Question:
Am I eating too much?

I am exactly one month post op Lap RNY. I have lost 47 pounds and I'm super excited!! I feel as though I am eating too much during my meals though. I have been told "listen to your body, you'll know when to stop" so that is what I've been doing. I NEVER eat until I get sick. BUT also I'm one of the lucky ones who can still eat everything I ate before - nothing makes me sick. Don't get me wrong, I dont eat french fries and stuff like that - it's always protein first with me so I have been eating a lot of fish, chicken, and steak. I'm worried about stretching my stomach out though. I've come too far to mess anything up (this has been by far the best decision of my life!!) Please let me know, I really dont want to hurt myself or re-stretch my stomach... Laura    — LauraMarie (posted on December 24, 2008)

December 24, 2008
Congrats on your awsome weight loss. I would talk to you Nut about portions sizes that way you know home much to eat. You definitly want to learn the correct new habits so you dont have a weight gain later on.
   — urbrat2

December 24, 2008
I forgot to mention. Maybe pickup Weight loss surgery for dummies.
   — urbrat2

December 24, 2008
Hi Laura, My suggestion is that you should take a look at list of meal plans your doctor or nutritionist gave you. In there you will see what your meal portion sizes should look like. Simply becasue you are able to tolerate foods that other people that had your surgery do not tolerate does not imply you are over eating. If you are not eating the portions that were suggested then yes, by all means you should be concerned and your pouch will grow. In addition, you should have been told to seperate your liquids from your foods and to chew your food slowly. I hope you are able to take some time and look over the instructions you were given and see if there is something that you are doing that is not correct and fix it before it gets too late. If you are following your instructions as given by your doctors office, sit tight you are on for a long journey with many positive results. Best wishes, Santos
   — cancelsbronx

December 24, 2008
Measure out your food before you start. I think the mistake a lot of people make (one that for some reasons doctors aren't telling people) is that they eat until it hurts. Well, if you keep doing that, and each time it stretches the pouch a little more, before you know it the weightloss has stopped and you're back to big portions again. What I do (when I eat at home or pack lunches) is put my meals in little containers so I can measure exactly how much I'm eating without using a scale. Cutting out the carbs and focusing on the proteins are important, but portion control is also part of the trifecta. I reached my goal of 100 lbs in 9 months. Best of luck.
   — suezahn4me

December 24, 2008
No doctor told me NEVER eat more than one cup of food total at meals - no snacking - 3 meals a day. So I try to stick to that.
   — Wendy M.

December 25, 2008
It sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things. I do agree that portioning out your food, protein first, then veggies is always a good idea. As long as you're losing and following instructions, you should be fine. I would also like to stress what I feel is the most important part of WLS which is to eat until you are satisfied, NOT until you are full and that will help prevent stretching, stoma problems and vomiting. Congrats and keep up the good work. Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
   — DawnVic

December 25, 2008
great weight loss! BUT, BELIEVE me in a couple months you will realize that you cannot eat everything that you used to and you will not be able to eat large portions, not to worry. I thought to myself, gee I am lucky to be able to eat everything and I found that it does not last for a long time. I am 6 months out, have lost 80lbs and my tool is working greater than I ever imagined. I can only eat my home cooked foods of proteins and veggies and fruit. When I am out dining I have learned to eat meals that are not fatty, sugary or starchy. If I disobey my tool I becom sick and it has gotten to the point were it isn't worth it. I finally can stomach salads and I eat salad or fruit before every mel to prepare my new tummy for other foods. It was frustrating for awhile but now I just love it. Laura, you will be fine and confident very soon.
   — kbiz888

December 26, 2008
Wow, incredible weight loss in the first month! If you do what you've been doing by eating protein first, stop eating when you reach the half hour. My doc didn't believe in meassuring food, or counting calories as long term that gets to be a problem. But, if you limit yourself to only 1/2 hour and start with protein before anything else, you'll be fine. I doubt you'll stretch your stomach. Carole M
   — carolem