Question:
How long until you eat a

I know the entire point of this surgery is to eat less and lose weight, but eventually we will be eating normal portions because out stomachs will streach out a bit over time. How long did it take before this happend to you? I don't look at it as a bad thing personally. I look at it as getting back to normal, you can go out to dinner with friends and live a more normal lifestyle again. The trick will be to watch you diet. My Dr. told me it depends on the person, some can eat twice the amount only a few months after surgery, then others take longer. Anyone care to elaborate. Thanks Frank    — xxxxx X. (posted on April 1, 2003)

March 31, 2003
Frank, everyone is different, you will never be able to eat the shear volumes of fodd you did pre-op, the restriction you have surgically placed on yourself just wouldn't allow it. I will say that in the first 2 mos, I ate just bites. When I was 4 mos out, I ate a 1/4 of what normal, thin people ate, now at 7 1/2 mos, i eat about 1/2 or so of what my friends eat. Even if you tried to eat the amount you did pre-op, you just couldn't do it. Good Luck! Heather (Open rny 8/15) 305/201/150
   — heathercross

March 31, 2003
With this surgery, you are not normal. A normal person does not has gastric bypass surgery. You will have to watch your calorie intake for the rest of your life. Many people here lose 60-75% of their weight are are happy with that. They don't understand that to lose the 100% they have to pay attention to what goes in their mouths. I have been eating out since 1 month post-op and find it no problem eating what is normal for me. Good luck
   — barbara A.

March 31, 2003
Frank, hopefully your perception of what a "normal" amount of food looks like will change, if it hasn't already. I now look at, say, a junior Arby's sandwich, and KNOW I could never finish it (if I wanted it at all!). My mom is 85 years old and weighs 92 lbs. I used to look at her plate and think she ate like a bird. Now her plate looks like too much food for me! (Besides the fact that she likes bread with every meal, and I rarely eat any bread.) The idea behind the surgery is to NOT eat like you used to! Unless, of course, you want to gain the weight back and hope for a revision! My husband and I go out to eat at a lot of restaurants (especially now - his surgery is next week!) We usually share something or I get an appetizer or soup. If it's a buffet, I just take very small portions. After he has surgery, we will probably share a meal and take home leftovers, LOL! Go out and eat, bring home a doggy bag or share an entree. (Some restaurants are gracious enough to split it in the kitchen. Olive Garden is one place, Ruby Tuesday's is another.) At 5 months post op, "normal" has a new meaning; I hope I never can go back to the way I used to eat. I feel like I am 20 years younger, and I exercise more now than ever, eat healthier. This is normal, now!
   — koogy

March 31, 2003
Howdy again everyone. I should have explained my idea of "normal". I don't think anyone on here ate "normal" portions of food or we wouldn't be here. Example: If you look at the back of a box of something like Rice a Roni, there are supposed to be 3 to 4 servings per box (depending on which type you bought). I hate to admit, but my other half and I would eat an entire box at one meal, PLUS the main course and another side. When I would make a pan of real mashed potatoes, I would cook at least 6 potatoes and normally we would finish the entire pan. If we BBQ a steak, it was at least a pound plus two sides. THIS is NOT normal portions, this is extreme portions. So what I meat by normal portions for example, what about a small mcdonalds burger, small frys and soda? Or what about a Denny's regular breakfast, say two eggs, two bacon, potatoes and toast? Denny's (which I hate) standard size breakfast are about a "normal" portion in my opinion. I didn't want you guys to missunderstand my question. I don't look forward to even plan to eat like I did before. But it would be nice to go out to dinner, order a meal and be able to eat more than two bites and feel like you are going to throw up. Right now, I am only 3 weeks out and I know that's a very short time. Yesterday we decided to stop at a little restaurant and get a bite, (I feel bad if I deprive the other half). I ordered a cup of soup, clear soup, not creamy. My other half orderd a full size salad. I only ate about 1/4 of the cup (that's 2 oz) and was very full. I just wondered how long until I could enjoy the full cup and maybe 1/2 of a sandwich. To me, that would be a "normal" portion.
   — xxxxx X.

April 1, 2003
Frank, I agree, to me pre-op, a "normal meal" was cheeseburger, side of fries, 2 diet cokes and some fozen yougurt. I could also have a few beers with that instead of soda. Now, to me, a "normal meal" is a salad with a 6oz chicken breast cut up (I can eat all the chicken and 1/2 the salad). I can also eat a whole hamburger w/ou the bun, I can also eat (on some days) a 6 inch sub from subway, where before I caould eat a whole ft long plus an entire bag of chips and a soda and a cookie. Good Luck!
   — heathercross

April 1, 2003
I totally understand what your question is. I always felt like a freak when I ordered 1/2 portions and ate almost none of it. You feel wierd when you don't order a drink or even a water. I personally can't have a drink in front of me and not sip on it which is a no no while eating. I am now 7-8 months out and finally can eat a very small portion most times. Not anything even close to before obviously, but an amount that leaves me satisfied and feeling like a "normal" person. Wait satff don't always get it when you leave most of your food and won't drink with your meal. Hang in there it will get much easier. Don't push it eat the 2 oz portions. Savor it because before you know it your appetite will creep back and you might be hungry again. If I wait to long between meals and am really hungry I will over eat and oh dear that is really the worst feeling ever. The mouth starts to water etc.... And I know for sure whats coming up next. Time to leave the restaurant ASAP. Not fun for anyone. Good luck. You'll get there, and once you do it will all have been worth it. Penny :-) LAP RNY 07/31/02 300-257-243/167.5/135 (5'3")
   — pcollin4

April 1, 2003
Frank, we are all different in the amounts we can eat. I think for me it was around 2 months post-op that I felt I was eating 1/2 way normal in a restaurant. For example, 1/2 a sandwich, or 1 crabcake with a bite or two of veggie. I'm almost 14 months post-op and I still have to have a doggie bag from a restaurant no matter what I order (I do not order just an appetizer, which some do). Now my better 1/2 often eats the other 1/2 of my restaurant meals but if I am out without him, I have a doggie bag with at least 1 or 2 more meals in it! As the months go by, you will be able to eat a little more. And your doc is right, we are all different. For example, I went out to lunch last weekend with another post-op who had her surgery around the same time as me. We ordered grilled chicken salads and I was stuffed on 1/2, but she was able to eat the entire salad.
   — Cindy R.

April 1, 2003
Hi Frank-- I'm 7 weeks post lap RNY. Last night the hubby and I went out to Marie Callanders. This is what I ordered from the kids menu: meatloaf with sauted veggies. It also came with a cup of their hearty veggie soup. The portions, even for a kids menu, are HUGE! I thought I would be getting one slice of meatloaf but there were actually 3. It was served on one of those platter plates. Here's what I actually ate: the veggies from the soup (they were very mushy, very good) and one slice of the meatloaf (maybe 3 oz), which also looked to mixed with some veggies like green pepper. I also had one bite of the hubby's beef stroganoff. The hubby didn't finish his dinner either, although he did eat the cup of ice cream that was supposed to come with my dinner, as well as his cornbread. Hubby is a normal size guy. We ended up taking home most of my dinner (which I will be having for lunch today) and half of his dinner.
   — lizinPA

April 1, 2003
Hi, I am 3 weeks post-op today. I went to lunch at a mexican restaurant and I order a kids meals containg a beef and cheese quesadilla and doubled the refried beans (because rice is a no-no right now. I ate 1/2 of the quesa. and 1/2 of the beans with salsa. I wasn't overly full but I wasn't hungry either.
   — Cheryl L.

April 1, 2003
Wow, I hope I can never eat a full portion again! Eating more food will not overcome the malabsorption nutritionally, but it could bring back every pound that I have successfully eluded for 8.5 yrs. The very thought scares me. I can eat a small-normal portion now. But I doubt if I'd have parked at a reasonable wt had I been able to eat this much in the first 2 yrs or so. We're encouraged to eat only 1-2 oz per meal in order to hold the pouch size as long as possible. It isn't necessarily what KEEPS the wt off, all by itself, but it GETS the wt off. If that makes sense.
   — vitalady

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