Question:
I am 7 months out and eating a lot more in the last month or so...have I screwed up?

I can eat seven to nine pieces of sushi in one sitting which is about seven ounces, and can eat 3/4 of a lean cuisine and a piece of fruit....am I overeating for seven months out? I very rarely want to eat in the mornings and find myself picking and eating more in the afternoons and evenings. I have lost 106 pounds and am on a plateau right now so I am hypersensitive to the food issue. HELP!    — jesspep (posted on December 10, 2002)

December 10, 2002
Don't plateaus just bite the big one? I had them EVERY month during my losing. I still managed to lose 130lbs and almost at goal in a year. Your eating about the same amount that I was at 7 months. So, no, your not eating too much. Sounds like you are doing great! Keep your chin up with the plateau. It will pass!
   — Kris T.

December 10, 2002
I had lap RNY on 6/11/02 and have lost 104 lbs. I too have been struggling with the amount of food I can eat. I have been emailing folks that are at least as far out as we are and have discovered that most people at this point in the process can eat much more than they thought they should. I think we get so used to the 4 or 5 bites that we ate at the beginning that now when we eat normally we feel guilty. However, the folks I talked to are still losing or at goal. It sounds like you're eating the right amount. The amount you mentioned sounds right in line the amount of food I now eat. You've lost 106 lbs so obviously you're doing something right. I'm also on a plateau, so that makes us doubt what we're eating even more. Just remember, this plateau will pass and the weight loss will start again. (Remember previous plateau's...we always get beyond them).
   — Karen H.

December 10, 2002
Jessica, We're human, I'm right there with you, just the other day I was able to eat a 6 inch turkey sandwich, from Subway, hence it didn't have anything on it, no lettuce, no cheese, no mayo, just plain..... I was wondering if I had done something wrong seeing I was able to eat the whole darn thing, yet just about 1 month ago all I could actually eat of it was less then 1/2 of it.... I think that after time, the stomach has stopped swelling and is becomming normal, I think from this point forward, we must make good choices, or should I say better eating choices.. and in the end we'll reach our goal weight. You sound like you're doing great, must be nice to eat sushi, I can't do rice..... It just doesn't like me.... Congrats to your weight loss. Me I'm post op 6 months and down 100 pounds, I have about 40 pounds till goal !!
   — tannedtigress

December 11, 2002
I am a little shy of 5 months out and have lost 98lbs. I too get scared b/c I can eat more than I did before, however, I am very aware of what I am eating. I don't touch sweets or bad stuff. I still can't tolerate bread, but remember what is happening is normal, we WILL be able to eat more...just think of it this way...do you remember how much you could eat before and put into perspective just what your eating now..see the difference? Yes you can gain weight and stop your weight, but when you feel yourself slipping, remember all that you have gone through to get this special tool and get yourself back on track...don't beat yourself up. I have never been so happy in all of my life...
   — Trish R.

December 11, 2002
Just to add to my post below...WORK OUT, WORK OUT, WORK OUT!!! I can't stress that enough! I hit a plateau and changed my workout and stepped it up and broke my plateau in 3 days...I was unable to get to the gym during thanksgiving and the following week as I had to do some consulting work...I felt miserable and ended up loosing only 3 lbs. in a few weeks, well I worked extra hard at the gym and low and behold I am on the "lose" again! I have lost 4lbs. in 2 days! Not to mention I feel awesome after and have become totally addicted to exercise, it makes a HUGE difference if you don't add fitness into your life! Working with Nautilis machines and free weights burn fat, of course cardio, i.e., treadmill is also needed. I am up to 45 minutes on the treadmill at 3.5 miles per hour..I remember when I first started I could barely do 10 minutes at 2 miles an hour...please try it WILL pay off for you..it also will curve your appetite!
   — Trish R.

December 12, 2002
One thing to consider is how fast you are eating. I'm one year post op. If I eat slowly, I can eat a "normal" size meal which is about 1/3 of what my family eats. But if I eat quickly, I get sick because my pouch fills up to fast. I also tend to stretch my meal over several hours. I'll start eating my sandwich for lunch around 9:30 and finish it by 11:40. I feel more satisfied by eating 1/4 of it each 1/2 hour, than trying to eat 1/2 or all of it at once. I think the biggest problem most of face after WLS is becoming comfortable with eating again. First we don't eat much at all (or even want to eat), then we feel guilty when we eat a normal amount. Remember, we should Eat to Live, not Live to Eat. Keep up the good work
   — jean.campbell

December 12, 2002
This happened to me too at about the same time post op. I could eat WAAAY more than I had been. It lasted a few months and then my pouch seemed to "snap back" and now I usually eat about 1/2 to 1 cup average. Sometimes more, sometimes less. How often are you eating? A lot of drs recommend several small meals a day rather than 3 large ones. My dr told me that if I wait too long to eat I will eat more and I have found that to be true. I also try to finish my meal within 20 minutes because if you don't the pouch will begin to empty while you are eating and you will end up consuming more than you need. Regarding the post about eating a little every 30 minutes, that sounds like grazing to me. Of course different things work for different people, but if I don't eat to the point of fullness in my 20 minutes, I find that I pick, pick, pick and end up with many more calories than I would have if I had just eaten til I was full. Of course, that is ME and everybody is different!
   — ctyst