Fill doctor put the fear in me about food quantity! CONFUSED.

Constance · November 23, 2006

So I just went in for my second fill. The doctor wasn't my surgeon, but he was reccomended by some local bandsters. This time he asked how much I was eating at a sitting. Not having much restriction, and not knowing EXACTLY how much I eat, I said, "about a cup"

And he got really fired up and said "A CUP?! Your surgeon didn't give you any information about this? (mumbles something about MexicoYou should only have 1/4 cup of food. Go home, get a small dish that holds 1/4 cup and eat out of that. If you are eating a cup you will stretch your pouch or have food back up into the espophagus -- that can lead to complications, irritation ans even esophogeal cancer. If you eat a cup of food regularly you WILL lose your band."

I'm not exagerrating. He scared the sh!t out of me. At that point, I said, "Honestly, I feel like I've only really overeaten about 3 times and I've never PB'd." Then we went on with the fill.

Anyway, then I emailed the dietician at my surgeon's office. She said one cup at each meal was fine (?!) and that the real guide should be to eat 1/3 of what I used to eat.

This inconsistency makes me crazy! Can anyone shed some light on this? 2 surgeons, both competent and trustworthy, dispensing totally different advice on food quantities! What gives?

LapBandit · November 25, 2006

My surgeon doesn't believe that pouch stretching is a real threat unless you are just plain old stuffing yourself every day. I can eat 3 cups sometimes and he says that is just fine. Eat until satisfied, but not stuffed. Talk to your doc, though to be sure what is the best plan for you.

Jachut · November 25, 2006

I think you can only listen to your body. I've never been given a guideline about how much to eat at one time. Honestly, if you were eating so much that food was backing up your esophagus, dont you think you'd feel some discomfort? That's the whole point - you cant overeat to that extent or you'll PB. About a cup at a time seems to be what I can handle easily.

Shellybeans · November 26, 2006

My surgeon has told me to eat 1/2 cup at each meal. I was concerned that I was not getting enough food intake and he said to be sure to eat 4 to 5 times per day. So, with that I eat 1/2 cup or 4 ozs. 4 to 5 times per day and I feel complete satisfaction and never stuffed.

Marimaru · November 26, 2006

From what I've read, spending a good couple of years on various band forums, a cup/ cup and a half seems to be the real average that bandsters (who seem to be losing) are eating on a regular basis... A serving of meat is about 3 oz, which visually is about the size of a deck of cards, PLUS a half a cup of veggies, and them MAYBE some carbs/starches after that IF you have room.

No one can live on a quarter cup of food, whether it's 3 or 6 times a day.

Sunta · November 28, 2006

I routinely eat a cup at most meals, but occasionally eat a cup and a half. I've lost 65 lbs. so far and my surgeon says my food intake is fine. I don't think I could get by on 1/4 cup of food each meal! I want to be able to enjoy my life...

juliegeraci · November 28, 2006

My doctor said you can eat as little as a 1/4 cup or as much as a cup. I wouldn't let him scare you. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Good luck.

Persimmon · November 29, 2006

Any doctor telling you that you as a bandster should be eating 1/4-1/2 cup of food per meal has been improperly trained about banding. Period. That is from RNY protocols. Properly restricted bandsters eat between 1 to 1 1/2 cups per meal, get 50-60g Protein from solid foods, 1200-1500 cal/day, sensible healthy balanced diet.

Anyone feeling full on 1/4-1/2 cup meals is basically too tight which leads to banding complications. Banding is about sensible loss...attempting to starve it off with these instructions will put the body into starvation mode and make proper loss difficult if not impossible. The RNY confuses the body so that this is avoided during the initial honeymoon but that is not the case with bandsters.

Gah...doctors...they get no education in nutrition in med school then are too big of control freaks to deligate that patient education to the people who DO have the education.

Nancy

-156

bitteroldhag · December 1, 2006

I ate a slab of prime rib the other night and it felt fine. I also ate some baked potato with it to help it go down. I suspect I ate at least 1 1/2 to 2 cups of food. When I mentioned Protein Drink to my doctor, he said to eat beef. I can't eat in the morning and so I have a Protein drink. By about 2 p.m., I'm hungry so I eat some Soup. But in the evening, my band opens up and I can eat quite a lot. Unfortunately I haven't been losing lately, so I'm going to have to have my band fixed. I don't know whether to have it filled or unfilled. I was PBing a lot until I figured out that I should cut meat to the size of my index fingernail. That is working a lot better. But I have a lot of stress and that may be interfering with weight loss. I'm going to check out the cortisol problem and see if that is interfering.

Constance · December 1, 2006

At my local support group I met another woman who sees my fill doctor. (He was her surgeon.) She said he told her the same thing! She thinks it's crazy, too, and she is shooting for 1/3 - 1/2 cup of food at each meal.

The support group UNANIMOUSLY agreed that any less than a 1/2 cup 3x a day and you'll have a hard time meeting your nutritional needs.

I am debating even going back to him for fills now. How can he be so OFF in his nutritional reccomendations? It makes me question his entire approach to banding. I know he did RNY way before he did banding -- but that's no excuse. I am paying this guy to care for me. He needs to get his facts straight!