Stretched Pouch?

How do I know if I've stretched my pouch?  I feel like I'm able to eat a lot more than I "should" be eating.  My surgeons office says I should be eating 1 cup of food, no more, for the rest of my life.  The first 3 weeks after surgery I was allowed 1/4 cup per meal.  The next three weeks I was supposed to be eating 1/2 cup.  Three weeks after that I was supposed to be eating 3/4 to 1 cup per meal and stay there forever.  I stopped measuring my food because I'm no longer eating soft/pureed foods to put in a measuring cup.   For instance, I had a tortilla wrap on Thursday that was 1 soft tortilla shell, with garlic herb spreadable cheese, a layer of baby spinach leaves, and a layer of thin sliced roast beef.  I rolled it up like a burrito and was able to the eat the whole thing for lunch.  My fiance said it looked like it could be 2 cups of food.  But I couldn't very well smash that into a measuring cup... I put it on the food scale and it measured at 5.8 ounces.  Now even though the weight is less than 8 ounces, it could still be more than 1 cup in "volume".   A girlfriend at work compaired the size of my wrap to a stick of butter and said it might be a little over 2 sticks of butter in "size".   Anyhow, the point here.  I feel like I'm eating a lot more than I should be able to.  I don't have pain or problems when I eat and I found out that I do not dump.. unfortunately...   So because I haven't been losing weight and now I'm wondering if I'm over-eating I have started to become increasingly upset about food.  When I got on the scale this morning I had gained a pound from yesterday.    But last night I had three (silver dollar size) sugar cookies with sprinkles and I'm blaming it on that.  So because I am STILL not losing weight and I'm upset about food, I came downstairs to have my breakfast and instead of making eggs or something healthy with protien I ate a "Skinny Cow" brand ice cream sandwich, no sugar added (sweetened with Splenda) 96% fat free.  And then I ate a stick of string cheese.    Basically I'm in tears about the whole thing.  I have miserabley failed every diet I've ever tried and then in response to my failure I ate more...   I am pretty sure I've stretched my pouch and I'm going to be able to gain back the 26 lbs I've lost in the 7 weeks since surgery.    I'm just so upset I don't know what to do.  I want to cry all the time.  I feel like I've let myself down and my fiance who wants so much for me to be sucessful.. he gets such a dissapointed look when I eat the things I shouldn't (i.e. cookies, chocolate, ice cream) but just like any other time I am only eating those naughty things because I've given up on my chance of losing weight and tell myself "I WILL BE FAT FOREVER".  So I eat the things that make me happy.

This for me is one thing I think is so hard to tell if we can stretch the pouch or not?? I do know that I can eat more than I could several months ago but then again the portions are very small still. I keep the frame of mind that this surgery was just a tool and that I must use the tool as a part of the whole job. I eat all the right foods and make sure I keep my protein levels up, etc and I think I will do pretty good. You just have to tell yourself that this surgery is a tool and not a cure all. Going through the Holidays is hard because everyone is basically throwing food at you. I hope the some of what I said makes sense instead of rambling. Just try to stick to the plan and you will be ok. From what I understand it takes a lot to stretch the pouch? Good Luck. Mike

Remember that when you chew something to mush that it's considerably smaller in volume than when it sat on your fork.  You're probably just fine.  One thing you can do is start measuring by weight.

First of all.... relax...
Some days you can eat more than others.
The wrap you made sounds about normal.
Secondly---you have to stop grazing ---those cookies gotta GO.
No more.... especially this early out. Stick with protein. The cheese was a good choice. The Skinny Cow as an ok choice. However for snacks you need to be focusing on protein protein protein.
Cheese, meat, eggs, etc.
I serioulsy doubt you have "stretched" your pouch out. The only way to really find out is thru an EDG.
However there is the "cottage cheese test"
It is suggested that the Cottage Cheese Test be performed at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and yearly thereafter.

1.

Purchase a container of small curd low-fat cottage cheese. Begin the test with a full container, and perform the test in the morning before eating anything else (this will be your breakfast on that day).
2.

Eat until comfortably satisfied, but complete meal within 5 minutes or less. The idea is to fill the pouch before there is much time for food to flow out of it. Note that the small soft curds do not require much chewing.
3.

Stop eating when comfortable, but not stuffed
4.

After eating your "fill" of cottage cheese, you will be left with a partially eaten container that has empty space where cottage cheese used to be. Starting with a measured amount of water (8 ounces, for example), pour water into the container of cottage cheese until the water is level with the original top level of the cottage cheese. Measure accurately.
5.

Voila! - the amount of water poured into the container is the functional size of the pouch.

If this is your first time doing the test - DON'T PANIC. You are likely to find that the "cottage cheese" size of your pouch is way bigger than your surgeon told you he/she made it at the time of surgery. Dr. Flanagan's data indicates that the average size of the mature pouch by cottage cheese test is 5.5 ounces. He has also found that sizes ranging from 3 to 9 ounces have NO IMPACT on the person's success in weight loss.

Note: Hate cottage cheese? Use oatmeal instead. Make sure the oatmeal is thick and not runny.

What if you don't like cottage cheese or oatmeal??? How would you measure your pouch?

Perhaps grits?? they have the consistency of oatmeal.. almost-make them really thick. Cream of Wheat? Refried beans???
Not sure.

I'm sure some others will come around and give more technical advice, but I can assure you that you are not far out enough to have stretched your pouch more than it should be. It takes overeating for a prolonged period of time to do so. Your stomach is a muscle and will 'give' some as it heals. Try to eat until you feel satisfied instead of full. Eat slowly and follow the pouch rules and you will be fine. I can eat between 1/4 cup to 1 1/2 cup depending on what it is. Soups go thru quicker than steak. So the slower I eat, the more I can eat. And steak is heavier and more dense and stays with me longer. I hope some of the more experienced come around and posts. Maybe Dx will come along with one of his (re)posts. They are so informative.

I had my surgery after you did, and I am losing at a very slow rate as well. I do not think it is because I am overeating. I think it is because my body is at a stall which I know in the past has hung on for MONTHS at a time. I understand your urge to just give up and eat what makes you happy. That is emotional eating because you are in despair over the slow rate of weight loss or stall that you are now experiencing. I've done that a hundred times. I've often been told on OH........... and it is VERY TRUE: "Just because you CAN~~~ Doesn't mean you SHOULD." Don't eat an entire wrap because you can. Eat half of it and move on. In a little while you will be full and the urge to eat will be gone. I can eat anything too. I haven't tried icecream, but I probably would tolerate it. I was bypassed only 100 cm with my RNY. I absorb more and tolerate more than most others with longer bypasses. But, although my weightloss will also be slower, I will in the long run be HEALTHIER naturally and not due to taking tons of supplements and relying on supplements for my health. I will get a lot of nutrients from the food I take in. Right now, it often crosses my mind that I will be fat forever too. But I know what I'm eating and it just isn't possible. Use www.fitday.com to keep track of what you are eating. Talk to a NUT if you can and see what they suggest for you. DON'T GIVE UP....You've come this far.

Hi, First of all I think you need to stop being so negitive, if you keep telling yourself you are gonna fail, you will.  Take the gift this surgery has to offer and change your life.  Your Doc gave you a big head start and now it is up to you and only you to make it sucessful.   If you think you are eating too much you probably are.  Try having smaller portion sizes 3-4 oz of food per meal.  As far as sugar or candy I have not touched the stuff since my surgery, mostly because I don't know if my body will reject it or not and the thought of vomiting just does not appeal to me.  So fear keeps me from eating junk.   I think you need to do some soul searching, and look toward the future at how bright it can actually be.  I used to think I was a failure too, been on every diet, every pill, etc.  I would get my weight down only to gain it all back again.  When I told my DH I thought I was a failure he gave me some very insightful words.  He said "you are not a failure because people that are failures never try again and you have tried time after time".   His words were right, I am not a failure and this will now be the biggest sucess story of my life.   Stay positive, stay on track and reap the rewards.  You deserve it!!!! Good luck Sandy

I will not be the only one to tell you that just because you can eat something doesn't mean that you should.   You are very early out to be straying from your doctor's plan.  You probably need to get back to basics.  When I was where you are I only ate 2-3 oz (at most) of dense protein (like chicken) at a time.  I weighed and measured my food for the first 4-5 months.  It has just been the last few weeks that I don't do it at every meal.  I still do it, though.  It is a learning process and a journey.  You have to make the decision to make the changes.  That means that even though you are able to eat cookies, etc, you know they are not good for you.  I don't even keep those things in the house.  Why are you?  If fiance needs or wants them, he needs to eat them somewhere else.  Are you keeping good things to eat in the house?  Cottage cheese, yogurt, low fat string cheese, chicken, hamburger, etc.   This may be harsh, but it is meant to be helpful.  The surgery is just a tool.  You have to help it, and it sounds like you are trying to fight it.  You have to make the decision to drink all your water, eat protein first, and carbs (good ones) and starches later.  When I was first starting out, I tracked everything on fitday.com.  It helped me keep a handle on amounts (since I had to weigh and measure everything) as well as protein, fat and carbs.  Maybe this would be helpful to you.   The surgery does work.  I have not lost nearly as fast as some do, but my loss has been consistent.  I have gone from a 3x to an xl in under 6 months.  I still have weight to lose, so I will keep on keeping on. Hang in there, and feel free to PM me if you need to,