I was banded 12/30/11 and have been able to eat a decent size portion. For example for lunch I can eat 1/2 cup cottage cheese and an english muffn. Tonight for dinner I ate grilled cheese sandwich and a few orange slices. My question is, today I went with a friend to an information meeting about wls, and the surgeon stated that with the lap band the stomach/pouch is the size of a thumb. I have had no fills yet, but am still losing weight. I have lost 32 pounds so far. Do this sound right? The size of a thumb? How much is everyone else eating?

It would have to a giant's thumb. I can eat 1/2 cup to a cup of food.

I was banded 12/30/11 and have been able to eat a decent size portion. For example for lunch I can eat 1/2 cup cottage cheese and an english muffn. Tonight for dinner I ate grilled cheese sandwich and a few orange slices. My question is, today I went with a friend to an information meeting about wls, and the surgeon stated that with the lap band the stomach/pouch is the size of a thumb. I have had no fills yet, but am still losing weight. I have lost 32 pounds so far. Do this sound right? The size of a thumb? How much is everyone else eating?

I think that with no fill you are doing great! A half cup of food is probably 1/3 (at least!) of what you are before! And, you are making much better choices! Hope I do as well!

It may only be the size of a thumb, I think that's a bit on the small side, but the food moves through rather quickly so you can eat more than that amount. Instead of thinking," How much can I eat?" I always tried to thi k " How little can I eat?"

In other words, from the very beginning I ate like I was in the elusive "green zone". I measured out my 3 or4 oz of protein and 1/2 cup veggie and when that was gone I walked away, that was it. And eventually, I was totally satisfied with that amount!

The thing is I am sure you are eating a lot less than before the band (we were all massively overeating or we wouldnt have been obese). For me, (an old dog in maintenance a long time) I eat about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at each meal which can be 4 to 5 times a day. I really cant eat more than that of any food (I have no sliders) and I done eat any low cal or diet food. As I lost weight my band did loosen and I had to get fills to keep losing. My first green zone was at 6cc in a 10 cc band and took 3 fills to get there. Then I leveled off at about 180 lbs for MANY months until I figured out to go get a fill. Once I did I started losing again easily and then I plateaued at 155...I got 0.3ccs and in a couple of months went to 140.

A thumb? hmmm ... that's crazy.

In general, I can eat about 1/2 cup of well chewed solid food. This means it would measure 1/2 cup after chewing. With me it depends on the texture and type of food as well. I also eat more than 3 times a day in general.

I have always been the oddball I suppose. I eat about 2 cups of food a meal . 3 times a day .. most days I have snacks also . *shrug*

Thanks everyone. I thought that sounded ridiculous but then I started to second guess what I was eating.

I was wondering the same thing also, take for instance a Michelinas dinner (the 1.00 ones in the frozen section @ Wal-Mart) can you eat the whole thing ½ or less and if so how long before you are hungry again. Thank you poster for starting this thread, and thank you for all that will respond.

i always thought it was strange when people said they could eat only a few oz"s at a time. Me it was 1/2 c -1cup at a time when I have good restriction. I wonder how can it be healthy and how do you eat ENOUGH calories for the day?????

I was told the pouch is approximately the size of one of those plastic eggs you see around Easter.

I'm not sure how much I can eat at one time but I know that I can still eat more than I should! I just got a fill yesterday so I'm hoping it nudges me a little closer to the green zone. I've been at a plateau for too long.

The food does not stay in the pouch for long. I had an Upper GI with food, and saw it 1st hand. When we eat properly, we chew well the food goes down, enters the pouch, sits for a second or two and goes down through the stoma into the bigger stomach. If we eat a LOT at once, it backs up into the pouch, and when that gets full, we get that horrid pain.

Satiety is triggered by tickling nerves at the top of the stomach. The band brings those nerves into contact with food by belting it in. Otherwise a normal stomach has to be filled up to trigger those nerves.

The food does not stay in the pouch for long. I had an Upper GI with food' date=' and saw it 1st hand. When we eat properly, we chew well the food goes down, enters the pouch, sits for a second or two and goes down through the stoma into the bigger stomach. If we eat a LOT at once, it backs up into the pouch, and when that gets full, we get that horrid pain.

Satiety is triggered by tickling nerves at the top of the stomach. The band brings those nerves into contact with food by belting it in. Otherwise a normal stomach has to be filled up to trigger those nerves.[/quote']

Haha my dietician told me about those nerves that's why being on pre op diet the gases in diet soft drink help me feel full I always wondered why they helped.

With all the gas in me, I haven't even had an appetite since my surgery. I've only had broth besides water and gatorade. I could really do without that, but I want to remain hydrated. I am wondering what the future will hold for me also.

I asked my doctor about this just last week. She said the pouch can hold about 2 oz. (1/4 cup) but stretches more than that. If the food is chewed well and eaten slowly, as we are instructed, she said I should be able to eat 1-1/4 cups of food and probably about 4 times a day.