I have seen several folks talking about getting sick from solid proteins after starting the 5dpt. The point of the test is to get you back in control and in touch with your pouch like in the early days of wls. One important point of being in touch with your pouch again is that you have to really really chew and take your time with solid proteins. Take very small bites and chew like crazy. The second important thing to remember is to STOP eating the instant you don't feel hungry anymore. Slider food and liquids go down very easy, you can consume more of them and much faster than soft or solid proteins. Small amounts for me are 1/2 of most cuts of meat such as a chicken breast, pork chop, hamburger patty etc. For roasts it's about a 1x3" cut of meat. Hope this helps a little.

Passing on your own experiences is so helpful to others who are just trying the 5DPT! I am glad that you posted this reminder to all those who are just starting it!

Experience is a wonderful thing to pass on to others. Thanks for posting this. It is a great reminder and wonderful info for all the newbies.

jas, you're so right about chewing solids proteins to the consistency of pulp. I have found that when I'm in public, I rarely can keep my focus on eating long enough to remember to chew that carefully. Years of "bolting" as much food as quickly as I could have made me this way, and I figure that it's going to take years to unlearn this behavior. Chewing is so important that back in the 1800s a guy named Fletcher actually started a health movement called Fletcherism. It was all about chewing, and it was all the rage for a long time. You can google it and find a lot about this issue that is still very relevant to post wls (and probably all) people.

Good topic and thank you for sharing your experience! Way to lay down those footprints! We're leaving a path for others who come after us--one story at a time!

Okay...stepping forward with head down...I'm really bad at this. In the beginning, I was so freaked out about the size of the entrance to my pouch, I'd chew it all until it got to applesauce consistancy. Having the visual that my surgeon gave me was always in the front of my mind...she picked up a pencil and showed me the eraser head..."this is what your food will be passing through". YIKES! Well, as time goes by and we heal and things relax, I've found that I don't need to chew as thoroughly. The fact that I can swallow a Tylenol gelcap tells me that I don't need to get things to that original consistency. I've never had anything get "stuck" so I know that I'm chewing enough, but I am still guilty of eating too fast.

Anyone else?

I was always guilty of eating too fast, too. My Mom used to fuss at us kids about not chewing our food. She had been taught as a child to chew each mouthful of food 100 times. She was always the last one to leave the table because she chewed so well. We used to kid her about it. She also had difficulty eating some meats, especially steak, because she said she couldn't chew them up enough to swallow them. I never understood that. Well, now I do!! I just wish she were still here so I could tell her.

I bet she does know. Just goes to show, Moms are usually right in the end. (At least that's what I tell my kids!)