Question:
Can my pouch be stretched out already?
I am almost 6 weeks post-op...I have only lost 26 pounds..I have been on a plateau for almost 3 weeks...I notice that I can eat more than before..Like this morning for breakfast I had 1 scrambled egg and a piece of BURNT Toast!!! and dinner was almost 1 half of a small baked potato and a couple bits of chicken..It just seems like a lot for me right know...I have only got the feeling of being full today after I ate dinner...It scares me because I hear some people can only eat 2 or 3 bites and they are stuffed and I can eat a lot more than that...Could I have stretched my pouch out so soon??? — [Anonymous] (posted on January 6, 2002)
January 5, 2002
I've read about a "test" for pouch size on here....it's eating
cottage cheese until you feel "full" and measuring how much
you've eaten. Since it is a protein, it will not "rush" through
the pouch (like cheerios do) leaving room for more food. I haven't done
that, but, I'm 5.5 months out - and have at times worried that my pouch is
stretched because I seem to be able to eat a lot. Then, when I start my
meal with "dense protein" (yesterday, dry-ish tuna) I can only
eat a small amount of the protein with a tiny bit of carbs (bread or
crackers). That rassures me! I'm sure you're fine. Are you transsected
(is your pouch cut from your main stomach)? You might want to read more
about that in the Library here. Considering your post, it sounds like
you're okay.... Best of luck to you - and congratulations on your loss so
far! OPEN RNY 7/17/01
— blee01
January 5, 2002
That was supposed to read "that reassures me" ... no spell check,
sorry.
— blee01
January 5, 2002
I has lost 22 pounds at 6 weeks, 27 at 7 1/2 weeks. I was horrified! I
had been doing everything right, walking, and swimming for exercise, only
water to drink, protien to eat, you name it.<P> My doctor sent me to
the dietician who validated that I was making good food choices and doing
ok with my eating. <P> I was so upset I started eating more and
exercising less. I lost 15 pounds in the next 4 weeks. LOL Dr and I talked
about it and we think I was not eating enough - my body was in
"starvation mode" and fighting every oz of weight
loss.<P>What you are eating is ok, but you may not be getting enough
protien. I was told that initially you pouch is swolen (sp) from the
surgery. After a few weeks the swelling goes down and you can eat more.
The doctor in Thursday night's dr chat said how much you eat is not as
important as how much you exercise. The exercise will keep your metabolism
up. If you don't exercise it slows down. You won't burn calories as fast
so you won't lose as much weight. <P> You're doing fine. I know it's
hard to believe that when others have lost that much in a week or two, but
you can't compare yourself to others. Keep doing the right things and the
weight will keep going down.
— [Anonymous]
January 6, 2002
Sounds like good food chices, but keep a food diary for a week or so, and
write down every single thing you put in your mouth. Then see your
dietician. Pouch stretching is a overrated problem according to my surgeon.
Yours has the swelling go down. Relax and you will get there.
— bob-haller
January 6, 2002
From what I have heard, it is virtually impossible to stretch out your new
pouch so early on in the game. I think that maybe the swelling has finally
gone down and so you are seeing that you can "fit" more food in
your pouch. With what you say you are eating, I don't see anything that
indicates that you are eating much more (or AS much in some instances) as
others I have heard from. One thing that could affect "how much"
you can eat is what size of a pouch your surgeon left you with. One girl
who had surgery at the same time I did was eating almost triple what I
could eat at a meal and come to find out her pouch was made to the size of
2 oz and mine was made 1/2 oz. This explained why the huge difference in
what we both could consume. Try the cottage cheese test and when you do
eat, try and eat protein first, then vegies, then fruit and lastly
starches... Take care and if you ever want to talk, feel free to e-mail me.
— Kellie Jo B.
January 6, 2002
Right after surgery your new pouch is swollen and you can't fit much in it.
Now, at almost 6 weeks post-op, some of the swelling has gone and you can
fit a little more in it. I had slowed down in my weight lose between 4 and
6 weeks post-op too and I also noticed that I could eat more. But, the
other thing I noticed was that as I felt better and was able to consume a
little bit more I became much more active and the weight started coming off
faster again. You need to eat to lose and you need to eat the right things
as well. You also have to get regular, daily exercise! I am 2 months
post-op, open RNY and just in the last week to 10 days have been feeling
really great and am losing at a good pace again. Somedays I can eat 3 to 5
ounces at a meal and other days I can't choke down more then an ounce or 2.
I usually do not take in more then 500 calories a day and most of that is
protein. I do get plenty of daily exercise, both at work and taking my
very active dogs for long walks on off time. Relax! Your plateau will
break soon and the weight will copme off. You haven't stretched you pouch.
In fact, you sound very normal to me. Everyone loses at a different pace
and hits plateaus at different times. You are doing fine.
— Susan M.
January 6, 2002
When we had the chat with the surgeon a few days ago someone asked about
this & he said that almost everyone worries that they may have
stretched their pouch, but that in actual fact, it's pretty hard to stretch
it much. I thought that was very interesting.
— Kathy W.
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