[fr1endly2]

Most people will eat what's put in front of them, stopping or slowing down only when a bowl is almost empty or when most of the food on their plate is gone. Hunger doesn't enter into it.

The stomach has three settings: 'I'm stuffed', 'I'm full but I could eat more', and 'I'm starving'. Your goal is to recognize when you are full and not eat more. Don't rely on the amount of food left on your plate to signal when you're full. To fool your eye use a small plate, put down your fork between bites, savor the food, wait for the feeling of fullness and stop when satisfied. Even when portions are small, you don't have to clean your plate!

[DocSanae]

Kinda half off topic, half on topic, but there was an interesting experiment on TV a while back related to feeling full.
This was someone with a normal stomach, so this is how things would have been for you, pre op.
The participant was allowed to eat until he was feeling stuffed. He then had a contrast x-ray study (barium study) of his stomach done. Of course, the x-ray showed him full to the hilt. Then a plate of his favorite food was put before him. Lo and behold, his stomach suddenly started churning madly, and made space for the food in almost no time at all!!!

So, even if it is a pouch you have, and it is not the same as an unoperated stomach, STOP COMPLETELY when you feel full. Don't even try to pick up the fork because you don't want left overs on your plate, you are most likely going to be able to polish it off, even if you are full.

[LittleLisaMarie]

This is very true Lisa, i think it goes back into our childhoods. Remember mom saying "YOU BETTER EAT ALL YOUR FOOD" or "DONT YOU WASTE FOOD, THERE ARE STARVING KIDS IN THIS WORLD" things like that have trained us to finish everything on our plates. Or as an Italian i can relate to going to grandmas house and FOOD=LOVE...she would find the biggest plate possible and load it with chicken sauce and spagetti.....lol....

I try really hard not to do that to my children. I dont force then to sit at the dinner table at dinner time if they are not hungry. If they say they are not hungry i wrap up a plate and give it to them when they are hungry , therefore they are learing you dont have to eat because "its dinner time" but you eat when your hungry. I am hoping that i am instilling better eating in my children then i had growing up. Having this surgery helps me help them make the better choices. I keep healthier snacks around and give them more well rounded meals. They are getting used to it...

Good post Lisa.

LittleLisaMarie

[fr1endly2]

YEAH my mom taught to finish everything on the plate thing!!!!!!
EEEKS

[Kat]

Does anyone have days where they can eat LOTS of food and others where they aren't into eating? What's up with that?

[mike]

That is so very true. My grandmother was like that. She had the saying, "THE FIRST IS GOOD, THE LAST IS GOOD TO." Thank god that my dad, when we ate at my grandmother's house, only sat in the front room. He usually got our leftovers. lol Not that he ever has has a weight problem, for the record. It is very hard to do that, depending on what is on your plate, but is necessary to aquire that habit for long term success. I am doing well with it, though. I believe I have mentioned this in other posts before, but if I haven't here it goes again. I have already felt full, and had food in my mouth. I wouldn't swallow it, and I went to the garbage and spit it out. Kinda gross, but I feel that I am learning how to deal with not overeating, and it is working for me. I have a question for Doc or whoever though. Not that I am worried, because I am not, but I am curious. How do you know if you are stretching out your pouch, slowly, because of overeating? Like I said, I don't feel I am doing this, but am very curious. I understand that a person would know if they are really eating alot of food at one time, but is that the only way you would be able to tell? JUST CURIOUS.
mike