Realistic expectations for portion size

What are some examples of realistic portion sizes that one would eat when in the maintenance phase of VSG?

• Can you eat an entire chicken breast (8oz) or just half?  Steak?
• What about fruit?  Can you eat a whole banana or apple?
• If you go out to a nice restaurant, what do you order and how much of it do you eat?
• How about 'guzzling' water?  I just downed a full 17 oz water bottle :-)  I know I won't be able to do that after VSG.

Portion sizes vary, a lot. There's no way to say what your capacity will be. Part of it depends on your surgeon, part of it depends on if you frequently cram food in. Everyone's stomach stretches a bit over the first couple of years, but it can stretch more if you mistreat it.

Once you are fully healed you'll be able to drink pretty normally. Not as fast as now, but you can drink a full bottle in just a few minutes.

I can eat 4 ounces of dense protein and an ounce or two of veggies per meal.  If its a casserole, I can eat 6 ounces.  I'm 2 1/2 years post op.

I order off the regular menu, eat half the protein and some of the veggies and take the rest home.  If my tummy is empty I can drink about 6 ounces of water before being full.

Carol

I'm one year out.

• I can eat about 3 ounces of dense protein, max.
• I don't eat fruit.
• Depends on the restaurant. I order what fits into my list of okay foods and eyeball my portion. I split my food with my husband or bring it home or just leave it! I've done a tasting menu at a fancy restaurant with friends, and it's doable--I just have a tiny bite of each course (and focus on the conversation).
• I drink water pretty quickly and really notice no real difference between pre-op life and now. I was able to drink water pretty rapidly since just a few days post op.

Eventual capacity can vary greatly as the VSG is a NON standardized procedure.

3-4oz. to well over 16oz.

I'm a big fan of "smaller" sleeve size as smaller capacity "tends" to have better WL and less regain..... easier to maintain.

Chicken breast seems to be the protein that most people can eat the least amount of..... I can only eat about 2-3oz. of chicken breast max and over 4oz. of soft fish..... I'm 5+ years out.

Smaller capacity means you probably can eat a much more varied diet.

Fluids for me are not a problem to gulp as long as the pyloric valve is wide open.

frisco

Interestingly, chicken is the protein I've been able to down (and keep down) the best of all. I serve myself the smallest portion, but I've gotten almost a whole small breast down (through in attention mainly). But red meat, no way!

I'm a year and a half out and I can eat about 3-5oz of dense protein, depending on the specific meat....and a few bites of veggie. When I go to a steakhouse, I order the 8oz sirloin with asparagus and side caesar salad with no croutons. I eat about half the side salad, then half the sirloin, and a few spears of asparagus.

Now, crap? I can eat a whole lot more, so I try my hardest not to. I could easily eat a whole sleeve of crackers, whole bag of popcorn, or other slider foods so I stay away.

I pretty much drink now the way I did post-op. Except diet soda. Can't guzzle that and I don't try. I can drink a large bottle of water in no time though!

As Frisco mentioned, VSG is not a standardized surgery. Different surgeons use different techniques. For instance, my surgeon used a 40F bougie on me, but made it "tight". So with my 40F sleeve, which would be considered a larger sleeve, I can eat far less than a few people I know who had loose 32F sleeves. I would suggest you speak with your surgeon frankly and ask him/her what you can expect your eventual capacity to be based on his/her patient outcomes.

* I can not eat an entire chicken breast. I can eat 3-4 oz comfortably. If I want vegetables I always measure out 3 oz so I can have the vegetables without getting overly full.

* I can eat a small apple. I can eat a small banana (I have a banana very rarely though!).

* Nice restaurant  - I can eat part of a side salad, about 3 oz of steak and a few bites of whatever else is on the plate. That's about it. Sometimes I will allow myself some bread before the meal, but that usually results in me not being able to eat as much of the dinner as I'd like.

* I can guzzle about 4 oz at a time - then wait a moment - and drink another 4 oz. After 8 oz I have to stop. I personally can't drink more water than that quickly without feeling uncomfortable. But I can drink more in about a minute or two, if needed.

I have a large sleeve (up in the 40s.) No way could I ever put down 8 ounces of chicken at one time. Last night I had 3.5 ounces of grilled chicken, and didn't have room for anything else. Slider foods are different- I can eat that by the bucket (think cookies, ice cream, popcorn...) I can and do eat fruit, but try to stick to items low on the glycemic index. A whole apple? Depends on the size. I have had the largest size, but don't ever fini**** Medium is more like it. When I go out usually the focus os on the entree/protein option. I look for leaner items that are more calorically conscious. Many times my husband and I just share, given I don't eat that much of it. I can guzzle water like no other- same as preop. Not like that at first, but a little further out. 

I'm a year and a half out.

No way could I eat an entire chicken breast. Two small tenders, tops, so maybe 3 or 4 ounces. Ditto to steak. And I can definitely eat an entire apple or banana.

At a nice restaurant, I'll usually go for some sort of nice protein, like steak or fish with veggies on the side-- no carbs or salad. I'll eat half of a small portion (like a 6oz steak) and a few bites of veggies. If there's a soup or salad included, I'll usually see if I can get soup to-go, or get something that's mostly broth and have a little before the food arrives.

I can try to "chug" water, but really going for it is a bad idea. I've done that a few times on long bike rides and made myself quite sick! I can take big swigs and down a 12oz bottle in five minutes or so, though.