ok was talking to a coworker today and she had gastric bypass done 7 years ago.  She was talking about her pouch stretching.  How do you know when your pouch has stretched and how long into having the surgery does it start to stretch out?  She has me so worried right now....I've been dealing with some stress issues and my food intake has increased big time and I know I have over eaten ALOT the last several weeks.  I'm working on my stress issues and I am also reading books about overeating and taking some steps but I am wondering if I have stretched my pouch with all the over eating I have done and that scares me now because I am only a year out.  I know I cant do anything about my over eating the last 2 months except learn from it and move on and go back to the basics and do right from now on but I am just hoping it's not too late and my pouch is already stretched bigger then it should be.  Thanks in advance :)

The pouch is going to stretch whether you overeat or not. It has to. The stoma is the more critical structure to maintain good restriction because it controls the containment of food into the small intestine...and chronic overeating can cause the stoma to stretch to the point it is no longer very effective. (it's not a valve that is capable of dilating/contracting). The trick with this surgery is to develop habits and other coping strategies for dealing with stress (we're all fine and happy with our WLS until we hit a rough patch and our primary coping strategy of using food regains its power). Stress is an excuse. An effective one - but an excuse none the less. YOu can't undo any effects on your pouch, (and things like the 5 day pouch test are exercises in psychologically trying to regain a physical reality that is no longer) but you can commit to not continuing with counterproductive behavior and finding other ways to deal with stress (mine is exercise). I can certainly eat greater quantities than I did almost four years ago. I still have really good restriction. I have to be mindful of my eating every damn day. I've done therapy to learn other ways to cope and I do two things I think have been very important for me. I'm on OH everyday Have missed one day in almost 4 years (recovering in the hospital from plastics) I move my body and get the energy out (anxiety, rage, fear, sadness). If you feel the desire to eat outside your plan - get your butt on OH.......get your butt to the gym. Susan

It is nearly impossible to stretch your pouch.  It is made of the upper part of the stomach and this tissue is not readily stretchable.  That is one of the reasons that section of stomach was chosen.  It didn't used to always be so.  But, as the surgery was perfected, that was one of the changes made.

Now, having said that, the stomach will GROW.  This is part of the body's adaptability.  The body cannot possibly survive, long term, on the small amounts of food we can consume in the immediate post-op period. 

You can, however, stretch your stoma.  That is the surgical connection between the pouch and small intestine.

By all means...do not drink with your food. My stoma was over stretched when a stricture was corrected. I wish I had never had that done, but now I deal with it and essentially diet every day. I can't let this be an excuse. Like the others have said, the key is the stoma. Overeating and grazing will stretch it.