pouch stretched out???

I had an RNY 2-1/2 years ago. I was at 370#'s and had was down to 245# and doing well. Over the past year I have not been following the plan and I am fearing the worst. Can my pouch be oversized now after gaining 25 # back and no longer be effective? I really need help bad and need some encouragement and help on losing this weight and get down to a healthy goal weight.
Thanks, Dave

No. It's just that you're probably eating in such a way that food is getting washed down. I did the same thing... more than once... I had started eating more often, drinking while eating (which really was the culprit), and it seemed like I could eat more than ever before, and then I just went rogue eating whatever I could that didn't make me dump.

I went on Kaye Bailey's 5-day pouch test and re-discovered my pouch. You basically go back to following all the rules of the pouch... protein first, no liquids 30 min before/after meals, etc and you start by mimicking the first days post WLS... liquid protein for a couple days (including the most delicious soups), then soft protein, medium protein, and really dense protein. If you do it, you'll be amazed when you realize the pouch still works!! We just need to follow the rules. I'm going to do it again to get myself back on track. I hate that I keep losing my way and I stop doing what I need to do.  I had my surgery  5 years ago and I have about 60 more lbs to go. Please, ask me any questions you have. We could do this together!

Here's a link: http://www.5daypouchtest.com/index.html

Thanks for your reply! I have printed off the " 5 day pouch test" I am going to try this very faithfully and hopefully find a renewed encouragement that I have not destroyed my pouch (tool). The water before and after meals I have failed badly. I never gave it much thought as far as the water washing foods down to quickly and not feeling full. I want to have that full feeling again. These are my goals:

1) 5 day pouch test
2) no water 30 minutes before and after meals
3) eight glasses of water per day
4) chew my food up smaller and take more time to eat
5) excersice

These seem so simple, but they can easily get out of control.
Thanks for your help!!! I will let you know how it works.   

 The soups really helped me get started, and I should really make a pot of soup every week so I have it on hand when I get hungry. The ham & cheese soup is out of this world. I love it. Good luck! I'm starting on Saturday.

Your pouch naturally stretches out a little on it's own after 2 years.  Not by much, but a little.  You should be able to eat 6 - 8 oz. after 2 years.  Below is a link to the 5 Day Pouch Test that you can try .  Some say it helps them get back on track as well as getting the tight feeling of the pouch again.

http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html

Hope this helps.

jayestiles

Right, but not so much that it doesn't work. After I do the pouch test, it's crazy how "tight" it feels and how little I can eat. I need to stop messing with it and just consistently measure my food and stick to it. 

I read this "pouch stretch test" somewhere.  If your pouch is 4oz, then eat 4oz of cottage chesse as fast as you can (without throwing up).  You'll feel full and know your pouch hasn't stretched much.  I don't know if any doctor would recommend this or not.  But it did give me comfort knowing my pouch hadn't stretch.  What had "stretched" was my discipline to eat correctly and follow my plan .

Good luck to you.

Thanks for the post.  I need the motivation too.  I hate lurking but it sure does help.

Thank you everyone for the insight and motivation!  I had my RNY in April of 2009 ... I went from 285 on the day of surgery and I hang around 183 right now.  I am happy with how different my life is now, but totally disappointed in my inability to get below 180.  I know that I haven't followed the not eating before/after rule and not drinking enough water throughout the day. And I am ashamed to admit it ... but sometimes I eat things that I know I shouldn't out of some weird sense of entitlement.  I was in the hospital for 2 months after surgery from complications and I refuse to let all that pain and hard work go to waste!

I have been so anxious about ruining my tool and not using it to its full advantage.  I am the 6th person in my family to have the surgery and the only one not to lose all my weight.  I have felt like such a failure in comparison. Thank you so much for feeling like there are other people out there who are going thru the same thing!

Melissa