Eating too much??

Ok, I know this has probably been asked 4 bajillion times before..but:  How do I know if I'm eating too much?  I'm almost 7 weeks out RNY, no complications,and very few food issues (other than eating too fast and other stupid stuff I brought on myself).  I've lost 40 pounds since the morning of surgery which I'm pretty happy with even though it has slowed considerably over the past week or two-which brings me to my question.  My wife (also a WLS'er) tells me I eat WAY more than she did at this point (she's 6 months out).  What makes it difficult for me is the fact that I am STILL very rarely hungry.  I eat now basically to fufill nutritional needs and (here's the kicker) taste.  I've eaten small amounts of candy, chocolate, cake, etc with ZERO ill effects.  I actually wish that sweets made me sick, that way I'd stay the hell away from them.  Just for an example, tonight I had to work so I picked up supper at Wendy's which consisted of five chicken nuggets and about 7 french fries.  I should have passed on the fries but, again, I had a taste for them.  Everything went down fine, I ate slowly, and I feel fine.  Does this sound like too much for someone 7 weeks out?   Thanks  Jason 320-295-255-200 Highest/surgery/current/goal

I followed my doctor's instructions to a tee the first few months.  Then I started to venture out and try the no no foods that got me (us) into trouble.  If I were you, I would try and go back to the basics as soon as possible!!  You are playing with fire...running with the Devil and are going to get burned.  Once I started to introduce carbs and fried and sugar back into my diet...I gained 15 pounds.  Go back to basics if you can...the genie may be out of the bottle.  You will slow or stop the weightloss all togeather.  There will be plenty of time to enjoy all the foods around you.  But you've works so hard to get to where you are...try not to shoot yourself in the food, I mean foot.  Don't want to be hard on you, just realistic.  Brian

Jason, What ever you continue training yourself to do now, Like having those things you “have a taste for,”(fries, sweets, etc…) Is pretty much what you’ll do later on. If you use the first months/year, to establish new, Healthier food choices, then later on You can just be a habitually healthy eater. Diet and exercise alone in order to lose from morbid obesity to a Normal BMI, has approximately a 5% success rate. (95% Failure rate) Diet and exercise helped by WLS has approximately a 70% success rate. Which means it also has about a 30% failure rate. 3 out of 10 will not lose to their goal. How many guys post on this board? For every 7 you can read and tell they are “Doing Great!” That would mean that, statistically, 3 guys are Not Making it. Number one reason for people not succeeding at WLS Is their failure to change pre-existing habits and lifestyle. (Be one of the Magnificent 7) Doing the work on the ‘front end’ will keep later down the road from being a struggle. Best Wishes- Dx

Jason, Eating fast food and sweets like that, I am sure is what put you in this boat in the first place. Please be careful and go back to the basics and make the last McDonalds you see be your surgeon! Best of Luck Chris

Thanks everybody.  Protien is what my main issue is.  I HATE protien powder and most protien bars, so I try (maybe a little too hard) to get all I need from food, even this early in the game.  I'm thinking I may go back to at least one shake a day for protien and stay away from the chicken nuggets.  BTW, I threw away the rest of the fries this morning, such empty calories!

Jason, I'm in the same boat as you with regard to the ZERO effects.  I have minor restriction but at 11 weeks out, I could easily eat a FULL big mac meal or the equivilent.  The only thing keeping me from doing it is the new found control I've gained because I am not hungry; ever. Because I am not hungry, I can limit calories and focus on protein for at least breakfast and lunch.  for instance, breakfast is usually 1/2 cup oatmeal or grits and a scoop of protein powder.  Lunch is usually 3/4-1 cup of turkey chili (mostly turkey) and 10 multigrain, flaxseed chips.  Total it up and it's about 500 cals through dinner.  Dinner is a coin flip, sometimes nothing, other times an Isopure 20 drink (40 g protein) or sometimes a 500 calorie dinner.  My point is I am eating much less because I am simply not hungry. I will be asking my surgeon on my 4 month visit to get an upper GI done.  The results won't matter, because even if he did not make my pouch small enough, I'm not going through a revision.  Right now, even at my slow loss pace (12-14 pounds per month), I think I've changed my habits enough to succeed. I hope it works out for you as well. Guy

Man, I could have written this post myself! I feel like maybe my pouch isn't small enough. I do get full fast but I also eat fast. I hate it when I see stuff about people trying hard to get down 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and I'm like pounding down 3/4 cup no problem.