male only Eating more than the surgeon recommends

[jwf8770 4]

Monday will be seven weeks since my surgery. I had a really difficult time transitioning from the liquid diet to food, but I finally have. I have been eating about 2 oz. six times a day. I measure everything out, so I know that I am eating what I am supposed to. I have also relied on my stomach. If I eat too fast or too much, I can tell it right away.

Today, I ate with friends at their house. I didn't measure my food, but I easily ate 3-4 oz. I know it is not majorly overeating, but I figured that I would get sick or that full feeling that I had been getting when eating my 2 oz. According to my surgeon's plan, I should still be eating about 2 oz. at each meal throughout the day. I know that we all transition and the stomach stretches some as we start eating real food. I just hope to get a sense of how much every one is able to eat. I don't know if I should be worried with 4 oz. and go back and re-start with liquids and get back to eating 2 oz each meal, or if eating about 4 oz. is normal seven weeks out.

Thanks for any/all insight!

John

[Threetimesacharm 1,400]

:huh:deleted​

[VDB 800]

Good question and a good thing to stay on top of. I think that for me, volume had traditionally been my downfall -- eating many of the right foods but my lifelong habit was large amounts of it. With the bypass, my surgeon just said eat 2 cups of food a day, spaced out, my NUT said 80 g. of Protein, 80 oz Water, and always get 5 servings of fruit and veges a day -- this leaves almost no room for any other foods! At 7 weeks, I was really struggling with eating way more than that, the old habit were strong, but I could not eat more than a few oz. at any sitting, but ate more frequently. I gradually changed those habits, and by 14 weeks, was eating totally according to what the NUT said.

I occasionally get sloppy. Like, last visit with the NUT she reviewed ny food record and thought I had too many carbs creeping back into my eating, I agreed and corrected. Now, at 10 months out, am doing very well with three small meals a day, 1-2 Snacks of fruit (small, like 1/2 a small apple), I am past my rapid weight loss, and now losing a few pounds a month, just the level I want (the very rapid loss left me debilitated and out of energy, which is totally back now).

[Dub 9,922]

The unit of measure that my surgeon has always given me is in terms of 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup or full cup.

I'm coming up on my 5th month since surgery. He has me on three 1/2 cup meals of Protein. On gym days he suggested that I perhaps add a fourth meal if needed.

He is adamant that I stick with the 1/2 cup meal size and to eat it slowly over the span of 20+ minutes.

I now stick to the meal size.....and I certainly eat much slower than I ever have in my life......but truly do need to slow down even more. Way more.

I cut off drinking anything about 15 minutes prior to eating and I never resume drinking for well past the recommended 30 minutes.

As long as I stick to the 1/2 cup volume I have no problems. If I eat more.....or faster.....or both, then it is not a fun experience. It is an experience that is memorable in a bad way.

Very memorable. Three weeks ago my wife drug me out for dinner. I wasn't really feeling like going out....had worked a long night shift, got off that morning and stayed busy most of that day. I did manage to get a 90 minute power nap....hot shower and a cup of coffee before heading out with her. She chose a local steakhouse that was absolutely packed with folks waiting outside. She walked in....came back out in just a minute and took me to an available table. Wow...chic got us seated immediately. The table was in the bar area....very loud bar area. Waiter shows up....she orders a salad and says to wait on putting in her dinner order......I go with a rum drink and instructions to not let it get empty. Hey, when in Rome....

This meal went on forever, it seems. She did the salad thing....then ordered a steak. I think they must have had to go out back and slaughter the cow as it took forever to arrive. The waiter honored my request on the endless rum drinks and I was generally okay with the waiting. I go to the restroom and return and there are a plate full of wings sitting there. Wife said she knew I'd always liked their wings and had taken the liberty of ordering them for me. I slammed down the rest of my drink.....waited about 30 seconds and jumped on a wing....then another. I slowed my roll and eventually did eat 1/2 the order and brought the rest home in a to-go box. I was absolutely miserable. Stuffed to the gills.....painfully so. Exhausted. Getting sleepy from the food after the rum.......and sitting in a ridiculously loud bar area while she agonizingly worked her way through the steak, baked potato and salad. Pure misery. I'll never happen again, brother. Never.

Next time we went out was last weekend....different steakhouse. I hate going to steakhouses, too. I'd much rather grill my own and save the money. Anyway......we had better seating (a booth....a tight looking booth....spot that I'd have avoided like the plague before due to being so damn big......slid right into the booth like I owned it) and a better waiter. I rolled along with the rum drinks and enjoyed myself throughout the meal. Very late I did order a 6oz filet and house salad. I had some of the eggs from the salad....and two very small bites from the filet. I took the rest home and made two more meals out of it.

I do worry about never eating fruits and vegetables....even though I'm taking Vitamins like crazy. I have recently begun having a V8 every day. I either buy the original, high Fiber version or the spicy hot version. 50 calories that I can certainly justify.

I have seen that even at my current limited eating volume that weight loss isn't guaranteed. The "broscience" that is kicked around here that "we can eat virtually anything and lose crazy weight that first year" does not apply to me. I know because I've even had periods where I gained weight. It was 6 weeks back. I'd returned to grazing behaviors. Nuts & cheese and snack crackers and dip. Finishing off leftovers from having house guests stay. Not good. Back on track and the losing resumed. Scary stuff, but it taught me a much needed lesson.

I need to do things that keep me active as hell and keep the metabolism elevated. If i don't......not good. This week I've been nursing a tweaked achilles tendon....something new.......I've been watching the scale with fear, too.

[VDB 800]

Dub, good lessons being learned. I am with you, I pretty much do not eat out in a normal way anymore, just not worth it. When I do eat out, I just order an appetizer. Now that my weight loss "fast" time is done, I know that weight gain is possible... so being very vigliant about my eating and exercise. I had a major shoulder injury four months ago, but that is better and am able to start swimming again this Monday.

On eating fast -- I was always an inhaler... very fast and very big servings. The stomach will not allow big servings so even with the small serving, I was still eating way too fast. At 5 months, began in earnest to change that habit. Set an old fashioned timer (the one with the avocado green dial and a big ringer) for 20 minutes, and the divided all of my food into thirds, to be eaten at 6-7 minute intervals. Sometimes I would space out and forget, and all of a sudden the food was gone. Finally, now at 10 months, I have my slow going on.... 98% of the time. Whew. Same thing on drinking Water with meals. Big bad habit. Now, never drink 25 before or 30 after, it is finally habit...

Still trying to figure alcohol out. At 10 months, had my first beer last night, actually 1/2 beer, sipped. A 1/4 cup of wine sipped over 30 minutes is my normal. It goes right to my head.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

@@Dub ... you said, "I do worry about never eating fruits and vegetables....even though I'm takingVitamins like crazy."

Please know that down the line you CAN eat fruits and vegetables. I hope you're already eating some colored, high-fiber veggies -- you can grill some of them. By five months out, I had long been eating green Beans, zucchini, spaghetti squash, tomatoes, broccoli -- not a lot, but was working toward getting in small amounts of five veggies and fruits a day. In the fruit department I focused mostly on berries -- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Also did a little oranges and even mangoes. Couldn't eat a lot, but really wanted to start the habit back.

For a long time I avoided any starchy veggies and fruits, for obvious reasons.

But now, 18 months post-op and for at least a year I've been eating pretty much any veggies and fruits I encounter -- literally dozens and dozens of them.

I work hard to get my five-a-day in (5 veggies and fruits). I won't say I succeed every single day, but I really work at it.

I also work hard to meet my minimum (for women) 21-25 grams of Fiber a day. Those come mostly from grains, high-fiber breads, and veggies and fruits. I don't take Benefiber or anything like that. BTW, I think fo rmen the daily insoluble fiber minimum is 30 grams. (???)

One thing that I think can send us spiraling into eating crap is just not having our nutritional needs met. And speaking purely for myself, I know (I feel, sort of know in my bones) that if I didn't eat my veggies and fruits that would send me to a bad craving place.

Another thing I'll add -- is that you're about at the place where you'll probably start eating small amounts of whole grains. Not a lot, but small amount. For me it was brown rice, quinoa, high-fiber breads (Sara Lee multigrain slice bread has 45 calories, 3 grams of Protein and 2-3 grams of fiber).

Just sharing MY experience and what has worked for me. Your body may react differently -- or not.

[caligirltt 60]

@@Dub SO I don't know the rules on "men only" are we allowed to crash the party and ask questions?!

Anyways, you mentioned drinking...my BF and I like to go out and have appetizers and drink. Every class at Kaiser says you CAN NOT drink...I don't drink often but there are times when we like to go to Hollywood, and sit on sunset and people watch a drink a few. Is this still possible? I am leaning towards the RNY, and will have surgery in April.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Whoops! I'm so sorry. Didn't realize this was the Men's Room.

[Dub 9,922]

@@Dub ... you said, "I do worry about never eating fruits and vegetables....even though I'm takingVitamins like crazy."

Please know that down the line you CAN eat fruits and vegetables. I hope you're already eating some colored, high-fiber veggies -- you can grill some of them. By five months out, I had long been eating green Beans, zucchini, spaghetti squash, tomatoes, broccoli -- not a lot, but was working toward getting in small amounts of five veggies and fruits a day. In the fruit department I focused mostly on berries -- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. Also did a little oranges and even mangoes. Couldn't eat a lot, but really wanted to start the habit back.

For a long time I avoided any starchy veggies and fruits, for obvious reasons.

But now, 18 months post-op and for at least a year I've been eating pretty much any veggies and fruits I encounter -- literally dozens and dozens of them.

I work hard to get my five-a-day in (5 veggies and fruits). I won't say I succeed every single day, but I really work at it.

I also work hard to meet my minimum (for women) 21-25 grams of fiber a day. Those come mostly from grains, high-fiber breads, and veggies and fruits. I don't take Benefiber or anything like that. BTW, I think fo rmen the daily insoluble fiber minimum is 30 grams. (???)

One thing that I think can send us spiraling into eating crap is just not having our nutritional needs met. And speaking purely for myself, I know (I feel, sort of know in my bones) that if I didn't eat my veggies and fruits that would send me to a bad craving place.

Another thing I'll add -- is that you're about at the place where you'll probably start eating small amounts of whole grains. Not a lot, but small amount. For me it was brown rice, quinoa, high-fiber breads (Sara Lee multigrain slice bread has 45 calories, 3 grams of Protein and 2-3 grams of fiber).

Just sharing MY experience and what has worked for me. Your body may react differently -- or not.

Thanks.......it's just that my meal size currently is tightly limited.....thus the V8 drinks every day. Those and the ton of Vitamins I ingest.

Grilled veggies are good in my book, too. I actually did some tonight. Didn't eat them yet.....but grilled them for my tribe.

@@Dub SO I don't know the rules on "men only" are we allowed to crash the party and ask questions?!

Anyways, you mentioned drinking...my BF and I like to go out and have appetizers and drink. Every class at Kaiser says you CAN NOT drink...I don't drink often but there are times when we like to go to Hollywood, and sit on sunset and people watch a drink a few. Is this still possible? I am leaning towards the RNY, and will have surgery in April.

I'm sleeved......almost 5 months out. I have used my sleeve to lose a good bit of the unwanted weight....and will continue to lose......and lose.....and level out and maintain.

That being said......I did not have wls to become a monk. I did so in order to improve my life.

Having a drink every now and again is part of relaxing and being comfortable is important. Prior to surgery, I had this discussion with my surgeon. He said that there was nothing from my former life that I couldn't have, within reason, in my post-op life.

He was right.

Whoops! I'm so sorry. Didn't realize this was the Men's Room.

No worries as far as I'm concerned.

Throughout history there have been no big developments without the presence of the fairer sex. I'm all about some female intuition and guidance.

Without this there can be no progress.

I succumbed to this way of thinking a while ago........

[caligirltt 60]

@Dub Throughout history there have been no big developments without the presence of the fairer sex. I'm all about some female intuition and guidance.

Without this there can be no progress.

HAHA LOVE THIS!!! It is true both ways.

And does anyone know the "rules" on the "men" only and "woman" only or where to find them? I am not really a rule follower in general but I do want to be sensitive to people's emotional well being and don't want to offend anyone.

CHEERS!

[PdxMan 4,292]

@@caligirltt, the rules are in the top pinned post in each forum:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/250199-attention-ladies-the-man-room-is-for-men-only/

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/250198-attention-men-the-powder-room-is-for-ladies-only/

It is generally thought if opinions from the opposite gender are desired, then make the post in a more general, appropriate room.

[fernandfj 469]

After seven months I have learned that a half cup is about all I can take of solid Proteins, but I can go to a cup on things like chili. More than that and I experience the memorable experiences @@Dub spoke of. I have managed ok, but I have had to cut out some high Protein Snacks, which I found opened my appetite in a big way. Right now I focus on three meals per day, a couple of small Snacks (usually Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit) and about 100-110 gms of Protein daily. I find that if I keep my calories below 1000 I tend to stall out, but if I go up to 1100 or so, with at least 50% protein, I start losing again. I am looking forward to the future @@vsg Ann 2014 discussed, where veggies and fruits play a bigger role, but right now once the protein is done, I can barely get in a few bites. I have also relied on v8 (the low sodium variety) to at least get some veggies in and use berries in my morning protein smoothies. This has been working for me, but in participating in these forums over the past few months, it appears that there is absolutely no one size fits all approach. I am also still working on slowing down my eating. I am successful compared to how I used to vacuum food, but I need to go even slower. I aim for twenty minutes a meal, but normally don't get past 10.

[jwf8770 4]

Thanks for all the feedback, guys. Very helpful!