Today is my first day of foods (ie- cottage cheese, grits, oatmeal, and mashed potatoes)... I tried a shot glass sized portion of grits earlier and ate until I was semi- "full". A few hours later, I was hungry again.... Is this normal? What steps are people taking to maintain that full feeling as to not stretch your pouch? Am I doing anything wrong?

I don't think you are doing anything wrong. Only thing is to eat your protein first. Make sure you get all your protein and liquids first. Helps you stay healthy and recover fully. They had me eat small amounts every 3 hours.

Good luck on your journey.

Thank you! Maybe I have a misunderstanding... Every 3 hrs I will try! I have been very good with my fluid intake, slacking with the protein drinks, but my surgeon/doctor says they do not want us on the protein shakes for long. 2 weeks max-- it leads to us drinking our calories.

I had the same problem with grits. You almost have to make them so stiff, which may not be good for you right now.

What worked best for you? Are instant potatoes ok to have? Or should we be peeling a potato and mashing?

Be very very careful about carbs!!! They increase hunger and lead to more cravings for... Carbs!!! Protein is your best friend and should be 80-90% of your diet. It will keep you full and not increase your cravings.

At this point eggs and cheese and low sugar yogurt are what you ought to be eating. I'm not a nutritionist of course but speaking from experience you don't want to be eating a lot of carb based foods!!