How much can you fit in YOUR stomach? (Looking for peopel 3 months post-op or more!)

[leesooim]

Hi all,

Just looking for comparisons. I am luckily still losing, albeit very slowly these last couple weeks. I confess, I have been snacking on bad carbs a lot, and know this definitely is contributing to my slowed weight loss. It's just that sometimes, you need something crunchy to munch on, and chips get chewed down to nothing... time to purge the pantry!

So, for me, my surgery was this past Halloween, putting me at just over 90 days post-op. I feel like some stuff I can eat a TON of, and other stuff not so much. 95% of the time my diet is lean protein and veggies, but I've tried eating other things here and there, and this is how much I have found I can eat of various things:

Duck breast, pan seared, no toppings: 4 oz
Hormel Natural Choice Deli Meat: 4 slices, plus 1 Polly-O 2% String Cheese stick
Chicken: 3-4oz
Steak: 3-4oz
Firm white fish (halibut, haddock, etc): 4-6oz
Shrimp: 16-18 shrimp of the 41-50 per pound size (is that medium or large? I can never remember)
Sauteed zucchini: 1/2 to 2/3 cup if I have had nothing else
Sushi (with fish and veggies in it): 3-4 pieces
Chips: Probably 1.5 servings at a time
Multigrain cottage cheese pancakes (about 3.5 inches in diameter): 2 in a sitting
Eggs: THESE FILL ME SO FAST, but it's a BAD feeling. Maybe 1.5 eggs, scrambled
Pizza, large slice: 1/3 to 1/2 of the slice (only had pizza once since surgery, and it was bbq chicken)
Salad: If it's just lettuce, maybe 1 to 1.5 cups worth of greens
Southwestern Tuna wrap from Au Bon Pain: 1/2 in one sitting (according to their website, this wrap has 600 calories total in it)

I've also found I can finish one of the Mission carb control medium size flour wraps in one sitting. My wrap usually contains 3 slices of deli meat and 1 slice of provolone cheese, and I can eat one hot dog on a bun with ketchup only (imagine Ballpark size dog) if I trim the bun off of both ends.

I can drink 16oz of fluid if I try and without gulping in about 35 minutes. Usually though, I take 45 minutes to an hour to finish a 16 or 20oz beverage.

Am I concerned about stretching? Only slightly, because I doubt I can use both hands to count how many times I've overeaten to the point where I either felt VERY ill, or that sensation of food backing up in your throat. I am mildly alarmed by the amount of steamed shrimp I can eat in one sitting, but since everything else is still "within range", I guess I shouldn't worry too much!

Anyone else have wild variations like me in the amounts of things they can eat?

[Grace]

I'd say I'm right where you are, right down to the eggs. 1 is my limit.

I'll add 4 oz of mostly liquid foods like chili or thick soup to the list. And I only eat the toppings off pizza, gluten intolerance and all, not going to make one just for me.

Haven't tried chips...y'know that whole bet you can't eat just one thing.... had a few sunchips and had to chuck the bag because they were way too good.

Off on errands, later folks!

[Evie Sleevie]

I'm right where you are. It surprises me how much I can "take in" sometimes, but it's still NOTHING compared to the quantity I had before.

I don't go near salad. Kind of a waste of space for me.

I've had a slice of pizza, but not the crust.

I'd say we are eating like THIN PEOPLE EAT! Portion control, baby!

[justme1]

Seems like you all are way ahead of me...four or five bites of anything and I am full. Half a scrambled egg fills me up!!

[Evie Sleevie]

Wow, Chele! That is a good thing! But some days are different. Sometimes a few bites will do it. Our bodies know when they need food, I guess.

[michelleb]

Liquid type foods like my homemade vege soup I can eat a whole big bowl...slowly. More dense foods, 2-3 oz max. Eggs, like you, one only! Foods like chili, 3-4 oz. drinking is no problem although I couldn't chug a whole bottle in one go.

[justme1]

Well Eve I would say it was a good thing but it sure slows down the weight loss when I only get in about 700 calories. I am not complaining though!! 52 pounds in 3 months works for me!!!!

[healthydebbie]

leesooim,

I have had almost the exact same experience as you with food quantities except I haven't introduced salads back into my diet yet. 1 egg fills me up and makes me feel disgusting, so I have been avoiding them altogether. I can drink 20oz of hot liquid in 20 minutes, but cold liquids take me twice as long. I agree with you that chips and crunchy snacks are super tempting and easy to eat. I have been struggling with that lately as well. I'm going to get some more good snacks around like beef jerky and string cheese. When I have smart options, it seems way easier to avoid the bad snacks.

[leesooim]

I know! I try to reach for healthy options when I want a snack (string cheese, veggies, fruit, yogurt), but sometimes you just want that satisfying, crunchy salty taste We can do this though!

[jdavido]

I'm a little over 4 months out and right where you're at.

Looks like we're all on track!

[gbrs]

1/4 cup if it is dense like meat, most things a 1/3 cup, and soup 1/2 cup. I don't snack much cause I just don't miss it most of the time. There have been 2 or 3 instances where my old tendencies snuck in and I ate 3-4 rich cookies in a day- just a constant small nibble at a time. It scares me that I still can and want to do that. Still working on that.

[slim&proud]

Soft foods like lasagna i can eat more of but cooked meat not so much. For me it all depends on how much i have to chew it, if i have to chew alot then i can't eat much of it basically but lovely soft foods slide down. Bread tends to fill me up quickly so i don't bother with that but i can eat a slice of soya & linseed bread toasted and not feel bloated so it's toast all the way for me.

It's also normal and expected and ok for your stomach to stretch a few months after surgery, so you will be able to eat more as you go along.

[ShrinkingViolet]

Pretty much the same as the OP except I can only eat 1/2 egg, and it often leaves me feeling bad too. My best approach to eggs is to share a 1-egg pizza omelet (sauce, cheese, and possibly meat inside) with my toddler!

[TrailNurse]

I am there with you guys. I can eat 4-5 oz. I don't eat gluten so I am basically eating fish, beans, WW string cheese, chicken, turkey, beef (rarely) and vegetables. I have a salad with chicken for breakfast and lunch and meat/vege's for dinner. I CRAVE salads like crazy. Almonds and SF pudding for snacks. Eggs have been hurting my tummy lately so I have been avoiding them.

[ElleMarie]

I usually have one egg over medium topped with about a Tablespoon of cheese for breakfast, some days I can have the whole thing but most days about 2/3 is all I can manage. The runny yolk helps.

Other items you mention:

Duck breast, pan seared, no toppings: 4 oz Never had but I can eat about 3 oz of chicken tops.
Hormel Natural Choice Deli Meat: 4 slices, plus 1 Polly-O 2% String Cheese stick One slice of luncheon meat tops with no cheese
Chicken: 3-4oz 3
Steak: 3-4oz 2
Firm white fish (halibut, haddock, etc): 4-6oz 3
Shrimp: 16-18 shrimp of the 41-50 per pound size (is that medium or large? I can never remember) same count, 4 tops
Sauteed zucchini: 1/2 to 2/3 cup if I have had nothing else 1/4-1/3 cup with onion, yum yum!!
Sushi (with fish and veggies in it): 3-4 pieces 2 tops but I have a couple bites of salad too, my fav is salad at sushi place!!
Chips: Probably 1.5 servings at a time 5-10 chips at a sitting
Multigrain cottage cheese pancakes (about 3.5 inches in diameter): 2 in a sitting never had
Eggs: THESE FILL ME SO FAST, but it's a BAD feeling. Maybe 1.5 eggs, scrambled have not tried scrambled, was told don't cook yolk after surgery so that is the only way I have them
Pizza, large slice: 1/3 to 1/2 of the slice (only had pizza once since surgery, and it was bbq chicken) 1/4 slice but then I pick at the toppings
Salad: If it's just lettuce, maybe 1 to 1.5 cups worth of greens don't have often and NEVER as a whole meal so only have a couple bits to leave room for protein.
Southwestern Tuna wrap from Au Bon Pain: 1/2 in one sitting (according to their website, this wrap has 600 calories total in it) Never had this wrap but once had a chicken wrap only about 1/8 of tortilla and 2 oz chicken it filled me too quickly and didn't sit well.

For some crazy reason I can eat tremendous quantities of popcorn. We go to the movies and I can eat about 2 cups during the show then eat leftovers later too. It is best for me to leave popcorn alone, we only get it at movies because it is too tempting to keep at home.