Need Advice on Food Quantity

I started soft foods today and I am worried that I can eat too much. For breakfast I could have easily finished an entire scrambled egg, for lunch I had 1/4 cup of tuna salad but felt like I could have had twice that much. For supper I had 1/2 cup of refried beans. I'm only one month out! If I can eat this much now, how bad will it be in one year? So many people say that they eat a tsp of this and two bites of that...what's up with me? And I can drink almost as if I didn't have surgery. I'm concerned that nothing seems to bother me. As fellow newbies, what has your experience been?

I am eating about the same way you are. I worried at one point that they really didn't change anything inside... LOL.... Just don't pu**** past 1/2 a cup. That is what I am doing. I eat 2 eggs when I do eggs, but that is about 2 oz. I wouldn't stress too much about it, as long as you are eating the right foods, and in limited quatities.... Good Luck. Shawn M.

Wanda, I am eating similar to you. I met with the the dietician on Monday at my one month follow-up (actually one month tommorow) and I questioned the amounts I was eating and was told it was peferctly normal. The only thing I was told was to make sure I am getting in 5-6 meals. That keeps blood sugars and metabolism regulated and will most likely not make you want to eat so much at the meals. I tried this today and it actually does work. It is a job remembering to eat like this but just having a couple of ounces of yogurt makes a big difference in how you feel. Jus****ch your overall food choices and calories. Christy

Wanda, I find that it depends on the food that I eat. Somethings I can eat a full half cup fairly easily other items I can only eat a few bites. One egg is really not that much even a large egg is probably less than 1/3 of a cup. I was told to get between 2 and 4 ounzes of food per meal. a half cup is 4 oz so I think you're doing just fine. Trust me...the times I can eat that full half cup I think, oh my God it's not working but just think about the last time you ate only a 1/2 cup of food and felt satisfied...for me...well...NEVER!! My water intake has increased quite a bit which I think is normal, I could barely sip for the first several weeks but now can drink quite a bit at one time. Anyway, I think you're fine! Corinna Q

Wanda I have days like that also, I can eat anywhere from 1/4-1/3 cup at a meal. It just depends on the day. My NUT also said that is perfectly normal and eat slowly and chew thoroughly. I try to use about 1/2-45 min to eat a meal, I have found when I spread it out like that I fill completely and feel more satisfied. Good luck Michelle

For me it totally depends on WHAT I'm eating... I had some baked turkey, cut up small and mixed with some mayo and literally could only eat 3 small bites before the pressure in my chest said "I'M FULL"! But... for the past week or so, I've been eating one scrambled egg and one small sausage link and feeling full but not overstuffed... so even tho I've heard people getting panicky (sp?) over eating a "whole" egg... I just shrug to myself and remember that it's considerably less than I used to be able to eat so I'm all good! I also found that some days I can eat a bit more than other days, so not sure what that's all about. I just eat slowly and wait for the pressure in my chest to tell me when I'm full.. I think soft foods (and lots of chewing) almost turns it into liquid consistency, so it's slipping out of the pouch pretty quickly and allowing us to eat more. I tried a few bites of hamburger and couldn't even get in 3 or 4 spoons before I was done! So... all that to say I think you're doing just fine and not eating too much at all! Marilyn

I'm on soft foods too, and I eat squash and cottage cheese and refried beans and an egg sometimes, and I thought I was eating a lot, but really, its all in the density of food. When you were on a clear liquid diet, you could get down a lot more than you probably thoght you could, and if you didn't because of taste, you could have gotten a lot of water down. Soft foods are still flexible in your tummy and can be pushed through easily, even though there are times when you feel full after a certain amount of bites. I figure when solid****s, you aren't going to be able to eat very much at all. Thats my theory anyway.

I did the same thing when I first started on soft foods. I thought I was eating too much at one time. I have cut back and now hopefully am past the plateau stage. I drink about 4oz. at a time. Eating, I think I am between 1/2 cup and 1 cup. I need to get more liquids in during the day. I know I am probably dehydrated most of the time, as I was on Physician's Weight Loss. I have been carrying a mug with me the last 2 days and now have the mug from the hospital which is 32oz. I should be able to drink 1-2 of those a day along with my other liquids that I am getting in. I can eat 1 medium egg and that is about it.

I did the same thing, could eat more than I thought I should... until I threw up. LOL only took me one time of that horrific experience to make me think twice. It wasn't even that I "stuffed" myself but that I just didn't wait long enough between two meals to make room for the next. now I measure EVERYTHING, I TIME everything ..and I make sure to drink water in between to help things flow along. and as someone else up there said, I think it also has to do with density and consistency. for instance I can eat an entire scrambled egg, but when its a single hard boiled egg turned into egg salad I have to split it into 2 or 3 portions. Good luck to you. Tairie

Thanks everyone for your input. I am beginning to feel more comfortable now. Since my initial post, I had to go out to eat three times with a group of people. Nobody except my husband knows that I had the surgery. I was able to order a small quantity of food and eat just a little feeling totally satisfied. For the first time in my life, I finished after everyone else! I almost felt like crying with happiness. The surgery worked...it really worked.