Question:
Is a cheese burger to much at one time?

I had open RNY 11 months ago and can now eat a cheese burger, bun and all in one sitting. And it doesn't take me any longer to eat than my husband takes to eat his! Now, I don't do this often but just the fact that I can makes me nervous! I have noticed lately I seem seem to be eating more in general and am having to work much harder at not eating to much. Hopefully this is normal for being 11 months out. I have lost 142 lbs. and still need to lose 60 or 70 more. Last month I lost 5 lbs. the month before it was 7 lbs. So it has really slowed down. Not sure if I'm transected or not. Need to call and find out. Any other 11 month outs eating that much at one time? Thanks, Deb    — Deb H. (posted on December 3, 2001)

December 2, 2001
Deb, I am almost 2 years out and I can eat an entire cheeseburger too, sometimes! There are days when I can eat one plus some fries with it, then there are days half of one is enough. I think I am learning what "normal" people already know about their bodies- we need to eat for fuel. I would be concerned if I ALWAYS ate that much, but since most of the time I can't eat that much, I don't obsess about it. Take time to learn your body:)
   — M B.

December 2, 2001
Deb, I am 7 months post-op and I can eat a cheeseburger at one setting with a few fries, too. Now...keep in mind that all cheeseburgers are not created equally. *laugh* I'm referring to a McDonalds cheeseburger which is what they put into a kids meal. They aren't huge. I have been craving a McDonalds cheeseburger so yesterday I went and got one for lunch and just ate very lightly the rest of the day. I don't think that would be considered "over eating" by a normal person and that is the standard I try to live by. My calories for the day were still under 900.
   — kylakae

December 3, 2001
Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Your stomach can stretch and my surgeon said to expect to be able to eat a kidsmeal after a 1yr. Repeated overstretching will increase the pouch size. If you drink liquids with your meal, it will wash the food through faster, allowing you to eat more. It will also make you hungrier because the food isn't staying there keeping you feeling full. The more carbs you eat the hungrier you will be. With our new plumbing our food goes right to our intestines. Insulin is released when the carbs hit the intestines. The carbs continue going through faster than before surgery so you still have the extra insulin running around your body trying to burn up the carbs while they had already moved on, that tells your brain to eat more so your blood sugar doesn't drop. The process repeats itself over and over, that's why limiting the carbs ( not eliminating ) will help. Go back over your surgeons guidelines. You've done SO WELL SO FAR!!!!!!! You're weight loss slow down seems pretty normal for people I know about a yr post op. You probably just need to focus on the old guidelines.
   — Helen B.

December 3, 2001
It depends on the size of the cheeseburger. When I go to McDonald's or Burger King I usually order the small cheeseburger and can eat all the meat and half the bun. It sounds like you are continuing to lose weight so that's all that matters. If you are concerned about a staple line disruption ask your doctor about this and there are tests that can be done to determine if this has happened. Good luck.
   — georgiacarol

December 3, 2001
I'm glad you asked this question. I was on vacation for 2 weeks and sometimes the only thing I could get was a BK broiled chicken sandwich. During the 2 weeks, I ate about 3 of them at different time. I ate the whole thing, except for a few bites. I wondered if it could stretch my stomach. I, too, am 11 mos. post-op, RNY open.
   — Betty Todd

December 10, 2001
Well, this is certainly going to sound strange, but here it is: I am 8 weeks post op and can eat (not that I should) an entire Big Mac, bun and all, plus 4 fries. I don't get sick. I don't dump. I'm just full. Not uncomfortably full either. Until I read some of these answers, I was very afraid. I am not eating anymore Big Macs, but I don't know what could be going on w/me. I am losing weight like crazy. I have an appointment w/my surgeon next week to discuss this very thing. My doctor says my pouch is 20cc and that it could not have stretched as yet.
   — Berry-Jean M.