Question:
Am I Easting to Much?

I am 7 wks Post-op: I feel like I am eating too much? Please advise. BREAKFAST: 1 scrambled egg & slice of diet wheat toast, LUNCH: 1/2 small chili, SNACK: Zone/Atkins Protein Bar, DINNER: 4 meatballs out of a Subway 6" sub (threw bread away)...100 oz of water & supplements. What do you think. I am down 37 1/2 lbs and I live in NYC and do a good bit of walking, but, I am worried & stressed that I am not losing fast enough? HELP?!?!?!?    — heathercross (posted on October 2, 2002)

October 2, 2002
I'm 7 weeks also and it sounds like you aren't eating enough. It doesn't sound like you are getting in 55-70 grams of protein. I'm down about 30 (I haven't been on a scale in a while so I am guessing). I was worried about not losing fast enough too, but when you think about it---37 lbs in 7 weeks is quite a bit. That's 5 lbs a week for a straight 7 weeks. I never lost more than 2-3 pounds a week when I dieted. I think the big myth to this surgery is that the weight is suppose to just drip off, when in reality, we should lose at the same rate we would if we were just on a diet. Any doctor will tell you it is not safe to drop weight faster than 2-3 pounds a week. I think you're right on track--it's just hard not to get impatient and want instanteous results. Hang in there!
   — Kay S.

October 3, 2002
I'm 10 weeks out and some days eat more than that and some days less. I've lost 69#. Try to just go with what your pouch tells you and make smart choices. I have found the less I obsess, the better I do. DO NOT fall into the habit of beating yourself up or feeling guilty or you'll end up on the same old track as before. Hope this helps. Mary
   — Mary L.

October 3, 2002
Don't mean to infer you're eating too much (weight loss is a very individual thing), but you're eating about as much as I do, and I'm 18 months post-op.
   — Terissa R.

October 3, 2002
Heather, don't worry about how fast you are losing. Everyone loses at their own rate and plateaus will happen. Some months you will lose more than others. There is no rhyme or reason to why some lose more except that they started out heavier than others. As to how much you are eating, I could not have eaten that much at a meal at 7 weeks post-op. Even now, at 8 months post-op, breakfast for me is 1 scambled egg with melted cheese and I could not fit in a slice of toast. Not to say that its too much for you. Ask your doctor how big your pouch is. I've talked to some who have 1/2 oz pouchs up to 4 oz pouches. I would think that the bigger your pouch the more you fit and also certain foods when chewed well, like salad, or popcorn, you can just fit in more...I think your doing great on protein and exercise and especially the water!
   — Cindy R.