How much can you eat?

Well, I just finished dinner and I am 3.5 weeks post op. You know those mini plates that are just a bit bigger than a saucer? Well, half of that was roasted pork and the other was a little mashed potatoes and some peas. I was able to eat it all. Is that strange? To be able to eat a full plate of food? I was full afterward but not in pain or anything. I tend to eat smaller portions for breakfast and lunch. Could it be that my pouch is more willing to hold food at dinner or am I pushing it. I would guess it was about 6oz of food. I try to measure each meal, but with the little plate, I pretty much eye it. Anyway, would love to know how food and eating is going for you. Thanks!! Erica 258/234.5/125

Had my surgery 11/22 and cannot get down 2 oz of anything puree'd at a meal. Food Sucks! Ok it goes down, ok ... just makes me nauseous as heck on the way to my pouch and once it gets there. S/F F/F stuff is too SWEET and gags me. Any protein drinks I could tolerate b4 surgery .. OMG yuck! Regular foods that I can puree are too SALTY! and gags me. cream soups - bleck Even plain ole water .. bleck flavored water .. bleck forget juices even watered down. I'm gagging down reg water as I know I have to stay hydrated and I do get "some foods" down. I knew I was a picky eater before, but omg now this is depressing. Help! What am I to do here? And, unofficially today my mother brought her scale over to my house. She was curious as she said there was such a difference in my hands already. Granted it travelled a mile and is old, but mom said it said what she weighted at the dr's office last time. So unofficially... GET THIS - 40lbs! since 11/15/04 Remember I was on full liquids for 10 days pre-surgery also. God Bless, Vickie

Sorry I am not much help Erica. I have been having a problem getting food to stay down. It seems that no matter how small the bites or how well I chew it, stuff like chicken will not stay down. It's really frustrating because I want to eat. I feel hungry almost all the time. Congrats on the WL Vicki! I lost 33lbs my first month. I am hoping that the eating thing gets better.

I can eat 4-6 oz depending on what it is. if it's yogurt I can normally get almost 6 oz, my favorite right now is tuna fish with some miracle whip and splenda. I have 1/2c of that at least 2x a day. It's great protein!!

I can eat about 2-3 ounces at a time, but I sometimes forget to eat!!! IMAGINE THAT!! I am just not hungry at all. I have one thing I cannot eat and that is hamburger. Everytime I eat it, I feel like I could dump BAD!! I had Chili the other night and scooped out 1/2 cup of it and I couldn't fini****!! It was more like 1/3 of a cup that I actually ate. I remember eating a whole big bowl before!! I also cannot really tolerate sweet things and s/f lemonade gives me heartburn!! I drink mostly water and s/f koolaid. I have to say though, that more so than the food that I miss, I miss my diet coke!! Congrats on the weight losses!!! I weighed the other day, and I have lost 23 lbs since my surgery!! I am just so excited!! We are all doing great! Just think what we will look like by next summer!!

Hello. This is the first time that I have posted on this board! I had surgery on 11/8 and I am still on soft foods/pureed until I am 6 weeks out (another 1+ weeks to go). I find that I can easily eat 2 oz at a sitting, and could probably eat more, but don't. I had a complication when my drain was pulled and now have a fistula leading into my stomach, so I am super worried that I will never feel "full" since stuff is leaking out. But, my wonderful surgeon had me stay on liquids an extra week (3 week) and he thinks it will heal, but I will have a CT scan again at 3 -4 months out. The good news is it taught me a lot about discipline and will power, but I second guess my amounts all of the time. I almost ate an entire Wendy's Chili in one sitting but strained a lot of the meat. I am eating every 2-3 hours and so far have a great weight loss. I was down on my surgeon's scale 38lbs since surgery and have almost broken the 200lb mark! I hope to be more active on this board in the future. Roni 240/201/140

Just because you can eat that much doesn't mean it is safe to. Part of the reason your surgeon restricts the type and amount of food for the first six weeks is so the staple line heals. The more work your stomach does by trying to break down poorly chewed food, or the more it stretches teh more likely you are to have a leak. I could eat more than my 2-3 oz too, but I don't. It isn't worth the risk. I know someone who leaked, and about died. She had to go back to the hosp and be in ICU for 3 weeks, then in a nursing home for 3 months to regain her strength. Not trying to be bossy, I just want you to know the rules are there for a very good reason. Be careful. It takes 6 weeks for your tummy to heal if you give it a rest for that time, longer if not. Lori

Lori, Your post kind of annoys me, to be honest! Why is it that so many people on these message boards think that just because others are not following "their" plan, a person is not following the plan created by "his/her" doctor? I chew as well as I should and I am not stretching my pouch!! The risk of eating enough to fuel our bodies is NOT a risk!! Also, my doctor allows me to eat no more than 6 oz of food per meal without snacks. I do exactly that and have never gone over that amount. So, I AM FOLLOWING THE RULES EXACTLY as I should be. My question was more geared to others who are the same amount post op as I am though say they cannot get in their water or food requirements. I honestly feel that I am healing a lot faster than others if I am able to drink well over 60oz of water each day and get 70+ grams of protein from food sources only. I consider that success, not failure!! Just because many people cannot do that does not mean I am wrong for being able to. Erica

Sorry to annoy you. That was not my intent.

I'm eating about 3 bites of protein and a couple bites of a side dish. So far I"ve lost 35 pounds. I've gone down 2 dress sizes. I don't feel really hungry but I'm following my doctor's instructions and all. I just don't enjoy food anymore. Also, I'm starting to get a little testy as we all do from time to time.