Question:
Is there any kind of timetable for how much you can eat? (RNY)

Is there any kind of timetable for how much you can or should eat, whether by ounces or volume or calories, at 3 months, 4 months, 5 months and out... Obviously there will be some variability from person to person, but I've never seen any kind of guidelines at all. It makes sense to me to eat until I am satisfied but not full. My wife says I'm totally blowing my rapid weight loss "window of opportunity" by not restricting how much I eat. During the first 8 weeks I was restricted by the Dr. to 4 tablespoons (or 2 oz) but I rarely felt any satisfaction let alone fullness. Since then he and the nut said I could eat until satisfied. I'm just over 3 months out from my Open RNY - today for lunch I had 4 ounces of albacore and about 2 cups of salad with 3 cherry tomatoes. Satisfied, not full. My wife thinks I ate way too much. If anybody here has anything authoritative on this subject I'd love to have it. Help!    — blues-singer (posted on March 14, 2006)

March 14, 2006
Hi Bobby I am now 8 months post op and down 130 pounds. I was always told that you should eat until you start to feel full. Then you should stop. I have found that when I eat fruits and vegetable I can eat alot more then other foods because they are basically made of water. But I would say that 4 ounces of tuna for lunch is alittle more then you should have. I am 8 months post op and try to eat just 2-2 1/2 ounces of meat per meal. I wouldn't say there is a timetable of how much you should eat but you just want to concentrate on the amount of protein you are getting in each day. I think for a man it's 70-80g. So I don't know you might want to check with your nutritionist next time you go to the doctor. They should have given you some guidelines to follow. Sometimes when I eat I feel like I can eat alot and then other times I can barely eat anything. I think it's all about how you feel you are the only one who can tell how you feel when you are eating. And also if you are losing the weight you should be for the amount of time since you had the surgery. I hope I've helped. Jeannie
   — jjeanniespets1

March 14, 2006
Bobby, Your pouch probably healed a little faster than the person before. I was definitely eating more at 3 months out than the 1 ounce that I ate for weeks. Each day is different what I eat and how I feel. Tuna is not bulky and more can be eaten of it then a chicken breast, there is also very little fat with Tuna. The idea is still to eat until your full, that hasn't changed. I do get full and that's when I stop, If your able to eat that much your doing fine. If you told me that you were eating until you threw it back up then I would say you were eating too much. The surgery was your opportunity to learn your body for the first time ever. I didn't know what full was until the surgery. You can't blow the surgery unless you stop eating the right foods and start grazing all the time. Remember to chew your food slowly and that all meals should last at least 20-30 minutes. If your doing this your following pouch rules. Good luck.
   — dlryanoates

March 14, 2006
I was never given a limit as to the amount of food I could eat. My Dr. NEVER said eat 2 oz for the first 2 mos, and 3 oz the next, etc, etc. He simply said to eat slowly and stop when you are full/satisfied but as we all know, ALL Dr's have different protocols for RNY aftercare. I followed this and never worried about whether I was eating 2 1/2 oz of chicken vs. 4 oz of chicken. This way of eating did not hinder my weight loss and I had lost about 125 lbs by 10 mos post-op and was a nice size 8. Now as for the salad, I did ask my Dr about that one because I could eat a ton of salad. He explained that it is mostly water and naturally you will be able to eat more it than a more dense food. I am very happy with my surgery results but I didn't have surgery to be unsatisfied for the rest of my life. If you are continually unsatisfied, it is going to eventually lead to poor eating habits. I do advise that you make the most of your "window of opportunity" as your wife said. It gets harder after 6 mos and even harder after 1 year. Just make wise food choices and you will be fine. Tuna and salad sound like great choices to me but that only MHO. :) Best wishes, Michelle
   — Michelle_S

March 15, 2006
ok i will be two yrs out come 29 of march and have lost 151 pounds . and the way i always did it was eat til you start to feel full because if you over do it you will know it and some times you will not be able to eat as much as other . like the morining i eat very lil and i feel very full and 3 hrs later i eat more and i eat more but it is things like half a sandwich and it makes me full or a few fries . and i am still eating every three to four hrs .
   — lizzie72

March 16, 2006
Hi Bobby, I am 13 weeks out and down 70 lbs....I don't really weight how much i eat...except in the really dense protein like chicken or red meat ( which I only started last week)....I eat a lot of chilli, usually a cup at a time and by taking at least 30 minutes I get it in and it has lots of protein from the beans and either meat or soy if it is veggie chili. I haven't started salads yet, cause by the time I feel full from the protein, there is no more room...you are the only one to tell if you are satisfied...and that is the key....I cannot get full or I dump....so I have learned to stop short of that full feeling and leave just satisfied....and if i need to supplement it,, I do it with some almonds or protein drink from time to time...good luck...Arnie
   — ash1218

March 16, 2006
I'm 13 weeks post op and in the 2 weeks prior to surgery I was limited to protein drinks and clear liquids. So after 15 weeks I've lost 64 lbs. I am tolerating everything with no problems EXCEPT if I eat anything too quickly or if I don't chew meats well. The dietician scolded me for eating 6 wheat thins with my tuna salad saying they take up too much room in my pouch and leave little room for protein. She insists I should focus only on protein. No salads or veggies for a while yet. But don't listen to anyone but your dietician and your "pouch". Spouses don't always know everything!!!!!
   — jcrefasi