Question:
I am 18 months out as of yesterday and for lunch I went to Blimpies

and ordered a ham & swiss grinder with lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, vingerar and mayo. Normally I eat about 1/4-1/2 of a six inche and I'm completely stuffed. Yesterday, I ate the entire thing and I am a bit freaked out. I am transected so I know that's not the issue. There are days that I get full on 3 bites and then there are days like yesterday. Is this normal? I am at my docs goal but I'd still like to lose about 20-30 lbs more. I'm 5'0" and as of this morning I'm 150.5 lbs. Please help me out!    — Jessica D (posted on April 22, 2004)

April 21, 2004
YOUR NORMAL. Somedays I can eat a ton, others not nearly as much. Eating with friends talking, eating slow relaxed you can eat more than sitting by yourself just consuming a meal. If busy I am less hungry too. Idf your trying to loose more try this to your advantage, avoid eating out with friends and keep VERY busy. I will be 3 years out this july and am doing this successfully, going to get weighed today at my official scale I believe I have lost more:) I lso decided that NOTHING tastes as good as being thin, and being hungry isnt terrible. Live with a bit of hunger, loose weight.Fortunately its not the ravenous hunger of pre op, just a nagging uncomfy feeling that can be ignored if I am otherwise busy.
   — bob-haller

April 21, 2004
Normal! Sometimes I can eat an entire low carb wrap from Subway, then again I have times like last night, when I was full after 1/2 a bowl of soup!
   — koogy

April 21, 2004
I am just about 13 months out and I seem to have this same problem. Somedays are worse than others. I wish you all the best!
   — Renee B.

April 22, 2004
I'm in exactly the same boat. I'm 18 months out and can very often eat WAY more than I ever thought I'd be able to eat post-op. I can eat more than my "normal" boyfriend sometimes and he is shocked (and so am I!). I hear others who are several years out who say they could never eat as much as I do. I also was transected so it's not a staple line disruption. I worry about this a lot, but the more I hear from others, the less I worry so keep posting!
   — ediecat

April 22, 2004
Tomorrow I'll be 18 mts out too and I'm just like you. Some days I surprise the heck out of myself at the amount I can eat. I kept tabs on my eating habits and found that when I skip meals or wait several hours between eating, I can eat SO much, whole 6 inch plus a handfull of (baked)chips. But when I eat like I'm suppose to, every 3 hours or so, I get full on little. I'm transected but I worry so much about gaining weight cause I KNOW I can so I keep a daily log of my weight. I've maintained for 3 months now but my worry is for how long. I'll keep you in my thoughts. ~Sidney~ Open RNY 10-23-02 down 142 and under goal
   — Siddy I.

April 22, 2004
At 6 mos, there were days I could eat a 6 inch from Subway (minus some bread). Don't eat all the bread. I think at where you are at now, building muscle and exercise is probably more important to get the last bit of weight off. As opposed to a few extra 100 calories here or there.
   — mrsmyranow

April 22, 2004
Jessica, I had to check your profile to see where you were from...yup..New England! Only us New Englanders use the term "grinder". Thanks for the fond memories of my early years in RI, raised on the best grinders. Yum. It sounds like you are doing OK as the others said. I think it was about 18 months post-op or thereabouts I discovered I could eat more too. Just think, your eating like a normal weighted person now. Pre-op, I bet you could have done the foot long size...
   — Cindy R.

April 24, 2004
I definately have my days where I can eat a lot more than other days. Today I ate an entire chicken wrap (w/ just lett, tomato, and honey mustard). Granted, it wasn't that big, but I wasn't like overly full either. Just last Monday, I got a similar wrap and could only eat half and I felt like I would explode. It's interesting how that happens. Unless you are continually stuffing yourself constantly, I really wouldn't worry about it. I just try to live "normally" and not count calories, etc. I am almost 2 years post op and 5'6, 128 pounds. Don't worry too much! :)
   — emilyfink