"big" pouch days vs "small" pouch days

I know this isn't a life or death question, but I've wondered long enough that I figured I would finally ask for input.

Do you have "big" pouch days and "small" pouch days?  What do you think is the cause of this phenomena?  For me, it doesn't seem attached to appetite at all.  I mean I do have days I am more hungry than others, but this isn't that.  I am talking about days when you literally can eat more (or less) than the average day.

Any thoughts?

Yea my pouch is bipolar cuz that happens to me all the time..sometimes i can really put it away if u know what i mean but then again some days i eat like im anorexic..lol

Not only do I have big pouch days and small pouch days, I have big pouch meals and small pouch meals.  My boyfriend must think I have some kind of eating problem because it seems whenever we go out to eat for lunch I can hardly eat anything.  But at dinner I eat a lot, even leftovers from that same lunch.  I have no ideas.  I even have days that I feel stuffed even though I haven't eating anything at all and other days I am starved even after I finish a meal.

I find that if I don't eat every 3 hours or so, I can't eat as much. I have been really busy the last week and have skipped my snacks and at meal times I cannot eat very much before  I feel full. It's almost like I've shrunk my pouch and I don't like it. If I skip my snacks I need to eat MORE at my meals not LESS, but my body doesn't agree!

I do and I've heard lots of people say they do, too.  I have no clue why.  But didn't that happen before surgery, too?  I had days pre op when I ate a lot more than others.

That's a good point Kelly.  I didn't think of it that way.  But I don't remember really ever having days where I actually couldn't eat more than a few bites daily unless I had the stomach flu or was overcome with either grief, stress or depression - so I guess to me, pre-op eating seemed to hinge on my emotional state or feelings of real physical hunger.  This thing with the pouch seems to happen regardless of my emotions, or state of hunger.

And Lady Tazz, I am JUST like that.  Only it can be with any meal.  When we eat out or have takeout, especially if it is something I am looking forward to, a lot of times I can eat only a few bites.  It's like my pouch gets full on 4 or 5 bites and then my throat closes up and if I eat any more it feels like it sits right there in the top of my chest for hours and I am miserable.  Sometimes I am able to eat the same leftovers the next day or later that day in normal amounts though.  So I guess that's another question.  What's that about?  I've even talked to my psychologist about that one and she has no real answers, although she did float the baloon that maybe it's unrecognized fear of gaining a bunch of weight by eating food I that I usually love and am looking forward to (?)

Weird.  But glad to know I am not alone=)

I didn't have days when I couldn't eat more than a few bites, either.  But think about it in proportion to the size of our stomach/pouch.  Pre-op, your stomach was about the size of a football.  Post-op, it's more like the size of an egg.  So now, on a "small pouch" day I might only be able to eat about 1/2 cup and on a "big pouch" day I might eat more like 1 1/2 cups.  Pre-op, maybe a "small stomach" day was more like eating one cup and a "big stomach" day was eating six cups or something.

Was so glad to see this post because I was wondering the same thing myself!  I just know sometimes my family must think I am making things up on not only how much I can/cannot eat, but what I can/cannot eat.  I have big pouch (meal) days and small ones and I have one day I can eat chicken and the next day or a day or two later where I eat the same thing, but it doesn't set right or sometimes it is just a matter of taste.  One day it tastes ok and another I don't like how it tastes.  It is so odd how that happens, but have wondered about it myself.

Hi Princess,

Yep, there's ANOTHER question - the taste thing.  That happens to me all the time too.

I wonder sometimes if I am just losing my mind.  I know my family also things I am nuts because of the differences it what I can/cannot eat and how much I can/cannot eat.  All of these variables.

It sounds silly, but sometimes it kind of gets me down.  It's like NOTHING is dependable food-wise anymore. I'm 3 1/2 years out and still dump and now get RH but it's never consistent and often doesn't follow any pattern.  Then add in the fact that I never know what or how much I can eat from day to day.

I am beyond thrilled that I've had this surgery and don't regret it for a minute - I just wish there was even one thing that I could rely on about my eating patterns and food choices. 

Very frustrating at times.

This is going to sound weird but mine correlates with my potty habits.
Busy potty day equals big pouch day or two.