Question:
How do you know if you are eating too much?

I am 8 months post op of an open RNY, have lost 112 lbs so far <YEAH!>. But I am worried ALL the time that I eat too much. Some days I hardly eat a thing. Coffee w/ milk and Splenda in the morning, maybe 1/2 grilled cheese at lunch and sometimes no dinner ( I work 12 hr shifts and usually don't get home till almost 8pm and it's too late for me to eat). But other days, like today, I had my morning coffee, lunch was 1/2 toasted pita w/ egg salad, 3 sugar free cookies for snack, dinner (this is where I got scared), about 1/2 cup cooked chicken, 1/4 cup peas, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes w/ cheese. Isn't that too much for one day?? Am I going to stretch my pouch? Does it shrink? The honeymoon is over ( like ya'll said it would be ) and I can feel hunger again.....please assure me I am not going to screw this up. Thanks and Happy New Year!    — Gina D. (posted on December 27, 2002)

December 27, 2002
It doesn't sound to me like you are eating too much. If you were, you would be in pain. I amd 13 months post-op and when I overdo it, I hurt - and sometimes still throw up. According to my doctor, it really isn't that easy to stretch your pouch beyond where it is supposed to be. At 8 months, my was 4 ounces and the doctor said that was perfect. But, at the same time, I could eat a cup of food, easily, especially soft things like potatos, cottage cheese, etc. I sounds like today was a good day for you. The "normal" day you described sounds like you don't eat enough. My surgeon told me 1000 - 1400 calories a day with most of them coming from protein. Good luck!
   — Patty_Butler

December 27, 2002
I think that many post ops start feeling this way at this stage. I am almost 8 months out and I too am feeling the nerves of eating too much. Sometimes I am just hungry all of the time and I eat all day and then there are other days when I only eat one or two small things. Overall you calorie count sounds good. When I eat veggies I can definately eat way more than say just meat. Hope this helps.
   — Michelle L.