Portion sizes

This is a basic question:  When you eat soup or chili, do you stick with 1/2 cup total serving? Or 1/2 cup of the meat/beans? Does the liquid then go uneaten? Will the liquid act as if you are drinking with the meal, or cause you to overeat in the end?

I am finding that I can eat larger portions of chili or soups (such as bean soup). I want to eat the meat/beans first because that is where the protien is, but don't want to overeat.

I'm also a RNY patient and I find that when I'm eating soups, I can eat almost 1 cup (depending on the density of the protein). Now the chili I eat is pretty thick so I've been satisfied with 1/2 cup serving. I don't eat soups too often, just because I don't want to "overeat" They are nice for quick meals and I like to add extra protein (like chicken) to make it worth my while. I'm still pretty new post-op so maybe the veteran post-ops on the boards will be able to provide a better answer.

At 5 months out, I also find that I can eat a larger portion overall of soups. If it is a soup without a lot of veggies or meat, that's okay and obviously a liquid more than a "food" - but the thicker soups are something I enjoy making in the winter months.

Lynn,

You're far enough out that the answer is a little different than before...and it's a question I asked of the NUTs at Barix.

You can count the 1/2 cup as the "solids" in the soup or chili, but you can also "drink" the brothy part as part of the meal.  It doesn't count like drinking with the meal.  I would still stick to about a cup total of a brothy soup (liquid and solids, 1/2 cup each), and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of a thick chili total. 

Always a good strategy to eat the meat/beans first - get the protein in, then eat the rest just until you start to feel "comfortable" (NOT until you feel "full").

Karen

Thanks Karen. Especially glad you had the NUTs input on this!