Question:
2 yrs 1month Post -Op - Can eat 1.5 cup of Cottage Cheese

I am 2 years 1 month post-op - I thought I'd try the "Cottage Cheese Test". I purchased a container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese Net Weight 12oz. Serving size is 1/2 cup - 3 serving sizes in the container. I ate the whole container - yes I'm full but is that to much? I went from 260 pounds to 178 pounds. My personal goal weight is 140 that is still 38 pounds and i'm 2 year post-op. A lot of people don't think I need to lose any more weight - I wear a size 13/14 jeans and I hate looking at myself in the mirror... Anyone else out there 2 years post-op that is still trying to get to goal weight? Those of you that made it to goal weight are SOOOO lucky!!!    — Jonna M. (posted on September 24, 2003)

September 24, 2003
Jonna: You may be having the same problem I had which is a stretched or enlarged stoma. I'm not quite a year and 1/2 post op. I've told my story before in these questions so I hope people aren't sick of hearing it. To make a long story short, I got almost to goal and then immediately started gaining 2 to 4 pounds a month. I stupidly didn't put an end to the weight gain quickly enough but finally did after a total regain of 41. I'm now trying to get at least back down to where I was and have 19 of the 41 so far. It's really hard so I feel for you. I can eat even more cottage cheese than you. It's not just that but I can eat almost as much as post op on anything. My doctor explained that the stoma enlarges and food is going out as I'm still eating. I do feel full after eating a good amount of food, but never over full, and I've never thrown up from being able to eat so much. I didn't get a scope but he felt confident that was the problem. I felt it was my failure until I came back her and did some reading. Now I see it as at least a partial surgical failure. I'm not sure if I'll do anything about it or not. The only assistant my surgeon was willing to offer is to review my food diary and make suggestions on how to cut the higher fat things out. Like I haven't heard eat more chicken and less beef my whole life. I think as long as you stay a size 13/14 and don't gain you shouldn't feel too bad about being able to eat more. It's natural at your stage to be able to eat more. So now it's a matter of just how important to you is it to get down to your original goal? You can do it but it'll be a lot of work. If you don't have a medical reason why you can't exercise that'll help. Lots of us can't though. Sorry I don't have a more positive answer for you. If you want to email me directly please feel free. Sherry
   — sherry hedgecock

September 24, 2003
Hi, you are really doing well so don't be so hard on yourself. First question to ask: are you transected? If not, you could have staple line disruption. I had one and had to re "redone" with transection. While I was disrupted, I could eat two Lean Cuisine dinners and be hungry again in 1 hr. Remember, even though the cottage cheese test is one that we all use as a standard, cottage cheese is soft and most of us can eat more of that than say, chicken. How much meat can you handle at a time? If you are sure there is a problem, ask your doc for an upper GI to see if it is a mechanical failure.
   — Mylou52

September 24, 2003
To add to my posting: After I ate the cottage cheese I wasn't hungry until about 5:00 - so that was about 5 hours and I just ate supper - some salmon 1/2 cup i'd say w/ pickles and a little miracle whip and a 1/2 cup of green beans - I feel full - so we will see how that goes. I know for a while it was my fault - eating wrong foods - to many carbs I think not real bad ones though - although I try really hard to get in a lot of protein. My biggest problem and always has been since surgery is drinking with my meal or to soon afterwards - I can't stand not drinking something. I reviewed the "RULES OF THE POUCH" hoping to get back on track and drop a few pounds.... "CROSSIN' FINGERS" Thanks for all the support...and answers!! *** I know one thing at least I can't eat as much as I could before surgery - PHEW!!! I would like to know though how big my pouch really is..... Makes me crazy!
   — Jonna M.

September 26, 2003
according to the doc & dietician I saw at my 1 year check 1- 1 1/2 cups is what I should normally be taking in at a meal.
   — **willow**