Full for 30 Minutes Max

 This is what is happening. I can't say that I'm ever really physically hungry, but at one month shy of three years out, the pouch is not "restrictive."  My guess is that the pouch has grown and that allows the food which used to get clumped together to now shift and make more room or just go on through the stoma.

Actually, your pouch is probably still restrictive if you are limited by what you can eat at your meals.  Prior to WLS, I ate monstrous meals and often went back for seconds and even thirds especially of the simple carbs.  I no longer have that problem because I'd be gagging or otherwise feeling sick if I ate too much at any one meal.  If you are full for 30 min, you may want to think of having a low carb & high protein shake around then but not before 30 min after your meal.  It will take a while for the protein to get into your system, but it should satisfy your body's needs and move the digested food around a little without adding many calories.  Most good ones are only about 70 cal for the powder itself and you'd be having the fluid anyway.

When I really woke up this morning, I realized that the 70 cal for the protein powder is too low.  That's the amt of cal in 1 slice of the whole Wheat bread I eat each morning.  I'm ordering Syntrax Essence protein powder which has 90 cal per scoop;  I suspect their Nectar powders are around the same amt of calories.  I had been using their Matrix powder which has 120 cal per scoop and has some sugar in it--probably because of the way the whey is processed.

Syntrax protein powders can be mixed with a spoon.  So, if you aren't home, all you need is cold water, protein powder and a spoon.  Or, you can just dump the powder into a water bottle and shake it up.  Take a scoop of Syntrax protein powder, put it in a baggie and carry it with you for whenever you may need it.

 Thanks, Bob. That's true I always forget the protein solution. But since I can still feel food in my pouch post 30 minutes (though not a feeling of true fullness), I should probably instead try to remember to have protein before eating. My biggest issue now is, because I drink a huge quanity of water before, I find myself not wanting any additional liquid.

OHHHH...YEAH...I know exactly what you're talking about because I'm dealing with the same issue.  I'm almost 3 years out too and can eat more and more often.  I've been sticking to 6 small meals a day.  I'll eat foods that are dense in texure to have a full feeling.

Let's hang in there because you're not the only one.

 Looks like your're about two weeks behind me in terms of your surgery date, so almost the same time.  High fiber stuff is what I'm doing and even combining that with hard chicken and pork. I haven't gone the rice or bread route yet, but haven't ruled that out. Seems like I can even handle a lot of that. Maybe someday I'll be eating Mickie D hamburgers just to get full!

True...I'm doing lots of fiber (oats, fiber cereal, etc.).  Let's all hang in there...we can pull through this....It's tough!

 Yeah, even if I don't have anything to do to distract me, I can usually last two hours without eating.

I'm sure to some extent the small bowel is like a hose that's been halved: If you put the same quanity in as before , it's going to go through twice as fast and not get absorbed, especially if it's fiber and water. 

 Well, you know what they say about that Chinese (Jap?) food, NotDave!   


  But seriously, have you tried doing that "5-day pouch test" or whatever it is that RNYers routinely do to see if they have stretched things out in there?  

Hey Batwings, what is the 5-day pouch test?