Started 5 day pouch test 3/11/13

Had protein shake, water and coffee so far.

Great. Keep us posted.

May I ask why you are doing the five day pouch test? It's not the healthiest approach, in and of itself, of getting back on track.

I wanted to ensure I had control over my pouch. I have gained some weight and afraid I have stretched it.

Yeah, see, probably not so much. But if you might indulge me a counter proposal to what you just said.

Pouch stretching: It's REALLY hard to truly stretch your pouch and if you did, no supposed pouch test is going to fix it. To know if you really did stretch your pouch requires a medical test (usually a barium swallow) and follow up care to address it. More likely is that you've reached a point where your capacity to eat has increased, which is supposed to happen as you get further out from surgery. We are not meant to eat the tiny portions we ate immediately post-op forever. At a few years out your plate of food shouldn't look that much different from a healthy eater who has not had surgery. But if you truly feel you've stretched your pouch, you need to call your surgeon, not do the five-day pouch test.

Control over your pouch: I've never quite understood how doing protein shakes helps you regain control of your pouch. If you are overeating it has nothing to do with your anatomy (except in cases when it does...in which case the ONLY way to diagnose that is by seeing your surgeon!). Most of the time overeating is a function of the HEAD. I also don't see how the "pouch test" addresses (in any effective way) the reason you are overeating. Are you seeking counseling along with doing this? Keeping a journal? Doing any other thing to examine the WHY of feeling your pouch is not in your control? 

It's easy to get scared by your ability to eat more. But honestly the healthiest approach to long-term success is making a plan for healthy (and varied) eating and learning to come back to THAT plan when you've fallen off track. The five-day pouch test is a fad diet for WLS people. If you go to forums where people have done this you'll find they keep doing it every few weeks. Why? Because it's basically a band-aid. It doesn't fix the wound, it just sort of covers it up.

If I were you I'd make an appointment with your surgeon and nutritionist and discuss your concerns with them. Then go with what they say to do. I hate to be blunt, but if we were our own best advisors...we kind of wouldn't be here in the first place. 

^^^^^^ this x 1000!

Thanks for your input. I am still keeping a food journal. I have considered all this but wanted to know if I could truly feel my pouch. I have never felt hungry or full so I thought I would try it. Thanks again. How much should I be eating at 2.5 years out? How many calories, protein, carbs. etc.? I want to be healthy while keeping my goal within reach. 

I mostly agree with NIk.  However, if some people feel the pouch test helps them, I'm not going to say it doesn't.  I think it is noteworthy that some people who say it helps them have done it many times.  It doesn't really seem that helpful to me if you have to do it again and again.

When was your surgery?

2.5 years ago  How can I re-reach my goal and maintain it without cutting back? THANKS! I welcome sample menus with calor.es, protein, carbs count.

XOXOXOXO-Nik!