[BOOTS]

Of Course Right Now Alot Of Us Dont Have That Much Of An Appetite And When We Eat We Really Cant Consume Much At All.

Well My Question Is For The Future. I Hear You Usually Start Getting That Hungry Feeling Back And Of Course You Can Fit A Bit More In Your Pouch. So This Is When We Put Our Pouch (tool) To Work. But I Dont Understand That. When The Honeymoon Is Over How Do We Use The Pouch As A Tool If We Are Hungry And Can Fit More. How Does This Work For Later On? Because Right Now Its Pretty Easy With No To Very Little Appetite And Not Being Able To Fit Much In Me.

[Kenyar]

thats a good question. i've been thinking too. right now this is very easy. i think the idea is while we are losing to learn how to eat right and what not because later on we wont lose like this. i think this is just to get us to a point where we can manage on our own. i would be interested to hear what some of the old timers and doc have to say. im NERVOUS about the future...

[Kenyar]

i mean, i guess it will still be small? but WHAT we put in it will matter so much more the further out we get...i think. im not sure though.

[BOOTS]

See Thats The Prob With Me. I Had Educated Myself Years Ago About Reading Labels And What Food Groups I Should Be Eating Etc. The Prob With Me Was I Just Didnt Follow It, I Was Hungry And Out Of Control And Just Ate What I Wanted Even Though I Knew I Wasnt Suppose To.

[BOOTS]

I Was Always Hungry!!! And Ate Because Of It

[Kenyar]

i was the exact opposite lol. never read a thing and ate just because it was there. i dont think i even know what hunger feels like...

[BOOTS]

Hopefully This Time Out I Will Do Whats Right And Be Addicted To This Way Of Life Im Living Now Which Is Eating Right. In A Way I Think I Might Do Right In Some Ways Because Im Scared Of Dumping Or Food Getting Stuck.

[BOOTS]

One Thng I Know There Is No Way I Will Be Able To Consume What I Used To Even When My Pouch Gets A Little Bigger Later On.

[Kenyar]

i dunno,im curious to see how i do further out. im not scared anymore...so i push the limits all the time. i know its bad too. but i still do it. which in tunr makes me nervous. because i'll prbably eat things im not supposed to futher out, things that i know im not supposed to...and then gain all of this back. UGH. i dont want to think about it

[DocSanae]

Well, not to scare you, but even with a small pouch, you can learn to graze, and graze on small volume high fat high calorie stuff (like chocolates) and gain what you lost back.

That said, use your pouch wisely and you won't gain what you lost.
What you are to do with your pouch now, is learn to make good food choices, and also learn to eat in moderation.

Now, the surgery not only makes you able to eat a small amount at one time and be satisfied, but some of the nerve routing for feeling the raging type of hunger that a lot of you had pre-op is changed, and you don't feel that hungry.
In other words, Edie, you can put your reading the labels and knowing what is good for you to use now, and make it work. While you are finding that you can't stand some kinds of food, experiment, and find something that is both good for your body, and tastes well. Develope your sense of taste so good food will taste good to you.
Right now, when you say this or that doesn't taste good, part of that comes from your past memory of what you *thought* was good. Think of this as a chance to try out entirely new stuff, things that you know are nutritionally good for you, but didn't feel like it up to now, and learn to like it. Don't give up on something because it tastes bad the first time around. Change sauces, methods of cooking etc and experiment.

Keep in mind that your pouch is not a *diet*. Learn pouch hunger and pouch fullness, and make wise food choices, and that will let you eat only in moderation, prevent the kind of raging hunger that led you to eat no matter what. That is how you work your pouch once you are at goal.