Food Quantity??

[b190c550 1]

I am confused. I am only 6 days post op but ive been reading this site & watching you tube vids for 2 years. Ive seen where people 7 or 8 weeks out go to a restaurant and eat half of an 8oz steak and a couple bites of a veggie. Then you read where people say they get full after only 3 or 4 bites obviously small ones. That doesent sound like enough to even survive on. So I guess my question is this. Is it different for everyone or can you just get more in the futher out from surgery? That doesent explain these 8 weekers eating half a steak or one slice of pizza. That would feel being close to normal to me but only 3 or 4 bites of dinner everyday doesnt. Anyone??

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

I was sleeved on February 22nd of this year. I can currently eat 2-3 ounces of chicken and about 4 cherry/grape tomatoes and I am full. I also get full when I eat 1/3 c of cottage cheese and 1/2 c of applesauce. If I eat too much, I get very uncomfortable - my sleeve has no trouble letting me know when I put too much in it. I eat small amounts of food about every 4 hours during the day. I can eat around 450 to 650 calories a day. My appetite is gone - but if I go five hours without food - I get that hollow hungry feeling.

Hopes this helps - good luck with your sleeve. This is the best thing I have ever done for myself.

[Rev Me Up! 75]

I think time has something to do with it.

If I eat mushy food, I can get in a bit more. If it is something solid, like steak, I am really limited to 4 or 5 bites. I can eat part of a small slice of pizza without the rlled crust part. It is pretty mushy, so not too painful.

Also, the solid foods stick in your somach longer.

I have to eat 5-6 times a day to eat 600-800 calories. If I ate less, I would be very unhappy.

Even if you were able to eat one piece of pizza, it is still so much less than what you would usually eat :-)

[apple-saucy 17]

I'm currently on purees but even with that I can tell you that the heavier something is the less of it I can eat.

[myrori 55]

I am 5 months out and for most days I can eat about 4 bites of chicken and a couple veggie bites. Some days I can eat more and some days a lot less. Like today one greek yogurt did me in at lunch.< /p>

[DisneyAddict 10]

I am 5 months out and for most days I can eat about 4 bites of chicken and a couple veggie bites. Some days I can eat more and some days a lot less. Like today one greek yogurt did me in at lunch.

Same here. Some days it feels like I can eat "a lot more" and other days not so much. Over the weekend, a little more than 1/4c of french onion Soup did me in. Ya know though, I think our perceptions are skewed now somewhat. On the days I feel like I eat a lot more and Im like "ack!" my husband usually tells me "um no, that's about what you've been eating or maybe a bite or 2 more".

[samantha209 19]

I think its all relative unless your talking strictly measurements, b/c my bite and your bite may not be the same. Also ppl say 2 spoon fuls, do you mean a tsp, a Tbsp, a baby spoon, how fast are you eating etc.

I am a month out today, and on purees, and I can eat 4 oz of soft foods. I measure all my portions at this point...i graduate to solids on Saturday so we'll see.

[Can'tweight 41]

I think there are several factors in play for each one of us...how long our stomach is (some are longer than others naturally), swelling goes down, bougie size used, etc... I am 2 month's out and can eat 3-4ozs of chicken and maybe a 1/4 cup of veggies (depending on what kind they are) I only eat 3 meals a day and maybe a snack (like string cheese) on some days.

Some docs tell their patients to eat only 3 meals a day and others tell their patients to eat 4-6 small meals a day. But I think in the end we are all close to getting roughly the same calories and such...on a whole that is.

I could be wrong though.

[cludgie 81]

Its funny I just e-mailed my surgeon monday for some advice because I just can't get my judgement of portions right, and so I asked how big he'd made my new stomach, so I could measure my portions in grams,ml etc.

I got the WORST imaginable reply "Your stomach is the size of a banana, so only eat 3 small meals a day".

A banana? A big banana, a small banana, a peeled banana - WTF how do I quantify that???

I do find that it really varies for me, for instance; I am full on a single cooked small/medium chicken breast, or if i am having something like sliced ham I can eat about 75g, wheras with something like bacon which i find harder to digest I can only manage 1-1 1/2 rashers, I also mix my Protein shakes with 175ml of milk instead of the 300ml they suggest because I just can't accommodate more than that!

[Swiftflow 6]

Its funny I just e-mailed my surgeon monday for some advice because I just can't get my judgement of portions right, and so I asked how big he'd made my new stomach, so I could measure my portions in grams,ml etc.

I got the WORST imaginable reply "Your stomach is the size of a banana, so only eat 3 small meals a day".

A banana? A big banana, a small banana, a peeled banana - WTF how do I quantify that???

I do find that it really varies for me, for instance; I am full on a single cooked small/medium chicken breast, or if i am having something like sliced ham I can eat about 75g, wheras with something like bacon which i find harder to digest I can only manage 1-1 1/2 rashers, I also mix my Protein shakes with 175ml of milk instead of the 300ml they suggest because I just can't accommodate more than that!

Yeah its a tough one at first, but you really do get used to it and feel it. Granted if you gulp something fast you may go to overfull without catching that feeling. I kinda have a feel for it now, but when I got overfull in the past I always would sneeze or start producin mucus ( meaning If I ate more the mucus production would lead before my body started throwing it back up). Since everyone does differ a bit and even differ on food types, you are best to aim for the 4 oz mark generally and then go real slow and feel the fullness. Example for me is I know I can eat more mexican food that other types due to the mushie refried Beans or chips and salsa being sliders--so I can eat comfortably after setting that portion in my mind and stopping there. now it is a rare occasion where I push it to feeling uncomfortable--its like any other habit that you just adapt to over time. Until then I would shoot for the 4 oz then go real slow and see if that helps.

To add one more thng--before VSG I always ate to get full or as much as I could. It does help if you can get to just eating a certain portion and not needing to feel full. Full and satisfied are two different things for me now--If I am feeling like a thanksgivng meal full then I am not comfortable. Or if pushed myelf until I started sneezing then I have gone too far for my comfort level. Sunday I had 4 oz of Ribeye and a bite or two of veggie. It was tender and I might could have had 6 oz--I don't know because I was satisfied at what I had set asside. And felt great the rest of the day while watching the Mavs sweep the lakers!

[MommyTawnie 3]

I am confused. I am only 6 days post op but ive been reading this site & watching you tube vids for 2 years. Ive seen where people 7 or 8 weeks out go to a restaurant and eat half of an 8oz steak and a couple bites of a veggie. Then you read where people say they get full after only 3 or 4 bites obviously small ones. That doesent sound like enough to even survive on. So I guess my question is this. Is it different for everyone or can you just get more in the futher out from surgery? That doesent explain these 8 weekers eating half a steak or one slice of pizza. That would feel being close to normal to me but only 3 or 4 bites of dinner everyday doesnt. Anyone??

I am 4 months out going on 5 months the 21st. I had many complications and for the first month could barely get anything down. Lots of feeling sick to my stomach and a whole lot of OMG why did I do this? After all that I went through I am lucky to be able to get down the amount I get down at times.. It feels like I'm eating more then I should, but I'm not and I realize that. My portions are way smaller then they were pre-surgery and I am able to sometimes finish off a portion. I feel so guilty after, but then I have to tell myself I finished it off without that full signal so it wasn't to much. Then I have times where I can barely take a few bites of chicken and I feel all choked up. I tried a sandwich and it felt like it was stuck with no where to go, but back up and out. It was horrible. Even though I am as far out as I am. I'm still in the beginning stages of everything. I had a leak at a month out and was hospitalized for 2 weeks at almost 2 months I was barely able to start back on solids. I'm at a place now that I should have been at a month or 2 ago. All people are different as are doctors. Some may not have the restriction that they need. Then again the ones that are barely able to take in a few bites may have to much restriction. I think I'm where I need to be. I am 1lb away from 70lbs since day of surgery and I am 34lbs from my goal!!!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I am 11 months out as of yesterday. Of course it doesn't seem 'normal' - our old normal is what landed us in the waiting room of a bariatric surgeon!! Our 'new normal' is great, but at first seems like so little, after a while, we look at what is on the plates of others and are shocked!! I still weigh and measure my food. I want to know everything and how much of everything I put in my mouth!! I log it all on line as well!! I need 1200 calories per day to maintain or else I'd continue to lose! I can eat 2 eggs on a good day, some days I can only eat 1.5. Some mornings I eat a half cup of cottage cheese for Breakfast - I call it the breakfast of champions! I can eat a fourth cup of tuna with seven Special K crackers. I can eat 2 oz of Protein, I.E. pork chop, steak, hamburger, fish...and an eighth of a cup of cottage cheese and an eighth of a cup of a veggie. I eat on a small plate and most of the time (at home) I use a seafood fork. I still love food but I'm never hungry. My new hunger is an empty feeling. I can ignore it, but it lets me know that I should 'put something there. You'll get use to the amount of food, it's how we are successful, it's why we chose WLS!!!!

I am confused. I am only 6 days post op but ive been reading this site & watching you tube vids for 2 years. Ive seen where people 7 or 8 weeks out go to a restaurant and eat half of an 8oz steak and a couple bites of a veggie. Then you read where people say they get full after only 3 or 4 bites obviously small ones. That doesent sound like enough to even survive on. So I guess my question is this. Is it different for everyone or can you just get more in the futher out from surgery? That doesent explain these 8 weekers eating half a steak or one slice of pizza. That would feel being close to normal to me but only 3 or 4 bites of dinner everyday doesnt. Anyone??

[1-4-Many 2]

I am 5 months out and for most days I can eat about 4 bites of chicken and a couple veggie bites. Some days I can eat more and some days a lot less. Like today one greek yogurt did me in at lunch.

Does a year from now concern you? You have lost so much weight. Do you worry about eventually having issues with not being able to eat enough. It seems to me that 6 or 7 bites at 5 months out is very little food.

I really hope I can eat more than that at 5 months but I"m starting to get concerned. I was told yesterday I was very "low capacity". I want a tool, not a disability and I'm having moments when I wonder which I got.

[myrori 55]

I asked about this very concern and I was told the body figures it out and when I am at goal I will add carbs back in and that will stop the loss