Just ate a big bowl of salad ... HOLY CRAP

I am at yr and a month... and I made a big bowl of salad (lettuce, 1/2 cucumber, fat free Italian dressing, and a cup of chicken)

I didnt think I would eat it all.. I usually use my portion bowls but they were all in the dishwasher.. so I used a normal bowl- and I ate the whole thing!!!!!!!!!!!! I usually listen to my tummy as stop when I feel full BUT it never felt full and I am comfortable now that I am done eating!!! HOLY CRAP I am worried my pouch is stretched out.. OR is it cause it was lettuce??? OHHHHHHH help!

I understand that salad can be a slider food, especially if you chew well.  Large water content in lettuce.  Don't think salad can stretch pouch.

OHHHHH I never heard of slider food.. BUT thank you for that! I was so worried!!!!!!!!

I think what you did is pretty normal, lettuce chews down to practically nothing because of the water content.

Salad is one of the easier foods for me and I can eat more of it than other things. It was all healthy choices - don't stress!

Have you ever cooked fresh spinach?  You take this huge bag or bundle and put it in the pan and in a minute it is cooked down to practically nothing.   (yum sounds good just talking about it).   

Lettuce, especially iceberg and romaine , has a super high water content and will condense down after you chew it to very little bulk.   

Don't worry about your pouch being stretched, its just a food that is easier to get in a larger amount.   At 10 months out, now, I like to order salads with chicken on them in order to feel a bit more "normal" at a restaurant....vs. trying to get a no bread, no  carb sandwich or whatever.

One question though, why fat free dressing?   Its my understanding that in removing the fat they increase the sugar to give it taste.   Does your plan require you to avoid regular dressings?  I make my own italian with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs since my plan allows oil and fat.

I cannot wait to have lettuce. My surgeon likes us to wait 6 months until having it. :(

I have always been able to eat a lot of salad from the time I was given solid foods. But to this day I could not eat a cup of chicken. Yes salad is a slider and you are not streatching your pouch. But a cup of chicken is a lot. I can only get about 4 ounces down without barfing no matter how much I chew.

Hi Larry!!!!  I too cannot begin to even eat a cup of dense protein like meat. Just thinking about it makes me want to heave.  It just how it is and I am so happy for you and me!  You have done a fantastic job in exercising and that is so important so you keep it up and hope you have stopped losing cause I know you were concerned about that.  Folks don't realize that for some their weight loss doesn't stop and that to me is scary. For those out there wishing that would happen to you, be careful what you wish for.........Take care dear friend!  Jane

Yeah I can't eat a cup of dense protein either. I really am grateful for the restriction I still have. I do believe for me if I could eat the quantity I see some eat I would have gained weight by now.

Not saying this to discount or judge how much some are able to eat, my surgeon makes small pouches and it's really been a blessing to have great restriction because some days I know IF I could eat a lot I'd be shoving food down my throat.