Should I Be Able to Eat This Much?

ElizaP
on 7/17/17 7:15 pm

I am 4 weeks out today and have not had any trouble with food from the beginning. I have wondered from the beginning if I should be able to eat a 5 ounce container of Greek yogurt.

I am on soft foods now, and can eat things like ground meat. For dinner tonight, I had a small corn tortilla with a little less that 1/4 cup of Laura's Lean mixed with black beans with a little bit of cheese, a teaspoon of sour cream and a little taco sauce.

I'm full, but I was able to eat it with no trouble. Is that normal? I'm just so afraid that I am ruining my surgery.

Thanks for your helpful advice!

Laura in Texas
on 7/17/17 7:57 pm

What does your surgeon's plan say you should be eating right now? You need to follow your plan.

Laura in Texas

53 years old; 5'7" tall; HW: 339 (BMI=53); GW: 140 CW: 170 (BMI=27)

RNY: 09-17-08 Dr. Garth Davis

brachioplasty: 12-18-09 Dr. Wainwright; lbl/bl: 06-28-11 Dr. LoMonaco

"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears."

ElizaP
on 7/18/17 6:01 am

Thank you, Laura.

Amy R.
on 7/18/17 3:47 am, edited 7/17/17 8:53 pm

You should be worried that you're ruining your surgery. You absolutely should be. Because you are.

Of course if the things and amounts you've been eating are part of your surgeon's plan you've no need to worry. Based on your post though it sounds like you are exceeding the amounts directed. And I'm not sure a corn tortilla would be classified as a soft food. Willfully disregarding your surgeon's instructions this early out virtually guarantees you will fail. It may not be today or even tomorrow, and it's not very likely that you've done any lasting damage so quickly. But it will and does add up, and the sum of the parts does not equal success.

It doesn't matter what we think is "normal". What matters are your surgeon's instructions. Personally it would have to be a very bad day for me to look to an internet forum full of strangers for advice on something so critical to my health and post op success. The only advice/answer I know to give to questions like yours is to follow your surgeon's plan.

Please take this in the spirit in which it is written. I've been around here long enough to have had my own epic fails and I've seen plenty of others stumble as well. It's just so much easier to develop good habits from the very beginning. I love seeing folks join up and succeed, and then stick around to pay it forward. Looking forward to seeing you become one of the good ones, and that you stick around. =)

ElizaP
on 7/18/17 5:28 am

Thank you for your reply. I'm not sure how to take it, but do appreciate your honesty. I thought that asking was what I am supposed to do, but I'm not so sure about that.

Really, the only thing I was concerned about was the super small corn tortilla because everything else is on the plan for this stage, and I was thinking that because I can move to crackers, maybe the tortilla was okay. I guess not. I can have 1 oz of ground meat, refried beans, a teaspoon of cheese and fat free sour cream. My concern was that I don't get that heavy, "I can't eat another bite feeling," but since I am following my surgeon's plan (minus the tortilla), I will continue to do just that. I know I'm going to make mistakes, but I'm not going to fail at this. I guess that's why I asked in the first place.

Thanks again.

The Salty Hag
on 7/18/17 5:46 am
RNY on 05/20/13

At 4 weeks out, you won't feel full or get that "can't eat another bite" feeling. Your nerves that were cut during surgery are still healing. At 4 years post-op, I rarely get the "I'm full" feeling. If I do, it means I've eaten too much. There are still times when 4 oz of meat are too much for me-and that's not having anything on the side.

Crackers may be on your plan, but they're really not a good idea. Anything made with wheat, potatoes, corn, rice, oats, or any type of grain ( whole or not ) and/or containing added sugars is not ideal to our lifetime way of eating. In the early stages, it can and will slow or stop your loss. In maintenance, simple carbs don't satiate us, and cause cravings for more simple carbs, which leads to regain.. Essentially, going down that simple carb rabbit hole is HARD to climb out of, so just avoid the hole altogether.

My advice-going forward, stick with protein, and maybe a few non-starchy veggies. Always measure/weigh your portions and never eat beyond that even if you don't feel full. Skip any simple carbs that are on your meal plan. You don't need them.

I woke up in between a memory and a dream...

Tom Petty

ElizaP
on 7/18/17 5:53 am

Thanks so much, Audrey! That makes total sense. Today's a new day and I won't make the carb mistake again. :)

Patty R.
on 7/18/17 6:04 am - Harrisville, RI
RNY on 09/08/16

Hi Eliza, I'm a newbie too, 10 months out. So far the hardest thing for me is "dealing" with the full/not full feeling. I have learned, with the help of wls veterans, full is no longer part of every day life. Measure and weigh and that's it! If you do feel you are satisfied after your measured amount, that's a win, if not it's still OK, just don't try to get full.

Good luck on the new way of life!

ElizaP
on 7/18/17 6:11 am

Thank you for sharing that, Pat. I have been careful about measuring, and will definitely continue that while also not adding foods that I shouldn't add.

Best of luck to you, Pat! This new life is quite exciting.

SmurfyChick
on 7/18/17 7:15 am
RNY on 02/06/17
Hey Eliza, Don't beat yourself up. It's really hard to know what's okay and what isn't when you get to the one month mark. But definitely speak with your surgeon or the medical program you're involved with. I remember what it's like to be on the cusp of solid foods and wanting to experiment. Maybe try thinking back to when you ate it and write down exactly how the meal made you feel and then relay it back medical professionals. It may help. It's not always just about stretching your pouch but also about the connections. Remember you're still healing and you don't want to stress out those staples and give yourself complications. Also as a side note, I'm only 5 months out from my surgery and I relied heavily on the forums for the first 6 weeks. It's OKAY to write in and ask questions to gain a sense of what is normal. As long as you're checking with your medical team to make sure you're following the plan. It's easy to inadvertently deviate and you want to make sure that above all else, you aren't causing your own setbacks and complications. Keep up the good work! You'll get there.
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