Please HELP!!

Post Date: 11/30/07 1:54 pm

I'm three years out now. My starting weight was 300. I lost 146 pounds so my lowest weight was 154 I have gained about 18-20 pounds and I'd like to take the weight off. I'm having trouble with portion sizes. What portion size should I be eating now? I have trouble with my sugar levels dropping at times and was told by a Dr to eat something small every 4 hours. I get a hiccup right after I eat so from what I’ve been told this means that the last bit of air was expelled from my stomach and I'm full. No more bites after that..... Sometimes I eat and I don't get a hiccup so I stop eating because I’m afraid that I might over eat, then 1 hour goes by and I feel hungry again so I'm not sure what this means.

I think I should try and measure all of my food again to see the actual amount that I'm eating, but what is that? I think I can eat between 1 1/2-2 cups of food depending on what it is. 

I can't eat much meat but I bet I could eat 2 cups or more of salad.

Please help!!!

Rachel Petersen Update 12/20/07 If the scale at work is correct I now weight 182.6 pounds thats almost 28 pounds up from my lowest weight. I'm really starting to freak out.

I visited with a new NUT this summer and her plan calls for post-ops to eat SIX times a day, and no more than 1/2 cup at a "feeding".  I balked because like you, I could eat WAAAYYY more of the foods I liked (which also happened to carb-based!)  But I have to say, I have a hard time finishing just 2 tablespoons of a dense protein and 1 tablespoon each of a non-starch veggie and a carb (which equals 1/2c)!  Which goes back to what you were saying about how you can't eat much meat...that's a good thing! It's difficult if you work outside the home because eating like this requires a good amount of regular planning and/or the ability to keep these things on hand.  I teach, so eating every 2.5-3hrs isn't always feasible and somebody always "treats" with some kinda food several times a week, but I'm working on it.  I'm planning on using the winter break to "regroup" and get better prepared to plan and eat that many times a day. The funny thing is, before WLS, if someone had told me I could eat 6 times a day, I probably would have kissed them--now I can't manage to do that!!  Don't freak out...you'll be fine if you just find a plan that works for you and stick to it more often than you don't !

I have been told by my surgeon and NUT that I should NEVER, even years from now, consume more than 1/2 cup of food per meal. 

Hi,  I'm going to post a 24 hour food recall from one of my previous clients who is about 2 1/2 years post op.  She's maintaining her weight nicely (she is 5'5" and 160 lbs).  I think her portion sizes are pretty good, so I'll post what she was doing.  Remember, not everyone is the same, but it is a pretty good example:  Breakfast:  1 egg cooked in 1 teaspoon butter or cooking spray 1 slice whole wheat toast 1 cup low fat milk coffee (black) Snack:  1 tomato 1 oz cheese Lunch:  3 oz chicken (she measures) 1/3 cup cooked pasta 1 teaspoon pesto for pasta 1 small salad with balsamic vinegar and olive oil (probably 1 cup romaine lettuce) water Snack:  apple Dinner:  3 oz salmon (measured) 2 cups green beans with 1 teaspoon olive oil and rosemary 1 cup melon Snack:  2 graham cracker squares 1 cup milk Probably in the area of 1500 calories per day and pretty well balanced.   I think she does a good job. She also walks 3 miles 3-5 times per week.   Hope that helps!!