Grads 2yrs+ - How much do you eat?

Hello my fellow grads, I have lurking a lot the last week hoping this topic would come up but I haven't seen it.   I am 2 years post op (RNY gastric bypass), I am proud to say that I have lost 115 pounds but something has completely freaked me out.  Just in the past week I have noticed that I can eat a good amt of food in a meal.... however, just a few weeks ago, I was eating less.  For example, a few weeks ago, I could not eat a whole cup of yogurt with a 1/4 cup of homemade low sugar/low fat granola... this week, I can eat that and not feel full at all.  This is just a small example.  I have been experiencing increased hunger and have been doing my darndest not to snack too much (I usually have 2 or 3 small snacks a day - okayed by my nutritionist).  I am used to eating about 1 cup of food per meal... lately, it doesn't seem to be enough.  I do measure all of my food and there are items that I am not perfect with, but I am worried and just wanted to try and compare my situation to others.  This week I have worked to go back to basics: protein, liquids, more exercise, etc.  I am motivated, but I guess I just want to make sure I am not going insane...   How much can you currently eat at a meal???   I greatly appreciate your help!!!!  Thank you

I feel I can eat what a normal person would sit down and eat and I definitely have days when I'm hungry and days when I'm not so hungry, like a normal person I guess, LOL! Here's a sample day for me~ B~NSA CIB (I use this b/c I'm not a breakfast eater and Tooter has proven to me that having something is very important in the morning) S~1C cottage Cheese L~salad with shaved deli chicken, cheese, croutons, ranch S~Fiber One or Special K bar D~hardest meal for me b/c I never know what to eat! Might do chili with some tortilla chips, grilled chicken breast, taco meat/refried beans/cheese w/tortilla chips. S~banana w/pb or strawberries w/cool whip Do you use Fitday or Sparkpeople to track your calories? When maintaining I eat about 1800-2000cal per day. If I'm trying to lose I drop back to 1400-1600cal per day. Also, have you recently increased your workouts or changed things up at all? I found when I incorporated weight training I got hungrier.  Congratulations on all of your success!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Tracy, thank you so much for taking the time to help me!  Your sample day sounds very very similar to mine!  I track my calories through fitday (I have used sparkpeople too), and lately I have noticed a change in my calories, a few weeks ago I was holding at about 1600-1700 calories per day and just this past week and now I have been pushing 1800+ calories.  There are a couple things that have changed for me... stress levels have soared the past two weeks, I am on a new birth control pill (higher estrogen), I have to walk more at work due to being moved into a separate bldg from my boss, and some other things.   I have been having those inklings of stress/boredom eating coming back, but I am working on combatting that with liquids, reading, exercise and things.   I have started a new exercise routine this week to help boost my toning and help me get back on track.  That incredible fear of gaining weight is a very serious fear that has kept me going this far.  I just want to make sure that I am not going crazy by eating wayyy to much than I should be...that does scare me..

I feel like I can eat a lot of food some days, and only a few bites on other days.. I am almost 7 years out from my original surgery .. 12/2000.   Here is my typical day   7AM.... protein shake , followed by bottle of water. For some reason, protein makes me very thirsty.    8-9 AM.. scrambled egg, 1/2 slice of toast 11 AM    protein( whey) shake 12-1    small salad,  maybe 1/2 tuna salad sandwich             cup of yogurt, or if I am out, maybe small             cheeseburger, etc.  ... one of these, not all  2        protein shake 3-4  small handful of almonds, 1/2 cup low sugar yogurt         soy chips, etc  5  protein shake  6-7 Dinner.. 3 oz beef, chicken, fish.. this more often than         beef or chicken, some green veggies, maybe potato        or rice if I need something else 8-9 protein shake 10. maybe 1/4 cup air popped popcorn, handful of nuts,       hard cheese.. 1 oz and couple saltines, 1/2 banana with        pb    If I wake up and need something, I will do another protein shake  I have a very distal RNY procedure,and  must do this many protein shakes a day..  Take care  

I am 3 yrs. post-op and can eat what a normal person would eat.  I don't eat as much at a sitting as I did PRE-op, but I don't think anyone watching me would have any idea that I'd had surgery.  With that said, I know I am eating too much.  Meals aren't my problem; snacking & grazing are.  Nothing wrong with healthy snacks--or, for that matter, an OCCASIONAL splurge--but I am guilty of making very poor choices with what I eat, how often, and how much.  The result has been a totally unacceptable weight gain that I am tremendously struggling with. To maintain, with daily workouts, I can eat b/w 1800-2000 cals/day.   If I could get myself fully re-committed to getting the excess weight back off, I know I could do so if I cut back to 1200-1500 cals/day.  I know what I'm doing wrong; I've just not been making the changes I know I need to make.  Many excuses, none of them worth a darn.  I'm bad-carb-addicted, no two ways about it. Do everything you possibly can to keep your motivation and good habits!!  Even if you can eat more, try to just stop when you've eaten a reasonable amount, enough to satisfy you.  It's INCREDIBLY hard to un-do the damage when you get deeply into backsliding--I can't emphasize that enough!!  I so-o-o-o wish I could go back about a year, which is when things started getting out of hand!  And be sure to keep up with the exercising--that's one thing I've tried to keep doing right, and I'd be in worse shape if it weren't for that!

Hi.  I am nearly 2.5 years out, and can also eat a good bit more than I could, but not nearly as much as pre-op. My typical day is:

Breakfast--protein shake

snack---cheese stick

lunch---sf low fat yogurt and an apple

snack---banana and peanut butter

supper--3 or 4 oz tuna salad or deli lunch meat, tomatoe, sometimes slice of cheese and a handful of chips.

evening snack--not very often but sometimes sf yogurt or ice cream

I do deviate on the weekends and indulge a bit more cuz I actually cook then.  I don't count calories anymore and probably should, but I would estimate I am getting 1200 a day?

I still try to focus mainly on protein and stay away from carbs as much as possible.  I walk 3 miles every day, do Chicometrics 3 times a week and am about to start riding my bike days I don't do chico. I still gain weight sooo easily it is a constant battle just to maintain.

Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hugs,

April

275/125/135  5'1

highest/current/goal

i am almost 6 years postop and can eat a good amount during one sitting. i think i can finish about 10 oz at one sitting, that's a fairly good amount. as the years go by you are able to eat more than in the begining. remember some things chew down to a liquid better than others, so you can eat more of it. that's why you are supposed to eat your protein first. eat a lot of things with fiber, it will fill you up faster and keep you fuller longer. i started to add that fiber power to things i cook. hth =) gina also take a look at my page i have been keeping a diary of everything that touches my mouth for the last month. it helps, it really does... =) smile

I am 2 years out and I feel like I eat what a normal person would eat.  My best friend is thin and always has been and when we go out to dinner I basically eat close to the same amount she does.  She says she doesn't "get full" she just stops when she thinks she has had enough.  She has a lot of of self contol!!!  I have been trying to water load, I saw it on this web site some where, basically just stay very well hydrated through out the day and then you drink a lot of water (8-10 ounces) 15 minutes before you eat and supposedly it swells up the Roux of the RNY and you get full faster or something like that.  It doesn't work if you are dehydrated.  I am probablly butchering the explination.  I notice that I get full on ONE HARD BOILED EGG for breakfast, but I think that's because I drink almost a whole pot of coffee before breakfast, it makes a huge difference.  But, then at lunch I feel like I could eat a cow!  Ok, not really, but I can eat a whole subway wrap for lunch.  I have been sticking to frozen WW, LC or SB lunch just so I can watch my calorie intake.  I can and have been able to eat a whold cup of yogurt and 1/4 cup of Kashi Crunch since I have been like 9 months out.  That is not very dense, so it just slides right through.  Have you done the cottage cheese test to see how big your pouch is?  I think you will be surprised to see how restricted you still are.  I hate huner pains!  I have been trying to ingore them!  I normally eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and then dinner.  I try not to eat after dinner.  If I don't feel full after a reasonable amount of food, I eat raw veggies or fruit until I feel full, usually dense fiberous fruit or veggies.  You have done great and you look amazing, you must feel amazing too!  

I can't imagine that this subject hasn't come up lately because it is a COMMON issue among graduates. I also think that I can eat as much as a "normal" person. Some days more, some days less...  Some days I'm "ravenously" hungry, other days not hungry at all. I just kinda "go with the flow". If I'm not very hungry I don't eat much. If I'm VERY hungry I TRY to make good choices. I eat a LOT of salad and fresh fruit  (All the time, but even more on my "hungry" days). I have started eating a little "beyond" just barely satisfied at each meal. That seems to help me not to "snack" so often. Unfortunately, I've gotten into "grazing" mode somewhat and it is a BAD habit!!!! Glad you are still in the habit of measuring everything. That is a REAL good habit to stay in!!! Also, tracking amounts on Fitday or Sparkpeople is a good idea. Hugs,   Piggy

While I am having the same issue as you -as I have also found that foods which I have eaten in the past are starting to "annoy" me again. My plan is to go back to the VERY basics and go onto a soft diet for 2 or 3 weeks and see how that works. Last night I tried to eat a steak and after 3 pieces I had to go throw up. But, heated up some pinto beans and those went down great. I think this is a continuous journey for all of us. Anne