'm saying that I'm lazy and due to being lazy I do protein shakes at least once a day.

***Susan*** · 12-05-2007, 09:00 PM

Wasa, I have to be really careful too. It could take me an hour, but usually after 25-30 minutes, I am bored of eating, ready to move onto something else, or just sick of eating cold food. Sometimes I just don't have time to spend that much time eating, so I will do a protein shake too.

WASaBubbleButt · 12-05-2007, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan4794

Wasa, I have to be really careful too. It could take me an hour, but usually after 25-30 minutes, I am bored of eating, ready to move onto something else, or just sick of eating cold food. Sometimes I just don't have time to spend that much time eating, so I will do a protein shake too.

The band certainly does take some of the pleasure of eating food away.

I get sick of cold food too and quit early. I just looked at my calorie count for the day... 340. So I'm drinking another shake. Today is a baaaad stoma day.

**losingjusme** · 12-05-2007, 10:37 PM

im in the same boat wasa. super tight today. i had about 2-3 bites of salad, 4-5 bites of chicken and 3 bites of greenbeans and mashed potatoes mixed together and i was FULL ...

guess i need to rethink that fill.

good news is - im down just over 3 pounds for the week.

back to topic - it takes me anywhere from 15-25 mins to eat depending how restricted i am...

bandster_1007 · 12-06-2007, 09:17 AM

my doc has the "rule" of taking no longer than 15 minutes to eat period. after that, we are supposed to stop eating and get up from the table.

ok, right after my fill, it took me right at 15 minutes but i was eating slow and didn't eat very much. i can see how it would take longer depending on what i was eating.

i'll try it, but if i'm still hungry they say i need a fill, but if i have a difficult stoma, i'm sure i will take longer (so far i can eat anything)

**Wheetsin** · 12-06-2007, 09:20 AM

I can't answer the poll because for me, it totally depends.

For example, yesterday at lunch it took me over an hour to eat a bite of a veggie wrap and 2 spoons of soup. Yesterday at dinner it took me about 30 mins to eatabout 10 spoons of food, and for a snack about 5 mins to eat a whole grain Wasa cracker.

Sometimes (if it's going to happen, it happens in the evening) as long as I've chewed well, I can eat at a pre-op pace. I can feel the food going right on through. Earlier in the day, I'm typically restricted enough that a small thin soup is more than I can do in 1 - 2 hours.

make33 · 12-06-2007, 09:36 AM

At first, I was doing my old tricks of eating quickly--chewing well, but still eating quickly (My husband is always telling me to slow down!)

Then suddenly two weeks ago I realized that sometimes when I finished, I would have severe pain--I was eating too much!!! :hungry:

So now I know that I have to go very slowly, so that I can listen when the band tells me I'm full. (And I'm still doing a lot of softer-type foods)
:D

hollyberries · 12-06-2007, 09:45 AM

I like this idea from your Doc for eating 15 minutes and then stopping because alot of times I will just finish what is on my plate without regard to knowing if I am full or not. I am sure that once I start having fills and I reach restriction this may not be the case but right now I sometimes know when I am satisfied and other times I do not. Love this idea alot.

**losingjusme** · 12-06-2007, 10:04 AM

oh holly, trust me ;) once you have good restriction you will know when you are full. not a great feeling at all.

you've dropped almost 50 pounds since August! great job

hollyberries · 12-06-2007, 11:21 AM

losingjusme-

I can't tell you how I am doing it. I just keep following what they are telling me to do. Even my doc at postop was surprised that I had lost 30lbs. in one month. I have surprised myself and I am waiting for the proveribial slow down. Cuz' I know that it will happen.