I am 1 year and 3 months out and am wondering is it normal for the pouch to stretch and how much should I be able to eat at this point. I feel like I can eat more but should i? Also, is there a picture to see what our stomach (pouch) looks like now.

How usual is it that the stomach would stretch to a very large size and is that what causes weight gain and if not what causes weight gain after surgery.

Thanks, Irelandgrl

My understanding from reading about this is that yes, the pouch does stretch slightly over time. I have heard that this is one of the reasons why RNY patients often eventually gain back some of the weight that was initially lost.

I asked my nutricianist that question and she said that the cause of weight gain after surgery was grazing.

I agree the cause of weight gain is not the size of your stomach, it is what you are eating and of course grazing could contribute to this.

my surgeon said that, too - the #1 reason people gain weight is noncompliance (grazing, not eating Protein first, not waiting a half hour after eating to drink, etc)

I just asked my nutritionist yesterday, I am 10 months out and within 5 lbs of my goal. She said calories wise 650 - 1000, half should be protein from whole food, the rest split between carbs and fat. My surgeon told me earlier that it is actually pretty difficult to stretch your pouch, if you go back to the eating habits you were taught (hopefully) during the time of your surgery you should be able to lose it pretty easily.

I keep my meals under 3oz and no grazing at all... I eat protein first and stop when I start to feel full... Then wait 30 to 35 mins to have a drink after I eat. I say just follow the rules and you will experience a good life with your new pouch.

From someone who knows: Yes, over eating WILL stretch the pouch. It will stretch over time anyway and if you keep doing it, by grazing or over eating at a meal, it can and will stretch more. Yes, you can eat more, but the hope is that you've learned to eat only what you need; which is less than what we ate before. But if you're silly, like me, you over eat and end up having a revision. It's a tool; not a cure.

An upper GI will show the pouch size, as would an endoscopy. You'd have to have a medical reason and Dr. order for either of these and it wouldn't be done solely to see the size.

I have learned that I can't expect weight loss results when eating for maintenance rather than weight loss (including carbs in my diet). Increasing fitness can help. Going back on Protein shakes (at the direction of my surgeon) for two weeks also really helped shrink things back.