Question:
Am I eating too much?

I was able to eat one of those cup-o-noodles thingy's. Is that too much? I'll be one month out on the 21st. I chewed and chewed and chewed some more, and was able to eat it in about 30-40 mins. Is this too much for me?    — Laydie K. (posted on June 16, 2003)

June 16, 2003
I don't want to sound preachy, but I don't think that was a particularly good choice - they are full of carbs and fat and probably very little protein. And, my doctor told us not to take more than 15 - 20 minutes for a meal as the pouch empties in about 30 minutes. If you take longer to eat than that, then you are eating more than your pouch is designed to hold. I know that sometimes we can't always make wonderful meal choices but I really don't think you got much but salt, fat and calories from your cup of noodles.
   — Patty_Butler

June 16, 2003
It is my understanding that we should be eating in 15 minutes. By taking so long to eat and drinking liquid (soup) with your meal the beginning of what you have eaten has already passed before you are done eating. In other words, that's why you were able to eat so much. Try not to defeat the pouch.
   — [Deactivated Member]

June 16, 2003
Laydie, I concur with the others. It isn't too much, but, you should be eating protein first, not starch. Also, you shouldn't be eating between 30-40 min, doing so will cause you to eat more. Most dtrs advise finishing your meal in about 15-20 min. Good Luck. Heather (Open RNY 8/15/02 - 305/190/150)
   — heathercross

June 16, 2003
Hi, while I agree with most of what the others said about the cal, carbs, and salt, I don't agree with the time limit of how long you should take to eat your meals. The dietician I'm seeing said that we should take no less than 30 minutes to eat our meal so we can be sure to get it chewed up really well. I get sick if I don't chew well and eat too fast and I'm 2 months out. I know that trying to do all the right things is very hard but the results are wonderful! Good luck to you!
   — Kim J.

June 16, 2003
From my understaning, you are still very early post-op...not yet 4 weeks. Are you still on liquids...if so, I don't see where what you ate should be too much of a problem. In the beginning it's just important to be getting something down. That's just my opinion. Ask your dietician.
   — Renee B.

June 17, 2003
The "no more than 10-15" minute rule to eat your meal is more designed for those further out. As a new post-op, and one month certainly qualifies, it is just important to get in enough calories even if it takes 30-40 minutes. The further out you get, the faster you will be able to eat and you can shorten the length of time you eat a meal in. The reason why the shorter time is important is that if you take 30-40 minutes, the pouch is starting to empty while you put more food into it, so of course you can eat more, as your making more room. That is why you are able to eat an entire cup of noodles. I bet if you just ate for 10 minutes you could not eat the entire cup. As the others suggested, you should concentrate on protein, so hopefully you are getting in your protein thru shakes or other foods.
   — Cindy R.

June 17, 2003
I'm the original poster. I want to say thanks to all of you who responded. It was a one time thing, and I haven't done it again. I do want to say in my defense however, it took me so long to eat it because I chewed very carefully, and waited 1-2 mins. in between bites. I didn't drink the juice either. I do understand the severity of the situation, especially me being 4 weeks out. Thanks for all of your responses.
   — Laydie K.