Am I stretching my sleeve?

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

I am two years post op and have maintained my goal weight for over a year. Around 18 months out, I could suddenly eat more. Prior, I could only eat 1/4-1/3 cup of food at one time. As of 18 months I could do 1/2-1 cup, depending on the food. salad, on the other hand, I can eat 2-3 cups at a time. Am I stretching my sleeve? Wouldn't I know if I was pushing the envelope?

[Georgia 2,908]

Nope, I don't believe you are "stretching" your sleeve. It is a natural occurrence with all of us Vets. And I think it is also because we are eating LOTS of different kinds of things too. If you went back to eating dense Protein FIRST, veggies 2nd and others last with no liquid, I'll bet you cant eat much more than at the beginning.

With that said, the sleeve does relax some and you will be able to eat more. That's where the "being a tool" part really comes into play and you have to make wise choices, find a maintenance plan that works for you and stick to it!

And yes, You WOULD know if you were overeating. If you are grazing, and snacking all day, of course, you will eat more also. You've dont great! Just continue to "follow your plan" and eat like you should within reason.

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

I still eat the dense Protein first. As a matter of fact, that is ALL I eat at a meal. I rarely eat 1-2 bites of a carb (pasta/rice/potato/whole wheat bread) Sometimes a half sandwich, maybe 1-2 times a month. I eat a salad, mid afternoon, because I get hungry, then and don't want to eat something high calorie. Yeah, as far as meat, my limit isn't much more than it used to be. But why can I eat so much salad in one sitting, without feeling overstuffed?

Edited February 5, 2014 by TheRealMeIsHere!

[PdxMan 4,292]

Try this experiment.

Take your salad and put it into a blender. Add 4 oz of Water and blend. Pour this into a measuring cup. Whatever is over the 4 oz mark is what your salad has been reduced to.

Salad has always been one of those things I can eat a good portion of because it does reduce well, whereas the dense Protein is pretty much already reduced to whatever it is going to be.

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

I was kind of thinking that the veggies are mostly Water and shrink down. Like how you can have a HUGE mound of raw spinach, but cook it and it's reduced down to maybe a quarter of what it started out as. It's just terrifying to see how much salad I can eat. But I guess, since the amount of meat I can eat is not huge, about 1/3 cup, then my sleeve isn't stretched?

Try this experiment.

Take your salad and put it into a blender. Add 4 oz of Water and blend. Pour this into a measuring cup. Whatever is over the 4 oz mark is what your salad has been reduced to.

Salad has always been one of those things I can eat a good portion of because it does reduce well, whereas the dense Protein is pretty much already reduced to whatever it is going to be.

Edited February 5, 2014 by TheRealMeIsHere!

[PdxMan 4,292]

That would be correct. Your sleeve is not stretched. My surgeon said I would have to put forth quite an effort to stretch my stomach and even if I could, it wouldn't stretch out to the size it was before.

I think you have merely discovered which foods slide down easier for you than others. I know the foods that I can eat more of and I ensure those are the last items I eat as I almost always follow the guideline of starting with my lean Protein first. When I do that, I feel the restriction. If I find ways to eat "around" the sleeve, then of course I can eat what appears to be a larger quantity.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

if we are under the impression that we cannot stretch the sleeve we are terribly mistaken. Actually it is not the stomach that stretches more then it is the entrance to the small intestine that causes a bulge and can let us consume more then we should...

Just because we can eat 2 cups of salad does not mean that we need to. Remember how much you were eating when you were losing and then to maintain it still was not a huge amount. We don't need to eat as much as we used to think we did...We watch other people and always wonder how they can eat that much. I know I do now..I now know I can live on so much less then I used to and i kinda get a kick out of it that I finally learned that....

Keeping to the original plan of Protein first then veggies, fruit and carbs will keep you there.....water too lots of Water..

You have done extremely well 2 years out and maintained for over a year...I so hope I have the same success as you girl! You rock!

I am not saying I don't enjoy a treat now and then, far be it for me to imply that I am strict with myself..But most of the time I stay on course, and have to the rest of my life to live and not become obese again...It sucks but that is the way it is....

My sleeve and this forum have taught me a lot about food and habits and mind games and so on.....It is a journey to follow the rest of our lives if we want to be successful....And we all do!!!!!!!

Edited February 6, 2014 by RJ'S/beginning

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

That would be correct. Your sleeve is not stretched. My surgeon said I would have to put forth quite an effort to stretch my stomach and even if I could, it wouldn't stretch out to the size it was before.

I think you have merely discovered which foods slide down easier for you than others. I know the foods that I can eat more of and I ensure those are the last items I eat as I almost always follow the guideline of starting with my lean Protein first. When I do that, I feel the restriction. If I find ways to eat "around" the sleeve, then of course I can eat what appears to be a larger quantity.

As far as meals, I eat only lean Protein about a 1/2 cup. Once or twice a month I may have 1/2 a sandwich on whole wheat. Once or twice a week I eat a bite or two of potato/pasta or rice. But my diet mainly consists of small amounts of lean/ff protein. In the afternoon I get hungry and enjoy the crunch of a salad with some red wine vinegar. I stay very close to the eating plan that my nut recommends. Until 18 months out, I was eating so little that she told me NO OTHER foods besides protein, until I am reaching my protein goals. Since then, the only thing I've changed is having a salad in the afternoon as opposed to an unhealthy, calorie laden snack. Thank you so much PdxMan and RJ for the helpful feedback.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I personally think a big salad is good. So is a big bowl of veggie soup! veggies, raw and cooked are so good for us. I started eating more veggies just as soon as I could find the room for them. I don't stuff them in, but I slow down and enjoy them in some quantity and variety. If I put some kind of Protein on the salad (I am a vegetarian) I eat that first...

[Fiddleman 4,376]

salad is one of those "free" foods given it is a healthy salad (your salad sounds healthy). There really should be no guilt towards eating larger quantities of salad. Eat away.

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

feedyoureye, you look AMAZING!!

Thank you Feedyoureye and Fiddleman, I really do enjoy sitting down to a large crunchy salad. I do add some lean Protein to it also. I knew it was a good option as far as calories and nutrition. I guess I was just alarmed that could fit so much. Don't want to do ANYTHING that could potentially cause 'fat me' to come back, LOL Especially don't want to stretch my sleeve, as I absolutely LOVE my tool.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

feedyoureye, you look AMAZING!!

Thank you Feedyoureye and Fiddleman, I really do enjoy sitting down to a large crunchy salad. I do add some lean Protein to it also. I knew it was a good option as far as calories and nutrition. I guess I was just alarmed that could fit so much. Don't want to do ANYTHING that could potentially cause 'fat me' to come back, LOL Especially don't want to stretch my sleeve, as I absolutely LOVE my tool.

Thanks!

I think making new habits that include big crunchy salads will help us stay on track! I personally like having a big bowl in front of me... I can't always eat it all, but it makes me feel normal. The stomach will relax and stretch a little over time, but filling it in with lots of veggies is a great way to stay on track... I think my stomach stopped getting bigger at around a year out. I had trouble with weight gain after that time... but filling it up with veggies, raw and cooked, helped me feel full without the calories.

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

my thoughts EXACTLY!

[BabySheldon 158]

salad is one of those "free" foods given it is a healthy salad (your salad sounds healthy). There really should be no guilt towards eating larger quantities of salad. Eat away.

Fiddleman, when is the best time to to test out eating salad? Im almost 8 weeks....i love it an miss it....also, when do most people begin eating leafy greens like cooked spinach and kale?

Thanks!

Shel

[TheRealMeIsHere! 863]

I wasn't allowed salad or anything that wasn't Protein, until I was reaching my Protein goals each day. That was about 18 months. I could not wait, I craved salad every day. My eating plan allowed salad and non starchy veggies around 6 wks post, IF I had been getting my protein.

Fiddleman, when is the best time to to test out eating salad? Im almost 8 weeks....i love it an miss it....also, when do most people begin eating leafy greens like cooked spinach and kale?

Thanks!

Shel