Tough Weekend

Hi all; am scrambling to keep up with everything and failing miserably I'm afraid. Wanted to say hi and share: 10 SIMPLE BUT CRITICAL RULES TO ENSURE YOUR SUCCESS 1. EAT THREE SMALL MEALS PER DAY. Supplement between meal cravings with a protein shake. 2. EAT ONLY GOOD SOLID FOOD. Healthy foods will fill you up faster than junk food. Likewise, solid, dense foods will keep you full longer than soft foods. 3. EAT SLOWLY, SENSE FULLNESS AND THEN STOP. Remember this is a tool. Let it work for you. 4. THERE MUST BE NO EATING BETWEEN MEALS. Grazing behavior can add over 1000 calories a day to your intake. 5. TAKE NO LIQUIDS WITH THE MEAL. Liquids will empty solids from your pouch quickly and you will feel hungry sooner. It may also induce vomiting. Water loading 15 minutes before is helpful to longer term post-ops and no drinking until at least half-hour after the meal. 6. ALL LIQUIDS MUST BE ZERO CALORIES (except protein supplements). Liquids pass right through the small stomach and do not produce a feeling of fullness. It is easy to consume several hundred to a thousand calories a day by drinking alcohol, fruit juice or other non-diet beverages. 7. EXERCISE FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY. Regular physical activity will keep your weight loss going, reduce stress and help you feel better all around. It will also help you maintain your weight loss in the long run (because it helps to rebuild muscle which has a positive affect on metabolism). It may even help a little with the excess skin. 8. CONSUME YOUR PROTEIN. We encourage you to get at least 80 grams of protein a day. Some specialists in nutrition suggest you get a minimum of 100 grams of protein per day. Taking in adequate amounts of protein will aid in preventing fluid retention, muscle loss and will definitely slow down hunger pangs. Patients who consume adequate amounts of protein for their body size will enjoy a much greater weight loss. 9. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. This may by taken in the form of any non-calorie, non-carbonated, non-caffeine beverages. Try Crystal Light, Snapple diet drinks or decaffeinated coffee or tea. Aim for a MINIMUM of 64 oz of water per day. I've found that keeping a 32 oz water bottle with me throughout the day helps me get in this amount easily. 10. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS/SUPPLEMENTS RELIGIOUSLY. This includes a multivitamin, calcium (not carbonate), iron and B12. These are vital to your staying healthy in the long term. Bariatric Advantage makes some wonderful vitamins that make take your vitamins a pleasure rather than a chore. Feel free to visit http://tinyurl.com/2ludv . Nothing new here, we know this already. Be strong, be happy, embrace life, not food...love to you, Reenie

maybe nothing new here but all bears repeating occassionally-thanx reenie!!!!! margo

Thanks for the post reenie! its such a benefit to see it posted and on the boards as a reminder! especially the water and vitamins... ((hugs)) Elizabeth M

I think that it is always good to be reminded of the rules. I myself saw several ones that I am failing miserably at and promise myself to get better at following Thanks Reenie. Leslie