Question about stomach...

[Maerow]

How long would it take for an extended stomach to get smaller?

I.e if you were actively eating smaller amounts every day to try to make it smaller so you feel fuller with less?

Thanks in advance!

[Richt]

I think it really depends on the individual, and that your mileage may vary. To be honest, I never really thought about it in the past, but I am sure you will feel as if you can't eat as much fairly soon after cutting back.

Sorry I can't be of much help really.

Rich

[Mothercooter]

Well I can say from my own experience, it happened to me farily quickly. Just a few weeks. Within a few days of starting atkins I noticed my appetite decrease so I was eating less, which gave my stomach time to shrink back. I was eating enough for 2.5 ppl at every meal. Within just 2 weeks not only did I feel hungry enough to finish my meals but physically felt full as well. This is when I realized I should change my portions again, as we should be eating to be satisfied not till we can actually feel full. Hope that helps.

[Hudson]

For me, without eating any carbs I never really notice being "full". I eat what I prepared. I'm satisfied. And I move on. Even when I eat a little more for one reason or another I don't notice being full. Your stomach is probably getting a little smaller maybe but for me carbs are what give me the full fealing - and carbs are also what give me the hungry feeling.

[not2late]

I agree with Rich, it's a 'your mileage may vary' thing.

I eat about an 1/8 to 1/4 of the amount I used to eat before Atkins and in my early Atkins. Could I eat more food? Probably, but why risk re-stretching my stomach to find out? I'm satisfied with the amount I currently eat.

What is interesting about stretching your stomach and keeping it stretched out is this: that's how those food eating contestants are able to eat 35 hotdogs without exploding.

Competitors can train their brains to ignore the "full" feeling (actually the stomach muscles relaxing as they stretch) by repeatedly filling the stomach with large meals or through water training. Water training requires drinking an entire gallon of water in 30 seconds. The water stretches out the stomach. Supposedly, this makes it easier to down food in huge quantities. Neither of these activities is healthy. The water exercise can be very dangerous, resulting in perforations of the stomach lining and water intoxication, which is potentially fatal.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/competitive-eating.htm

[G-Mom]

Yikes! That's just ghastly! You know what nationality boasts a lot of food eating competitors? JAPAN! They are ALL superslim, yet many have beat out the huge American males in the same competition. Maybe they do the water stretching. Or after "practicing", exercise for 8 hours straight.

[not2late]

Sonya Thomas, AKA The Black Widow, is a local gal. So on occasion she shows up on the local news. On one news program she said that she drinks a 2 liter bottle of diet soda with her meal in order to keep her stomach stretched out. She's a competitive eater and has several eating records.

That's why I don't encourage "filling up on water" before meals or during meals to achieve that "full feeling". You're not doing yourself any favors in the long run, imo.

[julirama723]

I will say that I'm not one of those people whose appetite has disappeared! I get hungry, and I eat! I'm pretty active all day long, and I wake up early and go to bed late, so my body is always going. I basically eat a small plateful of food (unless it's a salad, then I use a regular plate, even though I haven't been able to finish a salad since I've started in August) and drink lots of water during the meal. I don't feel guilty if I'm still hungry later--I'll have some nuts, or a piece of cheese, and usually I feel full after that.

I know I eat less now that I used to, and I noticed that a carbohydrate "full" feels totally different than a low-carb "full." It took me a few days to get used to that feeling, and even now, I still go overboard occasionally. Last night I had TOO much pumpkin and felt uncomfortably full, almost sick--even though it's probably 3/4 of the amount I would have eaten as a snack before. At least I won't have a taste for pumpkin anytime soon!

[not2late]

You might not be eating enough fat with your meals, Juli. It's the fat that helps keep you satisfied between meals.

[julirama723]

Not2late--
You might be right--most of the meat I eat is very lean, and usually it's grilled with no added fats. I do put butter on my cooked veggies, and I eat cheese, eggs, and nuts--so I should be getting some fat content there. However, I'm never starving or have cravings--I just usually eat a small something (like a piece of string cheese) every 3 or 4 hours to keep me energized.

I need to figure out some better ways to incorporate more fat into my diet...