I don't kno whow much more it is really - it SEEMS like alot more. I have been going back and forth with liquids while my tummy decides to be OK or not. I think it has finally agreed to be less disagreeable.

I ate a buffalo slider patty from central market - probably 3-4 oz grilled down (wish I had weighed it before) a medallion about 2" in diameter and about 1/2 inch thick. I was able to eat some very mushy zuchinni also - but was obviously full when done. With liquids this is no problem for me, but this much "food" I am not sure I have ever done before..is that a reasonable amount?

I feel discomfort in my tummy area today, but only recently, and it seems past my stomach - further down the path, I guess. Could I have irritated the sleeve?

I kno wtechnically you cannot easily stretch out the sleeve, but can you "trick" your tummy into delaying feeling satiated? I want imput from sleevers, not medical journals on this one!

Should I switch back into a liquid diet? a boot camp, so to speak? I am doing the zombie 5k in december, and starting the Insanity workout with my Hubby in a month, so I had hoped to be able to have real animal flesh well before Insanity.

3 oz of Protein plus some mushy veggie doesn't sound like too much to me, especially give that you are 5 1/2 months out. It sounds like you are doing great!

I'm in maintenace now, but I still sometimes go back to liquids if I feel like I'm falling off the wagon. After a couple of days of liquids only, my restriction always seems even tighter! (could be psychological, though... lol!)

I HAVE to ask - what is a zombie 5k? Is it as awesome as it sounds?

If you are feeling irritation further down, I would wonder if you feel you really chew, chew, chewed your food well?

Especially meats, I find I get the same sensation unless I really grind it down before it enters the stomach.

As far as your quantity, a couple days before a race, I eat a 4 oz filet with some fried potatoes. Again, I have learned I have to pay more attention to chewing this even though it is a tender cut of meat. I think the mechanical aspect of our stomach just takes awhile to get back to full functionality.

I went for my four month followup last friday, and I was flat out told that if i'm eating more than half a cup of ANYthing at ANY meal....STOP. And that's like....forever. I can EASILY hold 6 or 8 oz of things that are not solid protein, so there is a real danger in failure. He gave me the half cup warning to keep a lid on things. I didn't think I'd be satisfied with only that much, but it seems to be working out. Sounds scary, but I think it's do-able and sensible. Something to aim for to stay on top of things. I don't know if that helps you or not....

My appetite goes back and forth on me as well. Some meals I feel like I could eat a full 5-6oz amount of food before I feel full, and other days I'm full at 3oz. I know my appetite opens up after doing longer, more strenuous exercise. I also get that slightly bloated, distended feeling around the intestinal area for a few days after. I'm still eating the good stuff -- lean meats, green veggies, skip the fats, the refined carbs. There is no weight gain, in fact mixing it up from higher caloric days to lower seems to help break minor stalls.

I wonder if when we eat "more" ounces the food is not digesting in the stomach enzymes enough before being pushed into the next stage? When food is not broken down enough, usually the intestines are unwilling or unable to grab all the nutrients and kind of wants to "get it out of here" faster.

I told my husband I needed his help, since he's usually with me for every meal to make sure I get back to measuring. I got to a point I could eyeball 2oz of chicken, fish, steak on the nose. Same with veggies, yogurt, etc. But when eating out, other sleevers in my support group have told me to ALWAYS get an empty plate and measure your food before you take one bite. The worst things to do is to split with someone or order a full entree and not portion out what you will eat right then and there. My weakness is that my husband will order say, a bento box. I eat 4 pieces of sashimi, some edamame, then I'll have a little chicken teriyaki...oh and a bite of salad, maybe one piece of the roll he ordered as well (rice picked off)....did I mention I had a few sips of miso Soup before?

Instead, I need to put what I SHOULD eat on a small plate and STICK TO IT without picking away at the box.

The other thing I had to get back to doing was food journaling. I got off about a month ago because I started to rotate the same meals, Snacks, etc. so much I practically had the numbers memorized and I got comfortable. However, I think it's a good reminder to journal the meals and snacks before their even eaten. That way I know when to stop. Fact is, my stomach is pretty satisfied with 2-4oz of food, or about 200 calories. It's the head hunger that kicks in after that. Not always bad, just remembering what it's like to be at a summer cookout, having fun, letting my guard down, distracted with conversation. Does that make sense?

Well, aside from maybe chewing better, I think it sounds like I did OK - it was def. under 3 oz, because it was just about that, precooked. The size of zuchinni was not enough to take it past a half cup of food - volume wise. Weight? meh - probably not either.

Good suggestions and reminders.

1: chew better

2: 1/2 cup by volume

3: measure before you eat while out!

Thanks everyone - and please - more omput from anyone who can. Thanks!

Wait! What's the zombie 5k?

3 oz of Protein plus some mushy veggie doesn't sound like too much to me, especially give that you are 5 1/2 months out. It sounds like you are doing great!

I'm in maintenace now, but I still sometimes go back to liquids if I feel like I'm falling off the wagon. After a couple of days of liquids only, my restriction always seems even tighter! (could be psychological, though... lol!)

I HAVE to ask - what is a zombie 5k? Is it as awesome as it sounds?

runforyourlives.com

zombie 5k obstacle course. You are literally chased by zombies - you can volunteer to be a zombie, too!..and I have friends who have already to been to a few, and they say it is awesome! There are events scheduled in several places, still!

Come run with me! lol.

I think you are doing great at five and a half months out. Ninety pounds in that time? You should be telling us what to do and what not to do.

I think what you ate was fine size-wise, and as long as your stomach didn't hurt after you ate it, then you didn't eat too much. I can eat maybe an ounce more, but I rarely do. I think it is possible that you may have been feeling some residual gas from something you ate that was giving you discomfort the next day.

Here's my view of things, but please remember that this is just my opinion for how I want to manage my weight loss. Everybody is different and will have different strategies for weight loss.

I choose not to weigh or measure or journal now that I'm past the initial six weeks. I do choose to eat healthy food, stay away from sugar and fried foods, and try to reduce carbs when I can. I eat Protein first and make it a lean protein. I am trying to live now the way I want to live for life. If I make this a "diet," knowing myself as I do, I will feel deprived, and the "diet" will end at some point. I've dieted so much in my life that I don't want to do it anymore. I just want to eat healthily. I put very small amounts of healthy food on my very small plate, and most times, I don't even finish it. And I'm good with that.

I honestly think that all of us will lose a tremendous amount of weight as we are only eating a fraction of what we used to eat. Adding exercise and making better choices about the food we eat will keep it off.

I wouldn't be worried about what you ate at all. Now if you said that you had reached for a bag of Cheetos, then I would probably tell you to resist that:-)