Question for vets re: restriction

I'm a little over 5 months out, but these seemed like a question for the vets: At what point did you find your capacity increased?

I serve myself a shy 2 oz of protein at a meal. I generally underserve a little because if it's a dense protein, I never fini**** - I occasionally do finish with things like tuna or egg salad, but not even always with those. It just doesn't seem to me that my restriction has changed much in the last 2 months.

I listened to Frisco's lecture early and I don't test my sleeve - I eat until I'm satisfied and stop. I've only "overeaten" to where I was very full a couple of times as I was learning to find satisfied (it's a surprisingly novel concept to me compared to how I used to eat). So maybe I could eat a little more, but not a lot I don't think.

I'm behind on my surgeon's plan, and I don't mind that. But I am wondering whether I should expect a sudden change or a slow increase and when it happened for you.

I read from many of you guys that you eat 3-4 oz or 1/2 cup. When did you start to see this increase in capacity? What can I expect in the next few months?

my experience is that it will be a very gradual increase maybe taking up to a year or more. and some days it will seem like you can eat three or even four ounces of protein and the next day two will stuff you. so thats normal. so don't worry if you are not eating up to your surgeon's plan though if you are not getting enough protein in because you can only eat a scant two ounces, then you should supplement with protein drinks. I had to do this for quite a while much to my chagrin because I don't much like them . even today when i have a  low protein day once in awhile I will do so because its important. have found a few ways to make them taste better.

So don't worry and don't be in a hurry to up your food capacity. if you are losing well and feel satisfied with what you can eat. be glad. capacity will increase but slowly.  And while I can eat 3/4 cup greek yogurt, still can only do about 3 oz dense protein and not much else. i am ok with it. keeps me where I need to be.  Diane

I do drink 2 protein shakes a day, 1 1/2 scoops each. I get 650-750 calories a day and 420 of them come from shakes, only 230 to 330 from food. At 5 months. Today I had about 1 1/2 oz of chicken for lunch and about 1 1/2 oz of pulled pork for dinner. That's 160 calories from food so far...will have a snack later to bump that up.

I'm not actually complaining, I just kept hearing at my surgeon's office that my capacity would start to increase at 3 months and settle in around a year, and so far nothing has changed so I wanted to know what others had experienced.

Confession: If I was told tomorrow to go back on full liquids for the next year it wouldn't bother me in the least. I could drink 3-4 shakes a day and be happy as a clam. Sometimes eating seems like work. I'd miss my once a week peanut butter treat (one whole tablespoon full of Naturally More - it's my Saturday night partaaaay indulgence) but not much else.

Although I'm sure it happened gradually, I perceived it as having these jumps. I had one around 3 months out and one around 7 months out and at some point my capacity didn't really change but I now eat a greater variety of foods including ones you can really pack in so sometimes it feels like it changed.

Anyway, It was about 7 months out that I could eat 3-4 oz. and 1/2 cup. But I rarely eat that of dense protein because I like my veggies and want to save room for them.

Thanks! Seems everyone is a little different. I haven't been able to start eating veggies much yet - just a single bite taste for the most part.

Thanks for asking this.. I've thought about asking the same thing.. 6mo out, and still 2oz (sometimes less) is my max. Not complaining either, but I was curious.

Yeah, I keep expecting to feel an increase any day...been expecting that for several months, especially since my surgery was done with a 40f bougie but so far...nope.

 my increase was very gradual and I think it was up to maybe a year and a half - honest!

Thanks! I don't want too much of an increase. I'd be happy if it stayed where it was until goal and then suddenly jumped to 3-4 oz and held there. Not so likely I guess, huh?

Hey there,

At 40 months out...Tonight's dinner was 3oz's of meatloaf and 1/2c of garlic mashed potatoe. It was tasty and I was really FULL! I could of went with 1/4c potatoes but, I was giving the family (peas and carrots)..and not my first choice, so,I upped the delicious taters. My sleeve seemed to take till the two year mark before it got to this point. 

Hugs

Donna