Question:
can my stomach be strecthed aleady?

I am only 3 weeks post-op and have been doing great, well I thought I was. I weigh my food for two ounces per meal, but sometmes I can eat my two ounces and still be hungry so I eat a little more and seem to be fine. Other times I can't even finish my two ounces due to the very uncomfortable pain you get from eating to much.(This pain has happen about four times total) Well today I went to a restuarant and was nibbling on my food and couldn't weigh it but I know I ate more than two ounces, maybe three or four. I was still hungry but made myself stop eating. Does this mean my stomach is possibly streched already?    — Tosha C. (posted on September 15, 2003)

September 15, 2003
I had hunger until I was about six or eight weeks out. You will find that your hunger pangs and tastes change over time. In the beginning the changes can be drastic from day to day. I'm 8 months out and even now I have days where I can eat much less or much more than usual. However, I've evened out much more than I was in the beginning. I did avoid restaurants for the first few months because I did tend to overeat there and it's not a good place to be learning the rules early on. Although you can "out eat" the surgery and the pouch will stretch naturally over time, many do not believe that you can stretch it by overeating in a short period of time. From my time on this board, I'd say the jury is still out as to whether or not that is possible. Right now, it will be tough to recognize fullness. It takes some time to figure out what full and hungry really feel like with the new pouch. Be patient and gentle with yourself.
   — susanje

September 15, 2003
I may be wrong here, but I don't think we're talking about weight here, I think we're talking about volume. I was allowed 1/4 cup of food. Sometimes I could eat it, sometimes I couldn't. Weight could vary A LOT depending on the food. You might want to speak to your surgeon or dietician to clear that up. Also, some foods are more dense than others and will fill you faster/slower. Good luck!
   — ladyphy

September 16, 2003
I feel the exact same way... sometimes I eat very little and other times a LOT. I notice that my "a lot" eating occurs during the same times my "binge eating" occurred before surgery. For example, I seem to eat more on the weekends when I am at home with the refrigerator. I have to keep my "eyes open" for those kinds of occurrences. It is kind of strange how you can eat more of one food and less of another. I also get that "uncomfortable pain" sometimes when I am full. I have not been weighing my food but I have been consistently using "saucers and small containers". I was thinking of drinking some protein shakes... although I can bearly STOMACH the taste... at least replacing breakfast with the protein shake and not eating until lunch and dinner. I am not sure if that is such a good idea either because you should do most of your eating during the day and not at night...It all seems to be a mystery to me???? God bless you in your journey!
   — Eleanore Davis

September 16, 2003
It is possible to stretch out your pouch early on-- in fact, it is most succeptible to stretching in the first few months. However, it is probably not likely. You really do just need to try to re-evaluate what you want your relationship with food to be. Are you going to just eat when you are hungry (but making sure that you eat three small meals on a fairly regular schedule every day) or are you going to use food to help meet other needs? Once you consider that food is merely utilitarian, you will find that stopping when you feel the slightest bit full is a lot easier-- not that controlling the food demons is an easy thing, but by being cognizant that they will probably always be around helps in beating them back.
   — SteveColarossi

September 16, 2003
Nah you're fine. Chill out. Don't stress. Use this time to get to know your body, listen to yourself, recognize when and why the weight comes off and what you are doing when it does and when it doesn't. Pay attention this time around (I didn't pay attention and it got me to 324 pounds...I paid a lot of attention getting down to 155 and continue to do so). Everybody goes thru the did I stretch it stage. As long as you're still losing at this early stage (and no it may not be every day or every week) you're ok. If you go more than 6 weeks at this early stage with no loss and you're able to eat mass quantities at a time, then there might be something wrong. --- Kim 6/26/01 324 to 155. Good luck and God Bless!
   — Kimberly L.