Portion Control

Have any of you noticed that you are able to eat a lot more than you used to be able to eat? By no means can I eat the amounts I ate pre-op, but after surgery, I was satisfied with teeny-tiny amounts and now I can eat half a hamburger. Am I on the road to being MO again? This scares me. Lyndsay Holder RNY 12/13/04 308/245/160ish

I am been thinking the same thing Lyndsay Holder. I do not eat hamburgers yet, but I do eat more than I think I should. Brenda

I eat it without the bun. It's a good source of protein for me and something they have available in my work cafeteria (I work in a hospital). I was nervous the first time I ate it, but it gave me so much energy and red meat has so much protein.

That is great, I know what you mean about being nervous...

Yup. I even find that I eat more now, than before surgery. I used to skip meals and eat all wrong. Now, I carefully track my intake and I never skip a meal or a snack. I eat on schedule....not because I am hungry, but because it is the path to success. The important thing is to keep your intake to good foods only. Stay away from the high calorie, low-food-value or high sugar items. 1/2 hamburger patty is completely within my maintenance plan and it would be high protein. There are leaner meats, but as long as you don't make this your everyday choice, there is nothing wrong with it. Obviously what you are doing is working. You have a great weight loss. Karen G 294 / 232 / ???

That's normal as your pouch heals and learns to adjust to food once again. That's why it's so important that we don't over eat or fall back into our nasty eating habits. I noticed that I go through stages where I'll eat like a little pig for a day or two and then my pouch don't want nothing to eat and I can hardly get food down me. Donna 338/244 -94

Lyndsay, That is why although the dieticians tell you not to count calories, I have. I have 300 cals or less each meal and then my essential fatty acid (1 tbs. of peanut butter or 1 tsp. of olive oil) to bring my intake to right around 1000 cals per day. Friend who are 5-6 years out told me that is how their group has maintained the loss. Those who counted cals are still thin. Those who did not have gained back weight. Angie 302/236

I agree, totally! I have to MAKE myself stop eating, when I know that I should. But I don't feel full! My PA told me to eat less soft food (cheese, tuna, PB) and more steak, pork chops, etc. Well, I don't WANT those foods! But I did go right out and get a steak taco from Taco Bell, and ate the entire inside of it, tomato and lettuce and all. It was great! So, I guess I have to start eating 'real' food and maybe that will fill up the pouch better. It seems counter-productive, somehow. We're told to eat slow, tiny bites, and chew a lot. The result is to soften the food, so it goes down faster, so we can eat more at one time!!! Leslie Rodriguez RNY 12/17/04 238/175/138