silly post BUT...

im just over 12 weeks out... and i feel like i can eat a WHOLE BUNCH!!!! although i dont, i measure EVERYTHING still so that i dont over eat... but sometimes i go out for dinner and order a side salad... and i eat the whole thing over about an hour and a half.. im not sure when i feel full if that makes sense... its odd.. i have NO restriction.. that i have yet to feel... URGH! how does everyone else deal with this?

You just measure and that's it. As for eating a salad over 1.5 hours, that's considered grazing. Measure it out and eat it and package up the rest. You may never feel restriction again. I know that Karen who is about 10 years out said even to this date she doesn't have any.

the salad thing, happened once... and i was in deep conversation and didnt even realize.. how do you measure when youre out? what tools tips and tricks do you have? i only got a salad because i dont eat meat or fish or anythign so salad was safest bet!

Depends what you order. When I order a real meal with meat, veggies, starches, I just eat about half the meat and some of the veggies. Usually a meal from a restaurant can turn itself into 2 to 3 meals for us post op. Many just ask for a take out box as soon as the food arrives and put half in the box so they won't overeat. Most centres suggest about 1 cup of food total so you just sort of eyeball it as best you can. Salad mushes down to very little so likely a side salad would be a full meal.

i dont order "real meals" because again, i dont eat meat... eggs, fish or cheese so im pretty limited.... ok so the salad is fine. i ordered a side garden salad with light vinagrette on the side... good to know i may never feel the restriction. im eating ABOUT 3/4 of a cup at this point sometimes less.. thanks!

How do you get your protein in?

Cottage cheese, nuts, premier shake one a day protein powders other things like beans and stuff. I get over 80g a day

I find it so interesting how different we all are...i actually feel a lot of restriction. I can barely eat an ounce of protein in a sitting. I have to spread it over a couple hours. Basically for me, I have to feel like I'm not eating. (I know it's crazy) TINY bits...very slowly.

I also wonder because I BELCH LIKE MAD! I go through a fit of belches every 1/2 hour or so. In fact I've belched 3 times since typing this......so I wonder if that is also why I feel restriction because the air? I don't know...

I don't know if I would feel like that on vegetables as I'm not there yet...but will let you know.

Don't count on your stomach to tell you when you are done......you have to measure and when its done you're done. I had guidelines for each eating phase eg. 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup working up to 1cup down the road.

I didn't feel a whole lot of restriction either and would have over ate on portions for sure. When you measure at home ...you will learn sizes and be able to roughly eyeball it when you are out.

Try to always do your protein first rule. I realize it must be hard to order sometimes if you don't eat meat ...I have yet to eat a salad unless it's jammed packed with a protein source. I ate very little vegetables in the losing phase.

The hardest part of restaurants for me is always the no drinking 30min before or after....that's a tough one !!!t

Those are the measurements i go by as well!!

im glad that its not just me then. I was starting to get worried

when i was out i didnt order a drink... made it much easier!!!