@ 4 Months and Can Eat More

[june13sleever 223]

So finally I can eat more...Which makes me feel a little bit better in terms of being healthy and getting in my Protein, but also a little sad because I could easily fall off the wagon. I guess now more than ever I will have to start to take control. Before I couldn't eat a thing so my sleeve was in charge, but now I feel I am in charge and my sleeve is just a tool. I wasn't that great at being in charge before OBVIOUSLY! I knew this day was going to come, but I was able to throw back my chicken chilli like a normal person today! I guess now I can use the times when I am not eating to finally get my WATER/FLUIDS in...Which was a weak point for me. I just hate that hunger feeling because it isn't the same as before...it is weird. So now I ate all my Soup and here comes the hunger! I was able to stay around 600 calories easy give or take, but now it looks like I could get up to 800 or 1000, and I don't want to eat that much for right now. Anybody else notice the change from when there was massive restriction to things getting a little easier to eat?

[MeMeMEEE 206]

I am so looking forward to this time!! I have a terrible time with my nutrition - I don't get my Protein and have no energy - I NEED to be able to get more than 400 calories in! My NUT wants me at 1000 calories.

[NikiS 31]

This is such a learning process. I never had any restrictions. I chalked it up to my muscles, tendons and tissues being in shock from the surgery. Almost immediately I was hungrier than I had ever been prior to surgery. The hunger didn't go away until I was exactly 2 weeks post-op. Like you, I have to cut myself off. I don't really know my limits and I don't want to find out the hard way so I restrict myself. I am super mindful of my intake and haven't been eating as much as I should. I have absolutely no problems getting in all of my Protein or my liquids. In fact, if my surgeon hadn't told me not to drink more than 8 oz an hours I'd probably drink around the clock. Protein and other liquids no problem. Food... problem. Not because of restriction, but because I'm afraid I'll overdo it.

[NikiS 31]

Oh...and I'm not even a month out.

[janinemaire 7]

I've been eating around 800-900 calories since i was around 4 months (I'm 11 months now), its normal for our new stomachs to relax so we can take in more food. If you haven't already start to journal your food and make sure you measure out your food. I also eat about 3 three hours so I don't have that empty feeling. Good luck, Janine

So finally I can eat more...Which makes me feel a little bit better in terms of being healthy and getting in my Protein, but also a little sad because I could easily fall off the wagon. I guess now more than ever I will have to start to take control. Before I couldn't eat a thing so my sleeve was in charge, but now I feel I am in charge and my sleeve is just a tool. I wasn't that great at being in charge before OBVIOUSLY! I knew this day was going to come, but I was able to throw back my chicken chilli like a normal person today! I guess now I can use the times when I am not eating to finally get my WATER/FLUIDS in...Which was a weak point for me. I just hate that hunger feeling because it isn't the same as before...it is weird. So now I ate all my Soup and here comes the hunger! I was able to stay around 600 calories easy give or take, but now it looks like I could get up to 800 or 1000, and I don't want to eat that much for right now. Anybody else notice the change from when there was massive restriction to things getting a little easier to eat?

[DoOver 17]

I am so looking forward to this time!! I have a terrible time with my nutrition - I don't get my Protein and have no energy - I NEED to be able to get more than 400 calories in! My NUT wants me at 1000 calories.

I was very happy when I was able to get between 800-1000 easily. But I'm rare here. I guess I believe I need at least that much to stay healthy and if I stay fat at eating that little then I was meant to be fat. My fear for the first months was that I would be frozen at 350 calories. I had the same issues. I felt horrible until I finally was able to take a more reasonable amount of food. It will happen for you.

To not fear it, remember to keep the healthy foods you love available to you. We all have them. Not all foods we love are bad or bad for us. I also do not fear carbs so I keep frozen homemade veggy Soup in the freezer. I love it. There are foods like that I consider healthy and yummy that I make sure I have at the ready so that if I am having a moment where I want to eat "more", it will also be healthy.

Good luck!

[mistyk73 1]

I was sleeved the same day as you and I just said the same thing about being able to eat more last week!

[Adri 40]

Just these past two weeks I've noticed a change. I can definitely eat a full (measuring) cup of food. Maybe even a bit more. I've been able to eat 1k to 1100 cals of food for at least a month already (but I ususally try to stay at 1k or below). It does concern me a bit, I'm even a little fearful. So I measure all my food, the only real challenges are the weekends when I eat out and have a little less control. That's when I really have to pay attn to my sleeve. Using the sleeve still takes discipline...it's easier...but not easy.

[DoOver 17]

Just these past two weeks I've noticed a change. I can definitely eat a full (measuring) cup of food. Maybe even a bit more. I've been able to eat 1k to 1100 cals of food for at least a month already (but I ususally try to stay at 1k or below). It does concern me a bit, I'm even a little fearful. So I measure all my food, the only real challenges are the weekends when I eat out and have a little less control. That's when I really have to pay attn to my sleeve. Using the sleeve still takes discipline...it's easier...but not easy.

It's funny the things you come to realize are gifts. I have anxiety about eating out now. So the eating out days are very easy for me. I would do best if I ate every meal out! It's at home when I'm relaxed that I can eat the most. Luckily that's easy to control by not having any junk food here...and again, a gift, because I live alone right now so I don't have anyone else brining stuff in.

I'm still not able to eat a cup of food most of the time. But I'm okay with that because I can eat a reasonable amount of about 3/4 of a cup most of the time. I think that once I was able to eat an entire egg and a couple of other bites of food I was happy. I had a food I was able to order when out at and actually eat so I wasn't so obvious.

[PdxMan 4,292]

I sure hope this happens for me. I have been one of those fast losers, but believe me, I am not bragging. Eating is a chore for me. I can get about 2 bites of anything in before I feel lousy. Pre-op, food was a central figure in my life and I was hoping this would not be true post-op, but alas, it is. Before I ate for indulgence, but now it is for survival. Every time I eat, I feel lousy.

Yes, I have tried all the tricks of avoiding milks, sweeteners ... It is my stomach that hurts. Too much food. I eat all day long to get 700 calories in.

Yes, it is nice being at goal so quickly, but this is not what I thought it would be. I was fine with it taking 8 months to a year. This is not a race for me. It took me years to get obese and I did not expect or want it to change in a couple months.

I don't regret my decision, but I didn't think life would be such a task over 3 months out.

Thanks for sharing your story. It makes me optimistic that I will eventually have a better relationship with food.

[kgremmy 36]

I can definately eat more but I have cut my calories back to about 600 per day.

[Raine 170]

I am almost at 6 months and can eat like a "normal" person does now. Sometimes I have more restriction and sometimes not so much. I keep my calories 1200 and less. I researched and in order to maintain a weight of 140ish with out exercise you need to consume approx 1420 calories. I am still under that and at 171 right now and exercise regularly. Either way the body knows when to lose and when not to.

[Adri 40]

I am almost at 6 months and can eat like a "normal" person does now. Sometimes I have more restriction and sometimes not so much. I keep my calories 1200 and less. I researched and in order to maintain a weight of 140ish with out exercise you need to consume approx 1420 calories. I am still under that and at 171 right now and exercise regularly. Either way the body knows when to lose and when not to.

Thanks for the numbers. That really helps me gauge my eating. Even though I can stuff more in, I've been able to stay under 1k cals most days and that seems to be working for me right now. Losing slow but sure.