How long does it take to eat normally at a normal pace?

[Lucylovesfood 1]

I am 8 months post surgery and have hit my ideal weight. But I still can't eat like a normal person. 2 spoons of anything and I feel full. I have to wait another 15 minutes to eat another 2 spoons. I'm losing more weight than expected and I'm worried that I might be underweight soon.

I don't wish to eat like I did pre-surgery but I do wish I can eat at least half the portion I used to eat at half the time. A normal portion of food takes me an hour or two to finish. I'm worried that I'll be malnourished and losing a lot of hair because of it.

I've seen that some people have gained back some weight after a year into their surgery. I just want to eat like a normal person again. Sort of regret getting the surgery because I did not anticipate the depression that comes with not being able to eat and the muscle loss I've experienced.

Can anyone share their experience 1 year post surgery? I need to know if I can eat normally again. 2 3 bites of food and then being full and not wanting to eat anymore is torture and unhealthy for my body.

[ms.sss 15,614]

I’m sure lots of peeps will chime in with their experiences, but pls remember it does not mean that is how your experience will play out! Insert standard mantra here: “We are all different “.

With that said:

At my one year mark, i could not eat a “normal” person’s amount if food in volume. (I still can’t, even at 3.5 years out).

But…i could (and can) eat a “normal” person’s amount of food in calories. Not a big eaters amount of calories, but like a normal, healthy-weighted woman who doesn’t really diet but is aware of what she eats amount of calories.

In terms of speed, i was super duper crazy slow in the first year or so and sped up a little as time went by. Im still slower than everyone around me, but i eat much less than them, so it kinda evens out…sometimes.

Edited April 3, 2022 by ms.sss

[HealthyMe67 16]

I'm 11 months out. I can tell you that the amount of food I can eat has been that same since about month 6. If I go out to eat with hubby, I usually eat about 1/3 of the meal. I take it home and we split the remaining portion for lunch the next day. I am thankful I can't eat like I did. It does take time to eat. Friends and family eat so much faster, I understand what you are saying. Be sure you check in with your dietitian. That is important as you are worried about malnutrition. I can also tell you that I lost ALOT of hair up until about month 8? 9? But it has definitely started to regrow! That was devastating to me.... It will grow back

[ShoppGirl 4,801]

I have the opposite problem. I can eat faster and more than I would like to so I have to keep trying to slow down and measure my food. I agree we are all different but the grass is not necessarily greener over here. I think as time goes by you will be the one in a better place.

[Arabesque 7,259]

We all have different experiences. I still take anywhere from 30 to an hour to eat about a recommended serving size Sometimes it depends on what I’m eating, if I’m eating alone or with others, etc. If I’m with others I never finish my meal. I think it’s because I sub consciously eat more quickly & then my restriction kicks in.

It took me a while to slow my weight loss (about 18 months) because I couldn’t eat enough & was 48.2kg at my lowest. I had to keep adding Snacks to increase my calories (still looked for nutrient dense foods & ate about 5 snacks a day). Yes, I did feel like I ate all day. I did this with my surgeon & dietician’s support & advice. But as time passed I could eat more & I dropped snacks.

Have a chat with your dietician. Add some more nutrient & calorie dense foods & snacks to your day. Little things can help like enriching your milk by adding powdered milk - more calories, Protein, Calcium, etc. Add in a few multi or whole grains. Add some good fats. Have some fruit. Don’t be afraid to eat slowly. It doesn’t matter if you’re still eating & your family has finished. When staying with my mum I’m often still sitting eating & she’s finished & cleared away. Also an opportunity for families to sit together talking longer at the dinner table.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Arabesque

[SleeverSk 635]

21 hours ago, Lucylovesfood said:

I am 8 months post surgery and have hit my ideal weight. But I still can't eat like a normal person. 2 spoons of anything and I feel full. I have to wait another 15 minutes to eat another 2 spoons. I'm losing more weight than expected and I'm worried that I might be underweight soon.

I don't wish to eat like I did pre-surgery but I do wish I can eat at least half the portion I used to eat at half the time. A normal portion of food takes me an hour or two to finish. I'm worried that I'll be malnourished and losing a lot of hair because of it.

I've seen that some people have gained back some weight after a year into their surgery. I just want to eat like a normal person again. Sort of regret getting the surgery because I did not anticipate the depression that comes with not being able to eat and the muscle loss I've experienced.

Can anyone share their experience 1 year post surgery? I need to know if I can eat normally again. 2 3 bites of food and then being full and not wanting to eat anymore is torture and unhealthy for my body.

oh My Gosh, funny how things work I am 8 months PO and I can eat normally again and how I wish I had some sort of restriction but I have to admit I dont think I would be happy with only 2 spoonfuls, Speak to your surgeon because you should be able to eat more than that at this point. I had depression too but it has past. I dont know if this has anything to do with things but I did start drinking carbonated drinks at about the 4-5 month mark maybe I did stretch my stomach

[Lucylovesfood 1]

51 minutes ago, SleeverSk said:

oh My Gosh, funny how things work I am 8 months PO and I can eat normally again and how I wish I had some sort of restriction but I have to admit I dont think I would be happy with only 2 spoonfuls, Speak to your surgeon because you should be able to eat more than that at this point. I had depression too but it has past. I dont know if this has anything to do with things but I did start drinking carbonated drinks at about the 4-5 month mark maybe I did stretch my stomach

So how long does it take you to eat a sandwich for instance? bread surprisingly digests faster and I can eat it faster. My staple diet is rice since I'm asian and let me tell you a cup of rice takes at least an hour to finish with a chicken thigh. I dont even try to eat Pasta because after half an hour it tastes horrible at least rice can be reheated and tastes better after being reheat.

I've cried and broken down multiple times because of how skinny I am and the comments from people around me really take a toll on my mental health. Whenever I'm stressed I also don't feel like eating because it's a hassle. Has everyone's appetite stayed the same or has it decreased like mine?

[Lucylovesfood 1]

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

We all have different experiences. I still take anywhere from 30 to an hour to eat about a recommended serving size Sometimes it depends on what I’m eating, if I’m eating alone or with others, etc. If I’m with others I never finish my meal. I think it’s because I sub consciously eat more quickly & then my restriction kicks in.

It took me a while to slow my weight loss (about 18 months) because I couldn’t eat enough & was 48.2kg at my lowest. I had to keep adding Snacks to increase my calories (still looked for nutrient dense foods & ate about 5 Snacks a day). Yes, I did feel like I ate all day. I did this with my surgeon & dietician’s support & advice. But as time passed I could eat more & I dropped snacks.

Have a chat with your dietician. Add some more nutrient & calorie dense foods & snacks to your day. Little things can help like enriching your milk by adding powdered milk - more calories, Protein, Calcium, etc. Add in a few multi or whole grains. Add some good fats. Have some fruit. Don’t be afraid to eat slowly. It doesn’t matter if you’re still eating & your family has finished. When staying with my mum I’m often still sitting eating & she’s finished & cleared away. Also an opportunity for families to sit together talking longer at the dinner table.

I actually eat whatever I can and drink whatever I can just to get my caloric target. So I have no guilt surrounding drinking a really sweet Starbucks drink loaded with whipped cream. But even all those sugary foods and junk food and also Protein and carbs, my weight is still going down that I dont even want to exercise because my muscle mass is so low now I'm scared

Tell me it gets better and I can eat better later on. I really want to put on weight now and go back to the gym and tone my body.

[SleeverSk 635]

45 minutes ago, Lucylovesfood said:

So how long does it take you to eat a sandwich for instance? bread surprisingly digests faster and I can eat it faster. My staple diet is rice since I'm asian and let me tell you a cup of rice takes at least an hour to finish with a chicken thigh. I dont even try to eat Pasta because after half an hour it tastes horrible at least rice can be reheated and tastes better after being reheat.

I've cried and broken down multiple times because of how skinny I am and the comments from people around me really take a toll on my mental health. Whenever I'm stressed I also don't feel like eating because it's a hassle. Has everyone's appetite stayed the same or has it decreased like mine?

humm I don't eat bread very often, and they do advise us to stay away from rice as it will fill you very quickly and has very little nutritional value. Try to eat more Protein for example eat your chicken thigh first if you still have room veggies or salad next and rice last. processed foods are very easy to eat and I found don't fill me at all for example the other day I had a hotdog on 2 slices of toasted bread with grilled cheese I was able to eat all of it the pace I could pre surgery and felt I could have eaten more, but I didn't . Pasta is the same with me it doesn't always sit well. Don't listen to the people around you. I had a work mate say to me "oh for god sake will you eat something you are getting to skinny" well I still have a belly and have another 10kg to loose so don't listen. I did notice your BMI is low but you are a small build to going by your height. increase your protein that will help reduce muscle loss and help build it back up. Get in touch with your dietian if you had one if you don't have one look one up that has bariatric experience they should be able to help you with food choices etc . My Appetite was like yours at the start but once I hit 6 months my snacking urges kicked back in and I am currently having a hard time keeping that under check and I have put on a kilo this week and I have also been in a 6 week stall so that's dishearten for me. someone posted a youtube video from a bariatric dr advising against exercise in the first year of surgery but each to his own I guess depending on how much you exercise maybe give it a break until you feel better. Hope you do feel better soon.

[ms.sss 15,614]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:05 AM, Lucylovesfood said:

My staple diet is rice since I'm asian and let me tell you a cup of rice takes at least an hour to finish with a chicken thigh

Rice.

This is likely the main contribution to your inability to eat alot and gain weight.

Rice is notoriously filling for the majority of us, with low nutritional value. One cup is only 200 cals so if the majority of your diet is (less than) 1 cup of rice and a chicken thigh (and assuming you attempt this 3 times a day) your cals are pretty low by end of the day….resulting in further weight loss.

Maybe cut down a bit on the rice and replace with with a fattier meat? Or some avocado? You can also pour a nice high-calories sauce over it all, like a pesto or herb infused olive oil, or a nice peanut satay, etc.

P.S. Rice was a daily staple for me too pre-op…now i only have rice when i eat sushi.

[Arabesque 7,259]

I was thinking the same thing about rice as well. I enjoyed rice a lot too but don’t miss it at all. Same with bread & Pasta. A waste of calories, nutritionally poor & very filling. Because they make you feel full more quickly you can’t eat the nutritionally dense food you need to be eating. The large, rich, creamy Starbucks drinks are likely filling you too much too quickly too limiting what you can eat later. A Protein Shake would be a better choice for nutrition & calories.

I agree with @ms.sss & @SleeverSk. Eat your Protein first, then your vegetables, then any highly processed carbs like rice. Instead of a sandwich, eat a salad or try a low carb high protein bread or wrap. Salads are great. You can throw in just about anything any protein (meat, seafood, legumes, cheese, etc.) fruit, cheese, nuts, seeds, etc. as well as vegetables & fruit. Have a look at the Food before & after thread for ideas on meals & ingredients too.

Taking an hour to eat a chicken thigh & a cup of rice is pretty much how long I would take to eat a chicken thigh & a cup of vegetables. Are you tracking your food & nutrients? How many calories are you consuming each day? Have you had any blood tests recently? What advice is your surgeon & dietician giving you? If they’re not, start demanding help.

Out of curiosity, you had surgery at a low BMI (about 29), what was your motivation for pursuing surgery? History of weight issues, co morbidities, …?