Is my pouch stretched?

[Vincent Bach]

GSF,

I was craving "Caldo de Pollo" today. Cut up chicken, stock, water,
boullion, lots of veggies and a half cup of rice which cooks down
and lightly thickens the soup.

Over several hours, I had 4.5 cups with a total of about 6 oz chicken.
I was full but not in pain. Vegetables were very well done. I know
my caloric intake was not that high, but is it abnormal for a sleever
to be able to consume this quantity of soup at 10 weeks post op?

This was my only food today other than double protein milk and coffee
this morning.IMG_0671.JPG

Thanks!

[Vincent Bach]

Soup garnish of jalapeños,onion and cilantro.IMG_6617.JPG

[Sandra3]

Until I have six months out I would eat only 1/2 cup per sitting, except for soup. I could have almost one cup if it was only veggies, a little less if it had meat in it. It's easier to have more soup. Just don't over do it because it's also about the feeling of being full...we don't need to be completely full... BUT liquids won't stretch anything anyway. No worries.

[Donna Rudewick]

I agree with Sandra3. Soup never fills me up. But I also measure just in case I overdo it. Which I have done several times and regretted it. The biggest thing and hardest is learning to eat till you aren't hungry, not full. We have always eaten till we are stuffed and figure that is full. I was told by my nutritionist to only eat till I no longer feel the hunger sensation. Also if you eat slowly you will feel the restriction better and you will know to stop. I suggest trying to just eat till you don't feel hungry. 1/2-1 cup . See how that works for awhile. Or do the cottage cheese test Kindle has posted about to check your pouch. Best of luck to you.

[Bufflehead]

This is why my program doesn't allow soup . . . way too easy to eat more than you should, plus it's the same as eating and drinking at the same time. Best avoided.

[WANAGL]

This is what works for me:
I measure the "guts" of the soup (4 oz protein, etc) like the soup wasn't there. If I want the soup, I wait 30 minutes and drink the broth.

That way, I'm not eating and drinking at the same time.

[mrf0418]

"Over several hours" anything can be eaten.... Meals and snacks are recommended more than grazing. It is important to eat just protein first, a small amount of vegetables and then anything else. Protein will fill you faster than everything else. Vegetables and rice are not going to give you the protein your body need. It is nice to have that stuff for one meal, not to graze for hours on it. You will end up sabotaging yourself if you stray from protein first... just my experience...

[thinnhealthy]

Soup does not fill me. Anything liquid for that matter been smoothies I can drink a lot more than I think I should. It seems to just bypass my stomach lol.

[Vincent Bach]

GSF,

Thanks to all for your replies. I probably did over do it, but after going shopping, getting home and finally putting the meal together on an empty stomach (other than coffee and 2 cups double protein milk) I was ravenous. No excuse, just the situation. It was about 6:00pm before I had my first bowl, all of which I weighed.

Thanks for listening,

Ron

[thinnhealthy]

It happens to the best of of. What I do when I'm going out is bring a pack of peanut butter crackers with me and a banana. Sometimes you just don't know how long you'll be out so I like to have something on hand just in case. When I haven't eaten in a while I feel like a wild animal going in for the kill lol.

[sraebaer]

My doctor claims our pouch can't stretch. Liquids go right through it. I'm at three years, just had a little brisket, and am FULL.

I don't think our stomach size changes over time, I think we do by forgetting our sleeve rules. I know I'm guilty of that!

[Merry Mary]

My doctor also said I couldn't stretch my stomach. You ate 6 oz of chicken over several hours. I think you're fine. How much liquids you can consume varies person to person. I can drink a full glass of water in about 10 minutes. As someone else mentioned, make sure you have some "go to" food available so you don't go long periods without good

[Muted_Tummy]

How you describe this would be called grazing.
Instead of measuring out a portion and then being done to eat again in 3 hours, you ate over hours to get that much in. You are also male so chances are your anatomy to begin with is larger than a female and so your sleeve may hold a bit more than you are used to reading about.

So, no, you are not stretched. You did a behavior called "eating around your sleeve". Stretching is actually quite hard to do (beyond the normal give we are supposed to get over the first 18 months.)

I can eat about 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP of most things at 4 months. I can eat 3 oz of protein plus other things. I can eat/drink more than that and down 8 oz of liquid in 5 min, easy.

If you were in pain, you were past full. You are missing your full signals (or don't have them) or you are giving into old eating behaviors to keep eating because something tastes good. This is why weighing, measuring, eating by the clock and so on are so important early on.

[Pam G]

Watch this video

https://youtu.be/3_aahPETzH0

[Ann2]

And now you have proven to yourself that you CAN eat OVER TIME a LOT OF FOOD that doesn''t challenge your sleeve.

Half of the people who have weight loss surgery don't maintain their weight loss over time. By doing just this.