How do you know you're full?

[annasledge 0]

I was sleeved on July 1st. So I am on the Soups and liquids stage. I am so scared of overeating and getting sick but I also don't know when I am full. So I am at a catch 22. Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!!

[bewell 222]

My experience is, I don't feel full until it's too late! I had a lot of problems with vomiting and it was because I didn't STOP before I was full. The doc said STOP before you feel full and I just kept eating looking for that familiar full feeling.

I had to let that go and now I just know how much I can eat before I am satiated. (The satiated kind of full feeling comes 30-40 minutes AFTER I stop eating.)

Having said all that, I have learned to recognize a very subtle feeling while I'm eating that I've had enough. BUT it isn't like the pre-surgery eating till I had a stuffed feeling. It is much more subtle. A sense of feeling kind of full even when my crazy head is saying eat more. I think it's what normal eaters feel knowing it's enough and in 30 minutes the body will tell them, yep that was enough food.

It took me a long time to get rid of the OLD head habits associated with eating.

The first 3 weeks I just about jumped out of my skin. I was so used to thinking about eating, eating, and then hating myself for overeating I didn't know what to do with my self and my feelings. The emotional part of the weight loss was very hard for me. I did start seeing an experienced therapist early on and it really helped get me through the first 3 months.

So my suggestion to you.......don't make my mistake and when they say you can only eat a few tablespoons, well that's it. The amount I could eat post-op and still if VERY SMALL! Just follow your docs instructions and let your body get used to it. Recognize you may have a lot of HEAD-games going on from the drastic change in eating.

Best to you!

[annasledge 0]

Thank you very much! That was very helpful!!

[bewell 222]

One more thing.....it turned out for me I need to eat 4-5 small meals a day. That worked best for my body and how I can get enough calories in. I just couldn't eat enough 3 times a day to get the nutrition I needed. I worked with my doc and my NUT and that's how it worked for me.

And today, just ONE hard boiled egg is perfect. That keeps me feeling full for 4 hours. It's amazing. If someone told me ONE hard boiled egg would be enough food for me, I'd have said they were crazy! But it is. So 3 eggs a day isn't enough food so that's why I need to eat more small meals. Small meaning 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food. Sometimes it's just one small yogurt. Or a few nuts and little fruit. Or 3 oz of meat. If I eat out, I eat an appetizer.

It's hard to get used to eating a small amount of food. Especially when my head wants that OLD very FULL feeling.

[bewell 222]

Sorry to keep writing but I wanted to be sure you knew my 1/4 to 1/3 cup of food was not until 2 months out or more. And 1/3 cup depends on if it's just meat or cottage cheese. If it's beef I might only eat 15 SMALL bites. I also just started beef at 5 months out.

Also when others started eating solids and regular food I couldn't. I didn't start eating a few soft vegetables until 12 weeks. Salads maybe at 4 months. Everyone is different, so when you read someone is eating meat or whatever, you may or may not be ready for that food

Vomiting is the LAST thing you want to do, so I suggest to be on the safe side, take it slow and listen to your body. Be gentle with yourself, it is a huge change in life and takes time to learn and adjust.

Again, you'll do great and congratulations on a new life!

[Elode 8,093]

Well A: you eat slow and wait for the signal or B: you eat too fast and feel like sh*t! Bam then you know! - I have a built in signal a burp/hiccup thing but I usually end up with Situation B because I have NEVER been good at eating slow and I never Learn my lesson

[Babbs 14,681]

You really aren't going to feel a "full" sensation on liquids. Once you start solids, you will feel it after the first couple bites. Like @@bewell said, learn to read the full signal before you take that one bite too many. Measuring also helps with that.

At first, at least to me, I felt it way up high...like almost into my esophagus. Like a tightness. At 11 months out, the full feeling is more normal now.

[annasledge 0]

Thank you all very much!!

[Mcgann320 26]

Eat slow... I now hiccup twice every single time I need to stop eating! You'll be able to tell that full feeling more when you're on soft foods and solids. And don't worry,.. You won't forget that full feeling and will try to stay away with it as much as possible!

[Mrs.Hansen88 72]

I was concerned at two weeks post because I never felt "full" and I seemed to have no problems taking liquids. But even now that I'm on solid foods I don't know necessarily what "full" is. I stick to a 1/4 cup but sometimes I don't eat it all because I don't want to push it. This may sound weird but my signal seems to be when I burp. For whatever reason that's when I know enough is enough.

[wannaBthinsoon 1,634]

@@Elode ME TOO!!! It's hard to learn to eat slowly!!

[BizzyB 119]

I had this problem as well... not knowing what full feels like! My dietician asked me if I stop when I'm full and I said I don't know what it feels like anymore! I mentioned that I stop as soon as I feel any little bit of reaction from my stomach. She said that's perfect. I am about 5 wks out and I feel like i am not eating enough but full is coming a little clearer to me. With this method, I have managed to not puke even once post op. So happy about that!

Edited July 11, 2015 by BizzyB

[wannaBthinsoon 1,634]

@@BizzyB I've come close to puking, but have not puked yet either! I guess that is something to be proud of. I really want to avoid that at all cost! Now the Constipation is another thread....but I still hate it.

[BizzyB 119]

@@BizzyB I've come close to puking, but have not puked yet either! I guess that is something to be proud of. I really want to avoid that at all cost! Now the Constipation is another thread....but I still hate it.

I can't stand vomiting so that was one of my goals to avoid it lol so for me, I consider it a small victory But my dietician didn't want me to be so careful that I am not "trying" things.

[rn_dub 2]

Believe me your body let's you know, I usually have to hiccup or burp.