I need an answer BADLY!

I've heard since b4 WLS that we have to take tiny bites, chew lots and eat slowly. I've never found larger bites to be a problem. I seldom chew very much, unless it's steak. And I don't eat all that slow either. This hasn't been an issue for me. It doesn't hurt. I don't choke. I'm losing weight. I do keep my intake to small amounts. There are times when I can only eat two or three bites and just feel like I can't eat anymore. It feels like it's in my throat. Someone said something to me along the lines of, "Don't you know what you're doing to yourself?". Well... no I don't. I'm afraid to ask the people at the doctor's office or the doctor. They fussed at me for having ONE TBLspoon of icecream and two tsp of cake for my birthday as if I were a 10 year-old who got caught shoplifting or something. I'm 45 and not really "up" for being chewed out like that... no pun intended. I thought I'd just come in here and ask if it is a problem to take normal-sized bites and eat just regularly (as far as chewing, bite-size and speed of eating****ep my carbs to a minimal and eat lots of protein. I drink at LEAST 65 oz a day and 40 of that is my cocoa protein mixed with water. Any information on this would certainly be appreciated. Also, several times the nurse or nutritionist has asked me if I overeat. I guess that's part of their routine questions cuz they ask me that every time I talk to them or go in for a check up. I can't tell if I overeat or not. I NEVER feel full. I don't feel hungry after eating and I stop when I think I've had enough. I just don't know what "full" feels like now that I've had WLS. Can anyone clue me in on this? Thanks, Gale

Did you have a lap band or RNY? I had RNY & I know when I get full & if I do overeat, I'll throw up. I still take regular bites & I do eat sweets if I want but I eat maybe 1/2 what I use to. I do feel like some of my family & friends watch me when I eat to see if I've really changed. Some will say "I can't beleive you ordered all of that." & I'll tell them that I'm getting a to-go box to eat on it the rest of the day. Have you been to any support groups yet? You'll find good answers there.

Hi Gale, well i was told by my nut that we are not suppose to eat off a baby spoon the rest of our lives, this is just to get use to eating small bites, well i have to eat small bites of chicken like eraser size and i chew well,but if i dont ...i get the tight feeling in my chest and i have to wait 10 or so min to eat again, i do get the foamies if i eat to fast,but i eat off a regular spoon now and i do have a bite or 2 of sweets but i dont handle them well i get so shakey and faint feeling,but let me say that if i take one more bite of food when i am fool my nose runs and my chest gets so tight,so i have that feeling of fullness,have you ask you're doc about this? And my doc said that this is a tool ok so we are learning every step of the way. Plus all my family says are you allowed to have that,like cakes or ice cream or a reese cup and i look and say yes i am. Well my doc said nothing is off limits but i do limit myself. I have learned that i dont need junk food. I eat 6 small meals of protein and snacks and i meet my goal so i live from day to day............you take care........ vickie

Hey Gale, we're all different and all of our dr's are different but I don't see anything u r doing terribly wrong. At first yes, I took small bites and chewed the heck out of it. I'm now able to take normal bites and I personally don't do alot of sugars cause they make me sick. I have tried sugar free ice cream and since surgery I am lactose intolerate. I've never felt full since surgery. I take my time, eat slowly and when I feel like I've had enough I stop eating. Do I eat a plateful? Heck no. It doesn't take as much to do me. The first year I ate 2oz 3 times a day. Now I eat 4/5oz 3 times a day. I do drink more than 64 oz. I don't eat and drink at the same time cause my dr said not too. I do drink diet drinks, coffee, tea with splenda cause my dr said it was ok. There again some will say no diet drinks, but I have been drinking them since 4 weeks out and I've lost over 170 pounds so they haven't hurt me. I think u r doing fine. The further out u get the more u learn about your pouch. Its all about making better food choices. U take care and don't worry too much, u sound like u r doing fine. Dr Shinas, wife and nurse Holly told me one day that if I eat slowly and not eat humongous bites I wouldn't be able to over eat cause it would hurt me. I've found that to be true. I eat slowly and take my time.

Vickie, Just what is foamies? I seen where other people were talking about them, but I haven't had my surgery yet, 12-28-06, is my date! yeah! Gale is the cocoa protein mix very good? And where do you get it. I can't wait to join you all, on the losing side! Leatha

Thanks for your help ladies. I had RNY. Some times I don't feel like I have a pouch at all, it feels just normal. Other times I feel like I just can't eat another bite because it's too difficult to just go down and that's WITH chewing a lot. lol I think on those instances, my pouch just doesn't need or want too much. I don't eat a lot either. One time since surgery I know I did something wrong, whether it was to overeat or the food choice I made. I ate a hole burrito from Taco Bell. It was as though I passed out only I was awake. My entire body just shut down like I was paralized or something. I was quite sick for a short period of time too. That passed quickly though, maybe 20 minutes? I have to take a tiny swallow of water when I eat chicken no matter how it's prepared because it just sort of hangs around in my throat and chest. A sip of water is the only way I can get it to go on down. I never have soft drinks. Well, I didn't drink them b4 surgery either so I don't miss them at all. I was already lactose intolerant so there's no milk for me right now. I miss having my cereal in the mornings but am living without it very well. Like some of you, I have a morsel of sweet from time to time. I don't overdo it with the sweets. They don't bother me at all unless I should eat too much. Funny thing, I can eat a bite-sized candy bar and feel fine. I can eat carbs in the form of food (not sweets at all) and get VERY sick! Strange isn't it? I don't know what the foamies are so I'm pretty sure I've never had them. I've mentioned that I don't really know what "full" feels like and they haven't really offered any answer other than "read the book". As far as the cocoa protein drink... I tried MANY drinks, Slim Fast, Atkins, Whey, "non-flavored", Cherry flavored and so on. I was so worried, upset and just plain disgusted because they were so nasty. I just could NOT drink those drinks no matter how hard I tried. I would start getting sick to my stomach at the very thought of putting that stuff in my mouth. I mixed with this and that and nothing worked. I finally tried the cocoa. You mix it with water and it's DELICIOUS! I LOVE IT! However, it is now starting to hurt me. I read on the ingredients the other day that it contains MILK! I don't know why the doctor's office recommended it to me since I'm not suppose to have milk right now but I'm still drinking it for now. When it gets too painful or swells me just too badly, I guess I'll stop drinking it or cut back to one cup a day instead of two. As far as the swelling, in the mornings my tummy will be totally flat and by the evening when I'm getting off work, I look between four and five months pregnant. It hurts worse some days than others. The nut suggested Gas X. I might give that a try. I sure do enjoy my cocoa. Gale

I know I have had the foamies several times, if you get them you will certianly know what they are. I am also 7 months out now and feel like my weight loss has totally stopped, I am exercising, protein, doing everything I am supposed to....but here I am stuck at 205. Still losing inches as the clothes are still getting bigger on me. Sometimes I think it is my scales cruel joke on me and that this is as far as I will ever go. If it is..oh well...I look and feel so much better than I did at 322 and that is a loss of over 100 lbs..nothing to feel bad about. I guess I just want it all and I want it now....

Hi Leatha......the foamies to me is when i eat like chicken and it gets stuck,and then my chest starts to hurt and then i start having saliva come up like thick mucas,and it last for a couple hours for me, But i have learned who the boss is,my groucho poucho................vickie

Gale, I am in the same boat as you. Since surgery I have not had a hungry or full feeling. I do take small bites and chew well but I have never had a full sensation. I would say I am not overeating since I have never thrown up and I haven't dumped once. Also, some days I can eat 2-3 ounces at a meal and others only half that. I am still losing weight steadily and feeling better than I have in years. I think you are doing fine from what you have said. However, if you have any doubt you should call your surgeon and talk to him. Steve

Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear that others have had the same "non-full" feelings. Some days I just can't seem to eat much of anything and other days it seems like I eat everything I can get my hands on but then when I go over what I've eaten for that day, I find I didn't eat all that much after all. As far as being "stuck" at 205, I wouldn't stress too much over that right now. I've read on this website where people lose weight up to as much as 18 months out. We're suppose to lose around 75% the first six months. You're not that far out so you will probably still lose. You are just in a stall right now, I'd think. I will lose a pound or two and gain three, then lose those and gain one. I'm hovering around 152 these days and am six months out tomorrow. I twisted my knee a few weeks back so am not doing much exercise right now. I hope to get back to that real soon and kick my weight loss back into gear again. I better get busy now. I have to get my cocoa fixed and drank so I can get my day started. Gale