Pondering

I was thinking the same thing! I cannot believe how little some people eat. I would not be full or even satisfied. Here is my day so far: 24 ounces Coffee with fat free half and half and splenda. I know that's a lot of coffee, but I LOVE IT! I swore off sweets, but I am not giving up coffee! B: 1 egg and 1 small veggie sausage patty. (for some reason I cannot get much down for breakfast, hmm, do you think it has anything to do with all that coffee?)LOL S: 12 Almonds and a LF cheese stick. L: my left over beef fajita from last night; about 3 ounces steak plus onion and peppers, 1 flour tortilla, half an avacado and a dap of light sour cream. S: 4 ounces carb controll yogurt and 12 almonds D?: I am going to make a calzone with whole wheat dough, FF Ricotta, FF Mozarella and some veggies S?: Who knows maybe a Health Choice fudgesicle To me this seems like a lot of food compared to what others eat. I have to get rid of the almonds, they call to me! Erin 6/14/2005 311/181/159

I don't usually put measurements down on the list because I usually don't measure. No question, I think I eat more than what many who are much further post-op than I am. I am honest about what I eat. Kathy

I'm honest in what I eat too, I do sometimes put measurements down not always. I still can't eat allot at one time but do have to watch the grazing, which the past 3 days has been bad. I was too embarrassed yesterday to even write down what I ate, it's better IMO for me to just say it was bad. Today is going well. Some days I just cannot eat, other days I want to eat and sometimes get mad when I want more and my pouch says no. Can you relate? I know my surgeon makes a very small pouch, I was only allowed 1/2 oz the first 6 weeks out of surgery and believe me some days I couldn't eat 1/2 oz at a time. I usually eat between 2 - 6 oz now depending on density. Although I have eaten 8 oz of soup or other soft foods before.

Hey, Dana! Ummm, no I cannot relate to the "some days I just cannot eat" - never had that happen. LOL! But I can related to the wanting to eat more bites but the pouch saying "No way, ain't gonna happen without dire consequences..." My pouch last October was 4 cm long (1.5 inches, I think). In June of this year was 8 cm long - double the length. Growth does happen. I can eat 3-4 oz of dense protein at a sitting maybe even a bit more depending on what it is, how it's cooked, how moist it is and how my pouch feels. That plus bites of vegies or salad which I know crunches down to near nothing. I can eat 2-3 oz of deli meat cut thin and 2 slices of cheese easy. I can eat a whole can of tuna w/ just enough mayo in one sitting. I can eat 1/3 of a pound of boiled shrimp (10-11) at a time. Kathy

That doesn't seem like a lot of food to me. Seems pretty normal for a WLS patient. As far as how much I can eat, it totally depends on the food. If it is crap like chips and other junk I can hold more of that type of stuff. But if it is protein and fruits and veggies I can't hold as much. So, I try not to buy the bad stuff. Too tempting. Luckily, sugar makes me dump. But, I do see what you are saying. I read the daily posts here and on the main board and wonder how some people are even still alive on as little as they seem to eat and with as much exercise as they seem to get in. You have done great and should be very proud. And as long as you are maintaining your loss, I wouldn't worry or compare yourself with others on here. I used to wonder the same thing. I always feel I eat more than others on the daily posts. But my weight ain't going up so I decided to not worry about it. I will be three years out in January and have been maintaining now for two years. Melissa

I do sometimes wish I could eat as little as the other posters, i just would not be satisfied.I think I eat the most of all the posters and exercise the least, I am honest in what I post, I may eat some more, as I post before I am done eating for the night. I usually have something I consider bad eveyday, wish I didn't. I usually eat a real cookie( at work, but have been better lately) or SF cookies. I wished I didi dump on sugar but I don't. I am a redo (had stapling in 1990, lost very little, it only slowed down the quanity at a time, not throughout the day and it made it easier to avoid eatring good food and to eat bad food, it slipped down alot easier) I am 25 pounds from my goal and a size 14, I really want to be a 10. I will keep trying I guess. If I graze too much my pants get tight! I also wish I could exercise as much as the others as well!I walk 4 miles about three times a week and get in smaller walks on other days. I do not see myself increasing that a whole lot I would like to but work,school and family get in the way at times.

I always feel like I put ALOT of food down, LOL! I don't list portions/amounts usually either, but when I say a salad w/turkey, cheese,croutons and ranchs its a SALAD! I still use the smaller size plate (not the dinner plate) but it is filled up! I love to eat now way more than I did as a MO person. So far today I've had: 8am,B~NSA CIB, I started using this in the am b/c I was having a hard time with wanting to eat anything in the morning and Tooter explained to me why it was so important to get somthing into me, anything in to me and that I can get down with ease. 10am, Cottage cheese time! I usually eat about 1 Cup. I don't measure it out anymore, but I have a bowl that fits just 1 cup and that's what I use daily. 12pm, Salad w/ turkey, cheese, croutons and ranch as described above. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my tummy and I overdo it, especially if I'm feeling really hungry, LOL! I just quit when I'm full. 2pm, usually a banana w/pbutter or a bowl of strawberries w/cool whip (these are 2 of my favorite snacks!) 5-6pm Dinner is the hardest meal for me b/c I never know what to have. For awhile I was on my buffalo chicken wing dip w/tortillas. Tonite I had another piece of leftover clazone. Like I said in yesterday's post, I know this probably isn't the best choice, but I did pull off the bottom layer of crust and it was filled up with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni and its was soooooooo good!!!!!!! 8pm My last snack of the day is always my Fiber One cereal (1 cup) w/skim milk. I have to eat this daily due to my constipation problems as per my doctor. It has really helped too~keeps me pretty regular! Now, I'm not perfect by any means. There are times when I sneak in some s/f cookies, chocolate, few chips here and there, you all know how I LOVE my wheat thins, some NSA ice cream, etc. I try to limit it and some days it works and other days it doesn't. Last week I posted but wouldn't even write down what I had eaten b/c it was sooooooo bad~I was having an emotional week for some reason (probably pms b/c I started this week) and I am an emotional eater for sure! This week thankfully I seem to have a better handle on things. I don't count my calories usually, but when I have in the past, I'm usually around 1800-2000cal and I've been able to maintain so far. I do work out so I think that helps to give me a little more leeway. Like I said above, I enjoy eating so much more now than I did at 328lbs. When people see what I can eat they are always amazed. I just try to make much wiser choices now most days. I do weight myself daily so I know if I'm up a pound then I better cut back today, if I'm the same then its all good! So far its working and I hope and pray it continues to work in the future. The only thing I do notice is if I eat too many carbs (too many wheat thins that is, LOL) my belly does look bigger the next day~I hate that feeling, so I do try to avoid them as much as possible. Hugs, Tracy B 328/150 5'9"

Well I'm glad to see that others actually EAT too. Today is typical: B- 1/2 C cottage cheese w/ 1/2 C raspberries (mine are still producing!) S- 6 corn tortilla chips and some home made salsa L- chili relleno casserole 2x3" square 2.5" high 2 cherry tomatoes S- 2 bite sized snickers (yeah, bad Pat) D- 3 oz fish, sauteed summer squash and 1/4 C carrot salad Total calories: approx 1100 Some days it's a bit more, some days a bit less. I'm still losing weight. Trisha

Diana-- I often wonder about this too. Honestly--what someone said about not feeling like eating--NOT ME. Wi**** was me. I am really jealous of people who feel that way. As a side note though--I do believe there are people who develop eating disorders post surgery. I was browsing around message boards the other day and was over at Bariatriceating.com--the subject of the post was "when did your hunger return?" Susan Maria posted that her hunger never returned and she credited that with not eating carbs. The reason why I took notice of this is because clearly my hunger has returned and I am one of those people who never gave up good carbs. Fruit has been in my diet since about 6 months out. LOL--just one of the many things I ponder about. The one thing I am absolutely convinced about how this surgery works for me is--if I eat SOLID protein and eat that first--it fills me up quickly and keeps me full much longer. If I do not do that, then I get hungry quicker and if I start snacking--I can snack a lot. I honestly believe this is the key to success for me. How I wish newbies could understand how much the hunger does return and how dangerous snacking is. Man--I could snack all day--that is what scares me and it definitely becomes an issue. Snacking becomes a particular problem during PMS- I mean really bad. When I read what you ate today the one thing that sticks out to me is that the regular meals are not that much food. Most of us do not eat huge amounts at one sitting--it's after we get up that the problems begin--lol. Wondering how your tummy reacted to that big serving of bread pudding? I might not feel so good a half hour after eating something rich like that. I am impressed that you are able to limit the candies to two little ones. I really try hard not to do them--and I try not to have them in the house because the demons often reappear. I don't like peanut butter so when I am buying snacks for my son I try to buy stuff with peanut butter--no temptation there. However--I love chips. Do they come in peanut butter flavor? One of my favorite things is Cape Cod potato chips--if I buy them and they are in the house--I obsess about them til they are gone. Sad--but true. Boy--this is a ramble on. Good luck to you and congratulations on maintainng your awesome weight loss. Thanks for posting on this subject.

So you know I ended up full from the bread pudding & nothing else. Until recent I was consuming MASS quantities of suagr every day. I have had little reaction expect Icecream (which I dont really care for anyway) makes me sleepy. I started at curves 2 weeks ago and since then it has been easier to run from the sugar demons. I NEVER have sugar at home. Its work that is killing me. I even thougt about quiting because I can not resist. I beg them to move it from behind me..they wont even bother to keep it in the kitchen. It just sits there and calls to be from the file desk about 3 feet from me. I am so glad that I seem normal. Maybe we are ALL a BUNCH O NUTS!!!! Diana