Question:
Eating @ 2 1/2 year post

I am 2 and 1/2 years post-op and I still can only eat a saucer full of food. I can only eat a whooper junior and a few fries if I do eat fast food which is rare. example for breakfast I have coffee, two eggs and toast. No lunch... dinner I have maybe broil fish and potatoe(1/2) and snack, some popcorn..... The only thing I can eat and feel satisfied is boiled blue claw crabs.... I love crabs and can eat a dozen at a time or lobster. these doesn't seem to bother me at all. I can eat so little at this stage..... Is this normal I have to eat some sweets( only the ones I can tolerate) to maintain my weight. I like my weight now... I don't need to get any skinner. What are the rest of you eating at 2 1/2 to 3 years post-op please help... Give me an idea of how much you can eat at this stage thanks    — Rebe W. (posted on February 7, 2004)

February 7, 2004
i am only one year post op so I don't yet know how a rwo year post op eats but from what i have learned on here, we will nevery again in our lives be able to eat normal portions of food. I am very surprised that you are able to eat as much as you are and yet expect to eat more. I understand about not wanting to lose anymore. That is my problem also but my doctor said to up the calories, (that doesn't mean more food, just a higher calorie food), up the carbs and drink a little when I eat to stop my weight loss. have you tried that?
   — Delores S.

February 7, 2004
We're all going to be different -- I am the opposite end of the scale: I am 1 1/2 years out and have been able to HUGE portions since 6 months. Meaning, for example, cleaning my plate for ALL the courses on a cruise. Restaurant portions - no problem. Essentially, I can eat exactly like I did before. No, my pouch is not stretched. I do believe my stoma has always been too big though. It still worked for me -- I'm down 210 pounds, but these last 40 are a major struggle because I have slid back into all my old habits, including sugar galore. Be thankful that you aren't capable of being too bad! Good Luck to you!
   — jen41766

February 7, 2004
Hi Rebe: I am 2 1/2 yrs post op also and have days where I eat till I almost pop and others when I worry that I haven't eaten enough to keep me going. My average day goes: Breakfast 1 egg, 1 piece toast,2 cups hot tea...Lunch about 1/2 cup salad and usually about 1/2 sandwich with lots of water.....dinner is usually about 1/2 cup of something that was left over....Snacks are graham crackers or a piece of fruit during the day and I usually have a cup or two of tea in the evening.....I can't hold anymore than this and this is one of my BIG eating days......I think you're normal in your eating. If I eat a Whopper Jr. w/ch, I can't eat the rest of the day....Pick your foods carefully...PROTEIN FIRST...
   — Joi G.

February 7, 2004
Don't fool yourselves folks. Many of us can regain "normal" eating. For some of us, that means over eating. I can eat in pretty good volume, and while I do dump from sugar somewhat, it's never been anything I can't live through. I am 2.5 yrs out, and struggle to maintain my 140 lb loss. I'm very happy for those that have to "struggle" to eat enough in a day...I somehow doubt the struggle includes popping sleeping pills 6:00 o'clock on a saturday afternoon, because the thought of not being able to control what you put in your mouth is too much to bare. I doubt the struggle is much of a struggle at all...But for the doubters out there YES YOU CAN eat more food the further out you get. Some folks will be fortunate enough to whip their obesity tendancies by having their intestines re-routed and stomach stappled smaller...but I only hear about those mystical magical creatures on here....the ones I know in person all struggle as I do...Best wishes folks. Kim
   — KimBo36

February 8, 2004
On February 13th, I will celebrate 3 years as a post-op. I have lost, and maintained, 80 pounds, would love to lose another 40. Surgery was the best gift I ever gave myself. My job requires me to attend banquets, luncheons and breakfast meetings, and I eat out alot. This is a typical day without a meeting.Breakfast- 16 oz of coffee, 1/2 low-fat peanut butter & sugar free jelly sandwich. Mid-morning bottle of sugar free peach snapple, 2 sticks of string cheese, 2 pieces of fat-free bologna. Lunch, large Wendy's chili. Mid after-noon string cheese & bologna. Another bottle of snapple. Dinner protein style burger. Bottle of crystle lite. My downfall is sugar free chocolates. I don't dump anymore, and I still can't eat big portions - but you sure can get around the surgery if you graze.
   — connie m

February 9, 2004
Rebe, I don't think that you are eating "so little" at 2 1/2 years out. At 2 years post-op, here is what I eat, which is similar to what you eat: breakfast is 1 and 1/2 scrambled eggs with melted cheese-this fills me, lunch is 1/2 a meat sandwich on multigrain bread and a few chips, or deli meats over a large salad (eat 1/2 for lunch and the other half a few hours later). Small protein bar on the way home from work or cut up fruit. Dinner is some type of fish or meat or chicken (like 1/2 a chicken breast or 1 small burger) with a few bites of veggie and on occasion a few bites of carb like rice or potato or pasta. I always snack after dinner on popcorn or a small amount of sweets. If you are having problems maintaining your weight why aren't you eating more, like, uh, lets say LUNCH?? Why are you skipping lunch? You shouldn't have to eat sweets to maintain your weight (though I do eat sweets daily not to maintain but because I love the sweet treats!)Just add lunch and a mid aft snack (like cheese and crackers or a yogurt) and you should be just fine.
   — Cindy R.