PORTION SIZES

[MR P 0]

I am 9 weeks out being banded. I have had one fill of 3 ccs (which I think is a terribly long drawn out process, but thats another topic). I have lost a ton of weight witih no restrictions. I have been told that with the band our stomach is the size of a golf ball and told that we can only eat an ounce of Protein, and a tablespoon each of vegetables and fruit at a sitting. Though I am not eating at the Hometown Buffet, I am able to eat way more than what I am told to expect. Is anyone else restricted to such portion sizes or is this what I have to look forward to with future fills? I mean 20 more pounds and I am out of obesity range.

[dits4golf 0]

I too eat a lot more than recommended & have lost 77#. However, I do use fitday.com to track caleries, etc. And, I use a food scale religiously. I.e. keep main course foods to 4-6 oz., eat & love salads ( 1 cup ). One must change their mind set & one will be successful.

[eko 1]

I am 9 weeks out being banded. I have had one fill of 3 ccs (which I think is a terribly long drawn out process, but thats another topic). I have lost a ton of weight witih no restrictions. I have been told that with the band our stomach is the size of a golf ball and told that we can only eat an ounce of Protein, and a tablespoon each of vegetables and fruit at a sitting. Though I am not eating at the Hometown Buffet, I am able to eat way more than what I am told to expect. Is anyone else restricted to such portion sizes or is this what I have to look forward to with future fills? I mean 20 more pounds and I am out of obesity range.

Congrats on doing great so far! I find it interesting that you are expected to eat an ounce of Protein and a tablespoon each of a vegetable and fruit at a sitting. How do you get your protein in during the day? How many times a day do you eat? I am 10 weeks out and have had two adjustments. I eat three times a day between 1/2-3/4 C per meal. With my second adjustment, the amount I eat has been slightly reduced, but there is room to go, but it is working and that is what matters.

Just keep doing what works for you and keeps the weight coming off, don't worry about the once of protein and a tablespoon of veggies and fruit. Be healthy!

[MR P 0]

Thanks Eko, the part that I didn't mention is that we are supposed to make that last 20 minutes. Talk about rolling on the floor laughing!

Congrats on doing great so far! I find it interesting that you are expected to eat an ounce of Protein and a tablespoon each of a vegetable and fruit at a sitting. How do you get your Protein in during the day? How many times a day do you eat? I am 10 weeks out and have had two adjustments. I eat three times a day between 1/2-3/4 C per meal. With my second adjustment, the amount I eat has been slightly reduced, but there is room to go, but it is working and that is what matters.

Just keep doing what works for you and keeps the weight coming off, don't worry about the once of protein and a tablespoon of veggies and fruit. Be healthy!

[TKW 501]

I was told 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food. 4oz protien, 1/2 cup veg, 1/2 cup starch. How can it all be so different?

[HeatherinCA 10]

I was told 1 to 1 1/2 cups of food. 4oz protien, 1/2 cup veg, 1/2 cup starch. How can it all be so different?

Thats about what I eat.

1oz isn't realistic. I think I could physically live on much less food, because my hunger level is pretty low, but it's not realistic, and it doesn't satisfy me... I'm thinking of this as my new life. I'm not eating 1 chicken nugget for the rest of my life.

[L12 13]

I usually eat between 3/4 and 1.5 cups at a time. Sometimes more or less, depending on what time of day, what I'm eating, etc. Your instructions sound more like they're for gastric bypass to me... With lapband the stomach size doesn't change, the band just creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach, and the passageway to the lower part of the stomach is narrowed or widened by fills/unfills--the stomach is not changed to the size of a golf ball (do they mean the pouch is the size of a golf ball?). Of course doctors all have their own set of instructions and ways of describing things, so who knows. But most people on LBT seem to eat and lose on more than what you're eating!

[MR P 0]

The pouch is the size of a golf ball.

I usually eat between 3/4 and 1.5 cups at a time. Sometimes more or less, depending on what time of day, what I'm eating, etc. Your instructions sound more like they're for gastric bypass to me... With lapband the stomach size doesn't change, the band just creates a small pouch at the top of the stomach, and the passageway to the lower part of the stomach is narrowed or widened by fills/unfills--the stomach is not changed to the size of a golf ball (do they mean the pouch is the size of a golf ball?). Of course doctors all have their own set of instructions and ways of describing things, so who knows. But most people on LBT seem to eat and lose on more than what you're eating!

[HeatherinCA 10]

Yea, but it stretches when you eat.. My book says what yours says for healing. But it does say in the long run you will eat about a cup to a cup and a half of food. I guess whatever satisfies you, and how you decide to get your calories. For me, I like to eat more regular portions. I eat 3 meals about 400 calories each, and I don't snack. If you were eating 5 or 6 200 calorie meals, yea it probably would be 1 ounce of Protein.

The fills control your hunger. I can go 5 hours without eating. But I still eat a pretty decent amount of food.< /p>

[Jachut 487]

Its about a cup to a cup and a half for me too - some things I always did measure and 1/2 cup spaghetti and 1/2 cup bolognaise sauce always made me very full, I could eat a cup and a half to two cups of salad, I could inhale popcorn in movie portions, but i could only eat about 1/2 a raw apple or one boiled egg. But I never ever needed to drop to that half cup serving that is so often mentioned, nor did I ever need to drop calories below about 1500 to lose well over 100% of my excess weight. Fills at the APPROPRIATE times meant that my portions kept me full till the next meal - 5 hours or so - NOT that I could eat significantly less. I never had what I'd call tight fill.

The most interesting thing is I am unfilled now (never had a band problem, just needed another surgery) and the cup to cup and a half serving is still perfectly satisfying for me and still keeps me going at least 3 to 4 hours and then I just ignore any hunger I sometimes get until mealtime. And I'd say dont fill unless you're getting significantly hungry too soon - within 2 to 3 hours. There's no sense or advantage in cutting back more than you need to to lose weight becuase the more you can eat, the healthier and better nourished you will be. It seems a lot of people get a kind of strange satisfaction about eating virtually nothing and they seek that out, that's understandable but not really a healthy long term mindset.

[MR P 0]

Your responses have been great. I dont have a problem with hearing that I should eat a 1/2 cup - thats 4 oz after all. Pretty standard from what we are told in other programs. 1 tablespoon is a half an ounce - that sounds like starvation to me. I'd like to do a calorie count of how many calories are in 3 meals of 1 oz of Protein and a tablespoon of vegetables and fruit. And when I read that we are to make the meal last 20-30 minutes it took everything to contain myself from splitting a gut laughing!

[mom24teens 0]

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks out for me. I have had 1 fill, am due for one Wednesday, and eat 1/2 cup per meal. Most of the time, I make sure whatever I eat fits into a 1/2 C measuring cup, sometimes I "eyeball" it but I am getting pretty good at seeing the correct portion size. My hunger is controlled, and I go about 3.5-4 hrs between eating.

Make sure you are drinking your Protein drinks too. shakes, smoothies, or concentrated drinks that you can get online. My dietician recommended that I get 75-80 grams of Protein per day - and there's no way I'd come close if it weren't for the drinks!

[MR P 0]

Indeed! I have the VPX Protein Rush drinks which are so yummy. In addition, I keep whey Protein powder on hand and use it like a spice - sprinkle it on everything. One of my favorite treats is Protein Powder in skim milk over sugar free Jello. I eat tons of cottage cheese and I try to get some form of seafood in my diet several times a week. Thanks for responding. The goal is 70+ grams per day.

Tomorrow marks 10 weeks out for me. I have had 1 fill, am due for one Wednesday, and eat 1/2 cup per meal. Most of the time, I make sure whatever I eat fits into a 1/2 C measuring cup, sometimes I "eyeball" it but I am getting pretty good at seeing the correct portion size. My hunger is controlled, and I go about 3.5-4 hrs between eating.

Make sure you are drinking your Protein Drinks too. shakes, smoothies, or concentrated drinks that you can get online. My dietician recommended that I get 75-80 grams of Protein per day - and there's no way I'd come close if it weren't for the drinks!