Is Anyone Else Able To Eat A Whole Lot?

[kortana 2]

Hi everyone. I am new here, but made an account so I can ask you if it's just me or is this "normal"? I have read alot of forums where people a year+ out are saying they can eat 3/4 a cup of tuna, ect ect..That shocks me!!!

I am only 2 months out (8 weeks) and this is what I eat usually. I can eat a whole 6oz can of tuna with about 6 crackers with a little mayo and relish for one meal. Another I can eat a whole pizza and a topping off another. Then for dinner today I had about 8 hot wings, and a couple spoonfuls of Beans. I ate a pretty big chocolate chip muffin today for a snack too. And these meals are gone in about 5 minutes, whereas others are saying it takes 15-30 minutes.. REALLY?!?!?!

Yes, I know I know, I am not eating very good, but the amount that I can eat shocks me compared to what others are able to eat 10+months out compared to my being only 2 months post op. And these meals aren't being forced down. I eat till I'm full not stuffed. I have never felt nausea or thrown up since surgery. I count calories and I eat anywhere from 800-1200 calories. This seems like sooo much compared to others. It scares me.

Also I can guzzle Water down like nothing. Just like pre op. Like swallow down 2 glasses quick. I don't want to stretch my stomach or anything, but thats how I drink. I don't even think about it, it goes straight down so easy.

Now I have had 2 or 3 stalls so far, the longest lasting 2 weeks. But I am steadily losing weight ( In 2 months I went from 255-214). So about 40lbs in 2 months. But the stretching of the stomach and the amount of food and/or calories is what really scares me when everyone else is eating about this much or less over a year post op. I am only 2 months post op!

Please tell me I'm not the only one. Thanks.

EDIT: I am 5'1, 31 years old. I have no idea what bougie size I have. And yes, I meant 1 slice of pizza!

[jasleeve 440]

whoa.. i think you are able to eat a lot. sometimes the drs cut some stomachs bigger than others. im 9wks out & i dont think i can eat that much. then again, i had complications & didnt eat for a month. i guess if i trained myself, my portions could get bigger

[VJSlim 156]

WHOA! You are right - I dont think an average sleever out 2 months will be able to eat that much. I'm 6 weeks post-op and it takes me a good 20-25 mins to finish off 2 boiled egg whites. Even after two weeks, I dont think I'll be able to cut down the time. I dont mean to sound rude or anything - but do you think you are missing the 'full' signal? I did during the first week when I was on clear liquid diet, and only after I have a clear burp did I end sipping my Soup. So probably you are missing the signals and thinking you aren't full yet? But it would be a good idea to bring this up to your doc when you next visit them. All the best!

[swizzly 901]

I'm not very good with knowing how much is in ounces/cups, but it sounds like you are eating about how I have been eating. I've been 1000+ cals since a month or two post-op. I have never had any problems to drink liquids either. I'm a year post-op now and I usually eat between 1500-2000 kcals a day (mostly nearer 1500). I've lost slowly but pretty steadily. For me, it's good to eat enough to really have energy and feel good, so I'm not too hesitant to eat what I need to.

That said, when you say you can eat a whole pizza and the toppings off another -- do you mean a whole SLICE of pizza plus the toppings off another? That seems reasonable to me, but a whole pizza is absurd, so I doubt you can eat that.

I also doubt you're stretching anything -- some people just have more sleeve room than others (even with the same bougie size) and less swelling, so can eat more easily from the start. But you won't get far up from where you are, your stomach is WAY smaller than before, and you will always have restriction.

That all said, the chocolate chip muffin is a bad idea because simple carbs and sugar are sliders and you can eat a lot of them usually. So just be careful about that.

ETA: Oh yeah, and I eat super fast too LOL...bad me!! I think I eat faster now than I did pre-op, not sure why. I have a sleeve of steel and haven't needed to chew for 30 times for each bite either. I'm not saying everyone should be like us, just that there is variety in post-op experiences, and unless you're shoving down crap all day, it's not per se 'bad' if you are eating 'a lot' relative to others. It's still not a lot by any normal measure. 1200 cals is a very low-cal diet.

[OilSooner 23]

I can also eat more than most here. I am 6 weeks post op, and have been eating around 1500 cals for several weeks now. To be honest, I have been in a stall for the last two weeks, but I am thinking that's pretty normal. My total calories burned is still near 3000, so I have to start losing again soon.

Now, regarding the eating of pizza, do you mean a slice? And I can eat about 3 or 4 boneless wings, so hopefully your 8 were bone in.

Really, as long as your calories are staying at least 500 below your daily expenditure, I think you should be fine. What bothers me is if my stomach capacity could increase from where it is now, say at a year or more. That would be no good since I believe my restriction to be about perfect at 6 weeks.

[Lissa 2,631]

I'm 5 months post op and can't eat 8 bone-in chicken wings at a sitting. I can manage 4 or 5, plus a little (very little) veggie on the side. I can eat maybe 3 pieces of broccoli with the wings. If I have smoked chicken I can manage a small leg and a thigh, but nothing else with it. However, I have also heard that different people have different capacities, even with the same bougie size. If you're tall, you probably have more room in your stomach because of the length of your stomach.

As long as you are not stuffing yourself, you are doing fine. It's almost impossible to not lose weight when our calorie intake is so low. However, I do agree that a muffin is probably not the best choice you could make. Simple carbs and sweets are basically slider foods that go through very quickly. But, keep in mind that most of us had the sleeve so that we could eat normally. 1 muffin a week is not a major problem, 1 muffin a day probably could become a major problem and cause a stall.

It is better to avoid simple carbs and sugars during these early post-op stages so that you get the maximum weight loss during the honeymoon period. As you get farther out and lose more weight, it will become more difficult to lose weight. Having already kicked the bad habits will make it easier to lose weight once it becomes more work than it is now. I just spent a month at one weight and had to reevaluate my eating habits, plus add in more exercise, to restart my weight loss. In fairness, it's a weight where I spent a good bit of time on my way UP the scale, so it stands to reason I'd stay there for a bit on my way DOWN the scale.< /p>

I still don't believe in good/bad foods. But, I have definitely removed a few things from my diet that I felt were causing me some problems. I also just started adding in more fruit than I had been eating, so that affected the weight loss, although I have had several major NSVs during the last month. I lost 2 pants sizes this month, plus I'm now seeing muscle in areas that were very flabby before.

Good luck and keep working your sleeve. This isn't a race to the finish line. It's a journey to a new and healthier you!

[gettingthere 11]

Hi. I can eat a lot (800-1200 calories) too and have done so since I came off pureed food (I ate a lot more when I was on purees). I have never had problems with drinking my fluids either. I try to regulate the amount I eat by choosing dry Protein first (chicken, red meats) and it seems to help me reduce the calories and amount I eat. I don't lose very fast, 2 pounds a week so far but I am happy with it. I am now 9 weeks in.

[Dooter 1,457]

Hey, if you can drink Water a little quickly, that's not such a bad thing, as you need to stay hydrated! However, I will echo the above sentiments and tell you to stay far away from your slider foods. They go down like buttah, and you will find yourself wanting them more than your Proteins and veg and other good stuff. Please remember to focus on your lifestyle more than how much you weigh. Get full on the right foods and don't drink 1/2 hour before or after you eat. I know you know that, but might need a reminder. (?) Please take care of yourself. This is no small step you've taken to be healthy. Give it the proper respect. It's a tool that YOU have to use properly. Godspeed in your journey.

[mommy794 119]

I know how u feel! I will be 3 weeks out Monday and have had no problems drinking. What I can eat so far info get full really fast but I'm only 3 weeks. So I'm hoping on the denser foods I feel more restricted. It's kinda scary when u think gezzz i " should" be feeling this or that but like everyone said ... Everyone's different and as long As ur losing all is good!

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[TexasTina 5]

I had a similar concern. I feel like I'm eating way more than I should, yet my calories at 10 weeks out are still at @650. I did notice that now that I've finally been allowed to try all regular foods, the higher the fat the more I seem to be losing. While on the mushy stage and very soft solids I would lose about 1-2 lbs every 3-4 days. The last week and a half I've tried regular foods and lose from .6-1 lb a day. Yesterday, I had 3 bites of a Jumbo Jack (1 bun, no veggies) and about 7 or 8 curly fries. This morning I had lost 1.4 lbs from yesterday. Yes, I am one of those that weighs in every morning before work. I also am able to take normal drinks of Water and eat in less than 20 minutes. (I work at school and we have 30 minutes total for lunch). I had no pre-op diet, and my surgery day weight was 250. Yesterday, was my 10 week anniversary and I hit the 50 lb loss mark! I never thought someone could be this happy about saying I (only) weigh 200 lbs. I can't understand it either. I feel like the more I eat, the more I lose. My other meals are Protein Shake for Breakfast, small slices of ham or turkey with 3 whole wheat Ritz crackers for lunch, string cheese or cottage cheese for a snack. I pack this food for the day because it's easier and faster. dinner time is when I can eat a bit of whatever my family is eating.

[thesweetone 40]

I just read about being able to eat alot. Recently, I am able to eat alot too. I am post op sleeve one year too.

I can eat a whole egg roll pork. I ate a whole hot pocket and felt i could eat two of them. I can also, eat a whole

slice of pizza. (large slice) But, then again I can only eat one white castle slider. The slider really fills me up.

Today I was able to eat a sandwich. bread, turkey Tomato cheese. two slices of bread. Now i ate virtually nothing

before, I ate the sandwich today. Does that have something to do with being able to eat alot ?

I am concerned too as to why I am able to eat alot. Plus, i didn't feel full after eating the sandwich. That was the main

concern that i didn't feel full after eating the sandwich. Thank you. Would appreciate others opinions.

[Pea523 28]

@@thesweetone Hi! just seeing your post. I am four months out, and I can eat a hot pocket. I can eat a small fry, chips, and cheese dip, I can eat a lot of different foods in greater quantities than I could before. I just try to eat foods that are going to go down heavily - like eggs. If I eat two hard boiled eggs, I can't eat another thing. My stomach reacts like that to tuna l fish and beef as well. I drank some alcohol and went out to eat with my husband one night, and I gained 1.2 pounds, so I realized alcohol is not something I need either.

I think that once the swelling goes down a person is going to be able to eat more. The important thing is what you are eating - not really how much.

Edited March 26, 2016 by Pea523

[Stacy Grubb Lee 1]

Ive always been able to eat. Vomiting in the hospital, but once I had a popsicle, I was good.

At 5 weeks when able to eat solid foods, I had a slice of pizza and a little side salad. Dietician said there was NO WAY this was possible. Well, it was possible. I've been so upset because she said that, I was worried, is my stomach too big? Why didnt it work? Ive compared myself to a friend that had surgery 2 weeks prior and didn't have any of her symptoms or food aversions. She cant eat lunchmeat. She gets deathly sick with the wrong food. She can only have a few bites and is full. I've never thrown up after leaving the hospital, I don't have to chew my food until it's paste, it's like I've never had it. I can drink my Water fast as well, no issues. I have the ability to eat whatever I want and not get sick. Should I? (of course not) I felt like I was cheated. I didn't have the no hunger phase, I wasn't dropping weight fast. Yes, I am down 40lbs since 11/23/16. Is it a struggle? Yes. Do I feel normal? Yes. Do I wish i had more restriction? YES!!

Ive had to deal with the fact that it's MY journey. I haven't lost in a few months and need to get back to lowering the carbs - they've always been my downfall.

I had a 40f bougie 11/23/16. Weight right before surgery, 210. Currently, 170. Goal weight: 130-140, Im 5ft 21/2.

I gain 2, lose 2 but i have to work really hard to lose it. I am hungry. There are times of the month I can eat more than others. So it's not just restriction, alot of it has to do with your hormones. It seems like I have to eat more than the average VSG person, I do my Protein and stretch it by putting salsa on top, add arugula, anything to volumize my meal while stretching the calories. I do not do Protein shakes, I can get my Protein in normally.

You are not alone.

[ocgirl15 667]

We are all so different after VSG. Personally I couldn't eat that much 7 months out. But I also never vomited even once. However when I eat too much I am very very uncomfortable. I think it can take awhile for the nerves that signal fullness to work. That's why measuring food is very important early out. I don't have any great advice other than ask your surgeon for a swallow test just to be sure.

[GinaCampbell 434]

I am 4 weeks out now and can't eat more than an ounce of smooth yoghurt or sips of lacto free milk. Other than that, I can only drink Water. I was re admitted to the hospital for another week after developing an abscess in my abdomen. I have been on IV then oral antibiotics since June 12th. I have lost 40lbs and quite honestly feel that I am starving to death.

To hear other people eating anything astounds me. At this point, I will feel lucky to survive.

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