Marcher's at goal - good eating habits

It is important to establish good eating habits. If you haven't already developed these habits now is a good time to start working on them. When we eat it should be for the enjoyment of the food and to meet our nutritional needs. Try not to eat when you are distracted by another activity. Don't eat in front of the television or while reading. We should be eating slowly. It should take twenty to thirty minutes to eat each meal. This gives our bodies time to eat without discomfort and to get in a proper amount of food. Chew your food completely. Enjoy the food you are eating and savor the taste. We no longer are concerned with how much food we can eat. We can enjoy our meals. This also aids in the digestive process since we do not have as much stomach acid to break down our food. Do not drink while you eat. If we drink when we eat it flushes the food out of our pouch to quickly and we don't get a feeling of fullness. I used to think if I drank while I ate something that it would flush out the calories before they had a chance to be absorbed. Of course, I was wrong. Use a small plate and utensils. By using a smaller plate our brain thinks it is satisfied with a smaller amount of food and it keeps our portions smaller. Measure your food. If we measure our food there will be no surprises in the amount we consume. It is also a good idea to put the food on your plate before you sit down at the table and leave the rest of the food in the kitchen. There is less temptation to take seconds. Eat protein first. This is one of the most important substances our bodies need now to be healthy. We have all learning these important habits we just must incorporate them into our lives for a healthy wellbeing. Please share the good eating habits have you learned and what a difference it has made in your life. Have a great day, Rick

When I look back at my pre-WLS days, I'm amazed at how little I knew about the proper way to feed my body. I never really learned what were the best things to put in and how to eat. I think the education alone has made a significant difference in my lifestyle. I'm much more conscious of processed food now as well. I try to use whole grains and fresh vegetables as often as possible. If it is in a box, chances are I shouldn't really eat it. That's not to say that a frozen pizza doesn't grace our table once in a while! Maybe I just care more now about what goes into my body. I definitely know that we eat healthier these days! Hugs, Stephanie

Stephanie, You are right, we are all much smarter and more informed about nutrition then we used to be and we are healthier because of this knowledge. Have a great day, Rick