Portion Help needed

[Eileenpet]

Hi I am 25 months post op Gastric Bypass Surgery . For last 7 months I have just eaten & watched scale go up & down. Again & again. I have 70 lbs left to lose and I don't know how much I should be eating at this stage. I do not want to stretch my pouch. Any advice would be appreciated even if it's approximates. It's better than gaining back all my loss. Thank you

 

[Eileenpet]

You can't stretch your pouch. Research it and you'll find out. The tissue the stomach is made of is thick and doesn't stretch without a great deal of pulling with tools. One reason I know this is that I grew up on a farm and we butchered a steer every year for food. We kids played with the guts (farm kids, go figure) and it was almost impossible to stretch them at all.

Your stomach is no different in terms of tissue makeup. It's almost impossible to stretch. Don't take my word for it. Do research on the internet and you'll see it's true.

As to the scale going up and down, and the weight you have left to lose, I'd suggest you go back to your post-op diet. Use a scale and measuring cups & spoons. A portion of meat or fish should be the size of a pack of cards.

And keep a journal of every bite or crumb of food you eat, including licking the spoon you stir your dinner with while it cooks. Every single bite. This is super-important because the strongest driver of an eating disorder is denial--or in other words, lying to yourself. That sounds rude, but it's not. It's factual. Once you start keeping track, you'll see all the ways you get extra calories into your otherwise obedient day.

Obesity is the result of an eating disorder. No one wants to believe they have an eating disorder, but if we didn't have one, we wouldn't be obese or ever need surgery.

Best of luck to you. You can get back on track if you make a commitment to be compliant with your foods and portions.

Thank you. I lost 300 lbs but when the struggles start its like you forget everything you know . Thank you for the info

 

[FinallyMe]

I agree with Diane. I had my surgery a year ago, August 2. I have lost 105 of the 120 lbs I planned to lose. I am over the moon with my steady progress until I got to July of this year i had steady decline on my app's graph. I tracked every morsel and sip. Then I started relaxing and having 4th meals, and popcorn with late night tv after I knew I had eaten my plan earlier in the day. It is very hard to stop those bad habits from creeping back in. My pouch is no bigger but if you wait an hour you can eat again even though you shouldn't. I still have random acquaintances stop me to say how good I look, and how I am feeling. I decided from the beginning, to take it as a positive and say thank you and acknowledge it is hard work and determination but so worth it and speak encouragement to myself. However, now that I have almost arrived and feel good about how I look and feel, it is hard not to let my guard down and relax. You have lost a lot already and even though you are not at your goal weight, you must feel amazing compared to when you started. Surely, people you know have noticed and let you know. Be patient with yourself, it is okay to plateau for a bit, but it will take determination to get back on track and push toward the finish line. I am right there with you, we all are. You got this!

 

[sunshineandrainbows]

I agree with Diane. I had my surgery a year ago, August 2. I have lost 105 of the 120 lbs I planned to lose. I am over the moon with my steady progress until I got to July of this year i had steady decline on my app's graph. I tracked every morsel and sip. Then I started relaxing and having 4th meals, and popcorn with late night tv after I knew I had eaten my plan earlier in the day. It is very hard to stop those bad habits from creeping back in. My pouch is no bigger but if you wait an hour you can eat again even though you shouldn't. I still have random acquaintances stop me to say how good I look, and how I am feeling. I decided from the beginning, to take it as a positive and say thank you and acknowledge it is hard work and determination but so worth it and speak encouragement to myself. However, now that I have almost arrived and feel good about how I look and feel, it is hard not to let my guard down and relax. You have lost a lot already and even though you are not at your goal weight, you must feel amazing compared to when you started. Surely, people you know have noticed and let you know. Be patient with yourself, it is okay to plateau for a bit, but it will take determination to get back on track and push toward the finish line. I am right there with you, we all are. You got this!

If you don't mind me asking do you have any tips for the popcorn part? I have noticed i've done a lot of mindless, and grazing eating and it seems very hard to break. I am only 6 weeks post op...

 

[Eileenpet]

I agree with Diane. I had my surgery a year ago, August 2. I have lost 105 of the 120 lbs I planned to lose. I am over the moon with my steady progress until I got to July of this year i had steady decline on my app's graph. I tracked every morsel and sip. Then I started relaxing and having 4th meals, and popcorn with late night tv after I knew I had eaten my plan earlier in the day. It is very hard to stop those bad habits from creeping back in. My pouch is no bigger but if you wait an hour you can eat again even though you shouldn't. I still have random acquaintances stop me to say how good I look, and how I am feeling. I decided from the beginning, to take it as a positive and say thank you and acknowledge it is hard work and determination but so worth it and speak encouragement to myself. However, now that I have almost arrived and feel good about how I look and feel, it is hard not to let my guard down and relax. You have lost a lot already and even though you are not at your goal weight, you must feel amazing compared to when you started. Surely, people you know have noticed and let you know. Be patient with yourself, it is okay to plateau for a bit, but it will take determination to get back on track and push toward the finish line. I am right there with you, we all are. You got this!

Thank you. And yes I feel better just found alot of health concerns hiding under all the weight.

 

[dianeseattle]

portion control is essential. make sure you have measuring spoons and cups, and a postal scale or something similar. I know I was shocked at the results when I started weighing and measuring.

 

[Emma Rivera]

I completely agree that weighing and measuring food is essential. Using a small plate and portioning my meals ahead of time has really helped me stay on track. I also try to eat slowly and chew thoroughly so my body has time to recognize when I’m full. One thing I still struggle with is mindless snacking, especially at night. I’m working on replacing unhealthy snacks with protein-packed options or simply drinking water when I feel like grazing. Has anyone found effective strategies to break this habit?