OK, so for dinner I had an Amy's Light entree that was 8oz. There wasn't a whole lot to it and I never ran into my restriction. I've eaten 5oz Entrees that I could not finish.

SO, when my NUT says that my pouch currently holds 4-6oz and that I should Aim for about 5oz, I assume that she is speaking about VOLUME, the space that 5oz of food takes up, and not the 8oz entree I ate which is a measurement of WEIGHT.

So how the hell am I to measure my meals. If the box is by weight, and my stomach is by volume and I am eating to satiety, then is this all just a guessing game? I eat slow so I know when to stop, but this particular entree never got me "full" which is a GOOD thing.

Is there something I'm missing or am I on the right track? Some days I can eat a whole (small) lean cuisine, most days I split it into two mini meals and stay within my caloric guidelines.

For those of you who know my posts, YES, this, is directly tired into my all consuming fear of stretching my pouch even though I am losing weight and progressing well.

UGH

Yes, you have discovered the great mystery of being sleeved! I have figured out that it depends on how Protein dense the food is as to how full I will feel. I can also eat most of a lean cuisine meal, but they have a lot of carbs (Pasta or rice) and seem to "slide" through my sleeve a bit faster. The other day I had half a chicken breast and I was full for hours! That was 100% protein. That is the only rational I have come up with so far. I decided to stop obsessing over the fear of stretching out my sleeve and just focus on the overall volume and protein density of the foods am eating (of course staying within my allotted calories too!) I hope this helps!

Dense protein only you will be fuller longer on less. Meaning if you eat 5 ounces of protein you will be fuller longer than if you are eating a lean cuisine that presumably has veggies and lots of carb in it(pasta/rice). I would try and stay away from all processed and packaged foods stick with pure protein sources; chicken, turkey, fish, cottage cheese, eggs, beef, tofu and so on.

To be a little more blunt about it if you are told eat 5oz of food don’t eat 8oz.

It doesn’t matter if you can because its not as dense - don’t.

You are given a set food amount for several reasons.

1. to not stretch the stomach at all by over stuffing it.
2. to keep meals small and you losing weight
3. to retrain your brain to recognise the real full signals we all ate past long long ago and not go by the bloated feeling which we all think is full.

Look at it this way: 8 oz weight is roughly equivalent to 8oz volume (8oz vol = 8oz weight in water!). What happens is 8oz weight can take up more space if it's not densely packed! It sounds like some of the food in the dinner acted like a liquid and slid down easily, and that's not something you want. Do you have some little "pinch" bowls or ingredient prep bowls ... Or even a measuring cup? You can divide out 4 oz (a half cup) easily enough!

the best thing would be to eat a few bites less. Then there is no fear of the pouch stretching.

Truely is perplexing...that's gotta be the main reason our surgeons stress good protien..its a completely different "full" that lasts longer and comes faster...and nourishes our shrinking bodies better...Id say stick to basics if you are really afraid of stretching..theres usually no question about it or missing restriction if you eat a nice piece of salmon or boiled egg and Turkey sausage you will definitely feel that "squeeze"..carbs are the devil my friend!! Stay away from those as part of your main entrees anyway! Enjoy your weekend!

I ate lean cuisines for 10 years at lunch and kept gaining. Dinner was vegetables. Nevermore. No more pasta/rice/noodles. I am dead serious about this surgery and my results.

Harlem, I know you are busy and need quick meals, but those frozen diet entrees are not going to keep you satisfied. You need 3-5 oz of firm protein, like chicken or beef or pork or fish. After you've eaten that, then try some vegs and after the vegs, then a couple of bites of carbs. I think you will be a lot happier if you try this. There are lots of frozen quick meats, like meatballs, grilled chicken, shrimp, etc. give it a try and let us know how you do. You've done so well, but i just get the feeling that you are not feeling satisfied with your meals. If you aren't happy with what you are eating, it's easy to slide back into old habits.

I always eat until a I am full. Not uncomfortable, but full and satisfied. It doesn't take that much, but I never weigh it.

Harlem, I know you are busy and need quick meals, but those frozen diet entrees are not going to keep you satisfied. You need 3-5 oz of firm protein, like chicken or beef or pork or fish. After you've eaten that, then try some vegs and after the vegs, then a couple of bites of carbs. I think you will be a lot happier if you try this. There are lots of frozen quick meats, like meatballs, grilled chicken, shrimp, etc. give it a try and let us know how you do. You've done so well, but i just get the feeling that you are not feeling satisfied with your meals. If you aren't happy with what you are eating, it's easy to slide back into old habits.

I agree with this suggestion for quick meals. Don't overlook the deli section of your grocery store also. You can find grilled chicken, grilled fajita meat, nitrite-free ham and turkey, cheese cubes, etc. Denser, more-filling things not packed with carbs and calories. I buy lots of packs of the fajita meat, portion it out, and freeze the portion in freezer bags. It can be stored that way for a good while, and it's lunch bag ready.

I ate lean cuisines for 10 years at lunch and kept gaining. dinner was vegetables. Nevermore. No more pasta/rice/noodles. I am dead serious about this surgery and my results.

I know that's right! Sounds just like me... trying to "balance" things out I would eat lean cuisines, healthy choice and weight watcher meals ( several times a week) thinking that I was "cutting" calories. When you look at the sodium content on the nutrition label...some of them have like over 500 mg of sodium..doesn't sound like a lot but when you eat 3 or 4 of those a week it can add up.. about 1,200 mg of sodium equals about 1/2 teaspoon. For someone like me with hypertension that is a serious no-no.

In all of my years of dieting the only thing that truly worked for me is cutting carbs. When I force my body to use Protein for energy instead of carbs... I lose quickly. Combining the sleeve with a primarily low carb way of eating to me is a perfect combination for weight loss.

I ate lean cuisines for 10 years at lunch and kept gaining. dinner was vegetables. Nevermore. No more pasta/rice/noodles. I am dead serious about this surgery and my results.

I know that's right! Sounds just like me... trying to "balance" things out I would eat lean cuisines, healthy choice and weight watcher meals ( several times a week) thinking that I was "cutting" calories. When you look at the sodium content on the nutrition label...some of them have like over 500 mg of sodium..doesn't sound like a lot but when you eat 3 or 4 of those a week it can add up.. about 1,200 mg of sodium equals about 1/2 teaspoon. For someone like me with hypertension that is a serious no-no.

In all of my years of dieting the only thing that truly worked for me is cutting carbs. When I force my body to use Protein for energy instead of carbs... I lose quickly. Combining the sleeve with a primarily low carb way of eating to me is a perfect combination for weight loss.

Probably why I ended up on 2 blood pressure meds. I rejoined Weight Watcher's 2 years ago (for the 400th time), and they endorsed the ?2 points Healthy Choice Soup. I had that soup at least 6 times that week and lost no weight. The SODIUM in the soup...... You all are a lot younger than me and please pay attention to the sodium content which I never did in my life until now. Your health depends on it.