How much should I be able to eat at a single sitting? 8 yrs out

I am about 8 yrs out from my RNY and was wondering how much I should be able to consume at any one time.  If I was to drink a protein shake for breakfast, how much should I be able to drink?  If I was to eat a meal, how much should I be able to eat?  I know that the pouch stretches over time, but I have began to regain and I'm wondering if I am overconsuming.  I honestly don't feel as if I am ever "full."

I am only over two years out and when I start to gain I back off of the portion size... I believe that my pouch does expand but it also shrinks because when I do back off then eventually the portion sizes tend to fill me up faster. Just regulate and you should begin to lose again. Also don't go for seconds and try not to eat more than a little less than the size of your fist... You may be hungry but over time it should fill you up faster...

I am 5 1/2 yrs out and the amount I can eat varies. 

Fluids travel through the pouch quickly so it is not difficult to drink a large protein shake or a lot of water at our stage of the game. 

The amount I can eat at a meal depends greatly on what I am eating and what order I consumer foods in. For example, if I start my meal with protein, I feel full MUCH faster than if I start with veggies. I can eat more shrimp (by weight) than any other protein. I rarely want beef, or can eat only a bit. I can eat a couple of eggs at a sitting....but then again, sometimes an egg turns me off, so I don't even want them. 

Bottom line is that I try to select my foods carefully and continue to focus on protein and veggies. If we eat high quality "clean" foods, we should be ok. I wonder sometimes if the notion of stretching the pouch is overstated - I wonder what a surgeon would say about this. Of course we can eat more now than in the first months post op, but overall our tool is still working.

How are you doing on maintaining your weight?

At almost 8 years out myself, I can tell you that if I ate everything I COULD eat, I'd be in big trouble!  I have to weigh and measure my food, following a plan given to me by my dietician, in order to feel satisfied and have the best weight I can.  I was told 3/4 to 1 cup of food per meal is sufficient.  I eat 1/2 a sandwich and salad or fruit for lunch, for example, or 3 oz meat, 1/4 c. starch and 1/4 c. veggie at dinner.  I don't want to feel really full, but I do feel satisfied (I eat 6 times a day), and I am aware of my body's full "signal," which can be a sigh and/or burp for me. 

Thanks!  I have moved to a new state and no longer have a dietician.  Is there somewhere that I can download the plan given to you by your dietician?

My food plan is pretty personalized, but I started with stuff I found on this website:  http://www.barixclinicsstore.com/food_logs.html  I try and stick to around 1400 calories per day. 

I should add that I do not eat sugar or corn chips (a personal trigger food), and I use the 12-step program of Overeaters Anonymous to assist me in my journey.

thanks so much for the information!  Never heard of either of those so off to Google I go!

Tough question to answer for me because it depends on what I've eaten throughout the day and sometimes the day before.  

With my meals, I eat lean dense protein first, followed by veggies. When I eat the protein such as chicken, fish and turkey, I reach satiety pretty easily and quickly.  I can feel the protein in my pouch and satisfied.  If I eat a salad, then it takes quite a bit of salad to reach satiety.  Think about the protein chewed up sitting in your pouch versus chewed salad and veggies....the volume is different with the salad requiring more.  I don't drink protein shakes.  If I've had a large dinner the night before, sometimes the next day I'm not really hungry.  

As a measurement to help answer your post, at dinner, I'll eat 4-6 ounces of a lean protein followed by 1/2 to 3/4 cup of steamed veggie.  If I've had a salad for lunch without any protein, then dinner will be an average of 5-6 ounces of protein.  

As to your comment about not ever feeling full, maybe this article on the Hunger Scale will help.