PORTION SIZES????????

Hello to All: I've gained since my RNY in 2003.  Lost 160, but increased 35 lbs. I've posted before about my problems.  I'm working on watching what I eat and not "grazing".  My night snack is my next thing to address along with my exercise program. I weigh 295 (look like 180) and was down to 260 last Spring. Here's my concern:  I'm eating my lunch now and it consists of:      3 cups of just lettuce, with shredded cheese (1/2 cup) and 1 piece of boneless chicken.  I have zero calorie dressing from Walden Farms.  I also have a Light and Fit  Yogurt. This is my problem.  I can eat this much.  I have no pains.  I've tried eating slower and I can stil eat this much.  My surgeon suggested the lap over the rny as there are cases such as mine that warrant this procedure. Can someone give me some light on my eating and also any information on that lap band on top of the rny.  I would really appreciate the help. Have a great day. Kathy

Sounds to me like you need to get back to basics.  I am 3 and a half years out.  Here is a sample of my daily regimen of 5 meals a day: Meal 1 - bkfs - One egg scrambled with fresh spinach leaves, chopped green onion and grated cheese.  [sometimes I switch off and have oatmeal] Meal 2 - midmorning - One protein shake made with 1 and a half scoops protein, 1 scoop nondairy creamer and 16 ounces of water. Meal 3 - lunch - beef or chicken portion, vegetables, small dinner roll. One dark chocolate protein pudding for dessert. Meal 4 -  midafternoon - One protein shake made with 1 and a half scoops protein, 1 scoop nondairy creamer and 16 ounces of water. Meal 5 -  dinner - beef or chicken portion, vegetables, small dinner roll [same thing my family eats, in moderation].  One dark chocolate protein pudding for dessert. The rule of 5 meals keeps your body from getting hungry.  You already know the grazing is not good, so I'm not giving you the lecture. Good luck and God bless.  You will get there.

I don't think salad is a good gauge of how much you can eat.  I can eat a lot of salad - the lettuce is all water, so its not filling at all.  Maybe try getting back to eating real lean, dense proteins, cutting out carbs, etc.  Back to basics, as they say...  You know - yogurt also doesn't stay with you long - try eggs or cottage cheese for breakfast or string cheese or nuts for a snack, etc.  Maybe upping the protein a little will jump start the weight loss.  I hope you don't need another surgery!!  Good luck.

I could probably eat what you're eating too.  The lettuce chews down to nothing the the yogurt passes right through.  Now, if you told me you could eat a 12 oz steak, I would be concerned! I agree with the other poster.  You should go back to basics and focus on protein based meals.  I also eat 5-6 small meals each day.  I'm only a year out.  Let's hope I can keep all my good habits!

Kathy, I, too, have gained since my surgery in 4/05. I am up 20 pounds. My surgeon suggested to me once that maybe I might need a "revision" at a support meeting. So I have an appt to see my surgeon on 3/20. I know I am not perfect and have eaten some things not appropriate, but for the most  part I eat protein and drink water. I do eat some carbs, but keep it to a minimum, maybe a tortilla every day with cheese, one of my favorite eats.  I tried cutting out beef completely cuz of the fat content. I tried cutting out carbs for one week, that didn't work. One gal suggested I go back to just liquids for a week, but I have trouble doing that and my bf made me promise I won't subject my body to that torture this late in the game. I am trying to eat normal protein, veggie, little starch, water every day. I do exercise usually by walking and I do weights a few times a week. It seems to me that no matter what I do I still gain. I think the absorptive part is not working that I am absorbing EVERYTHING, and it is all going on as extra calories and the restrictive is not working either. It is like before WLS, that everytime I try to watch what I eat and it doesn't work, I eat normal, and the weight comes back on. I am soooooooooo frustrated. Karen

Kathy, with all that I said, I forgot to say that I only lost 90 pounds to begin with and I never made it to goal, had another 40 to go so way back at 8 months out I stalled and never lost more weight and now back up 20 pounds. Karen

3 cups of lettuce?  I would decrease that by 2 cups and add some veggies and/or fruit.  Also you make no mention of what kind of exercise you are doing.   Go back to consuming a dense protein coupled with a fibrous vegetable.  Eat a high protein snack i.e., hard boiled egg something with density.  What are your fluid habits?  You have given very little information.

Hey Kathy,   (I'm 16yrs out with VBG) I know just where you're at.  I'm there right now, only I got aware of my portions about 2 weeks ago (stopped being in denial---I will never be able to eat like a normal person and be healthy). What I had to do is go back to basics.  I stopped drinking water with my meals.  That's why I could eat more and often. I'm working out every day now, treadmill 15 min, gym weights 30 min, and doing 400 ab crunches.  I had my WLS in 1991 (had the stapling VBG), lost initially 78lbs down from 245, and stalled until 4 yrs ago started to gain to my total of 49 gained today 215.6lbs. I looked up my calorie intake and it was between 2200-2400/day.  (CRAZY) I've reduced it to around 750/day, I water load 1/2 hr. before I eat  and eat more protein than anything else to keep me fuller.   The results.......in my first week, I've lost 4.5 lbs!  Now at 211lbs I have found out the hard way, you can forget the rules, discover bad habits and how to get around a small pouch to eat like normal people, but it will haunt you.  Get back to the basics, and you too should notice a difference. As far as the size of my pouch, I don't think the size had as much to do with it as how fast I could pass the food through with water and eating cheesies.........LOL   I'm doing this because I don't want to have a revision.   Hope this is helpful to you. Coreena

I really like using www.nutritiondata.com to figure my portion sizes and calories.  Even 1/2 cup shredded cheese can be 225 calories.  The chicken would be more than you think as well depending on what you mean by 1 piece.  A whole chicken fillet can be closer to two servings than one.   And just because you can eat that much without pain doesn't mean you should.  I know it is easier when the pain limits us, but it is important to make good choices regardless.  If you are eating enough to gain weight, you are probably eatting too much.   I figure I will have to diet the rest of my life.  But it is a trade off well worth it. Best of luck, Sally