Good Morning everyone,

I am 15 days post op and I feel that I am eating too much. My doctor gave me the ok to have soft and solid foods as long as i chew really well because it goes down with out a problem. Since I've started eating my weight loss has come to a complete stand still. I dont have any fluid in my band but I do still feel some restriction due to swelling I guess. But i'm wondering if i'm eating too much? I will admit that once or twice I went over board and ate till I was stuffed, but it still wasn't much food at all compared to what I used to eat. I'm trying to start fresh today and I need to know about how much food should I be eating each meal when I dont have restriction? A cup? 1/4 cup? 4 oz? Should I stick to soft foods at this point even if I can get everything down without a problem?:devil_smile:

Eat until you are no longer hungry. This can prove harder than you'd think. I am still trying to get over eating until my plate is empty. For that reason I have really small servings on small plates.

When you go for a fill, your doctor is going to ask you how much you are eating. Be honest with him and he will tell you if it is too much. It will also help him assess if and how much of a fill you need.

I had the same problem. I got my fist fill yesterday. I told my doc, I was eating about 2 cups, sometimes maybe a little more. He told me after the fill, I would be eating about 1 cup.

Of course I was dissappointed. I said, "I thought our goal was 1/2 cup?" He laughed and said don't worry, this is your first fill. In four weeks, we will shoot for 1/2 cup. He said he was more worried about getting too much Fluid in than not enough. So hopefully by my next fill, It will cut me down to 1/2 cup.

I told myself that I would only eat 1 cup for each meal to give myself a limit. And that's basically what gets me full. I feel like I need to get myself used to eating only that much before I get my first fill

Congrats on your band! Talk to your Dr. I have been good about my portions. what I do is use a small plate so my portion looks better on it. I was always told to clean my plate too! the smaller plate looks more appitizing so I feel better about eating so little compared to what I used to.

What guidelines were you given, in terms of amount?

How much--and what---are you eating?

There's no way to answer your question without information.

(I have to disagree with Bob, though I almost always agree with him. "Eat until you are no longer hungry" may not work if you don't yet have restriction.)

I said, "I thought our goal was 1/2 cup?" He laughed and said don't worry, this is your first fill. In four weeks, we will shoot for 1/2 cup.

Please don't be disappointed if it takes longer than this to achieve restriction.

I'm heading into Fill #5 in a couple of weeks (I'm 5 months out), and am darn close to "just right" as far as restriction goes.

But 1/2 cup a meal wouldn't do it for me, most meals. Thankfully,it's not my doctor's aim (he goes by weight for Protein, and 1/2 cup servings for veggies).

I can't imagine having reached that spot with Fill #2! Fill #1, though it got me closer to where I needed to be, didn't produce a discernible change in the way I felt. Fill #2 produced a tiny change. Fills #3 and #4 produced more, with less Fluid added.

All along, I've eaten as though I do have restriction. Even if that meant going hungry.

My point? Don't give up hope. For some reason, some docs just don't like sharing the realities of bandster hell with their patients. I think it does a terrible disservice.

(I have to disagree with Bob, though I almost always agree with him. "Eat until you are no longer hungry" may not work if you don't yet have restriction.

How dare you?!? :thumbup:

One of the questions my PA asks in determining if I need a fill is, "how much food does it take you to be satisfied?"

If I didn't eat until I was no longer hungry, I wouldn't be able to answer this question except for, "I dunno."