Hi everyone! :)

I am 11 months out and want to find out how much grams/cups are you guys eating or drinking in one sitting? I am at my target weight and still loosing but very slowly. I just want to know how much i am allowed to eat 1 year after surgery?

One more thing I can drink a glass of water in couple of minutes is that ok? do you guys think I would stretch my stomach by drinking so much coffee/water?

Thanks everyone!

Multiply your goal weight by ten and eat that many calories to maintaining.

  Congratulations on being close to your goal at 11 mo's. everyone here knows that  wasn't an accident, it has taken some dedication.

 You should follow the diet prescribed by your DR...you may need to adjust the general guidelines up or down just a bit , to achieve greater loss, or  adjust the other way, if too much weightloss.Each person has an adjustment to make and their body  makes those differently from everyone else. Sometimes the adjustments need to be made because  a body is more or less efficient at utilizing those calories..so it is very much individualized. Generally, to continue to loose, increase protein and cut carbs..increase fluids..

He/She should have given you a target for protein, carbs and calories..and fluids. When you increase calories, the weight loss will stop. It is not what you are allowed, as much as, what your body requires to maintain and what kind of a diet you need to loose any remaining weight?  

Decide if you are tuly where you want to be, because once you stop loosing , it is hard to get it going and maintain, for some people. 

glass of water? what size glass? .. 20 yrs ago... i had a hybrid surgery that included an RNY type procedure and several more as an open surgery, so my limits would not apply to you.  My pouch size is now 4-5 ounces most days, when I am sick it  can get smaller, esp during gastritis.My Dr prescribed 30-40 Gm protein max, and 90 Gm protein.. I drink water  except within 30 min of meal, if something too dry, I will sip some hot tea..10 cc at a time..maybe an ounce  or a little more with meal...then it is well past 30 min before i can continue fluids.  I try for 70 ounces minimum.. oftn start with 4 ounces of ice water  and followed by  cup of coffee...black, no sweetener.. then 20-30 min later breakfast...2oz protein, 1/2 serv oats,..sometimes have to stop and finish  after a bit... just depend s on the day.

That said, you are going to have that pouch for the rest of your life. You need to be good to it!..the earlier you stretch it, the harder you will find it to keep weight down/off... be sure to allow appropriate time betweeen consumption of food and meals. My Dr said at least 30 min....again follow your Surgeon's instructions!  take care, hope these comments help you to re-think your goals and care, so you can figure this one out, with your body as the benchmark instead of others.

Hi,

Everything that Denise says!!  How do you know you are at your goal weight?     

I am almost a year out.  I love the post-WLS approach to eating and I have no intent of going back to a conventional diet conveyor belt until I have to.  I will continue to get my protein in, then veggies, the complex carbs, and listen to my body, and the scale.  I have made exercise a habit. I know that logging everything is a behavior of longterm weight loss, I am just not doing it until I need to.  After decades of perpetual dieting, I am enjoying the vacation from food logging, but I am willing to do it if I have to keep the weight off.

I saw this OH video from a past OH Conference, about how much protein you really need long term. (It also explains why some longer timers report having more than 60-80 gms of protein).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2a08Mq6Nt8

(There might be a way to link to this from the OH website, but I don't know how)

Here's what she says:  Gms of protein per day = Goal wt in pounds divided by 2.2 times 1.25

145/2.2*1.25=82 gms of protein per day. Call it 85 gms for me.

I read studies that said 600-800 cal to lose and 1200 to maintain.  When I told this to my nuitrinist, she blurted out "If that much."  If you are ready to go to a conventional diet program, I would suggest a gradual increase in calories to see what your maintanence cal intake is.  I would be hesitant to just start eating 10X your body weight of calories a day.   

Your surgeon probably should have given you more guidance, but I know many surgeons are not that specific. My understanding is that we should never eat more than a cup in one meal, maybe 1 1/2 cups of things like salad. My advice is to let your body figure it out and don't spend too much effort trying to manipulate it. You will stop losing weight when your body is ready. Your mentality should be how little can I eat instead of how much.

It is also my understanding that drinking quickly will not stretch anything as long as you don't do it too soon after eating.