How many people cannot tolerate 3 meals a day and eat 5 or 6 smaller ones?

Since my meal size increased to 6 oz on May 30th, I am seem to be getting fuller faster and for the most part, am not able to get the 6oz down.  For instance, dinner for me last night was a pack of weight control cinnamon oatmeal..that is the only thing that even sounded a bit appetizing, I got it down, but it took about 40 minutes. This eve, I made baked tortillia crusted tilapia with brown rice and baked potatoes.  I had a 4 oz portion of fish, 1/4 of a baked potato and 1/4 of rice.  I got 2 bites of the potato down, a couple bites of rice and 2/3 of the fish. Is it better to just cut your meals down to the size you know you can handle, and just eat more frequently or is it really important to try and stretch the pouch to accomodate the the increased portions.  For me the meal size that seems to satisfy me is 4 1/2 oz. Anyone want to share what a typical day is like eating smaller more frequent meals? Missy

I used to eat three meals a day but lost too much weight.  I had to increase to 4-5 to get more calories in.  I feel like I can hold more now due to my on purpose weight gain.  I have to be more careful now than before bc I feel more hungry now.  Anyway, go with what you can hold and dont pu****  If you need to eat more often to get the calories you need thats fine.  Take it from me though dont try to stretch the pouch bc im more hungry now and I have to be more careful bc I can hold more.  Hugs, J

what i do (and keep in mind, i have a super small pouch because i had complications early out) is figure out first thing in the morning what all i'm going to be eating for the entire day. then i spend the rest of the day trying to get it all in. i'm eating CONSTANTLY (seriously... i ALWAYS have an open container of food on my desk and/or food in my mouth ALL DAY LONG!) and usually by the end of the day i'm either finished eating or am very close to being finished. so, i really don't have any "meals" so to speak... i just eat constantly.

I do five or six meals.  Sometimes six or seven, if you count my morning coffee as one and my before bed glass of skim milk as one.  Question for you though -- are you allowed to eat rice?  Especially this early out?  I'll be a year out next month and I can't eat rice, I don't care what color it is. Linda

Yep allowed to have rice.  Nut told me to add it but small quantities, at my last visit on 5/30.   Maybe it swelled and caused an overly full sensation. Missy

I bet that's what happened.  I can eat just about anything, but have learned that I'm better off without rice.  Even the smallest amount swells so terribly, and I just end up hurting. My opinion is...when you're full, stop eating!  Don't keep stuffing yourself.  That goes against what this surgery is trying to do for you.  I eat every 2 - 3 hours, approx 6 - 7 times a day.  The hardest part about eating so often is making sure to get in enough fluids, while not drinking too close to meals.  But, this has worked out pretty good for me! Good luck!

I had to add some snacks (meals, I guess) to gain weight...I lost fast and a too much.  I drink my cafe con leche's  with splenda early  (6:30 - 7 AM) and eat a snack at 9:30 AM.  Lunch, snack mid-afternoon, dinner, yogurt before bed....I rarely do more than 4-5 ozs at meals and snacks maybe 2-3 ozs.  I still can't eat a lot

I could never eat three meals a day, early out or now, it's impossible for me. I eat about 8 times a day, small amounts,  amounting to about 1200 calories.

Our instructions were a lil different than most in that we started with 1 oz meals, up to 6 per day. The object was not to increase pouch size until goal wt was reached.

I'm 14 yrs now, and still do 4-5 meals, tho some are way more snack like. My rule being that if I can't eat it within 15 minutes, it was too much food. So, I never wait til i feel full, then pause, wait for the full feeling to pass and go on eating. Defeats the whole purpose of a pouch, KWIM?

While I lost a lil too much initially, I changed nothing and got back 10-12# anyway, so put me in a comfortable place.

I think I won't worry about getting in the 6 oz..  I may never get in much over 5 oz. in a sitting, I will just eat 4-5 meals and a healthy snack each day.  It is all about listening to the pouch...when it is full it is full, so stop eating.   Thanks all for responding Missy