How much lettuce?

Hi Everyone...

I and 5 months post op RNY and have not had lettuce yet.  I am doing great sticking to my diet (3 oz protein, 1/2 cup veggie, 1/4 cup starch) however I would like to know the right amount of lettuce to eat.  1/2 a cup of lettuce (baby spinach, mixed greens, etc)  doesn't quit seem enough to me.  I don't want to stretch my pouch or over eat it.  Would love to hear others experiences or what your advise from your dietician has been.  I don't go bac****il the end of June.  Thank you in advance!

Instead of using a measuring cup for the greens, try a food scale.  Once you put 1 or 2 ounces of greens on the scale it will look like plenty!

I'm 5 months on the 15th and we aren't allowed lettuce till 6 months due to the increased chance of pouch irritation.

Why not eat however much it takes to start feeling full?  My program doesn't want us to weigh or measure -- they want us to learn to listen to our bodies' satiation cues  

 For most foods, I eat about 3/4 cup or so per meal (estimated). But for lettuce, I need more to feel satiated. Tthere have been times where I think I've eaten as much as 2 cups (estimated)!

I think it's because I chew really well, and when you break down the lettuce like that, it doesn't take up much volume (like when you boil fresh spinach -- suddenly it doesn't look like much!)

So far I've only eaten crunchy lettuces, like romaine and iceberg. The softer ones and baby spinach don't seem to settle as well.

Unfortunately,  eating until satiated isn't an option for me,  or for many people who have had wls. I have a seeps issue with food and can eat way more than I should,  even with a tiny pouch.  

Most surgeon's recommend weighing and measuring to be sure we know how much we're actually eating.  

Yep, this is me too.  Sometimes I'll actually feel fully full, but more often than not, I have to go by the amount I eat.  If I wait until that feeling of satiety, I'll have eaten way too much.

Even now, 8 years post op , I often eat premeasured portions. Sometimes it takes 20 min after I stoped eating to really feel full.  Some days even the Premeasured portion is too much, and I may feel full faster. 

The new "I feel full" is nothing like in the past before I had my WLS.  

But eating too much may cause way too much discomfort, and possibly stretch my pouch and stoma. 

I also have days that 30 min after I ate a full meal - I still feel hungry or not full enough... On days like that (rare) I may chose to eat but more... 

Eating until full when our guts have been rearached, nerves have been cut is not really good idea IMO.  Unless the full feeling comes before I finish the premeasured portion... 

My center allows us to have lettuce beginning week #4; however, we are instructed to only measure out our allowed serving size.  I'm now 5 1/2 months out and still must measure out my servings, according to my center.

Lettuce doesn't really have the nutritional bang needed; I stick to protein first and maybe have a single bit (2-3 small leaves) of the green stuff if I have room left. 

Thank you all for replying!  Your imput was very helpful!

Gonna try a little tonight with dinner!