I realize that we are to eat very slowly in a 30 minute time frame and never eat more than we feel comfortable with. But what should that look like? More like 2 tablespoons or 1/4 cup?

Week 3

Thanks.

my doctor/nut said 2-4 oz in 30 minutes

At that stage I could manage 3oz absolute max.

At 3 weeks all i could manage was about 1/4 cup.

1/4 cup is perfect for me with things like refried beans, chili, and egg salad. I can almost get 1/2 of cottage cheese and yogurt in. It's still hard for me to tell if and when I'm full so I have to measure so I don't get that over full feeling.

I erred on the side of 2 oz. As we are healing, our stomachs are really very sensitive to a variety of things. Not only do we have a huge incision, sutures and staples holding our tummy together, we may be more sensitive to foods than we are aware of, and this all can cause our stomach to swell, in a way that is similar to inflammation in our sinuses, or tissue swelling around a deep cut. Taking it real slow can prevent some really uncomfortable moments. I have ate about 4 oz. before, been fine, next time my tummy swelled on me, and where I could hold the 4 oz. to begin with, now I had about a 3 oz. stomach. Very uncomfortable. Staying on the lower range helped me avoid that.

At 14 months out this is no longer the issue it was, but it does occur sometimes.

PS – I think that happens to us more often than realized. It is a good argument for keeping a food journal/body reaction journal for a long time – and keep foods simple, shy away from a lot of ingredients, it will help pinpoint the foods that are irritating your new little tummy.