Am I at a normal stage?

This is my first post. I had my surgery on Oct. 12th 2005 (approx. 3 mos out). So far I have lost 80 lbs and losing anywhere between 0-5 lbs weekly. Its up and down though every day. Is this pretty good weight loss? Started at 313 and down to 234. Its really starting to slow down alot though and thats getting frustrating. Trying to get in my fluids but protein is hard. I can't stand the whey protein and the collagen based protein is a natural repellant for me. I feel great but hoping that I continue to lose. I am also a little nervous about how much I can eat. It seems like I am able to eat more than I should. Some say that if I eat too much, I will know it by throwing up or getting sick in some other way. I can't do the cottage cheese test because they fed me pureed cottage cheese in the hospital and now even thinking about it makes me want to yak. Anybody else worrying about this and have good advice. When I eat something that I think is too much, I feel guilty for days about it. I guess that could be normal. I constantly fear gaining it all back.

Jesse, You're having worries & fears that we all have experienced early on. Eighty pounds, even for men, who lose faster, is great. Don't worry that you are going too slow. Keep working on proteins. That will help with your loss. If you don't get enough, it will slow. I can sympathize with being repelled by the whey based proteins. I had the same problem. Could not walk past a sealed baggie of a powdered one as the odor made me vomit, 1 t of the stuff mixed in a fluid caused the same reaction. Have you tried soy milk & soy based powdered protein? It is surprisingly good flavored & what saved me. I'm 2 years out & almost daily still drink one of my soy shakes just because it fills me up & I don't get hungry for several hours & just because I like them. You can get a no sugar added flavored soy milk at many Super Walmarts called Soy Slender but the other soy milks work too. I take a cup of it (usually chocolate to feed my sweet tooth) add a scoop of soy protein (I get mine at GNC) & lots of crushed ice & mix well. I add a banana ocassionally for a change of pace. Lately I have been adding a generous T of coffee crystals & it comes close to tasting like Starbucks Mocha Frapachino, lowfat of course. That shake will give you around 25 grams of protein. Try not to worry about stretching out your stomach. You will get very uncomfortable at this stage if you have overdone it. I understand anyway that it is actually difficult to stretch it out. The pouch is made from the portion of the stomach that doesn't stretch as much. If you want to test it, try something else with the consistancy of cottage cheese, something that will stay in your pouch long enough that you will feel full but that you can eat in a short time. It would have to be something you don't have to chew much. I don't recommend eating mashed potatoes because they really aren't good for us but maybe just this once. They'd have to be pretty thick and the results may not be conclusive. If it helps at all, I feel I can eat quite alot at 2 years out but the test showed I ony could eat about 2/3 cup. I've also been scoped & it showed that my pouch was "normal" sized. Try not to feel guilty. I think that feeling is part of what got us in trouble in the first place.I know that I would overeat, feel guilty, then because I had wrecked everything already, woud continue to do it, and I ballooned up bigger than you were. Just take it easy. If you do eat too much, next time try to stop a bite or two sooner. Your pouch will train you, but you'll still mess up ocassionally. I did yesterday. You're doing great! Dixie

Thanks Dixie. I appreciate your advice and encouragement. I will have to try the soy. Thanks again!