How to know when to stop eating

Hello in addittion to what everyone else said and they gave you great advice :-) my surgeon has a rule that we go by.... we are not suppose to eat pass 10 minutes  if we eat pass the 10 mins.... then he says we are overeating. i don't eat fast....i don't shovel my foods in my mouth. i just eat normal , slow and chew well .... usually with in that 10 minutes......... yes for me and i am done. i am full ,satisfied and feeling comfortable. maybe going by this rule will help you... give it a shot :-) best wishes to you hugss Lizzy

I agree that measuring your food would probably help. I still measure most things at 3+yrs out. Eating within a certain time frame is also a good idea~go slow, chew well, truly enjoy each bite and quite when you begin feeling satisfied. I know there are times when I "forget" to do the above and I always feel like crap afterwards. Good Luck to You!

I feel exactly the same way! I have spells when I could eat the south end of a north-bound mule, and then other days it seems like everything I eat makes me feel bloated and a little sick. I agree that you should measure your food, not by how hungry you think you are, but by how much you should really eat. Maybe 1 to 1-1/2 cups (or 8-12 ounces) total? Sometimes I think I'm about to starve and I'll just put too much on my plate. And then that little voice (the demon) tells me to eat it, don't waste it, you didn't eat that much, force it down there, you deserve it. A little time will pass, 15 minutes or so, and then I'll hurt and feel sick for about 30 minutes. Especially if it's got some sugar or a lot of grease in it. I saw a show on the learning channel this weekend (I Can Make You Thin), a British guy that tells people to eat slowly, put your fork down between bites, chew each bite 20 times, and then he showed an experiment where people ate more when they could "see" the food. And I do that, I'll eat stuff because it's there and not because I'm still hungry. It's hard to leave something on your plate (especially if it's something real good), so the best thing is to not put it on there in the first place.

You sound like my twin. I eat what's in front of me. I notice that if I put fruit on my desk top in the morning, I will eat it within a few hours. If I put it in a drawer where I can't see it, I might or might not eat it by the end of the day, 8+ hours later. Erg. You are right. I really need to be more careful how much I put on my plate before I start to eat. Otherwise, that sick feeling will happen. No ifs, ands or buts.

Learn to listen to your signals--eat slowly as others have said, use small portions, and put your fork down between bites. For myself, my nose starts to run when I'm full.  My "High Level Alarm"!!  Pay attention to what your body is telling you!  Some folks get the hiccups, others the sniffles.  When you whip out the Kleenex, it's time to quit!! Good luck!

Hi!

I think it's great that you are concerned and "checking" yourself!

I say do what it takes to protect yourself. You know you are worth it and you have made it this far. YOU and all your work are your own investment. Measure. It's the best way to take the worry out and to REALLY feel confident you are doing the right thing.

I honestly think I wasn't born with the ability to "eyeball" my food. I just don't  have that mechanism. Rather-I use a cup which holds 1/2 cup. I fill that up-nothing more-nothing less. It has worked for me and it gives me a bit of security.

Give yourself a nice break-and take the guesswork and worry away from yourself.

Hugs and Keep it up!

Peace,
Therese

I am a newbie, so what I am sharing is what I have read, not my experiences. BUT, from what I have read, the goal is to eat until satiation, NOT fullness.

 Here is the science-y jargon:

Measure your meals (by volume).  Do not just eat until you are “full”

It is unreasonable to expect an individual who has overeaten, in most cases, 
for years to:
1) identify a proper portion size for a “normal” person, much less a new post-op portion size 
2) know what “full” feels like, especially as a new post-op. 
            Research has shown that post-ops who measure their meals have a much 
higher success rate than those that eat until “full”.  If you are eating until you feel "full", 
you have eaten enough food to fill your pouch to capacity.  The problem with this is 
that, over time, it will take more and more to give you that "full" feeling.  This will lead 
to regain long-term and inadequate short-term weight loss in some cases. 
Source:             OH Magazine January-February 2008 

Hope this helps!