Eating too much? 3 months out

[Joce1523 8]

So idk if this is normal please help im worried. Im 3 months out and i ordered a 6 inch subway sandwhich. I ate more than half and stopped when i was full which like i mentioned was a bit more than half , 2 hours later i felt hungry again and ate the rest, is this too much? Shoulr i be worried about stretching my pouch? Is it normal??

[Hop_Scotch 1,630]

If would be really helpful if you populated your profile data....start weight, current weight etc etc it gives people context to the questions being asked.

I don't know if its too much, but if I were you I'd be eating to my surgeon's and/or dietician's post op guidelines.

I am about nine months post op and depending on the foods I am eating I can eat a whole lot or very little.

I generally try and keep my meals to about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup, but if full fluids (eg Soups or smoothies) one cup. I can do one slice of bread with cheese...but that is a danger food for me so I typically avoid bread and cheese, also before my procedure bread and some Breakfast Cereal gave me a lot of acid reflux, so I avoid them now or try to.

[catwoman7 11,211]

It seems like a lot to me, but check the food/eating plan your surgeon or dietitian should have given you. I know I did not eat bread at 3 months out (although I do occasionally now, at almost six years out), and those sub Buns are HUGE, even the 6" ones. If I'd have ordered a sub, I would have just eaten the meat and cheese and ditched the bun.

[Guest]

Sounds like a lot for 3 months out. I'm 7 months out and don't eat more than 1/2 hamburger bun. Plus I've only eaten bread probably 4 times in the last 7 months.

[WishMeSmaller 1,273]

bread might be a slider for you. For some of us, bread tends to sit like an uncomfortable lump in the tummy, but it sounds like that did not happen to you. When I get a sandwich, (which is very rarely) I will have one or two small bites with the bread and then eat the filling only, after that. I don’t know about stretching your pouch, but I am guessing what you ate is not a great choice for getting all your Protein in and bread tends to be empty calories. Dense protein will fill you up for longer than some protein with bread. When I go to a sandwich shop, I typically order a “sub in a tub” and I think most places have no bread options at this point.

Good luck! 😊

[GreenTealael 25,330]

Do you still have access to your postop dietary plan that was provided to you by your team? How much in quantity do they expect you to eat at three months postop? Most plans are asking people to eat no more than 1 cup by volume or 4ozs by weight for quite a bit of time post op.

Some things to consider: Are you allowed to eat bread by this point? If yes, Was the sandwich mostly bread? Or vegetables? Was it mostly meats or cheeses?

If you really want that sandwich experience, you may have to make your own where you can control the portions and macros using Bariatric friendly substitutes, like lettuce wraps.

But please ask your team about food stages, amounts, etc, first.

[GreenTealael 25,330]

9 minutes ago, WishMeSmaller said:

I typically order a “sub in a tub” and I think most places have no bread options at this point. 

Same! I always order typical sandwich items either with lettuce buns/wraps or just fillings. Everyone thinks it’s weird but places always accommodate my requests,

[Lilfootie 82]

I like to have bread as a carb, as I do not like most others. I am allowed up to 1 slice per day. I haven’t tried real bread, like a bun or traditional sandwich bread, but I enjoy toasted Ezekiel Bread. It has 5 gm Protein per slice too. Usually have it with an egg or tuna salad. Sometimes with low fat cream cheese if I am sick of meat. They sell it in the freezer section of most grocery stores. If you like multigrain or seeded breads, you will like this one (it is not seeded, but has a similar texture/flavor). Also, pre surgery, when I would go to subway I would get the smallest sandwich possible and get double meat or double cheese. It makes it more filling. Jimmy John’s unwiches are delicious too, and I’m not usually a fan of lettuce wraps!

[kellym1220 473]

Honestly? I think that is too many carbs. I have a hard enough time (almost 6 months out) getting in my Protein if I add veggies! However, I have discovered that chips (especially Kettle Cooked Jalapeno Chips) go down SOOOOO easy! (I avoid those now!) I try to limit carbs to one meal a day (or zero) but I will have Special K High Protein cereal for breakfast OR a Carb Balance tortilla with lunch OR some potatoes with dinner...not all three. I'm losing weight slowly, but steadily, and I have HIGH hopes for keeping it off!

[ecugsplgrl 34]

I have been able to eat 75% of a kids sandwich (4in, I think) on wheat bread from Subway and I am 3 months out. I have had the DS procedure and have been told that I may be able to tolerate larger portions than the other surgeries.

[catwoman7 11,211]

2 minutes ago, ecugsplgrl said:

I have been able to eat 75% of a kids sandwich (4in, I think) on wheat bread from Subway and I am 3 months out. I have had the DS procedure and have been told that I may be able to tolerate larger portions than the other surgeries.

yes - DS patients can definitely eat more than the rest of us, due to all the malabsorption

[Arabesque 7,221]

The amount of food people can eat post surgery does vary a little as do their post surgery plans. Does yours specify a recommended portion size? Does it allow bread? Does it recommend a caloric goal as well as Protein & Water goals? If it doesn’t speak with your support team. It may be helpful.

I didn’t have a caloric goal just recommended portion sizes. At 3 months I was eating about a third of a cup of food for a meal & most was protein. I was eating three times a day & 2 Snacks (yoghurt & a small piece of fruit). My plan was no bread. The only carb I was allowed was rolled oats (a serve took 4 days to eat at 3 months) & the carbs in fruit & vegetables. The plan was no bread because of how it fills your tummy & offers little nutritional value. I still don’t eat bread at 20 months out.

My question would be are you really feeling hungry? If you had a sleeve, most of the area that produces your hunger hormone has been removed. Are you ‘hungry’ out of habit? Is a craving driving the ‘hunger’? Working out the difference between head hunger & real hunger isn’t easy. It’s working out if you need to eat or just want to eat.

Are you eating slowly? It takes time for the message you are full to get from your tummy to your head. By the time it does you are likely more than full.

There’s a lot of learning on this journey & working out what’s right for us. You’ll work out what’s best for you.

Good luck.