Don't know when I'm full

I had gastric stapling in 1983. At that time I could barely eat anything. I had the RNY on 12/27/05 and I am very frightened. I can eat a cup and a half of cottage cheese mixed with yogurt and 30 minutes later eat a whole snack size bag of diet pocorn. I have had no trouble eating meats. I have yet to feel full. I just feel like I'm tired of eating. I do take small bites and chew very well. The only dumping I have experienced has come from salad of all things! Is my pouch still numb from surgery? Will I ever feel full? I know that this is a tool, but I have felt no drastic benefit. In fact, I have taken diet pills in the past that make me feel less like eating. I have not lost anything since I started regular food last Wednesday. I am so depressed. Has this happened to any of you? I feel like an enormous failure! Kim

You're not a failure honey, but perhaps a call to your Dr. office to let them know what is going on with you may be in order, if you haven't done so already. Lisa

I still have a hard time telling if I am full. I really don't measure but I use a small bowl/saucer and a drinking teaspoon to eat with. I already had the spoons for stiring tea. I eat slowly. Sometimes I finish every thing and other times I don't. Before surgery I would use regular plates forks and eat every thing and go back for seconds. Now I put it up. I really don't think I feel full. But I really don't know what full is since I used to stuff my self pass full. Try measuring then just walk away. Did your doctor ok the popcorn? I was told to stay away from anything that could get hung up in the staple line. popcorn, pepper flakes, corn, etc. My doctor won't let me go to solid foods until I am eight weeks out. Your protein drinks will help make you feel full.

Thank you for the input. I will call the doctor today. I will ask about the popcorn, as well. Kim

I had the same sensation. I ate a half bowl of cream of wheat in the hospital and was doing the same at home. But, last week I ate my "real food" meal about 45 min after my last liquid. WOW what a difference. Now I'm right in there with the other full pouchys. Two bites of scrambled egg/cheese mix and 1 bite canadian ham and I was miserable for 2 hours - just too full. Finally - "the feeling of fullness". Last night we got home late and I made us an omlette with 1/2c beaters, 1T no beans turkey chili, 1 sl lo-fat cheese, 2T avacado. Ate a very small half and there it was. "The feeling" again. Check with the clock how close your liquids are to your meal - before and after - and definitely with. Think of a sink drain - If the liquids are there things just slip down the drain. Now my morning cup of decaf happens around 10 a.m. and I am not nearly as casual about the rest of my liquids. Where 80 oz used to be easy, it is now a chore. I was no****ching the clock. Just before I discovered my liquid problem my DH and I were talking. I hadn't planned on terrorizing my body to still feel continuous hunger. We thought it must be head hunger, but it really was hunger. Now that I've got my liquids under better control my hunger is gone. My wt loss is still very slow but I lost 48 pounds between qualifying for the surgery and actually having the surgery. I only had 90 pounds left to lose on the day of surgery and I've lost 18 of that as of this morning. That's 20% in the first month so I guess I shouldn't complain. Hope some of my ramblings help someone. Life is good. Shar

Hi Shar, I think you hit the nail on the head. I drink all day long (always have). Getting my water in is no problem because I am constantly drinking it...I love ice cold water. The problem, as you mentioned, is probably me drinking right up to meals and sipping with meals, then drinking as soon as I get up from the table. I tried not having anything before breakfast, nothing with breakfast, and then nothing for 30 minutes afterward. I am happy to say that I am FULL after half of one scrambled egg and cheese! I miss my water, though. This is something I will definately have to work on. Thanks for the tip! Have a great day! Kim

I am so there with all of you! I realized that I can eat about 3/4 of a cup of food if I don'****ch myself! So now I make sure to premeasure everything before It goes on my plate. I also use a small cake plate and baby spoons from Tupperwear (they are long like adult spoons except the spoon part is really small). The small cake or coffee plates are good because of way the 1/2 cup of food takes up more of the plate to make it look full (helps to trick your head...... I swear it helps!). Also If you want a helpful protein booster the hot chocolate on www.i-shophere.biz has 15g of protein in it and is sugar free and it's really good!

I'm still having a lot of trouble feeling full. Sometimes I get this pressure feeling under my breast bone and other times nothing. One of the nurses at my doctors office told me at about 3 months out you get this whole new feeling of full. It has a lot to do with the internal swelling of the pouch that is there for about 3 months. After this time the brain recieves a new message from your puch that tells you your full. They think it has something to do with a slight stretching of the pouch sending this message. Luckily this nurse had a RNY about 10 months ago so a lot of her information is a combo of personal experience and health education. I've been trying to measure everything out. I think it helps with my mind hunger a lot. Just knowing what exactly I got to eat. Also, I've olny been eating 3 meals a day and "snacking" on protein supplements during the day. I don't know how many times I've been told "NO Snacking" but I can all ready tell I could grave all day if I let myself. I just have to really work hard on not doing that. I just hope this "full" thing actually does kick in for me!!!