Question:
At what point post-op can you count on your food intake to stabilize ?

I feel that although I am not over eating at this point (2 months post-op/about 800 cal a day average) that I can eat more than I anticipated. I am not worried about this as long as this amount of food will satisfy me from here out. At what point did you post-ops noticed that your volume of eating leveled out? I don't drink protien shakes (hurl) and I do feel hungry quite a bit during the day....my belly actually growls..does this sensation end at some point? (I am a bad girl and drink with many meals...this I know will have to end..but I swear I feel like I'm dying of thirst if I don't). Thanks for any insight and/or comments on this.    — KimBo36 (posted on September 23, 2001)

September 23, 2001
Kimberly...Kimberly...Kimberly....what kind of answer are you looking for? You already know the problem. Drinking with meals helps to wash food through the pouch thereby making you hungrier quicker. So of course you can eat more than you anticipated. I am 3 months out and rarely am hungry. I attribute this to not drinking while eating and also by getting in 60-80g of protein a day. Are you looking for a shortcut? There isn't one. Take the time to change now before you lose this window of opportunity and get used to your bad habits. Find a way to get in your protein and stop drinking while eating. How many different shakes have you tried? They are not all created equal. Get some samples for $1.50 from vitalady.com and try one a day until you find one you can tolerate. Try protein bars. There are some that don't have a lot of sugar or carbs (Pure Protein makes one). So I guess I didn't answer your original question. But all things being equal -- other post-ops can give you their "level out" stage but it will be like comparing apples to oranges if they are not doing exactly what you're doing now. Good luck!
   — Kimberly L.

September 23, 2001
Ok...let me have you all ignore the comment about drinking with a meal....even when I don't drink with a meal I still feel hungry an hour later...so my main question is can I expect to be satisified with this amount of food a month from now, a year from now...?
   — KimBo36

September 23, 2001
First a disclaimer: this is MY experience--others' experiences will, undoubtedly, differ. Yes, the amount of food I can eat has increased a pretty fair amount. I'm now about a year & a half post. I'd say the biggest change hit for me at about the 10 to 12 month point. I kept track of my calories for a long time & they have gone up a fair amount in the last six months or so. I am maintaining my weight, haven't gained any or lost any (to speak of) in the last several months. I am about 10 to 15 pounds over my ideal or goal weight (it varies). I know some of that is due to excess skin, but I would like to get another 10 pounds off eventually. I haven't "dieted" at all in these last months. I pretty much eat whatever I want to. For a long time, the idea of eating a sandwich was unheard of. Now, I can eat a sandwich, altho I still eat them open-faced. I can now eat a half a bagel. I actually had a 6 inch Blimpie (without the big top bread) & ate probably 2/3 of it in one sitting. Sometimes, I am amazed at how much I can eat, then I think back to the amounts I USED to eat & I realize how much my perception has changed. I used to eat a 12 inch Blimpie, WITH chips (LOTS), with a salad & still not be full. Now, 2/3 of a 6 inch, withOUT over half the bread seems like so MUCH! I didn't feel hunger hardly at all til I hit about six months post, then it began coming back. I DO get hungry now, maybe hungrier than I used to. I think that's because when I'm hungry now, I really AM hungry, it's not just appetite. What works best for me now is lots of small meals. I usually eat five or six times a day. Dairy products are real staples for me now-- cheeses, cottage cheese, yogurt &, yes, milk. The amount of food I can eat still does vary quite a bit tho. While I can often now eat a meal of two scrambled eggs or a 10 ounce Lean Cuisine, there are still times when three or four bites make me painfully full. It just varies, but the overall amount has definitely increased. PS: I often drink with my meals, too. BUT, now instead of several large glasses, I have a few small sips of water. Those few sips are enough to satisfy me & not enough, in my opinion, to interfere with the amount I should eat. BTW, I don't dump, except if I REALLY push it & can eat virtually everything in small amounts. I don't know so much about the "good girl", "bad girl" thing. I think that different things work better for different ones of us. We don't all react or respond the same. You have to find what works for you & what you can live with. It's a really strange feeling to not be dieting or concerned with losing weight. I'm really only worried about eating healthy & getting all my nutrition in. If my weight starts to rise, I will have to give up my lattes & Moxie Java will certainly go broke. :) I know not everyone will approve of "my way," & it may not work forever. I have set a certain weight that, if I go over that weight, means I have to move back into the "watching what I eat, weight-loss mode." My body seemed to need to take a break & I now trust my body like I couldn't before & try to really listen to it. I'm also hoping this weight maintenence time will help some of the loose skin shrink up a bit (puh-leeze!). I've lost about 175# & basically lost that amount in the first 12 months.
   — Kathy W.