Question:
I am 15 months out and I need some help.

I need to know exactly how much should be my serving size for my meals. How many times a day should I have this amount. So, do I just have so much for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Do I add snacks into that? Should I eat a certain amount six times a day? I also would love to know how exactly to take the cottage cheese test. I do not have a lot of time today to post my dilemma and research so I appreciate all answers. I will post sometime tomorrow in full on the message board because I need some real help getting off another 40 pounds. Thanks to everyone here!    — Red T. (posted on May 19, 2004)

May 19, 2004
I know this does not answer your question about exactly how much and when- but the way I look at it- it's not HOW much and how OFTEN you eat- but WHAT you eat- I have lost over 175lbs and have been at goal a few months now- going from a size 4X to a 12- I simply watched my carbs and sugar (didn't count fat or calories) I snack at least 6 times a day- at usually only eat dinner as a meal- In my opionion, if you cut out all simple carbs- and push the fluids- you'll start to lose again.
   — WABBIT F.

May 19, 2004
I am 2.3 years post-op and I weigh all my foods, at no more then 3 oz. at a meal, I eat 3 times a day, sometimes 4, I set a timer after eating for 90 minutes and don't drink anything until after that goes off, I have been at goal, actually below goal for 2 years now,, I eat mostly protein, very little carbs.. and no sugar or high fats.., hope this helps you out on your eating plan..
   — bikerchic

May 20, 2004
Well, here's yet another answer for you: I have never measured my food by ounces. I am aware of what a serving size is, so I know what the gram counts are for protein, carbs, and fats and sugars (gak), and I look for a certain balance among them most of the time. I also counted calories for 8-9 months, starting when I was about three months post-op, using fitday.com to help me do that. Using fitday let me chart calories AND protein:carb:fat gram ratios for the day, and over time, I could see generally what worked for my weight loss and what didn't. I quit tracking everything I ate about a year ago, which was a few months after I hit goal. I still read labels, I still know what a serving size is, and I still think about how my protein intake has been for that meal or the day before putting carbs or junk in my mouth.<P>Personally, I don't believe in the cottage cheese test. As Wabbit says, it's what you put into your pouch -- not how big it is, or how many ounces the food is, alone -- that determines success, in my mind (not counting surgical failure issues). I can eat more chili than I can of tuna salad, and I can eat less of that than a burger (1/2 burger, no bun). I can eat apparently almost unlimited amounts of things like teddy grahams (which I really have to watch) or chocolate (which I had to give up entirely). Cereal used to fill me up pretty well in a single serving; after awhile, it didn't, so I switched from putting skim milk in it to mixing it into a small yogurt, which gives me what I want out of the meal but fills me up better. Different foods occupy the pouch differently, especially the further out you are post-op. Finding out how many ounces of cottage cheese your pouch will hold today won't tell you anything about your ability to snack on more ounces' worth of crummy crackers or candy, and it may also falsely suggest that you can eat more of something denser (like chicken or tuna) than you really can.<P>Try fitday. Using it, you can tailor an eating plan that works for you personally.
   — Suzy C.

May 20, 2004
I've found that if I put the right things in my pouch, the amounts don't matter (as long as you don't stuff). Stick with protein and veggies. I use nuts (pistachios are my favorite) or mozerella sticks or hard boiled eggs as snacks. If you need ideas, following the South Beach diet as a post-op can help lose those final pounds.
   — mom2jtx3

May 20, 2004
Red, at your stage, the others are right, there is no set amount for your meals. The consistency of the meal will determine a normal portion size. As Suzy said, soft foods you can eat more of, like chili, and dense foods like a hamburger, or chicken breast, less of it. As for how many times a day, some have 3 meals and no snacks and thats it. Others, like me, eat 6 or more times a day. I have breakfast, lunch and dinner plus mid morning, mid afternoon and after dinner snacks and am maintaining nicely at 2 years and 4 months. I don't measure or count calories. Its true, its what you eat that counts. The better you eat, the less junk and sugar you eat, drink your water and get in your exercise, the better you will lose weight and keep it off. I learned pretty fast that while I can have pizza, french fries and chocolate, you can't have it all in the same day and you can't have it all the time. Check my profile for what I was eating at a year out-it hasn't changed much, just a little more per meal.
   — Cindy R.