How much do you eat at one sitting?

Dr. Steve- You must've been at The Melting Pot.  Never been there but I have a friend who raves about it.

OMG, Steve....I'm dying. That sounds SO GOOD!!!!

I never measured food ever.  I counted carbs and protein.  I counted how much water I got.  I stopped eating when I first felt the full signs.

The advice you are getting is more wrong than right.  They will also tell you that you only need about 75 grams of protien which is too little.

~Becky

I have never measured my food....Well, I shouldn't say NEVER. I measured out a few servings early out so that I wouldn't overload my little bitty plate. And once in a while I weigh a serving of protein (usually cheese) to check the calibration of my eyeball :-). That's so I don't UNDERestimate the amount I'm getting.

Personally, I call that rule hogwash. You've been given nothing but RNY crap anyhow, so that's not surprising.

EN- I'm curious but by not measuring, how does one know how many grams of protein they are getting in a day or how many carbs? In the beginning, I'm thinking I will look at protein and carb counts of the foods I eat and after a while I will automatically know, does that sound reasonable?

I already had a very finely calibrated eyeball and hand from decades of living with the concepts of portion sizes, even when I disregarded them :-).

Yes, you need to learn how to estimate portion sizes. There are good rules of thumb, such as 3 oz. of meat is about the size of a deck of cards and  about 1/2 cup of food fits in your cupped hand, and a  cup of food is slightly smaller than your clenched fist. But you need to learn these things for yourself in ways that stick for you.

But once you know that stuff, it works fine.

One cup of food at a sitting is just plain bull**** for plenty of DSers.

.......until I am satisfied but not full usually. I don't say full because I don't like feeling that and sometimes it comes back to bite me. So early on you was probably told that when you took that mouthful of food that you thought, "eh...should I or shouldn't I?", that's the bite I avoid now.
It is not because I need to self restrict as much as I have learned doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity ;)

I agree that the volume of what I eat at any sitting varies from day to day to meal to meal.
Here are a few examples.
An example of something that generally stays the same for me is fish/seafood. I can eat a can of tuna (mixed as tuna salad with normal additions) completely and be satisfied almost every single time. I can eat about 3 pieces of baked tilapia at one sitting. I can eat about 1/2 pound of shrimp at one sitting. I never know how much chicken or beef will go down at a time. Carbs are pretty much the same except I never eat a carb as a meal with the exception of when I feel sick I make oatmeal with splenda/butter/milk, which turns out to be about 1/4 cup at *******so think from my experience that it matters how much fat is in the meal as that seems to be a naturally satiating nutrient.

I did measure and weigh some of my food at the beginning because for me part of having the DS was re-learning how to eat. I had no idea what a 1/2 cup or 3-4 ounces of anything was so weighing and measuring was the only way to learn.

I also never liked the feeling to eating until I was full (also another bad habit I was trying to break). At 8-1/2 years post-op I've learned how much I can eat. I graze most of the day. I think some surgeons advise this so to not stretch the stomach too much (obviously doesn't work).

Last night went out to dinner at Carrabba's. Had a glass of wine, about 3/4 of the salad with 2-3 slices of bread. Dinner was shrimp and scallops (four of each) with a side of fettichini alfredo. I ate 2 shrimp and 2 scallops, with about half of the pasta. The rest will be lunch today (or maybe a snack).

This is just my opinion and what worked for me.

I never measure my food, but I do always count protein and carbs.  I eat about every 2 hours (only during the day of course).  I usually do not have room for more than 3/4 a cup of anything only because of how often I eat.  

~Roxy

Hi Ruby,
I'm nearly 4 yrs out and it still depends very much on what I am eating, when and my mood.
If i don;t allow myself to get too hungry and try and scarf down food I do much better.
I can eat 2 scrambled eggs and 4 strips bacon and a cup coffee for bfast (just had this btw). Often for lunch I have roll ups, tuna salad, cheese and salami or leftovers of a low carb dinner from the night before.

Last weekened, we went for brunch on the coast with friends and honestly, over a couple of hours I ate about a pound of jumbo peel and eat shrimp and 2 large bloody mary's and a lobster crocquette. It sounds like a lot of food but I took my time and it was all pretty much protein (except for the alcohol lol).

Steak and dense chicken can still fill me up more quickly and I always need some kind of sauce or mayo etc. On days when your appetite goes MIA (mine still does) I rely on a couple of shakes to tide me over.

I think its best to eat when you're hungry, eat till you are satisfied and not stuffed and eat what you are craving protein wise and you will feel satiated and the weight will come off. try not to get too hung up on amounts as it can vary so much each day, just get your protein, fluids and vites in and you're doing great.

hugs, Yorkie xx