restriction or overeating?

Hi all,

I will do my best to describe this. Hope it makes sense...

I am 21 days post op and doing purees/soft foods. I recently have started to feel veeery stuffed as I eat. I know I am still going too fast and am working on that. I can eat 2-4 oz depending on the food. But, I am not sure of what my body signals are: I am eating. I start to feel full quickly. I try to stop as soon as I feel it. Now, is that restriction I feel, or have I already overate at that point? Its like, take a few bites, feel stuffed. Did I take too many bites, or is this my new normal feeling?

I can take a few more bites and then I feel what I like to call "Thanksgiving dinner full" where I can literally feel the food right up to the top. Is this the point of restriction or is this overeating at this point?

Only once have I over done it past this point and made myself nauseous,  but not fully sick. That, obviously is too much.

I am sure this sounds ridiculous, but I still am trying to figure out the new me..So, what does restriction vs overeating feel like to you? How do you know when to stop? (What signals does your body give, etc)

Sounds like to much to fast.....

The key is to take around 20 minutes to eat.... eat slow and slower as go...

At 6 weeks I was eating a half of a scrambled egg.

Restriction and over eating in this description sound one of the same.

Not ridiculous at all... It's best at this point (3 weeks) to keep the food very wet and it's OK to extend more liquid type foods.

Your staple line is still not healed completely and you don't want to put pressure on it (stuffed).

Take it slow and eat by measurement.... not by feeling and try to under eat your capacity.

Your still very early out.... it takes a while to get used to...

frisco

Thank you for your input,  Frisco. I think you are definetly right about too much/too fast.  I actually thought about using a timer to pace myself-pretty sure I will have to try that. Now that I am analyzing it, I am pretty sure I am taking too vig of a single bit, too. I've been fortunate to be someone who hasnt felt pain when eating and I think I mentally have been rushing it (pace, amount, and bit size). Thanks again for your feedback-I really value your input!

Pretty much what Frisco just said.  At this point it's not wise to eat to the point where you "feel full" because that can be dangerous territory.  Measure your food, limit it to a couple ounces at the most and take your time in eating it.  

Signals that I got early on:  hiccups, burping, runny nose, sneezing....all were signs that I had reached "done" or maybe even gone beyond that.  You want to stop before that point.  

You'll figure it out - good question though! 

Tracy, thank you so much for your advice! I know know it is probably too much, too fast. I know I have been pushing it and I need to pull it back, for sure. Your and Frisco's answer have confirmed it for me. Now that I know that full feeling is my sign of overeating (I never got the symptoms you described, but maybe I have other pre-full indicators I am missing because I go too fast) and not restriction, I know I will need to try to stop before I hit that point, rather than once I actually feel it. Thank you so much for responding; I really appreciate  your advice :)

It took me several months to figure out when to stop without really thinking about it all the time.  Now that I am several months out, I know that I cannot eat more than a certain amount and if I do not know for sure I get the "warning hiccup."  If I eat one bite past that I am going to have that Thanksgiving full as you call it.  Good description by the way!  You will figure out your warning sign soon.  Meanwhile, I agree with everyone else to undereat your sleeve and eat slowly.  That was the hardest part for me.  Good luck!