Is my stomach smaller

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HQuinn96
HQuinn96 Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
in the past couple of weeks now I am noticing I feel full much faster than before. Is that because my mind is now telling me when I am full better or is my stomach shrinking a bit??

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  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    My mom always said my stomach would shrink if I ate smaller portions, and it certainly seems to have.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Our stomachs don't actually shrink, although they can expand. Great job on recognizing when you're full!
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    stomachs cant shrink without surgery http://www.webmd.com/women/features/stomach-problems
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Putting all of this together...does that mean that while our stomachs can expand, they never contract back down again on their own, only through surgery?

    Like, I know that when Im completely out of control...I can sit and eat a whole pizza. But then when I am watching what I eat, after a while...few weeks or a couple months or so, I go to have pizza and by my 2nd slice Im like UGH and cant eat another bite and will even feel like Im in pain or sick to my stomach from overeating if I have even one bite too many.

    Is that psychological? Or just the body sending messages to the brain its had enough making me feel full and nothing to do with stomach size? I can see both as possibilities...

    ETA just read your link Charlie...and indeed, I answered my own question! It's the body sending messages to the brain its had enough. That's so weird! But in a cool way! lol
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Dragn77 wrote: »
    Putting all of this together...does that mean that while our stomachs can expand, they never contract back down again on their own, only through surgery?

    Like, I know that when Im completely out of control...I can sit and eat a whole pizza. But then when I am watching what I eat, after a while...few weeks or a couple months or so, I go to have pizza and by my 2nd slice Im like UGH and cant eat another bite and will even feel like Im in pain or sick to my stomach from overeating if I have even one bite too many.

    Is that psychological? Or just the body sending messages to the brain its had enough making me feel full and nothing to do with stomach size? I can see both as possibilities...

    Your stomach can go back to its original size, it just doesn't shrink.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    Dragn77 wrote: »
    Putting all of this together...does that mean that while our stomachs can expand, they never contract back down again on their own, only through surgery?

    Like, I know that when Im completely out of control...I can sit and eat a whole pizza. But then when I am watching what I eat, after a while...few weeks or a couple months or so, I go to have pizza and by my 2nd slice Im like UGH and cant eat another bite and will even feel like Im in pain or sick to my stomach from overeating if I have even one bite too many.

    Is that psychological? Or just the body sending messages to the brain its had enough making me feel full and nothing to do with stomach size? I can see both as possibilities...

    It's just that your body/brain has a better idea of how full your stomach is. Before you started watching what you were eating you didn't pay attention to the body's cues. You also get used to feeling satisfied with less in your stomach.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I agree with others who say your stomach doesn't actually shrink. I think it's all about paying attention to when we are full. For myself, I know when I was overweight I ate even though I was full, but that changed when I decided to lose weight (again!) a few years ago. I can still eat when I'm not quite hungry, but I am more aware now and really pay attention to calories in/calories out, and then I watch my macros. I find that good sleep and eating calorie dense foods keeps me satiated.

    Eating a whole pizza, or a whole anything (unless it's intended to be one serving), doesn't work for me anymore. Moderation is key.
  • nickinoo92
    nickinoo92 Posts: 24 Member
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    i love it when you get that feeling of your "stomach shrinking" embrace it!! helps you loose weight !
  • Dragn77
    Dragn77 Posts: 810 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »

    Your stomach can go back to its original size, it just doesn't shrink.

    Ohhh! you know what? It didnt even occur to me the possibility of the stomach shrinking smaller than the size it should be. (Picturing shrunken heads now LoL) I always assumed that phrase to mean that when it expands from over eating, it shrinks back to normal upon eating normally.

    usmcmp wrote: »
    It's just that your body/brain has a better idea of how full your stomach is. Before you started watching what you were eating you didn't pay attention to the body's cues. You also get used to feeling satisfied with less in your stomach.

    That makes total sense to me...along the lines of why you should eat slowly and not scarf down your meal..in order to give your stomach enough time to send the message to the brain when its had enough.

  • HQuinn96
    HQuinn96 Posts: 21 Member
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    Thanks guys!! All the info really helps and makes me feel like I am making progress
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I've been experiencing the same phenomenon. I seem to get full with less food and have a hard time hitting the goal calories. I have been dieting since August last year.

    I am close to my weight loss goal and am wondering how I will eat enough food when I go into maintenance. At this point I just can't see myself eating that much on a daily basis since I am usually 200-300 calories below the calorie goal now.

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