How much food can you eat at a sitting?

Just wondering.. I just had my first fill.  I am now at 4cc in a 10 cc band.  
I can eat at dinner 4 oz of chicken , about 1/4 cup of veggies and few bites of mashed potatoes.  ( sample).  Then I can snack about 2 hours later...   
Just curious as to the amounts people eat AFTER you have hit that sweet spot.   Does the sweet spot mean its just a few bites and waa laa your full.??  I take it I have a few more fills to go?   Thanks.

I went to a support meeting last night and two people said they eat a 1/4 cup of food and cannot eat another bite.  WHAT?

I eat about the same amount you do. I would be going for an unfill if I coudl only eat 1/4 of a cup! But it is my choice never to be what i consider to be too tight. Some people like only being able to eat 1/4 of a cup! But I cannot see any way that you can get a balanced diet on such a small amount.

The difference between you without restriction and me with it is that we eat the same amount but I go for longer than 2 hours before i feel hungry.

Kate

My doctor said that I should be able to eat about 3/4 a cup to 1 cup of food and that it should keep me full for at least 4 hours.  So I think the amount you are eating is probably pretty good, I would be more concerned that you were hungry enough to be snacking only 2 hours later.  Just my opinion...

I eat one cup of food and like Kate I will never get to the point of being filled where I can only eat 1/2 cup of food or 1/4 cup of food I dont think that is healhty at all but that is just my personal opinion only.

My doc if you can go 3 hrs then you are at a good spot.   Once I eat my cup of food then I go anywhere from 3-6 hrs at a time .

Head hunger is a different story though some days I get it really bad and some days its not bad at all. If I keep dwelling on that head hunger when I get it , I can make myself physically hunger even though Im not .

Hey OC,

I eat about the same amount that you're able to eat now and can usually go for about 3 or 4 hours without being hungry.

The hardest part for me has been training myself to know the difference between hungry, satisfied and full.  Prior to the surgery, I was so used to being full (more like stuffed), that now I have to pause for a moment when I'm eating and ask myself "Am I hungry?"  If the answer is "No", then I stop, because to me that means I'm satisfied.

Like Kate and Steeler, I like having the freedom to eat a somewhat normal amount of food, and I wouldn't ever want to be filled to the point where I can only consume 1/4 cup food at a time.  I guess I like having "guided freedom" to make better choices and I've come to enjoy exercising quite a bit.  

Lauran,

That has been the hardest part for me to learning the differences.  I have always been full full when I ate so when I got the band and eat one cup of food and being statisfied it took me a long time to realize that I am not hungry and I can live on one cup of food and not be hungry.

Plus  I think when you get the band you have to play some mental games with yourself also and Im learning to play them games really well lol.

I eat 3 oz of dense protein and 1/4c of a veggie and go 4+ hours without physical hunger, head hunger is different.  Also if a person could only eat a 1/4c of food, I don't see how you could get adequate nutrients without eating every few hours.  I wouldn't want to live that way.

Another thing is, I have never felt "FULL".  I eat my meal and that's it.  My new full is not being hungry.  I don't want to test my band and stretch my upper pouch or esophagus.  I want to keep my band safe, so I don't know how much I could eat.  Also if it's a slider food, you could eat a lot more obviously, just depends on the food & the moisture of it.

Also I  don't like the term sweet spot, my surgeon uses the "green zone".  Everyday is different, depends on the time of month, how much fluid we are retaining, what is going on in our day, how tired we are, etc etc.  A little hunger won't kill me.  To me, it's all about being able to eat what my surgeon suggests and not being hungry where my stomach is growling like crazy for 4 hours or more.  If I get hungry and fluids don't take care of it, then I might eat a cheese stick.  80 cals/ 8 grams of protein etc.

Sounds like you are doing great! 

I eat about the same. At the 2 hour mark are you feeling physical hunger, or is it more in your head. My surgen says at good restriction after a meal of that size we shouldn't be experienceing much hunger 2 hrs later.

Trixie

I eat about 3-4 oz of chicken, 1/2 c veggies and a few bites of pasta and am good for ...well it depends. I find that since my surgery I don't get thirsty and I don't get hungry until I start to eat or drink. I choose to eat because I know I have to which leads to me feeling extra hungry. After lunch and dinner is hardest for me, I can eat a tiny breakfast and be good for hours but after I finish a meal the size described above I am ravenous (in my head anyways) that 15-20 minutes after eating is my weakest time. I try to just stay busy until the feeling passes.

I am 3 years post-op and am always learning (and then forgetting and re-learning). I kind of wish I could eat less per sitting. I can't eat as much as I could pre-op but I can still eat more than I think i should if that makes sense. I am at 9cc out of 10 so I obviously don't have much more room to find my sweet spot. I don't really think I have one to be honest so I just take solace in the fact that I can be happy with less food but it is always a struggle for me.

"I kind of wish I could eat less per sitting. I can't eat as much as I could pre-op but I can still eat more than I think i should if that makes sense."

This is EXACTLY how I feel right now!! I have an office visit/fill appointment scheduled for tomorrow and I can't decide whether or not I want a fill. I have been sticking to my pre measured amounts and doing ok. Hard to make myself stop eating though. I feel like I want more restriction... but I am afraid of getting too tight so I might just keep working with what I have right now.