Annalaura88

My surgery Team and my Nutrition Team toll me to be aware NOT to strech by eating over my portion recommendations. So thats why i am afraid.

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According to my surgeon, it's really hard to stretch out your stomach. It's not as easy as just overeating a few meals, so take that worry off your mind.
She also told me to focus on Protein. If full when done eating protein, don't eat anything else. Then veggies. Then grains. So eat one thing at a time and stop when you're full.

In the beginning when I was eating so little but needed Fiber (because I was constipated) I would eat veggies as my snack. I focused on Protein at meals and had the veggies as a snack. The NP thought that was a great idea. Perhaps it will work for you. You still get your veggies and your protein but no worries over eating too much at one time.

Eating a few more vegetables than you’re ‘supposed to’ is not going to stretch out your tummy or ruin your weight loss. Unless you’re frequently eating huge portions of high fat, high carb, high sugar foods I wouldn’t worry.
Out of curiosity, how far along are you? I ask because as you progress and are able to eat larger portions you’ll find the dilemma of Protein vs vegetables isn’t as much of an issue. Just eat your protein first & if you can eat a little more choose vegetables. I like @ShoppGirl’s suggestion to eat vegetables as a snack.
There’s a lot to learn & it takes time to discover what works for you. Because we’ve either been where you are or are still working our way through it. We understand & want you to be successful. It’s why we’re all happy to share our experiences & what we’ve learnt along the way.
The reason you feel more satisfied eating a smaller portion of toast than vegetables is that the toast tends to swell in your tummy & sit more heavily. It’s why many of us are advised to avoid bread, Pasta & rice while losing. (I still avoid them - can’t get my protein in & I feel blah!) Depending on how you cook them they’re relatively low calorie & you’ll get way more nutrients from the vegetables than the toast.
I’ve always loved vegetables so eating so few in the beginning was very strange. I remember that first single green bean I was able to eat. So excited. Then I just slowly added a few more as I was able. At 2.6yrs post surgery I eat about 3 ozs of protein & about 1 cup of vegetables & sometimes a meal is only protein. But that works for me.
Have a chat with your dietician about portion size (volume vs weight) & calories. It may put your mind at ease.

I’m 5 years out and don’t cook. I found I could eat almost anything in smaller portions. I have the sliders at Arbys when I’m out and about. I also do Asian food. I never eat sweets anymore because I still dump, thank goodness.

Thank you All A LOT guys! That help means So much to me ♡♡♡ yes Hot tea and coffe helps and your help@arabesque is so helpful [emoji3448] xo!

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Thank you a lot Arabesque, this helps me so much!

What do you mean my 7 oz is not a big portion? And 1350 kcal enough?.. my basal rate is 1200 kcal and i habe still to loose weight.

You are so right - i thought it hat been and nutrition problem but it is not. Its bad Habit and wanting comfort an teasing.
Therapie is right now not possible, no free client space.
I want so badly work on my habits. Do you have podcast/book or online bariatric Programm recommendations which workes for you?
Much love for you, Laura

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As someone else has already said, warm liquids help quell your hunger and make you feel full. And as another person said, sometimes it's head hunger and not true stomach hunger. Does your surgeon's office offer lifetime support to talk to a nutritionist or therapist about these issues?

This is so hard!
When you are eating, what are you eating? Is it dense Protein and some veggies? Or are you eating "slider foods" like chips, Cookies, crackers, etc? You will not feel full for long if you are eating chips, cookies, crackers and the like.
I agree with drinking warm tea with some milk, or coffee, or broth. These can help you feel full.
If you have recently eaten but feel you want to eat again, try distracting yourself with a walk, an exercise video on YouTube, a hot shower/bath, or a hobby

Oh, I meant in comparison to what you likely used to eat which can mess with you too - ‘How can this be enough food? No wonder I’m hungry’ type thinking. That in itself can be a new learning: understanding that this is enough food.
I did a lot of general reading, nothing in particular. I watched some of Dr Vuong videos but particularly like Dr Matthew Weiner. They focus on bariatrics not therapy but Dr Vuong had some good ‘come to Jesus’ type moments. (You’ll have to scroll through his Covid videos & other stuff he has - like go back 2+ years). Others may be able to recommend readings, podcasts on eating disorders, etc.
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCp6n4PijvgR_rhDZx_X8xwQ
https://m.youtube.com/user/DrMatthewWeiner/videos
I wasn’t working for most of the time in the first year post surgery so I had a lot of time to reflect on my life, really think about why I used to eat or not eat & researched. It was pretty obvious what I had been doing didn’t work & I needed to start from scratch. I dud lots of random google searches often from things people said on this forum. Lot of crap out there though so be careful. Check out their qualifications.
As a place to start, I found success by asking myself why. Why do I feel hungry? Why do I want something specifically sweet or salty? Why am I looking for something to eat? Sometimes I really have to break down my answer. Sometimes, there’s a legitimate reason. Missed a meal. Been low in my calorie intake for the day. Hot, sweaty day & low salt intake. Then I look for Protein rich food, salt some cucumber, have some fruit, etc. If there’s no real reason the cause for me is usually boredom. I try to find something to do to distract myself, have something to drink or make myself wait for 30mins. The wanting to eat disappears 99% of the time which proves it wasn’t a legitimate need for food in the first place.
All the best.

I agree with measuring. I had to learn early on that just because I could did NOT mean I should. Teaching yourself control and learning when to recognize what you need versus what you want will make your success that much easier to achieve!

Three weeks you should still be on soft foods i think.
It's not about how much you "can" eat.... it how much you "should" eat. You need to stick to the measured portions. You will have to adjust how and how much you eat.

Mmmm? I wonder if you still have some head work to do. Are you truely hungry or just wanting food to satisfy some other needs? Are you wanting food because you’re bored? Tired? Sad? Happy? So you feel better? Habit? … Have you come to terms with what is a healthy & recommended portion size? 7oz isn’t a mini portion. Depending upon your height, weight, age, level of activity, 1350 calories a day is enough to ensure your body functions effectively.
We all have different triggers & realisations about how & why we eat. I still have to watch wanting to eat because I’m bored but I understand it now so I can mange it better. A big learning for me was the difference between eating until I was full and eating until I’d had enough. It’s realising the difference between wanting to eat & needing to eat. Do I need this bite (i.e. does my body need it to function) or do I just want it?
Did you see a therapist before or during your weight loss phase? It may be worth going back or getting a referral to one from your surgeon.
Years of poor eating habits, poor food choices, our cravings & emotional drives to seek comfort with food don’t ever really disappear. The surgery doesn’t change them. They’re not cut out with our tummy. But we can reduce their power & manage them better. It’s just sometimes we need help & support to do it.
All the best.

I am 4.5 weeks post-op VSG. Recovery is going well and I'm progressing through my plan's stages with minimal difficulty. I'm now in "full" soft foods and getting a little more variety. Prior to today, I have been using small containers to portion out my food, eyeballing it based on the size of the container (e.g. a 4oz container, roughly 3/4 full gets logged as 3oz, and so on). I've been averaging about 3oz per meal comfortably, sometimes a bite more, sometimes a bite less. Given that my diet is a little more varied and I'm really focusing on getting as much Protein from "real" foods as possible, I decided to start weighing my portions to be more accurate. For lunch today, I weighed out 2.5oz of finely shredded rotisserie chicken and 30g of Alouette soft cheese. It *appeared* to be far more food than what I've been able to eat and I was a little shocked - lo and behold I have probably 1/4 of it left that I will not eat. I would have thought by weight the portion would have been LESS?! Doing some research, opinions on measuring by volume vs. weight are pretty varied, and my own program does not dictate one as better/more accurate than the other, just that we should measure & track. As a long time MFP user and lifelong dieter, weighing food is not new to me, and I certainly don't mind doing it. But I'm just so confused by the perceived disparity of a 2.5oz by weight portion vs. a 3oz by volume portion!
TL;DR: I don't know how to portion food. HAAAALP. Do you weigh or measure? In your experience which is more accurate? Which is more helpful in portion control/tracking?

I used the timer on my watch to time my bites. If remember correctly, I did 2 or 3 minutes between single bites. As time went on I would have 2-3 bites at a time (finishing and swallowing what was in my mouth before i put anymore in), then as more time passed, I'd shorten the interval.
And yes, it took me FOREVER to eat.
Good Luck! ❤️