Stomach stretching

[Kindle 8,667]

I think lipstick lady described the thread progression exactly. For us "oldies", we've read dozens (maybe hundreds) of posts from newbies asking if it's OK that they ate "X" too soon postop. The answer is usually no. If it was OK they wouldn't be asking. They know it's wrong, but here they are, looking for justification. So yet again, here's a newbie asking if it's OK that they are grazing on high carb foods just 2 months postop.

My response was based on the limited info in the OP and seeing how that type of behavior has led to WLS failure in so many others. It's not so much what was eaten as how quickly so many return to behaviors that led to their obesity in the first place. And Guess what....the results will be the same.

Unfortunately for the more sensitive strangers on here, I am not a cuddler, either online or in real life. My friends and I are mature enough to handle blunt, honest comments when one of us is doing something stupid or when asking for advice. I keep forgetting the vast majority of the rest of the world is into handholding and being politically correct.

But then again, I passed my goal weight almost 2 years ago, lost 115% of my excess weight and kept it off, so what the hell do I know about it what it takes to be successful anyways?

[sharonintx 1,275]

I love Subway sandwiches. At 3 years out I can eat 2/3 of a 6" on white bread with the top half of the bread removed. I just get the meat, cheese, and some pickles and olives. About an hour later I can go back and eat the remaining 1/3 with no problem. Recently I ate the whole bottom half of this same sandwich. I was quite full but not to the point of being sick. It was the first thing I'd eaten that day so I was pretty hungry.

The joke was on me because that night about 2 am I had an awful heartburn attack. Like no other. I had to get up out of bed just to breathe and it was very hard to catch my breath. Kind of scary really. I won't make that mistake again.

Don't worry too much about replies that come across as rude. It happens frequently. For the most part they mean well.

I eat anything I choose, do not restrict carbs, sugar, fat, or anything else. I have not gained weight back like they told me I would, did not stretch my sleeve after a year and need a revision like they said I would, and I am quite healthy. Not to mention that compared to the piggie I used to be - I look darn good.

Just take the replies that you find helpful and discard the rest - you know - don't even bother getting mad or offended. It's not worth your time. Everyone here is really pretty nice even if at times the replies sound self-righteous and rude.

[CelesteMarie 129]

Kindle what the hell do you know about WLS? 3 1/2 years out and only dropped 115% of your weight and kept it off? You have no right to advise anyone. Who do you think you are? Lol. Just wanted to lighten it up a bit. Thanks for your dedication. Sanju just isn't used to your bluntness, but now he knows. We newbies have to learn and if we ask, it's usually because we want a little justification I guess. Not always, but for me anyway.

Good things come to good people.

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

Sanju,

Your dietary needs may be a little different than most based upon your athleticism and medical history.

Eating Protein first is very important, then vegetables and carbs last. We do need a balance of proper nutrition and shouldn't totally eliminate carbs; we need to have balanced nutrition for our metabolism.

Work with your nutritionist for what is best for YOUR dietary needs. You also will require more calories than a person who is a lot smaller than you and less active.

Can you try to eat a little slower (make the meal last 20 minutes so it registers that you reached fullness) and chew each small piece many times.

Also, maybe have a side salad with the 1/2 a sandwich? If necessary, eat the other 1/2 a few hours later.

Shoot for at least 80g of good quality, lean Protein a day.

I am not going to take sides or clarify people's comments. But many times people's comments are meant in a positive way, even in the form of tough love. Without face to face communication with facial expressions and vocal tones, replies are sometimes misinterpreted; other times they are about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

[Micoxv 276]

So... if I may ask... @Sanju, how many calories are you taking in every day?

I am 11 weeks out now (today!) and I take about 1200-1300 cals daily with an average of 120 g of carbs, from which very little are coming from bread or potatoes (rice and Pasta are not my friend). I eat about 130- 140 g of Proteins.

I am not a wrestler (I have done many years of Judo though) but I work out 5-6 days a week for 1 h 30, cardio and weight lifting.

I could eat the sandwich you ate. The difference is that I would have stopped at the first full signal and kept the other part for dinner or lunch next day.
You don´t have to finish your meal / sandwich. This is not going to stretch your sleeve, but it is just again its purpose.

[sanjumelts 170]

Thanks for the answer guys, back to giving this lecture!

If anyone is interested in sitting in on a college level comp sci/logic theory course I teach and is in the nyc area, message me!

Best,

Sanju

Oh! Is this where we get to list our educational/professional credentials? Is that akin to whipping it out and measuring? How fun! I call front row view!!

What are you talking about? I mentioned earlier that I was working on lecture. An invitation to class is just that.

And while we are playing that game, no thank you, students earn an A in my class. Sitting in the front for a closer look at it won't help you through this one honey.

Best,

Sanju

[sanjumelts 170]

So... if I may ask... @Sanju, how many calories are you taking in every day?

I am 11 weeks out now (today!) and I take about 1200-1300 cals daily with an average of 120 g of carbs, from which very little are coming from bread or potatoes (rice and Pasta are not my friend). I eat about 130- 140 g of Proteins.

I am not a wrestler (I have done many years of Judo though) but I work out 5-6 days a week for 1 h 30, cardio and weight lifting.

I could eat the sandwich you ate. The difference is that I would have stopped at the first full signal and kept the other part for dinner or lunch next day.

You don´t have to finish your meal / sandwich. This is not going to stretch your sleeve, but it is just again its purpose.

I'm eating about 600-800 calories a day. Some days it's about 80-85g of protien and few carbs and other days it's 65-70g of protien with 40-60 carbs.

I've lost 57 pounds in the last 2 months. I will have to see what weight class I will be wrestling in once all of this settles.

Good luck to you!

Best,

Sanju

[Micoxv 276]

So... if I may ask... @Sanju, how many calories are you taking in every day?

I am 11 weeks out now (today!) and I take about 1200-1300 cals daily with an average of 120 g of carbs, from which very little are coming from bread or potatoes (rice and Pasta are not my friend). I eat about 130- 140 g of Proteins.

I am not a wrestler (I have done many years of Judo though) but I work out 5-6 days a week for 1 h 30, cardio and weight lifting.

I could eat the sandwich you ate. The difference is that I would have stopped at the first full signal and kept the other part for dinner or lunch next day.

You don´t have to finish your meal / sandwich. This is not going to stretch your sleeve, but it is just again its purpose.

I'm eating about 600-800 calories a day. Some days it's about 80-85g of protien and few carbs and other days it's 65-70g of protien with 40-60 carbs.

I've lost 57 pounds in the last 2 months. I will have to see what weight class I will be wrestling in once all of this settles.

Good luck to you!

Best,

Sanju

57 pounds in 2 months, wow, that is not bad at all!

I am curious to hear about the weight class too once you get to onederland. If you keep your muscle mass, you will end up having a serious advantage with the other guys. I had to increase my calories as I was feeling tired and I noticed I was losing muscle. Now I keep losing but in a slower way and I start to see the benefits of working out.

good luck to you too!

[Micoxv 276]

I hate my browser sometimes...

What I wanted to say:

57 pounds in 2 months, wow, that is not bad at all!

I am curious to hear about the weight class too once you get to onederland. If you keep your muscle mass, you will end up having a serious advantage with the other guys. I had to increase my calories as I was feeling tired and I noticed I was losing muscle. Now I keep losing but in a slower way and I start to see the benefits of working out.

good luck to you too!

[provenzee 262]

I do think some of the responses on this were unnecessarily rude, but that is just my opinion. It is an Internet forum, and people tend to talk much more bluntly than they would if they were in person.

Regardless, people always get shamed when they ask these types of questions, when all they wanted was an answer. In this case, I feel like the question was "is it normal I can eat this much, and did I do any damage?" But instead of others responding with things like "I couldn't eat that much, and maybe you did some damage" they act like the OP personally offended them somehow, and begin to attack.

If he wants to eat a flatbread, he can eat a flatbread! This is his journey, not yours! Maybe his doctor allows him to eat more carbs than yours?!

Anyway to answer the original question- some days it feels like I can eat more than others too. You did take a break in between, which means some food digested and you were able to eat more. A six inch flatbread from subway is made up of a flatbread (which is a "slider food") and probably three slices of turkey/ham or whatever you got on it. It is not Protein dense and therefore goes down easier. If you were to weigh it on a scale, it would probably only be 5-6 ounces. Think of it this way - before the surgery you would have been able to eat the whole footlong...at least your sleeve stopped you at half! Pre op, I know I would've eaten a footlong and a bag of chips and a sugary soda and not been full! Everyone makes mistakes, don't be discouraged because people on here act like they know everything about how much and what you should be eating :-)

[Christinamo7 4,041]

I do think some of the responses on this were unnecessarily rude, but that is just my opinion. It is an Internet forum, and people tend to talk much more bluntly than they would if they were in person.

Regardless, people always get shamed when they ask these types of questions, when all they wanted was an answer. In this case, I feel like the question was "is it normal I can eat this much, and did I do any damage?" But instead of others responding with things like "I couldn't eat that much, and maybe you did some damage" they act like the OP personally offended them somehow, and begin to attack.

If he wants to eat a flatbread, he can eat a flatbread! This is his journey, not yours! Maybe his doctor allows him to eat more carbs than yours?!

Anyway to answer the original question- some days it feels like I can eat more than others too. You did take a break in between, which means some food digested and you were able to eat more. A six inch flatbread from subway is made up of a flatbread (which is a "slider food") and probably three slices of turkey/ham or whatever you got on it. It is not Protein dense and therefore goes down easier. If you were to weigh it on a scale, it would probably only be 5-6 ounces. Think of it this way - before the surgery you would have been able to eat the whole footlong...at least your sleeve stopped you at half! Pre op, I know I would've eaten a footlong and a bag of chips and a sugary soda and not been full! Everyone makes mistakes, don't be discouraged because people on here act like they know everything about how much and what you should be eating :-)

I disagree with the part where you say "all they wanted was an answer" MOST of these types of questions they do not want just an answer they want a certain answer. and get rude if anyone gives them any other answer. I am undecided if this is the case with the OP in this particular thread.

I would say the vast majority of the time posts like this only want justification -

[jess9395 5,448]

@sanju I know everyone's plans are different so I am asking... Is 65-70g of Protein enough on your plan for your size/muscle mass/activity level? I ask because I am a 135lb woman who runs and does yoga, not even serious lifting--and my Protein requirements are at least 80 and preferably 90-100g per day.

Whatever your plan says about carbs, make sure you get in enough protein FIRST so you don't lose muscle mass!

Good luck!

[BarrySue 602]

Oh goody! Is this the thread where the newbie comes in and asks a question and then gets all huffy when they don't like the answer?

Babbs, your posts give me life.

This forum should not be an infinite plane of eggshells we tiptoe over. It is absolutely a place of support, and sometimes, reality checks and doses of humility are supportive. I think there is great value in having people check you on your bad habits, not just when they are diet-related, but when they are behavior-related too.

Asking for validation mislabeled as advice, or demanding that opinions be bubble-wrapped and lukewarm so as not to appear judgmental or finger-wagging? Believe it or not, demanding these kinds of emotional cushions likely play a bigger role in your weight loss struggle than you'd like to think.

food is comfort and self protection. So is demanding others pull their punches when you ask for advice. Both can be destructive, and neither really helps you in the long run.

P.S. Slapping the "bully" or "shame" label onto anything that makes you feel uncomfortable does nothing but shut down honest discourse and let you swallow down moral superiority like a deep-fried carb. Don't do it.

**Edit: I know the convo has moved on, but I still wanted to address some earlier points. Back to your regularly programmed macronutrient tallies

Edited June 7, 2016 by BarrySue

[4MRB4PHOTO 3,899]

...P.S. Slapping the "bully" or "shame" label onto anything that makes you feel uncomfortable does nothing but shut down honest discourse and let you swallow down moral superiority like a deep-fried carb. Don't do it....

What "whine" goes best with deep fried moral superiority?

[BarrySue 602]

What "whine" goes best with deep fried moral superiority?

Something bitter that hasn't quite aged enough yet. Vintage 2016, perhaps?