male only Able to eat way more than I thought I would

[donricardo 2]

We all had this surgery because of one or more reasons we were not able to consume less calories on a regular basis to loose and maintain to our desired weight. With that being said, the sleeve is supposed to physically restrict the amount of food our stomachs can hold. I am 6 weeks out and I am shocked and scared of the amount of food I can get down. I have been trying to do my part, but the actual restriction I was expecting is not there. I started eating chicken and realized I could eat a whole chicken breast. And yesterday I was able to eat a double cheese burger and a few fries. I know I shouldn't eat that, so please spare me the comments on that and how just because I can eat that much doesn't mean I should....Please! If I could eat right on my own, I wouldn't have needed the sleeve and neither would you. Sorry, but I've seen so many people get judgmental and nasty on these boards.

I see these people saying they can only eat an egg white or two and are stuffed and I'm wondering if I'm the only one who can eat this much this soon? Anyone start off being able to eat a lot and the restriction kick in later?

[vsg_joanna 67]

I think the reason people always respond with "just because you could, doesn't mean you should" because I think most of us who got this surgery don't really quite understand what "being full" means. Most of us think being full means eating until we're stuffed or feel sick. I think I know what you mean by feeling like you "could" eat a lot more than you thought.

How did you feel after eating the double cheeseburger and fries? Remember, we need to change our idea of what feeling full is. It's not that stuffed, I'm ready to go take a nap now feeling. I mean, we all got to where we are from overeating past "actual fullness".

Ever since surgery, I don't think I've felt "full" but I also haven't felt hungry. Accidentally overeating/ drinking too much makes me feel really sick, but it never gives me that "full" feeling from before.

lol I really hope this makes sense.

Edited April 25, 2014 by vsg_joanna

[Recycled 2,182]

mmmhffffmmmm.........<------ trying to keep my mouth shut. Ok, I'll lay off the "what you're eating". Do you have any idea what size bougie your surgeon used? Have you had a follow up appointment yet with your surgeon? Do you weigh or measure your food. (guess not if you're eating cheeseburgers/fries) <------ see that, oops, (couldn't keep my mouth shut.)

How long did you do liquids post-op? Are you experiencing any feeling of fullness...ie: chest pressure, coughing, hic-ups, pain? Are you drinking fluids when you eat? These are all things pertinent to how much you are supposed to eat and the limits of the sleeve. You can certainly exceed those limits.

I don't know what answers you expect to receive from this forum. If your sleeve is too big, you need to take that up with your surgeon. If you are not following guidelines.......as you put it......"If I could eat right on my own, I wouldn't have needed the sleeve". That is true, but the sleeve still demands guidelines or it will not work. If you think it will do the whole job, you have been misinformed. This may not be what you want to hear, but it's the reality. Sorry.

If I were you, I'd schedule a serious discussion with your surgeon and express your concerns to him. Good luck

Edited April 25, 2014 by Recycled

[Shorty5 44]

Hi there. I'm 3 and a half weeks out and I started solid food almost a week ago because I could eat a lot of soft/pureed stuff and actually put ON weight in that phase. With that said, once I switched to dry solids and ate like they told me to (tiny bites and sloooooow with no liquids or lubricants or condiments) the restriction kicked in. Do you think it's possible they used too big of a bougie on you?

[Susan-031314 179]

Don, not being judgmental, but you need to the pros for help, and you MUST help yourself. You could do serious damage to the staple line with that volume of food. Don't put yourself into a situation where you have that amount of food in front of you. Set down with only the serving that your nutritionist suggests, of the approved foods and try to eat slowly and learn a new feeling of full and a new feeling of satisfaction. You can do this, and it WILL take significant effort on your part.

Truly wishing you the best,

[donricardo 2]

I'm a Lap-band to sleeve conversion. I was very successful with the lap band but had complications. The main point is, it seems it takes a lot of effort for most sleevers to get in even 2oz or a half a cup of food early on, many struggle getting in enough Protein. That is not the case for me. My doc used a 40fr bougie. I am worried my sleeve is too large.

[Madam Reverie 2,958]

No judgement here..

1) Measure your food. Don't eat more than you're prescribed to. 'Pushing it', just to see what you can 'get away with', will cause you harm and cause stretching and worse... Just because you 'can', doesn't mean you should. You know this. So soon out, you have to look after your stomach. The operation does NOT absolve you of taking responsibility for your self, your actions/diet and your optimal healing. You know this.

2) Load up on your Water up to 30 minutes before eating. Don't drink for 45 mins afterwards.

3) Speak to your surgeon. None of us here are qualified to talk about your specific medical circumstance - but through experience, we know that so soon out to be able to eat what you are, is indeed a bit of a worry. Could it be numbness? Possibly. But in that way danger lies. I would try to implement points 1 and 2 and see how you are for a few days.

Most importantly.. Look after your newly eviscerated stomach. Only YOU can take ownership of this one....

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I don't think you have full sensation until at LEAST 6 weeks out. I think the other point made that we often don't really know what "full" feels like is very valid.

I had a larger sleeve according to the whole bougie size thing (I can't recall, but it was either 38 or 36) but I have just as much restriction, if not more, at 28 months than I did at say 6 months post op. I am not convinced that a tiny bougie size makes that much difference after the initial few months anyway, I think it is other factors. I could not eat what you described and if I did, i would have a very very sad feeling tummy. Part of that is because when you consistently eat healthier food your body tends to get a little upset over junky food (tummy aches, diarrea etc).

I am not judging, we ALL have or had food issues and struggles. For me, it was so important to succeed for the sake of my health and quality of life that I was pretty determined to do my very very very best. That meant at times making mistakes and then trying to do better the next time.

It is not a mystery how I do it....

-I consistently stop eating before any feeling of "full" - I eat until no longer hungry and that is IT - STOP. Took awhile to learn it, but I worked on it from day 1 and I believe that small portion sizes day in and day out is why I feel pretty good restriction now

-I use Water and hydration techniques. So really load up with Water say 2-3 hours after eating when your tummy is empty. Let it go dry - wait say 30 minutes since a dry tummy gets full feeling faster

-Dense Protein, dense Protein and some veggies. I really don't eat sliders or other foods that go down too easy. I am sure I could eat a whole box of crackers for example so I just don't buy them.

-I don't eat fast food. That is one of those topics that for me, it is just easier to not be in those places if I can at all avoid it. I have created a mental picture of that - not as deprivation but of providing the best nourishment to myself that I can.

-I eat very low carb. For me, carbs make me hungry. Absence of high carb food (bread, Pasta, rice, Beans etc etc) helps keep my appetite in check

-I eat slow, but not too slow. What I mean by that is I don't let myself graze and eat all day long, but I eat slow enough for my brain to catch up that I have had enough.

I think you should discuss with your surgeon and nutritionalist. EAch of us only know our own stories and while we feel like experts - in truth, we only know our own experience. I think a professional is in a much better position to advise you and get you on the right track. Good luck!

[Jdub 109]

I agree with some of the statements made by others here. I am coming close to 5 months post op now, but some days I still struggle with how much "I think" I could eat. I force myself to weigh all of my food and stick to 3-3.5oz of dense Protein and 1/4 - 1/2 cup of veggies and call it after that because I know eating more is only going to make me miserable. I still tend to have Protein shakes for a meal or a snack as a replacement as I've heard it helps with restriction. Water, Water, water...lots of Protein. Fast food is like slider food, that stuff is terrible for you. I don't go totally low carb myself, as I still like to get some whole grains in now and again, but that stuff fills me up so fast compared to pre-op, it's the last thing I allow myself in the meal if I need a bite or two.

[CDP1965 18]

I am 7 weeks post op.

I was on Protein drinks for three weeks and pureed/soft foods for another three weeks. Right now I can eat about 8 oz at meal time with no problems.

Last night I think I eat closer to 12 oz and my meal was 261 cal. 35 Protein and 6 carbs. It was my biggest meal yet. I was uncomfortable afterwords for about 30 min. There are a couple reasons I did not feel well after.

1: I eat to fast and did not chew like I should have.

2: I had about 4 oz to much.

3: I may have had to much protein in one sitting.

4: I used a lot of spice. My wife even said her lips was numb from the Cayenne.

I normally alway mesure my food out and eat on smaller plates so it looks like a lot of food. I eat slow and chew well. I also don't drink diring the meal or 30- 50 min. after. and I been doing great.

I never have that full feeling like before surgery but I always seem to be satisfied except for cravings in my head. Like I would love to go have a nice cheese burger lol But I avoid that kind of stuff.

I have found if I keep carbs low, Protein high and drink lots of Water I don't eat as much and can go awhile between meals. Right now I am staying close to 1000 cal. between 20-50 carbs and between 60-100 protein a day.

So far I think I have only been hungry one time and the rest has been head hunger and I don't react to that.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I'm a Lap-band to sleeve conversion. I was very successful with the lap band but had complications. The main point is, it seems it takes a lot of effort for most sleevers to get in even 2oz or a half a cup of food early on, many struggle getting in enough Protein. That is not the case for me. My doc used a 40fr bougie. I am worried my sleeve is too large.

The problem is not your sleeve size. Here are the bougie sizes:

[Susan-031314 179]

Thanks Lipstick. I love the visual.

[Hawk7775 54]

I posted something similar on a different forum and was crucified. I will spare you the lectures I got.

I too felt that something was wrong because I could eat exactly what my nut told me to be eating plus some if I wanted. Actually, I did eat a bit more because I could tolerate it and wanted it. I figured out that it is mostly mental. When you're used to eating a whole rack of ribs, bread, potato, corn and Beans, a 1/2 cup of canned tuna is mentally unsatisfying even if it is physically satisfying.

Doing some research on my own, I learned it takes months for your stomach to heal. Right now it is probable the nerve endings in your stomach have not healed enough to send "full signals" to your brain. Overeating could be dangerous right now.

You have to measure your food and eat slowly. The new stomach will stretch just like your old one did if you put too much in it regularly. I learned that the second I feel a little bit of pressure that I should stop eating. I hated it because sometimes I was not through the tiny meal I set out for myself and mentally I felt like I was not ready to stop eating. Guess what? I didn't need to eat for hours. Don't listen to the "size of the bougie" people. My surgeon told me the differences are a matter of millimeters. Follow all the rules and address the mental aspect of food and you will be fine.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Hawk7775

[LipstickLady 25,682]

A proberly sleeved stomach will not stretch like an unaltered stomach. The fundus, or the stretchy part, was cut out, leaving the muscle. There is a bit of fundus left that can give way a bit and the initial swelling will go down enabling most people to eat more at a year out vs. 6 weeks out, but there is no significant stretching.

[Hawk7775 54]

A proberly sleeved stomach will not stretch like an unaltered stomach. The fundus, or the stretchy part, was cut out, leaving the muscle. There is a bit of fundus left that can give way a bit and the initial swelling will go down enabling most people to eat more at a year out vs. 6 weeks out, but there is no significant stretching.

I not here to argue but since your response was not directed at the writer's question and only at correcting me, I feel compelled to respond. I was worried about stretching my sleeve and googled it. The results seemed to indicate it was possible but I know you can't trust anything on the internet. Is it possible all of these sites are wrong? I am sure it is. However, Regardless of whether it can be stretched or not I don't see any point in stuffing it full of too much food. Below are some of the links I read.

http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-bypass/5-ways-to-prevent-stretching-your-stomach-after-gastric-bypass

http://obesitycoverage.com/weight-loss-surgeries/gastric-sleeve/gastric-sleeve-will-my-stomach-stretch

http://www.webmd.com/diet/weight-loss-surgery/restrictive-operations-stomach-stapling-or-gastric-banding

https://www.healthtap.com/topics/can-you-stretch-out-your-stomach-after-gastric-sleeve