Stomach stretched ??

Hi Joanne, Your pouch will continue to stretch after surgery and there's no going back but you can be more effecient in how you use it. First of all stay away from the carbs. Protein should fill you up. The information I got was to use the hi carb mashed potatoes, squash, and other high glycemic vegies only to get your gastric juices flowing in your pouch so it would work then back off the high carb vegies. This can be adjusted after you have lost your excess weight. The mechanism for the pouch stretching is called adaptation and it's how we humans have managed to survive famines. Throw the body a curve ball and it finds a way to adapt to the change and survive. Your pouch will never be as big as your pre-op pouch but it will never be as small as immediately post op either. Use it wisely and it will work for you. Read pouch rules for dummies to learn more about how the pouch works. You already have been able to measure your pouch size now by your comment about eating 4 oz of meat. If you drink fluids while you eat it will flush the nutritious food thru the pouch before it can be digested and benefit you. We were told not to drink 30 minutes before or after eating food for this reason. Good luck and back off those carbs. Cathy Open RNY 7/26/04 -43 pounds