Can you stretch your pouch?

I am feeling like I have stretched my pouch. It seems like I can eat so much more than I used to. I know it stretches and you can gain weight but this is really worrying me. Thanks! Deb

And, if you do, can you reshrink it?

Hi Debbie. This question is a great debate. Most will say that you can stretch you pouch. my surgeon has told me you can only stretch it somewhat due to the part of the stomach they now use to do rny~it has the least amount of stretch to it. So I guess the answer to the best of my knowledge is "yes", but to what degree I don't know. For me if I gain a pound or two its more due to bad food choices than the actual amount of food that I'm eating so I'm not sure that weight gain equals a stretched pouch all of the time. Also, I eat until I'm satisfied, but I don't eat until I'm overly full so I'm hoping that will help to avoid any unneccesary stretching. Tracy B 328/151 5'9"

Read "Pouch rules for dummies" which can be found on the internet. It talks about the natural stretching of the pouch over the first 2 years after surgery. I think I remember though that it said the actual size of the pouch doesn't seem to determine how successful the surgery is long term. It's a good read but obviously I need to reread it myself at this point since I've forgotten the details. Personally I think drifting back to old eating habits is the biggest factor in regaining weight, rather than the size of the pouch. I know for me at 29 months if I fill my pouch with the right foods I still don't gain, but if I start adding too many carbs & sweets back to my diet the scale moves upwards. Best of luck for your continued success.

Thanks so much to those that have replied. I know I sometimes stray and eat too many carbs and I don't dump so sugar can be an issue for me, too. I think I need to get back to basics and that is my plan. Best of luck to all..Deb

If I eat carbs I can eat all day long - they dissolve into nothing and slide right through the pouch...now protein is another matter - if I eat protein (like I'm supposed to) than I fill up fast. plus drinking helps. Some days I seem to be able to eat a lot and other days I can't eat much - I have heard we can stretch out our pouches - but because they use the upper part of the stomach - it can't stretch very much (at least that is what my dr told me)