Seriously RNY guys... how much can you eat?

I'm almost 5 months out and I'm curious... how much should I really be eating in a sitting. 
Don't get me wrong, I get full, but I'm worried I don't get full fast enough.
I've been told I need to eat carbs due to Hypoglycemia, so I've gone back to eating them every now and then (otherwise I pass out)

I go through spurts where I REALLY want something and feel that if I eat it in moderation, work out, and cut back on a later meal I can have it.   (And frankly, this mindset actually got me over my long ass stall... I started eating more and the weight has been coming off.

Yesterday I was stupid and didnt check the calories on my lunch until after the fact and realized I had 626 calories for lunch.   I adjusted my dinner and kept my calories in the 1000-1200 range for the day.  (and the scale went down this morning)

I just feel some days that I can over eat and I don't like that...   Last night I had chicken with a little bit of rice and couldnt finish all of it
but when I read posts on the RNY forum about people a year out getting a meal and being able to make 3 meals out of it (and I'm talking salads)  I worry...   I've never had a problem finishing an entire salad.  Now maybe if it was a chicken salad..  but salad?
 

With RNY your pouch starts out the size of an egg.  After 5 years my pouch is about the size of my fist, it took about a year for it to get that size.  If you are eating more than that at one sitting you need to cut down.  The objective is to get your protien and calories spread out as evenly throughout the day as you can - 5 to 6 meals.  As far as you  needing the carbs, you have to remember that you can only digest simple carbs.  Kashi products use sugars that we can digest, and milk is a great source of simple carbs with the benefit of protien.

At 4-5  months post a snack for me was 1 crunchy Kashi bar, they come 2 in a pack so I would save one for later.

AND SAY OFF THE SCALE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hell I can bounce 5# in one day up or down, stay off of that Roller Coaster.

The simple answer is "it depends" I can eat an entire packet of instant oatmeal or a cup of cereal for breakfast. Really moist things like chili or cereal go down very easy. Dense things like chicken breast or pork tenderloin not so much and sit heavier on the pouch. Half an individual serving size of baby carrots is about all I can take without a really heavy feeling.

The key to success seems to be focusing on getting your protein, your water (separately of course) and your vitamens. Work the program, eat slow so you don't eat too much before you feel full (especially dense foods, or the foamies will get you).

I'm going back to the nutritionist next week to get baselined, at 10 months out I'ved stalled and think I need some diet adjustments. Good luck.

Baby Carrots are killer... I eat about 5 of those and I'm STUFFED...
Chicken and Steak... same thing... little bit and I'm STUFFED

Today at lunch I had 5 small pieces of sushi (not a lot of rice in them, it was basically decoration vs the heavy rings of rice)   I was STUFFED and threw away the rest because I didnt want to pick at it.

Some days I get full easy and some days it's all I can do to put the fork down.   Just bothers me at times.

I know I beat a dead horse to death at times, but I really dont want to fail.

Hopefully when you say carbs you're talking about things like good quality fruit and whole grain breads and cereals.  Try not to go down the road of a lot of breads and cakes...Major downfalls for a ton of people.  I have heard (from my surgeon) that the pouch starts out the size of a walnut or your thumb.  It then grows (streaches) in about 6 months to the size of your thumb and the two fingers next to your thumb (place them togeather like a cub or boy scout salute).  I'm guessing but I would say baseball or tennis ball size after 6 months.  Brian

Hey Tony;
I guess the easy answer is to just measure  out what you need to eat and not try to get full. I eat a three oz. of meat and a couple spoon fulls of green beans, and maybe a spoon full (or two) of mashed taters (I'm from the South). I was told to eat in about twenty minutes and stop and not try to eat after that. I try to eat "wetter" meats as I think they go down better. I do tend to stuff my mouth and have to watch that. Being Hypoglycic tossed another hang up in there I'm sure so maybe some pasta as a side, or snack is best but I'm sure you do all that. I must be getting fewer cals than most. I only get 800 or so a day.
Hnag in there,
David

Tony,
I just talked with my Doc about getting in the 1900 cals and I said I have to eat 6-7 meals a day.  I fill up quick and can make a take out dinner last 3 day
I force protein in by downing shakes 3 times a day.  Fish, egg drop soup, more fish, nuts, fresh veggies, FF milk,  bariatric advantage meal replaceement.
At this point I'am not eating  3 meals + snacks.  I dont have the room
This new life is a real experience.
Good luck

at 18 mos out i pretty much feel like a bottomless pit....very little restriction...i'm pretty sure my stoma has enlarged but that just means i need to have self control and eat the right foods, which i do....it's pretty common to eat a reasonably sized portion after your a year out or so....i can eat about 6 ounces of fish and a half cup of veggies no problem for dinner....breakfast, i can eat a 3 egg omlette...

I am 2 1/2 years out. First off your pouch is going to grow over time. You can over do it and stretch it, but even if you don't, your pouch will get bigger. The key to me is pre-op and the first year is the time to learn new habits and make permanent life style changes.

Salads are one of my favorites and I can put away a pretty good size bowl of salad. But what is salad? Water. If you chew it up good like you should it's nothing bu****er. The key for me is not eating to fast and stopping when I'm full. I guess that is one of the worst things for me.  I have to remember is to slow down. One of my favorite snacks is tomato juice and crackers. 4 or 5 crackers, sometimes 6 with juice and I am full. The texture of the food is the key.

pan head

I agree with cabin111 about the size of your pouch as it grows.  I also agree with him about the type carbs you should be eating.  I would add vegetables to the mix of complex carbs.  I didn't see a need to count calories during the early stages post-op from RNY.  Your stomach pouch is so small that most people simply can't overeat at meals.  Make sure that your smaller meals contain protein and are not just simple carb snacks.  I made that mistake and it got me in trouble.  Since you have hypogycemia, you may want to see the nutritionist at your WLS surgeon's office tp discuss appropriate snacks to have due to that condition.  Many of us have other health problems that are not magically cured by the WLS.  For example, I found out that I have atrial fibrilation and I have to take coumadin to counteract the possibliity of developing a blocked artery to the brain.  Because of that, I have to limit foods high in Vitamin K which conteranct the coumadin--dark green leafy vegetables.  I can have iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. 

I advise people eating salads to try Walden Farms sugar free, fat free, and calorie free salad dressings.  I get mine from www.netrition.com but they are available at most nutrition online stores and even some grocery stores.  I love the balsamic vignarete, the raspberry vignaret, and the French dressing.  But, many of the others are fine also.  They also make sauces for cooked foods and I especially like their scampi sauce.