Question:
How many oz's at each meal
I am 7 weeks post op and can eat almost anything except fat and sugar. I would like to know, how many oz's should you be eating at each meal? I am currently eating about 2 oz's for lunch and dinner and a 8 oz protein shake for breakfast. This is what my surgeon recommends. I still feel hungry at times after a meal and since I can't drink anything for up to an hour afterwards this makes it hard. The Doc says Anything that will fit into an egg is more than enough food...that is about 1/4 cup or 2 oz's. Can you give me some idea's on how much and of what you eat that is health conscience. Thanks for your help in advance. Melissa — [Deactivated Member] (posted on February 19, 2005)
February 19, 2005
I was instructed to eat no more than 1/2 cup for a meal(3) and less than
that for a snack(3) and of course to stop eating when I was full even if I
did not eat everything. The amount of time that I was to eat was just as
important as the quantity, 1/2 hr for a meal and 10-15 minutes for a snack.
This way I could discern if I was full or not. In the course of my
instructions for PO eating I was told to get 60-80 grams of protein in a
day and was given specifics on how much at each meal and snack to shoot
for. The amount your doctor told you is about right for someone that is at
your stage. Are you on solid foods yet? If you are still eating mushy foods
then that may be the reason why you are getting hungry so fast. If you are
on regular foods, then you need to figure out if it is head hunger or true
hunger. Try eating slowly putting your fork or spoon down after each bite.
And remember the more protein that you have then the denser the food is,
thereby filling you up more. I think that how fast you are eating may be
directly related to why you are hungry so soon after a meal. I did not have
a real hunger pang for close to a year out. The protein shake that you are
having for breakfast this early on is not something that I did so I cannot
really comment on it if it is right or not. One thing to keep in mind that
a liquid will empty out of your pouch real fast leaving you feeling hungry
faster. I would suggest a scrambled egg, cheese or something else for
breakfast.
— ChristineB
February 20, 2005
Research is showing that you should eat 3 meals a day plus the protein
shakes. But if you eat most soft, easily digestible food you can eat more
and may sabotage your weight loss because you will feel hungry again in a
short time. You want to work your way up to eating 6 oz of sold food per
meal. This should be protein first then vegetables and fruit. Minimize
carbs and soft foods like rice or cottage cheese. Carbs will also get your
insulin response going and make you hungry sooner. It does not sound like
you are eating too much at this point. Just keep these guidelines in mind.
— Beatrice C.
February 20, 2005
Most nutritionist suggest 5-6 small meals a day for the normal person
trying to lose weight. My sugeon and Nutritionist both suggest 5-6 meals
at 2-3 oz per day. Don't drink anything for 15-30 minutes before eating and
wait 45-60 minutes after eating to drink. This will keep the food in your
new pouch longer and help stop that hunger feeling. Try to drink 60-80 oz
of water a day and you have it made. Sometimes when you think that you
feel hungry, if you just drink some water, it will go away. Remember, they
did surgery on your stomach, not your head. Are you really hungry or do
you just think that you're hungry?
Good Luck, this first year is so exciting because there are so many changes
in your life -- You'll love it and it is worth every thing you go through!
Judy
— jk_harris
February 20, 2005
First week Clear liquids, 1 week to 10 days Full Liquids, nest Pureed Diet
(week to 10 days), Soft Diet(introducing one new food a day to your diet).
The whole idea is to give your stomach time to heal and YOU time to adjust
to eating differently. You should be eating 6 small meals per day. Three
Balanced meals plus 3 high protein snacks. 48 oz of water per day. Never
eat past the felling of fullness (remember fullness will not feel the same
way as before surgery. You should be building up to but no more than 1/2
cup of food and if it is liquids up to 8 oz. However, 2 ozs sounds about
right for now. You should not drink at least 1/2 hour before your meal,
do not drink during and wait at least 45 min. before you start drinking.
There are protein liquids like IsoPure from GNC that you can drink during
the day which will give you 40 grams of protein. Your protein stanks can
be protein drinks. Make sure you are eating your protein first, veges next
and try to cout out bad carbs! When you eat are you eating at a table?
Chewing until the food is liquid. It should take you about 20 min. to eat
about 2 ozs if you eat slow. Use a timer. I remember when I first had
pudding for my first meal, I could ownly have two ozs. and I was told to
take 45 mintues to eat it. There is a reason for all of this. We need to
change our eating habits. If we don't do that we will go right back to our
old habits. This is what we signed up for. Eat at a Table, use a shimp
fork or desert fork to eat your meals with when you are at home. Even your
liquids, make sure you are sitting at a table and paying attention to your
fullness. I would also recommand a support group. It is aways help full
to talk to someone. Keep up the good work. I'm almost two years and I'm
nearing my goal of 200 lbs lost.
— Linda R.
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