1 week op...how do I know when I'm too full?

hey everyone,

1 week post op and already had a little setback with protein since I can't handle whey anymore....it was almost instantaneous after surgery... heard that can happen... also pretty much everything on the the full liquid diet makes me gag from having it so much ?...soups are getting very old and I have 3 more days till I start purée ??....but my issue is is I feel I can't tolerate more than like 3 or 4 sips every 10 min. Or like 2 spoonfuls of whatever "food" I'm eating before I feel almost sick... will my stomach get bigger eventually??? Gees I hope?????....is this normal? Any tips appreciated in advance

Yes, I was jealous of everyone post op. I couldn't eat more than a couple of tablespoons of food at a time for months. Slowly my stomach started to heal and then stretch out. You really do not want to "force it" and should enjoy the time where your stomach is small and make the most of it. REALLY. This is your honeymoon phase. You should be doing the happy dance that you cannot eat a lot right now...the weight should be coming off quick! So don't ru**** Eat what you can, sip all day long, get in protein first....and then veggies.

I have an "old time" DS, so that means I have a large stomach and a small common channel. So I can now eat like I did prep. I can eat a burger and fries and large soda....if I wait 20 minutes I can usually eat again. But even with a small VSG, you will be able to eat more. As others point out, the DS is very very very hard to break, but if you "try" you can out eat it eventually.

So again .....measure your food...enjoy (to the best of your ability) eating light. Enjoy ordering off the kids menu....etc.

Scott

Perfectly normal. It can take months for your insides to heal. One word you have to keep remembering is patience. Most of us don't have it but you definitely need it.

You need to start listening to your body and what it's telling you. You also need to go very slowly. Take a bite of whatever it is (or a sip), then put the spoon (or fork or cup) down and wait a few minutes (set a timer if you need to). Remember it's going to take months to start feeling normal and learning how to live with your DS.

One tip that I was given and still use 14 years later - use small utensils - salad fork, teaspoon. Use small plates (I never eat off a dinner plate at home - only a sandwich size plate). Tricks your eye and the small utensils force you to take smaller bites.

Yes your stomach will get bigger. But the goal isn't necessarily to stretch your stomach. With that said, the beauty of the DS is that you will always have malabsorption, which is how you will maintain your weight loss for years to come.

This is your opportunity to start learning how to live with your new insides. You must change your habits now for you to be successful in years to go.

Congrats and welcome to the other side.

What you are experiencing is very normal, and it will get better (and bigger) over time. Like Scotty, nobody would guess I had wls by watching me eat. I don't eat huge amounts, but quite normal ones. I bet I can fill my stomach with 10oz today when I started with only 2oz 12 years ago.

The small amounts are normal. You have to keep after it to stay hydrated.

As you heal and over time this gets better. I could handle about 3 oz when I hit 2 months post-op.

I don't see this much any more but I couldn't tell when I was full until I realized that my nose started to run when I was full. :) I finally just started to weigh things and checked the amounts as I went. I knew I was good at 3 oz and kept that for a long time before moving to 4 then 5 oz.

I burp when I'm getting full or over-full. Early out, too much on my new little tummy and I'd get sick. I learned to be very careful. The first burp and I learned to put my fork/spoon or... down. I could only eat a few bites, wait for an hour or so and eat a few more bites. I kept a spreadsheet on my fridge with my food and water. Water - sip, sip, sip. It's more important right now to get enough hydration in.

Look up Ricotta Fluff, it's soft and easy to eat and has lots of protein.