HELP! I need a reminder . . . . . . .

Dear Fellow Losers: Here we are, a few days before Halloween, and I am NOT worried about eating the candy that's in the house for the Trick-or-Treaters! What I AM concerned with is portion-control. I had Lap-RNY on March 1st, and am down to 219 from 299. I am happy with my loss, thus far, but plan on getting down to at least 145, if not lower. The problem I am having is knowing how much food is enough. It seems I have forgotten some of the basic rules of staying on track, and that is why I am probably losing so slowly. The good news is that I am actually going to the gym 2-3x a week, and taking Basic Step and Low-Impact aerobics classes. But, I still load my plate up with food and eat too much and feel awful, really awful, afterwards. Should I go back to weighing all my food again? I have stopped journalling, so maybe I should do that again as well? Has anybody else had this problem? I would really appreciate any comments and suggestions as to how to get myself back in the weight-loss saddle again. Thanks in advance for you help. Rita

Rita, A few hints that have helped me automatically with portion control ( I have never weighed or measured my foods) 1. Do you use a small plate? I would definately recommend it. I use a small plate always and notice a difference if I dont (like in a restaurant or someone elses house) The plate I use is one of the small dessert ones. It is amazing how a little bit of food looks like so much on a small plate. 2. When I eat I stop as soon as things dont taste as "scrumptous" anymore. You have to pay attention to the food to be able to sense when that happens, but with practice and tuning into the food you will notice. My best advice there is get up away from the table scrape your plate and tell yourself you are done. I find it too tempting to sit with my family at the table any longer. They have come accustom to it and it works well for everyone. 3. Make sure you are eating at a good pace for your body, I know they suggest very slow, but I find if I am eating meat or rough vegetables I need to eat them a little faster and then I cant eat near as much. I think its because I dont chew them as well then and they take up more space and longer to digest so I stay full longer. 4. Dont forget your protein and supplement if you have to with powders. I drink at least one protein powder beverge everyday. These are just a few things that have worked for me thus far....give them a try and see if they might work for you. Janelle lap RNY 3-1-04 -130

Dear Janelle: Thanks for your great response! Yes, I used to use a smaller plate, but don't know why I stopped. I will start doing that again immediately! All of your suggestions are great and I will follow them all. I just needed a reminder to get me back on track, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words of support. You are an Rita lap RNY 03-01-04 -80 p.s. I just got back from the gym, having done a 1.5 hr workout and am feeling on top of the world, plus a little sore, but I am revved up!

I have never measured. I know when I "dip" my food, my eyes are still bigger than my stomach. But again, when I eat, I pay attention to the way my body feels. I do not like that sick feeling so I tend to stop before I get there. Sometimes one or 2 bites more is too much. You must pay attention. It is not what you put on your plate; it is what you put in your mouth. I also tend to eat meat and veggies before anything else. I shy away from breads and seldom think about desserts.

Rita, You have to keep up with that portion control, probably for the rest of your life. Its not something you can do for now & then. Our Doc out here only has us eat thre 4 oz meals a day with no snacking & mostly protien Cut back on carbs, if you are eating them & your weight loss should start up again. Marilyn, the Bearlady

Rita, First - thing is use the little plate (I still use my little fork). Second - I only put on my little plate exactly what I'm going to eat...no more...I eat my protein source first then if I have room I have a couple of bites of veggies. Third - when I "finish" I get up and rake off my plate and stick it in the sink. That way I'm not tempted to have seconds or pick at what I have left while waiting for my hubby to finish his. Fourth - I eat something based as a protein every 2 1/2 hours. My blood sugar gets low if I go longer than that and I get crabby and feel light headed. Fifth - Fitday.com has a great resource for us. It allows us to "journal" our daily intake and shows us automatically how much calories, fat, carbs, protein we've taken in. Once you get the hang of using it, it's pretty easy. Changing the portion size is the thing I do most. Sixth - Your body needs at least 800 but no more than 1100 calories a day to lose weight. I lose best when I stay around 1000. Again, protein needs to be your main source of calories. Seventh - Are you doing protein shakes? I do 2 to 3 a day. I had stopped at about 3 months out when "real" food protein sources came back into my diet. Then got a royal chewing out from my doc's office when my blood protein levels were in the dumper at my 6 month checkup. I had to go back and redo blood work every 2 weeks for awhile until the levels were back up where they wanted them. During that 3 months I still lost weight, but come to find out it was my muscles I was burning not my fat. You've done a great job 80 pounds is nothing to sneeze at!! Sorry this was so long. Good luck with your continuing journey!! Va

Dear Martha, Marilyn, Virginia and Janelle: Thank you, each and every one of you, for your kind and helpful responses. I plan on incorporating all of your suggestions into my daily regimen and becoming more conscious of what and how much I put on my dessert plate. I will be sure to drink at least 1-2 protein drinks per day and cut WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY down on the carbs. I am sure that within a week or two, I will be back on track and losing steadily again. You guys are THE BEST, and I thank God for you. I will check back in with you in a few weeks and let you know how I am doing. In the meantime, all my best to you, and thanks again for being such sweet angels. Rita