Question:
How do you know if your pouch has stretched. I'm only 9 weeks post op and I

feel like I can eat alot more now. For example tonight I had lasagna about 2 cups if measured. It's still alot less than what I used to eat, but I think it still alot. Before surgery I would eat atleast 3 huge pieces of lasagna and bread and soda. I had open Rny and have lost about 38 pounds.    — [Anonymous] (posted on May 8, 2000)

May 8, 2000
I think that maybe you should be weighing your portions or measuring them out. I am 9 months post op and cannot even eat a whole piece of lasgna. If what you say is true about eating 2 cups of lasgna then you have eaten 16 oz. of food. And our pouches are initially supposed to only hold hold about 2-4 oz, that is equivilent to 1/4 to 1/2 a cup. I don't think you really ate 2 cups of food, although it might have seemed as so, it's always best to measure your food that way you KNOW for sure what you are getting. Once you have been measuring your food you will be able to eyeball your portion size a whole lot better and know for sure what you have eaten. Good Luck to you ...
   — Marni

May 9, 2000
Hi. I really appreciate your question. I, too, am 9 weeks post op and my weight loss is real close to yours. And I've found that there are times that I can comsume much more than I thought I would be able to too. But let me give you a few of my thoughts on what I think has helped me. First of all, we all need to remember that our WLS is only a "tool" to help us lose our excess weight. It's not a magic formula that will cause our weight to fall off of us like icing on a cake in the middle of summer. We still have to do our part. Most of us KNOW how to lose our weight...we've done it hundreds of times...and we know what to do and how to eat to expedite our loses. WLS simply rearranges our bodies so that it can finally work the way that it is supposed to work so now we CAN lose the weight and (finally) keep it off. Even before our surgery, we knew that we had to limit our portions when we were dieting. Nothing has changed now except that we've been led to believe that we won't physically be able to eat larger portions anymore. I think that sometimes that's true, but sometimes it's not. I do get "uncomfortable" when I overeat, but I don't experience the nausea that so many others do. And yes, my portions are smaller, but I still have to measure (ugh!)to make sure I'm only eating in the amounts I should. One of the best pieces of advice that I've heard is to eat only until you're not hungry anymore instead of eating until you're "full". I like that and try to adhere to that when I'm eating. Also, another observation...I'm a flavor person...I like the taste of (what I call) "combination foods" (like lasagna, chili, soups, cassaroles etc.)and find that I'm more likely to "want" (and consume) more of those types of foods. I'm not a "meat and potatoes" person, but I find that I do eat smaller portions of that type of meal. Try eating more individual foods rather than the combo foods. Generally, they are less calories and we can control and add more protein to our diet by eating this way. Combo foods usually have more hidden calories in them and that can slow our weight loss. One last note. Try not to be tempted to drink and eat at the same time either. It's hard, but when we drink and eat at the same time, we have a tendency to be able to eat more because the fluid pushes our food through faster enabling us to consume more that we actually need to feel full. I hope my suggestions have helped. Continued good luck with your weight loss and God Bless. cj
   — cj T.

May 12, 2000
Ouch! Please talk to your surgeon. I can only eat 1/3 to 1/4 cup or I puke immediately. The possibility of stretching pouch and not being able to lose weight is real. Please be careful. The surgery just helps, I think it is really important to work at limiting food and picking healthy choices. ? why lasagna, it is unbelievably fattening anyway. LOL Beth.
   — Elizabeth H.