How to reduce regurgitation, discomfort and vomiting with a gastric band

Regurgitation, pain and discomfort after eating are annoying side-effects reported after gastric band surgery.

You can reduce, even avoid, these side-effects.

Got a gastric band? You need to pay attention to how (the way) you eat to avoid discomfort or regurgitation.

You need to practice and improve 'mindfulness' during eating.

When you don't pay attention to bite-size, food texture, chewing well, taking small swallows with enough delay between each swallow, you pay for it with discomfort.

And with technology, family, work and other attention-seeking demands, it is easy to become distracted and harder to 'stay in the moment' and be 'mindful' of the way you eat.

What will you do today to focus and stay 'in the moment' to avoid regurgitation and pain?

Here are 10 tips and tactics used successfully to gain focus.

  • turn all impulse gadgets off before the meal or snack starts. That includes the mobile phone and computer.
  • turn on some calming music to slow the breathing and frantic pace down. Fast beats or loud and aggressive music may speed your eating pace.
  • make a rule to never answer the phone or read txt messages during meal times. Let the answering machine and message bank deal with calls. Nothing is more important that pure attention to the food and meal in front of you.
  • place table-talkers on the dining table and office area that remind you to stay focused.
  • avoid getting over-hungry because that causes a fast grab for food consumed with big bites and badly chewed.
  • don a blindfold to slow down the eating pace and to increase your recognition and appreciation of the texture and mouth volume. It is hard to use a knife and fork fast when you can't see the food!
  • use utensils in the opposite hand to usual to increase concentration level.
  • use chopsticks in the wrong hand to really slow things down.
  • put utensils down between each bite.
  • change the venue in which you eat. Shift away from fast, furious and predictable to soothing and fresh. For example, leave the office to eat in a park. Swap the chaos and noise of the food court for a quieter calm location. Leave the lounge chair to sit on the deck or in the garden.

What new approach will you practice today?