Question:
Help . . . I am just over six weeks out and

I am starting regular food. It seems as though I can't tell when I'm full b/c I usually end up vomiting. What is a good portion size for me at this point? I know i am loseing valuable protein etc. Thanks for being there! Michele :)    — Michele D. (posted on July 20, 2003)

July 20, 2003
Hi Michele! I'm 7 weeks post-op. I stick with 1/2 cup and I actually measure it out. I rarely am able to eat it all but I know that the amount I should have. Slow down your eating to give your new stomach time to realize it's full. Thats the hardest part for me... eating slow. Stop when you THINK your full. I don't get that omygod I'm so full feeling like I used to as long as I pay attention and slow it down. Good luck!!!
   — DeeOwnna M.

July 20, 2003
You need to find out what size your pouch is. Mine started out being one ounce. Now at six months post op, I cannot eat more than 1/4 cup of anything and sometimes not that much.
   — Delores S.

July 20, 2003
Maybe your stomach is TRYING to tell you something. Like maybe it's not ready yet for 'regular' food. Listen to your body. I could not handle meats and chicken early on. My doctor believed in clear for a week and then on to full liquids for a month. After that I went to pureed foods for two weeks, then soft foods for two weeks. Finally I graduated to 'regular' food which we called the general diet. You must tread lightly here and listen to your body. There are lots of foods that will not taste good to you for quite a while. I will be 9 mos. out Sept. 30 and I still don't do breads, pasta or pizza and very LITTLE potatoes. I can do approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of food. The more dense the food, the less I can eat. I have never dumped or been nauseated. Down 175 lbs.
   — Ginger M.

July 21, 2003
At six weeks post RNY, I could eat about a 1/4 cup of food, a tablespoon more if it was really soft, pureed food. You shouldn't eat until you are so full that you throw up, and it's hard at this point to know when you're full because it can take a while for your brain to get and decipher the signal from your new tummy. Remember, everything is learning to work together again. I would suggest asking your surgeon or dietitian how much food you should eat at a sitting. Then, measure out just that much. At three and half months out, I still need to do that to be sure I don't overeat. Also, Ginger is right--you might be trying to eat foods that your pouch just isn't ready for yet. I was allowed regular food at week six, but had difficulty with dense and fatty foods (pork, peanut butter and such), so I continued to eat a lot of softer foods and gradually added in more regular foods, one at a time. (I still have trouble with pork--it comes back every time.)
   — Vespa R.

July 24, 2003
Also think about how fast you eat, and how well you chew the food. I ate fish at a restaurant one night (had no problems, brought the rest home ... heated it up the next day, and threw it up ... I'm not 100% sure why, but I may very well have eaten too fast or taken bites too big and not chewed it good enough.
   — Karyn B