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Shannon'sVSG

An Epiphany in Portion Control

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Last night while my wife and I were preparing dinner I had an epiphany of sorts.

We decided to look into the caloric intake, carbohydrates, protein, etc. of the meal we were preparing (beef tips) and much to our surprise, we discovered that they were relatively high in protein, low in carbs, and the caloric intake was minimal. I say this because as I prepared and consumed my serving, I realized that my portion - while smaller than my wife's (about 1/2 cup) - was the appropriate size for my needs.

This comes on the heels of my previous statement that I need to look further into the consumption of the foods I am eating, i.e.: quantity, quality, etc. However, it wasn't until last night that I remembered my surgeon once telling me that he made my VSG smaller than what would be deemed normal. The reason(s) for this vary, but the fact of the matter is that I am watching my wife consume a larger portion than me, and based on my time since surgery and what doctor's say should be the correct amount consumed at 8 months, I see this and think I should be in the same place consumption-wise.

This is not the case.

As previously stated, my VSG is smaller than hers. And despite the fact that she is 10 months post-op, I am incapable of consuming the same portions as her. When I try, I feel ill which often leads to me violently expelling what I had just consumed.

Why I didn't think of, or remember this until now escapes me. But I now recognize my personal limitations, and as such feel as though I may have had a breakthrough in the seemingly downward spiral that my VSG was quickly becoming. I understand that I need to focus less on our collective consumption and become more in tune with what my body requires for my personal nourishment. Not compare my portion size to my wife's portion size.

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Comments

  1. KiwiGal's Avatar
    Good point there Shannon.
    My partner is a normal sized person who gyms every day and has an active job. When we look at his and my portions side by side we laugh. He can eat (and needs) so much more than me. I shudder to think that I used to match him in his eating. No wonder I ended up where I was!
    I still eat off a side plate and often still don't finish what I have on my plate. The difference is now that with the sleeve I physically can't eat too much....and best of all I know when I am full and can stop.
    Good on you for recognizing that your needs may/will be different to your wife's or anyone else for that matter.
    It's a continuing learning experience.
  2. Shannon'sVSG's Avatar
    Hey there Lisa!

    I can relate to your comment about matching your mate's eating habits. While I was the larger of the two in our relationship, my wife and I look back on photos and can remember times wherein I would eat out of boredom (something I am fighting against as we speak.)

    I too eat off a side plate. I see no need in utilizing anything larger simply because I don't want to resort back to the mindset that I need to fill the plate. Not that I would do so, but over the course of the past few months I had learned a hard fought lesson about how easy it is to work against everything you have earned as a result of VSG and the subsequent patterns that come along with it.

    The bonus in having the VSG is as you said: "The difference is now that with the sleeve I physically can't eat too much....and best of all I know when I am full and can stop." I couldn't agree with you more. I have a signal, if you will, that lets me know when I have had enough (as does my wife.) I let out a small burp (completely unavoidable by the way) and my wife gets the hiccups. I understand doing this may sound strange, but I am thankful for this signal. This way I don't overeat and risk stretching my sleeve out. But as I continue to learn the in's and out's of VSG life, I will take anything I get to aid in the process - especially right now.
  3. AnnieG's Avatar
    Shannon, I totally hear you! I am in the same "small" portion boat. It's a bit odd to realize you are not eating a regular plate of stuff. I think the advantage of being retired is that I can eat a little, and then eat again without it being to inconvenient or weird.

    I hate the weird feeling before you realize you had too much! Kudos for learning your signals.
  4. Shannon'sVSG's Avatar
    Hi Annie!

    That actually appears to be somewhat problematic, doesn't it; to be an inconvenience to those around us who have not or do not understand the concept of VSG.

    Personally speaking, my wife and I have some friends who - while they are aware of our surgeries - seem to forget that we eat like birds in comparison to them. In addition we have noticed when going out to eat that we are ALWAYS asked if "everything was OK" because we leave so much behind on our plates. In the beginning we would try to explain ourselves, but that grew tiresome so we just tell them that everything was fine, thank them for their service, and leave it at that.