Why can I eat so much?

I have read many postings on here that say most folks are only able to eat a small amount of food at a time.  I am about 3 weeks post op and can eat about 8 oz of turkey chilli w/beans, 6 oz of yogurt and drink about 10-12 oz in an hour.  Is this too much?  I never vomit or get a trully full feeling.  I eat slowly and chew well.  What I do get is a strange feeling in my throat, kind of like its restricted and hard to swallow.  Does anybody know what it is? Thanks for taking time to read/respond..C

 No, it's not normal.  

Have you been back to the doctor?

The strange feeling is food coming UP your esophagus because you are overfull.

Your stomach nerves have been severed, and you will not feel any fullness in your pouch for a while.

Did they not give you guidelines about how much to eat at a time?  The reason you don't feel full is that they cut the nerves that tell your brain you're full when they did your surgery and it takes a while for those to heal.  It's important to measure your food.  When you get that feeling in your throat, that's telling you that you ate too much.  You need to stop before you get there.

Kelly

The reason new post ops measure out their food in the beginning is so they don't pop their stitches or rip open their suture line by putting too much food in their very small, swollen pouch. The nerves were cut during your surgery. You won't feel full, overfull, hungry or anything till they do. It takes about 6-8 weeks for them to heal. In the beginning we're usually on liquids only
for the first weeks. For me 3 - one ounce cups of liquid were each meal - 3 times a day. By putting that much in your new pouch you run the risk of ripping open your new surgical incision inside, hurting your pouch and not using the tool you were given. Did your doc or nut give you guidelines for eating the first couple weeks? Most of us do liquids, then pureed then soft foods. We don't do chile, or anything with texture in the first couple weeks until the healing starts. You can develop septicemia or other problems by putting too much in your new pouch and causing a tear or rip you need to go back into surgery for. Talk to your doc and find out exactly how much and how often you are suppose to eat and how long to wait after eating to drink. For most of us it's 30 minutes but for some it's as long as 60. You don't want to ruin your surgical site and it's important to get good eating habits in now when we're so new we can't fit in much. Just because you can eat 8 ounces doesnt mean you should. Check with your doc. He may want to see you to make sure nothing has been harmed in your stomach with the large amounts you've been putting in there. Let him know what you've been eating and in what quantities.

I was specifically instructed not to measure my food. I'm supposed to watch for the "feedback". I also have not had any feedback at all and I think I can eat more than I should be able to too. I mentioned this at my appointment and was told that I will know if I over eat. I am just eating the right things in small portions and hoping that someday I will know what "full" is for me.

Hmm.  I've never heard of anyone being told not to measure their food.  That seems odd to me since the nerves are cut during surgery so we don't get much "feedback."  If it's working for you then carry on, of course.  Just seems weird to me.

Kelly

Hi there, congrats on your surgery.  I've been out for about 7 years and when I was only 3 weeks, I was still on a liquid diet.  Your stomach and opening need time to heal and can be stretched out if you put to much in there to early.  Did you have RNY?  Where you on a liquid or pureed diet?
  I can eat that much now and I probably do.  Which is why I would be a little concerned your stomach is going to stretch out as the years go by.  In my findings you loose the majority of your weight in the first year.  Then you slowly begin to start being able to eat more and it becomes harder to keep the weight off.
I would contact your doctor, the restricted feeling may be a obstruction.  Also ask him about the amout of food you are able to cosume.  I had RNY it may depend on what type you had too.  I gained about 30 pounds over the past few years and I have finally lost it back. Good luck and I wouldn't be to worried about it, just be cautious and careful with the amounts you are eating.

God Bless,
Erica

yogurt is a slider food and beans might be too.  Please start measuring and you should only be eating about 2 oz right now.  Your poor little insides are still healing.  Drink your water and protein, walk a mile a day and rest too. 

I am 91/2 weeks post op and am just eat 4-5 oz.  My dietitian and NUT both said work up to 1 cup of food.  3 oz (2 slices) oven roasted turkey breast and 2 slices of cheese made into 2 roll ups fill me up (that is 4-5 oz total.  I am starting to feel hunger, but not fullness.  I measure everything (scales and measuring cups).  I can drink 10-14 oz in 40 minutes.

Thanks everybody for your responses....I am on stage 4 of my eating plan...I started that on 10/13.  In that stage I am allowed ground turkey, beans and all the other ingredients in chilli.  In addition to my 65 grams of protein, I can have 2 veg, 2 fruit, 1 starch (cereal 1/2 cup, whole wheat crackers (2), 1/2 pita) and 2 servings of fat.  I can see where I am eating too much at a time now that I'm looking at how much a serving is.  Thanks again for all your input