I had a fill this week and can now move to solids (now at 10CC's). I definately think that a few minutes after I stop eating that I get the sensation of being full. My doctor's office says the sweet spot is when you can go 5 hours before you need to eat again. I would'nt say that I really WANT to wait that long between meals but can force my self to. How long do you go between meals? By this I mean having Breakfast or lunch and then waiting till the next meal with no Snacks. My doctor says to have 3 oz of Protein but does'nt really get specific about how much vegetables. Do you measure by weight or by measuring cup?

Thanks

Good question. I'm going to ask my doc at my next appointment. I use a measuring cup, regardless of weight. I'm afraid of stretching.

I try to keep the 5 hour rule, but most of the time it's just not possible. I eat a lot of popsicles. I actually look forward to those Protein shakes now, and I hate milk.

I can only go 2-3 hours btwn meals...I think I need a fill.

As far as how much I eat well probably to much.

I can eat a lot but get full quick, I try to stay with the 3-4 oz Protein and 1/2 cup of veg and 1/4 cup starch if I'm still hungry.

I had a fill this week and can now move to solids (now at 10CC's). I definately think that a few minutes after I stop eating that I get the sensation of being full. My doctor's office says the sweet spot is when you can go 5 hours before you need to eat again. I would'nt say that I really WANT to wait that long between meals but can force my self to. How long do you go between meals? By this I mean having breakfast or lunch and then waiting till the next meal with no Snacks. My doctor says to have 3 oz of Protein but does'nt really get specific about how much vegetables. Do you measure by weight or by measuring cup?

Thanks

Can I/do I go 5 hours between meals? Yes. Do I have to force myself? No. BUT, and this makes the big difference: physical hunger was never my problem. So, you will probably have a good number of people that will respond that they can go 5 (or more) hours and not get hungry -- physically hungry, that is. I struggle (albeit much less since banding, and much therapy) with "head hunger". Tuesday I was irritable and grumpy. I sat at my desk and wanted to eat something sweet/chocolate ... it was almost lunch time. I called a friend to talk about how I was feeling so that I wouldn't eat over it. When I got off the phone I wasn't hungry but it had now been more than 5 hours since I'd had my breakfast -- a Protein Drink. So, I steamed a handful of baby carrots and ate them, thinking that I would eat lunch later. Well, I forgot -- I actually forgot -- to eat lunch. Before I knew it the workday was done and it was time to go home and make dinner. I didn't get hungry, and this, for me is not an anomaly. The thing that has been changing more and more since banding is that I do not eat over emotions -- most of the time. I still have slips, but I am better than I have ever been in my life, thanks to the restriction provided by my band. So, some people can go 5 hours or more because the band is keeping their hunger at bay, and some people (like me) can go 5 hours or more because hunger was never the issue. I don't think that many doctors consider this when a patient comes in for a fill and they ask "Are you hungry between meals?"

All that said, I really do believe that the band, with proper restriction, will keep you from being hungry for a longer period of time.

All the best to you on your journey.

My surgeon said 3 oz of Protein, 1/2 cup vegies and 1/4 cup starch if I'm still hungry.

It varies. I think I'm in need of a fill because I seem to be hungry all the time again...but for awhile there I was able to go 4 hours. Looking back, however, I think I was more successful when I was eating 3 meals with a snack of protein in between...so eating something about every 2.5-3 hours. Maybe because it kept my blood sugar more stable.

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Wow.

No wonder I'm hungry all the time. All I get is 4oz (1/2 cup) for a meal. 3 times a day. My doctor says that's all I should ever eat. It's working but I am miserable.

Depends, I only had a Special K protein meal bar for breakfast and was starving about 3 1/2 hours later. Had about 3 oz of chicken and some 1/2 cup of green beans for lunch and that kept me going for about 6 hours. I need to get my head in line with my stomach more so than anything. I had my first fill on Monday and it seems to be really helping if I listen to my body and not my mind.

I eat every 3 hours; good for the muscles and the metabolism. 5 hours to me seems to be too much; your body needs constant fuel to keep it going. Each meal I shoot for a cup of food. 4oz protein (usually chicken or turkey) and 1/4-1/2 cup of veggies.

Wow.

No wonder I'm hungry all the time. All I get is 4oz (1/2 cup) for a meal. 3 times a day. My doctor says that's all I should ever eat. It's working but I am miserable.

I've never figured out how anyone could 'not' be hungry on 1/2 cup a day, but are you sure your doctor was talking about 1/2 cup? There's a difference in 4 oz and 1/2 cup. 4 oz of Water = 1/2 cup...but not anything else. Perhaps he meant 4 oz as in 4 oz of Protein...or perhaps 2-3 oz of protein plus vegies?

Last summer I was overfilled and physically limited to about 1/2 cup of 'real food' (protein and vegies) due to getting stuck all the time. I was also starving all the time and eventually resorted to sliders just to get some food into me.

I wonder about the long term viability of reducing food so drastically and being so miserable.

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Breakfast: 6:00am

Protein Shake: 10:00am

Lunch: 11:30am Lean Cusine, Smart One, Tuna, or chicken salad

Snack: 3:00pm usually fruit, cheese or low fat yougurt

Dinner: 5:30pm

Snack: 7:30 - 8:00pm sugar free fudgecicle, 100 cal. popcorn, or frozen low fat yogurt

By the time it's cut up my dinner is probably between 1/2 and 3/4 cup which includes protein & vegies.

Wow.

No wonder I'm hungry all the time. All I get is 4oz (1/2 cup) for a meal. 3 times a day. My doctor says that's all I should ever eat. It's working but I am miserable.

That is very wrong. You cannot consume 1,200 calories in 1.5 cups of food per day.

You should be trying for 1-1.5 cups per meal and a minimum of 1,200 calories. If you start working out using heavy weights (5-8 reps per set) you'll want to increase your calories accordingly.

Your Dr is nuts if he thinks that 0.5 c of food three times a day is sufficient. You'll lose weight but you'll also consume muscle mass so your body can actually function.

I can easily go 5 hours without eating. I don't eat breakfast at all, and sometimes I won't eat anything until 12 or 1. Also, I don't measure my food. I just get a little of whatever I'm having, and eat until I feel that feeling that if I eat another bite it is going to hurt.

That is very wrong. You cannot consume 1,200 calories in 1.5 cups of food per day.

You should be trying for 1-1.5 cups per meal and a minimum of 1,200 calories. If you start working out using heavy weights (5-8 reps per set) you'll want to increase your calories accordingly.

Your Dr is nuts if he thinks that 0.5 c of food three times a day is sufficient. You'll lose weight but you'll also consume muscle mass so your body can actually function.

I am a little worried about this as well, but I just don't feel like eating. I don't have breakfast, and I eat maybe 1/2 cup for lunch and dinner. I do have a snack in the afternoon, and I do most of my eating after dinner (which isn't good).

I don't eat breakfast. I eat lunch around noon. I usually have some kind of small snack sometime in the afternoon (like 2 samples at the market or something similar) and then dinner between 6-8PM. I don't usually think about food or feel hungry during the day. The evening is a different story however. I am a compulsive eater, and my eating at night generally has nothing to do with hunger. I decided to go to therapy for it as I was tired of my Compulsive eating running my life.

Re: weighing - I weigh all of my Protein on a food scale. Depending on what the veggie is, I either weigh it or measure it. Carbs I usually weigh. If its something out of a box/can/container/package etc and its not a one serving item (like Cereal, ice cream, cheese etc) I weigh it (I look at the serving size - 30g for example - and if that's what I want to eat I just weigh out 30g). I would be lost without my food scale.

Today, I had breakfast at 9:30, lunch at 1:30, and dinner at 5:30. I had a popcicle at 12 something. I didn't get hungry in between meals. I ate at those times because I don't like to go more than 4 hours without food but I am sure I could have went longer.

I always lose a lot more weight when I eat every couple hours, small amounts. I don't want the band to keep me full for that long.......