I think I stretched out my stomach, is it too late to shrink it by eating smaller portions again?

[k520 5]

I had a gastric sleeve in November 2014. I lost 96 lbs in 6 months. I went back to school and found myself slowly eating too much again. I never reached my goal weight and have actually gained 14 lbs in the last 6 months. I eat healthy foods and exercise 5 days a week and still can't seem to lose again. Have I just stretched my stomach out too much for my sleeve to be the weight-loss tool it was supposed to be? After 9 months of eating larger meals than I should have, is it too late to naturally reduce my stomach size by eating smaller meals? I never had a nutritionist or any real direction from my surgeon, so I have always felt unsure of how I'm doing with eating. Clearly not very well. Any info is appreciated.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

It isn't likely that you have stretched your sleeve - but you've definitely lost touch with your restriction. Go back to basics: log all your food, fluids, and activity. Eat small portions, Protein first, and remove distractions while you're eating. Really pay attention to the difference between "just enough" and "too much".

You can do this!

[ab123. 90]

My surgery was a total failure from the get go so I have been thinking of requesting an MRI to look at my sleeve. Maybe this would be an option for you also. Or some other gastric imaging study.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I had a gastric sleeve in November 2014. I lost 96 lbs in 6 months. I went back to school and found myself slowly eating too much again. I never reached my goal weight and have actually gained 14 lbs in the last 6 months. I eat healthy foods and exercise 5 days a week and still can't seem to lose again. Have I just stretched my stomach out too much for my sleeve to be the weight-loss tool it was supposed to be? After 9 months of eating larger meals than I should have, is it too late to naturally reduce my stomach size by eating smaller meals? I never had a nutritionist or any real direction from my surgeon, so I have always felt unsure of how I'm doing with eating. Clearly not very well. Any info is appreciated.

Are you tracking your food?

Were you given a Protein target? Are you reaching your Protein target every day?

Are you drinking at least 64 oz of Water a day?

Are you avoiding starches, added sugar, and fried foods?

Are you taking your Vitamins and supplements?

I would definitely recommend that you find a NUT who works with weight loss surgery patients to talk about your goals.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

If you aren't logging your food and can't tell people your daily macros it is hard to help you. What people think is eating healthy really varies.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Your surgeon didn't tell you what to eat post-op? Yet you lost 96 pounds in 6 months?

So what information are you asking for?

[Ryan TN 348]

I would agree with others, start by tracking your food. Myfitnesspal is a great app if you don't have it already.

Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

[Kindle 8,667]

Like others asked, exactly how much are you eating per meal/snack? 1 cup? 1/2 cup? 2 cups? And what are you eating? How many calories? How much Protein? How many fluids? How many carbs?

It's normal for your stomach to loosen and have less restriction over time without it being considered "stretched". I could eat way more at 6 months than 3 months and again,way more at 12 months than 6 months. And this was without ever overeating. I reached my max capacity around 14-16 months postop and I could easily regain at this point if I simply relied on how much fit in my sleeve.

Basically long term success comes down to what and how much you choose to eat, not how much you CAN eat. Give us some food log details and we'll try our best to suggest a way to move forward (and downward) from here.

[AvaFern 3,516]

You are never going to be able to stretch your stomach back to the size it once was- it might be a little expanded from eating too much, but it's not like an old sock- it stays flexible to an extent. As an example, I am 2.5 years post-op and I notice that when I go a few days or really even a day when I eat less, my restriction is greater than during times where I'm consistently eating more. As an example, this week I just haven't felt much like eating, so I've had roughly 800-1200 calories a day. Today I am not only totally not at all hungry, but when I try to eat I just feel really full, really fast. Comparably, during times where I eat a lot, my stomach is a lot more tolerant of grazing. It seems that in my experience, the level of restriction I feel is entirely dependent upon how much I eat, so in theory if you cut back down to the Protein and serving size you should be eating, it becomes easier because your stomach adapts.

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

It seems that in my experience, the level of restriction I feel is entirely dependent upon how much I eat, so in theory if you cut back down to the Protein and serving size you should be eating, it becomes easier because your stomach adapts.

This is so well stated, I wish we could sticky it on the forums. If I try to eat more, I find that I can eat more.

I caught something last week and didn't eat anything for 2 days and my restriction was back to almost the 3-4 weeks post-op level. Once I felt better and started eating larger (normal) portions everything was back to normal.

[Kindle 8,667]

My restriction varies throughout the day. I can hardly eat more than a couple tablespoons in the morning, but I can eat a truck load in the evening. I'd say I get 70% of my daily calories after 5pm.

Because of this, whenever I need to drop a pound or two, I don't give myself restrictions like "don't eat this" or "only eat this much". I simply implement a "don't eat after 8pm" rule and the rest takes care of itself.

[k520 5]

I really appreciate all of the feedback. I will start tracking my food intake with my fitness pal and see if I can provide more details as far as what I am consuming. I was given a 6 week diet guide for post-op eating, but I have no real idea of what I should be consuming now as far as amount of Protein vs fat vs carb. I will find time to get in with a nutritionist, but if you have any guidelines that would be great. Also, are carbs from vegetables included in the total carb count? Silly question, I'm sure, but I've always wondered.

Thanks for your insight and encouragement. I feel hopeful I can regain control and get back on track!

First time posting here and really glad I did.

[2goldengirl 2,076]

Yes, carbs from vegetables count as carbs - and veg and fruits are where your carbs should be coming from. The guidelines I was given from my surgeon have targets all the way through maintenance. and I'm grateful that they do, given how many posts I see from folks who weren't given this comprehensive a list.

Overall, the rule of thumb is Protein first, veg second, fruit third. Which means if your Protein portion target is 2-4 oz, you eat that first. Slowly. If there is room, a couple spoons of veggies. If there is room after that, a little fruit. Skip the simple carbs altogether, there isn't enough nutrition in them to dust a fiddle with.

You can do this!

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

As to a Protein target my surgeon's guidelines are:

100 grams a day for all men, and women with a starting BMI of over 50.

80 grams a day for everyone else.

[Essence33 90]

I had a gastric sleeve in November 2014. I lost 96 lbs in 6 months. I went back to school and found myself slowly eating too much again. I never reached my goal weight and have actually gained 14 lbs in the last 6 months. I eat healthy foods and exercise 5 days a week and still can't seem to lose again. Have I just stretched my stomach out too much for my sleeve to be the weight-loss tool it was supposed to be? After 9 months of eating larger meals than I should have, is it too late to naturally reduce my stomach size by eating smaller meals? I never had a nutritionist or any real direction from my surgeon, so I have always felt unsure of how I'm doing with eating. Clearly not very well. Any info is appreciated.

Are you tracking your food?

Were you given a Protein target? Are you reaching your Protein target every day?

Are you drinking at least 64 oz of Water a day?

Are you avoiding starches, added sugar, and fried foods?

Are you taking your Vitamins and supplements?

I would definitely recommend that you find a NUT who works with weight loss surgery patients to talk about your goals.