Restriction feeling

Hello Everone,

Haven't been around much lately because it's my crazy busy stressful time at work! But with this stress I'm dealing with tons of head hunger for pretty much the first time since surgery. I know it's all the stress. I'm used to eating out of control during this time of the year  

I'll be 5mos post op in a week. I measure out all my food for the day religiously and track it all in MFP. My concern is that I'm not feeling any restriction. I stop myself when I've had my measured amount of protein.  The only other thing I eat are non starchy veggies after my protein with dinner. I seem to not be able to tell when I've had enough. No signs are telling me that I have any form of restriction. I don't drink with meals and have followed the rules to the letter. I don't want to over eat the veggies and risk stretching my pouch. I can eat any dense protein with no issues and I have limited myself to three ounces of protein per meal. Could the stress I'm under be causing this? Since I feel no restriction I'm assuming I should start also weighing my dinner veggies. If I have 3 oz of meat how many onces should I limit my veggies to? Just trying to cope with not only new found head hunger but now also feeling no restriction. 

You will probably never feel the same restriction that you did with lapband.  That is one reason why I am still weighing and measuring food nine years later.  Non-starchy vegetables would never give me restriction.  Sometimes dense protein does. 

To answer your question, I don't think stress can cause non-restriction but I do think your words "religiously track" and "follow rules to the letter" can be the cause. With time (like you mentioned with stress hunger showing up), it becomes easier to get sloppy with rules like chewing well enough, not waiting in between bites, pushing food limits---if you do, restriction may surprise you with agonizing moments of pain. 

Hi!!!   You know my story!!!!  LOL       I have increased my dense protein to 4 oz per meal If I really feel hungry, then follow with a veg. like broccoli cooked with still a slight crunch--stays with me longer approx. 1/3 C.  If I'm not feeling that hungry I'll cut the protein amt per meal to 3 oz, and add in a protein snack, so I get 12 oz dense protein per day. I keep away from yogurts unless it's a snack saved for late evening, that type of food doesn't stay around for long. I am now feeling a satisfaction after meals with dense proteins and raw or al dente cooked veg. 

Hope these ideas can help!

Patty

I can eat a ton without feeling any restriction. Keep measuring your portions and tracking your food.

One thing that sometimes helps me when I am feeling like an empty pit is to extend the time between drinking and eating. When my pouch is not lubricated from the water, I do feel some restriction.

For me if often depends on type of proteins.  And how it was cooked. Eating slowly also helps. 

Maybe try to increase the dense proteins to 4 oz. Volume, not weight. Good luck. 

so chew well, eat so between bites, and get your  90 grams intake of protein a day is the key?

A key to???? 

90 gr is just a number.  How much proteins you need depends on what are they, how well you can absorb them, how complete they are, etc etc etc... 

I.e. collagen is type of proteins- great for hair, skin, nails, joins.... But it is not a complete protein so it really will not do much for your muscles.... And getting 90 gr collagen proteins will not be enough it good. 

On another hand - eggs, meat, fish, dairy - are complete proteins - so getting 90 gr from that would be great...As long as you don't have allergies to any if them, and you really can digest and absorb the protein you eating. 

In reality - it is what you eat, digest sand absorb that matter in long run. Complicated. 

What do you mean by volume not weight? I weight my food on a scale. Is there a different way. 

You could also use 1/2 cup measuring cup for 4 oz (which would be by volume)