Is it possible to stretch your pouch this early post op?

So maybe I am just doing everything right and that is why I haven't felt uncomfortable yet.  I am 4.5 weeks post op and just started on soft foods.   I don't want to jinx it, but I haven't had any discomfort, no throwing up, no dumping and only one small episode of the foamies.  I am sticking to the HRRH guidelines and trying my best to eat slow.  It doesn't take me an hour to eat (maybe 25-30 minutes).  I look at the amount of food I eat in a meal and think how is all of that fitting into such a small pouch and I don't feel uncomfortable?  I am not hungry, but I also haven't felt so full that I feel ill.  As I said I don't want to jinx it nor do I want to test myself, but is this normal?  Am I stretching my pouch?  My weight hasn't moved much in over two weeks so I put the scales away and figured this was just a stall. 

Here is what I ate yesterday:

B:  1/2 package of Cream of Wheat with 2 tbsp of skim milk powder = 1/3 cup (15 minutes to eat)
S:  1/2 a protein shake made with extra water sipped on for about an hour and then 5 mini sesame rice crackers (the size of a loonie)
        500 ml of water throughout the morning
L:  1/2 whole wheat wrap toasted with salsa, 1 turkey bite pepperoni stick and 1.5 oz of lite mozz.  cheese  (25 minutes to eat)  - mmm....didn't think I would ever be able to eat anything this close to pizza this soon.  It was yummmmm.
S:  100ml unsweetened applesauce and one slice of no fat processed cheese
       500 ml of water throughout the afternoon
D:  2-3 oz of plain chicken breast, 3 spears of asparagus and one small bit of brocoli.  I added a bit of grated mozz. cheese to add a bit more protein  (35 minutes to eat)
S:  few bites of watermelon just to try it.  1 turkey bite pepperoni.  3 sesame rice crackers.
       500ml + of water in the evening
Bedtime:  1/2 cup of low sodium beef broth.  This seems to put me to sleep better than herbal tea.


I was eating tilapia fish for a week or so, but started adding in chicken a couple of days ago at dinner.  For snacks sometimes I have canned tuna.  I also made some awesome turkey chili and was eating 2/3 cup of it for a meal.

I am at about 700 calories a day on average and around the 75g mark for protein and the NUT said I needed to increase my carbs as I was only getting 1/2 of what I needed.  That is why I added in the crackers.

Any suggestions from the veterans?  Am I just being worry wart?

Thanks 

If I had a nickle for everytime someone asked this question.........lol

Kristie,

You are doing just GREAT.  I'm super impressed with what you can eat at 4.5 weeks out.  Keeping your calories to 700 per day is good.  I don't agree about upping your carbs but hey, I'm not your NUT. You are in no way eating near the volume you would need to eat to even remotely stretch your pouch. Keep doing such a good job - and don't be a worry wart. lol

Karen xo

i was a bit surprised by the carbs too, Karen.

Thanks so much Karen.  I figured this was a popular topic, but hadn't seen it in the last while on the board.  I was surprised about the carb thing too.  Here I was thinking I was getting almost too many and I am told to increase it.  Carbs is the #1 reason I ended up the way I was.   I laughed and said to her carbs is not a problem.  I can certainly find 'something' I can add.  I know I need to look for the good carbs now.  120g seems too many.  I don't think I can physically get that many in.  Adding some fruit in should help.

Thanks for everything you do on OH.  You are always such a great wealth of information.

120!!  Good gawd Kristie - when I was actively losing, I kept my carbs between 25-40g per day, closer to 30.  120 is WAAAAY too many!

Dana from the Barrie group keeps hers, like, under 30 i think..wow.

Carbs appears to be a strange aspect of post WLS eating....  It seems a LOT of people keep their carbs down to 30 or so grams per day, but if you follow the 40 / 30 / 30 ratio of protein to carbs to fat, for 800 cals per day it's more like 80 gr protein, 60 carbs, 30 fats.

Apparently your brain needs 60 gr of  HEALTHY carbs for optimal functioning, and even as a diabetic I was told that 60 is as low as you want to go.  I think the taboo about carbs centers a lot around the good or bad issue ....  if you eat 60 gr of fruts & veggies & whole grains,  it's totally different from getting your carbs from white rice, pasta, flours etc.  Not even going to talk about baked goods, sweets or potato chips!

anyway, for what it's worth, I'm about 10 mo out and that's about what I'd eat in a day.  My serving size (on a good day) is about 2/3 - 3/4 cup.  Sounds like you're doing great!

I know 120g seems way out there. She mentioned the number more than once and I confirmed by asking back 120 correct? I think she was a newer NUT at HRRH. She told me I should also be eating potatoes or some kind of starch at dinner. I just can't do it. Chick Peas in the chili bumped the carbs, but the potatoes are just to heavy.

Thanks for all your replies. I don't feel like I am out in left field now.

sounds like you're doing awesome, Kristie, keep it up

I asked this question of a barix nut...the answer was that carbs could be at about double the protein count. This is intended to be "good carbs" not 'white carbs". If you count fruits and veggies, this adds up quickly. She also said it wasn't a goal to acheive, focus on protein-getting in protein first.