How to tell if your pouch stretched..

I had gastric bypass  2yrs 3 mths ago and am trying to judge if my pouch has stretched more than it is suppose to. My weight loss has stalled in the past year ( I have lost 123 lbs) and people keep saying I will continue to lose weight for up to 5 years. Now granted, I, for the most part, have disregarded all the do's and taken up all the do not's of what and what not to do after surgery. I ask the question because somedays, I can eat way more than I can on other days. I still can't eat like I used to before surgery and usually a kid's meal will do the trick.  Is this about the normal behavior this far into the process and can someone give me an example of how to judge if my pouch is the size it should be?

You say you "have disregarded the do's and taken up all the do not's of what and what not do do". Does this mean you are drinking with your meals, eating more carb than protein, not taking vitamins, drinking soft drinks, etc?

If that is the case...I would say first of all, go back to basics:

no drinking with meals or for 15 minutes before and 30 minutes after

No soft drinks - even diet

at least 64 oz of water every day

vitamins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

at least 65 - 80 grams of protein per day

no "white" carbs - rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, sugar, flour, crackers, cookies, etc.

no fried foods! Watch your fat intake.

Limit the number of carbs you eat and make sure the carbs you do eat come from low carb veggies, whole grains and fruit.

At least 30 minutes of exercise each day. Something that gets your heart rate up.

Measure and weigh your portions, journal your calorie, carb, fat, & protein intake.

Finally, learn to listen to your body and stop when you feel just satisfied, not "full".

It is possible to keep losing but it will definitely take more work on your part.

You can do a very unscientific check for pouch size. First get a 16 oz carton of cottage cheese. Eat the cottage cheese right out of the carton just as fast as you can until you feel full. Using a 1 cup measuring cup, fill the cup with water and pour into the remainder of the cottage cheese until it comes back up to it's previous level. By checking the amount of water left in the measuring cup, you can now find how much water it took to replace the cottage cheese you ate. That is supposed to be the volume of your pouch.

Good luck. I hope you continue to post and keep us updated with your progress. I believe you can do this!

Your list pretty much sums up everything. I do everything that I am not suppose to and none of the things that I am suppose to.  I have stopped going for all my aftercare visits (wanting to find a different doctor to take over my care now). I stopped taking my vitamins a long time ago and that is probably why I am sluggish all the time. I am anemic now and stay as cold as a  popsicle every waking hour of the day.  I am trying to get myself back on track, but it is way harder than I expected. I am going to take your advice and go back to the basics.  Thanks!

Please get back on track with your vitamins even if you feel too overwhelmed to do everything else right now. You can do permanent damage to your organs if you don't take your vitamins.

One other suggestion I would make...find a support group or group of other successful post-ops to get involved with. You need people who will encourage you and who will also kick your behind when you need it.

Good luck sweetie! I really believe you can do this. You have come too far to give up!

 

Try this website as well - to get you back on track.

http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html