How much should I be able to eat??

[melanieinamumu 2]

Hey guys! I'm currently 5 weeks out and had a question about how much I should be able to eat in one sitting. I'm technically in the soft food stage and I had missed some of my meals today. I ate 2 small lobster tails and half a small sweet potato in one sitting today and don't feel nauseous or anything. I definitely feel full. Also earlier, I was able to eat two bacon and egg bites from Starbucks no issue. Still felt full afterwards.

Have I stretched my stomach already??

I used to not be able to eat that much. Obviously, I probably shouldn't be eating that much but wouldn't my body absolutely object if I overdid it?

Any helpful advice would be appreciated!

[Arabesque 7,335]

It takes a lot of concentrated effort, over a long period of time, eating very large servings to stretch your tummy out. So you’ll be okay.

As to how much you should eat (all because you can doesn’t mean you should) it’s best to check with your dietician because you’ll get different advice from others here - plans are different & we have different needs. For example I was told 1/4 to 1/3 cup from purée slowly increasing to a cup by 6 months. Best advice I ever got was not to eat until you feel full. It takes time for the full message to get through (about 20 minutes usually but more so while your cut nerves are still healing) so by the time you feel full, you’ve eaten too much and are over full. It’s one of the reasons we’re told to eat slowly.

As to why you didn’t have a reaction, you may jus have had a lucky day. You may not tomorrow. Even four years out, there are times when my tummy says nope that’s more than enough, even if I’ve eaten less than my usual portion of that food & I feel uncomfortable or my restriction. Yesterday I ate a thin beef sausage & a little lettuce at a BBQ & my tummy protested for an hour after.

Try not to skip meals. It’s so important for us to get in our Protein, other nutrients, calories & fluids. Life can get busy sometimes so keep some Protein Shake mix, beef Jerky, Soup, Protein Bar, nuts, etc. that can be kept for a time in your bag, car, etc. as grab & go type meals/snacks for busy days.