Portion Concerns

Hi y'all. I am on the third day of my soft-stage diet, and I'm worried that I might be eating too much. I've had a couple of people tell me, "You'll know when you're starting to get full," but I haven't really felt a full sensation yet. I wanted to bounce some of the meals/amounts I've had off others to see what you think. 1 full piece of toast with tuna "salad" on it 5 or 6 saltine crackers with tuna salad on them Are these normal amounts? or are they too much? My brain is so confused at this point because on the liquid diet, I was measuring everything out very carefully and rarely ate over 4 oz at a time. (Allowed 4-6 oz.) Now, I just don't know. It's difficult to judge. I've had a couple of times when I would get some pain while eating, but I'm not sure if it was gas or too much or what. Any helpful hints would be appreciated!! Thanks! Julie

Julie, I don't have the answers for you, but I am amazed that you can eat bread so soon. So many people have problems with bread balling up in their stomach and sitting there like a lead weight. Be sure to buy low carb bread if you are going to incorporate it into your diet or at least don't use white bread use something that is whole grain and a healthier version. My friend who also had surgery couldn't eat more than a 1/4 sandwich for months, so for her 1/2 of a slice was the limit. My surgeon stresses protein first, then veggies, then fruit and only if there is room then carbs. I know each surgeon is different on his protocol. Wishing you the best. Mary

Mary - I'm not allowed to eat soft bread, just toast. I'm not sure why there's a difference, but I guess there is. I always eat whole grain bread (even before surgery) because I know eating white bread is like eating straight sugar. My portions are just really confusing. What you told me about your friend sounds more right to me. Maybe I'm just not paying close enough attention. Thanks for the reply. Julie

i don't know if your soft stage is the same as my mush stage but here is an example of my diets. #1 never eat more than you can stuff into a 1/2 of a cup other wise you risk stretching out your pouch. #2 only 1/2 slice of whole wheat at a time along with 1 egg and 1/4 banana. or 3 carckers and cheese. Always fill up with protein first try and get in 10 grams a meal. 6 times a day.

I am having the same questions and concerns. I looked at my book again from my nutritionist and it states only to eat a total of a 1/2 per meal. Laurie

I found some sample menus in my post-op stuff which I had forgotten about. They gave me an idea of how much of certain things I should be eating, so I've been sticking by that since I found it on Friday. It made me feel SO much better once I read something I could really relate to. Thanks for all the responses! Jules

I thought I might include a couple of examples for everyone to see here. 1-2 oz. tuna or salmon with crackers (it doesn't specify how many which is frustrating) 1-2 oz. tuna or salmon 1/2 slice very crisp whole wheat toast 1-2 oz. broiled fish 2 TBS. cooked vegetable (any except for corn - cooked very soft) 3-4 oz. macaroni and cheese 1 egg 1/2 slice very crisp whole wheat toast Those are some of the main examples. Maybe this will help someone else, too! For breakfast, I usually just have one slice of toast. I figure if I'm not eating anything else with it, that shouldn't be a problem. Also, I'm going to have my hubby look at the grocery store today and see if he can find some of that very thinly sliced bread, so that a whole slice of that will equal a half of a regular. That way, I won't waste a half slice of bread. I know Earth Grains used to make thinly sliced bread like that. Not sure if they do anymore or not. Jules

Julie, I had surgery 2/12/04. I think you're probably okay, although I'm surprised you can eat a whole piece of toast. Typically, I'm eating 4-5 wheat thins with crab salad, tuna salad, egg salad, ham salad (can you tell I make everything into a salad? LOL) I just chew them well and it's been no problem. Also had 3 oz. of cold shrimp with ****tail sauce several times. Yum! I've also had Wendy's chili and can usually eat 1/2 of the small cup for a meal. It's great mnd very high in protein. Good luck!

Julie, are you sure you're hungry to begin with? If you're not hungry when you start eating, you're not gonna realized the sense of fullness b/c you didn't have the sense of emptiness to start with. Remember, the most important things the first few weeks are: protein supplement, vitamins and hydration. So long as you get these things, your body will be getting the essentials it needs and you don't have to worry about the food so much. Also, be patient with yourself. Most of us aren't clued in to our body's signs of hunger and fullness yet. I mean think about...if we had eaten only when we felt hungry and stopped when we felt full, most of us wouldn't have needed the surgery. I eat a little bit (maybe 4-5 ounces per day) just so my body can get used to dealing with food, but I'm very seldom hungry. When I do get hungry, I eat very slowly (a baby spoon size bit every few minutes****il the hunger pains stop (which is usally very quickly). Try waiting to eat once in a while until you really feel hunger pains, you might discover you're eating out of mental drive rather than physical hunger. Also try cutting out the bread...that might be why you feel pain sometimes. Good luck Darrin