Scientific approach to feeding?

[Smoked Oyster]

I would never feed a 225 rat to a ball python. I am guessing based on the 2500g to 2000g that you weighed your snake after you fed and then at the end of a fast. Otherwise 500 grams is a lot of weight to lose after a 2 month fast. I am not sure why you are so worried about under feeding your BP. At 2000 grams your snake no longer needs large meals to grow. Its an adult and you should cut back on feeding or the snake will get fat. If it were my snake I would be offering 150 gram rats every 10 days, but that's just me.

Several supposed experts told me to think of her as a hollow tube, and to feed the biggest rat that would fit in that tube, so, a rat that is slightly smaller in diameter than the snake. The rats that fit that bill ended up being about 225g each.

I weigh her between feedings, not right after or right before feedings. At her peak she "felt" big, as in, it was noticeable just holding her that she was heavier. Some of the weight at the peak may have been due to retained poop. She shed shortly afterwards, and with the shed came a massive poop. So, I am pretty well convinced that the "experts" who told me to feed slightly smaller diameter rats were wrong. I'm going to stick with the 90-100g rats, every 1-2 weeks

I think the idea to weigh frequently and chart it is great. I will definitely do that and try to keep her right around 2000g which is where she seems healthiest for some reason!

And to clarify, I have 1 female pastel 6 year old, non breeder, pure pet, currently at around 2000g, and no intentions to get anything else. She's the one.