I know that I have stretched my Pouch

[Nafb71 0]

I have regained upward of 20lbs since October 2015. I was sleeved July 2014 pre op 280lbs. My lowest weight was 177. I'm now 203lbs. I have no restriction at all when I eat or drink, plus I'm always hungry and not getting full. Any suggestions on how to get back on track

[SleeveMe247 184]

Have you heard of the pouch re-set diet? Basically starting from scratch, week one liquids, week two full liquids, week three purée and so on. I have heard this helps the pouch get used to eating smaller amounts. Not sure if if shrinks back down but psychologically it probably puts you back in the mindframe you were in when you first started.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

Try eating nothing but lean, dense Protein and green veggies for several days (yes, including for breakfast). Don't slather the food with sauces, butter, etc. Don't drink your calories and don't drink while you eat. You may find that you have more restriction than you think!

[Kindle 8,667]

Here's a little test you can try. First thing in the morning before you've eaten/drank anything, take a 16 oz container of cottage cheese. Eat as much as you can, fairly quickly. Eat just until comfortably full, not overly gonna be sick full. Measure whatever's left and subtract from 16oz. That's your capacity and it may be smaller than you think.

It is normal for your stomach tissue to relax over time and for your restriction to become less. I reached my max capacity around 14 months. And if I relied on my sleeve to limit and control my portions at this point I would definitely regain, easily. So I only eat until satisfied.....I can't remember the last time I was full. In the end, WLS success comes down to you, your head games and your choices, the actual surgery and restriction has very little to do with it.

I have a 4-5 pound bounce range and if I pop even one pound above I go back to strict Protein and veggies until I'm back down. I pinpoint any bad habits that have come back and stop them. (i.e. Snacking in bed, grazing on weekends, carby breakfasts, etc). In extreme cases of loss of self control I do a few days of preop liquid Protein diet. This really shuts down the carb cravings and gets my head back in the game. It's empowering to see I can actually do it.

Good luck. Take back your control!

[McButterpants 2,846]

Get back to basics. Agree with @@Bufflehead above…Go back to eating your dense Proteins first - measure out 3-4 ounces and chew, chew, chew. If you have room, have a couple of bites of veggies. I found as I was able to introduce more foods, I was losing the "Protein first" rule. I fill up very quickly on dense Proteins like chicken, steak, turkey. They also keep me satisfied longer.

Also remember - the goal is to not eat until your full. Your goal is to eat until your physical hunger is satisfied.

Best of luck to you!

[Kindle 8,667]

Also remember - the goal is to not eat until your full. Your goal is to eat until your physical hunger is satisfied.

I think this a very bad habit that a lot of WLS patients don't even recognize as a problem. How many posts have you read about how "it takes a lot more food to feel full...my surgery has failed" or "how do I know when I'm full?" I know it took me awhile, but it was like a big AHA! moment when I realized using the "fullness" feeling to tell me when to stop eating was NOT the right thing to do. I also used to eat whenever I was hungry. Well, that's not necessarily good either, since I feel hungry every couple hours. But now it's like, so what if I'm hungry? No one ever died from feeling hungry for a few hours.

I'm by no means perfect, but recognizing the error of my ways and changing what I use as a trigger to start and stop eating has helped.