Grazing Tips/Tricks
One of the regular posters, Dx, posted this on the Main Board. If you ever want to be inspired, check out this guy's profile. I have an enormous amount of respect for him. I also thought this was a good post as some of us have been batteling this a little more, lately...
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Grazing? Tips/Tricks. Re-post
Original Post by Dx E at 11:54 AM PST on 09/27/2005
Oxford, MS - RNY (07/13/2003) - R. Walker Byars, M.D.
Hey All
This is a Re-Post ,
And I'm hoping to keep adding on more info.
Please do not be Offended
With the "Graphic" Nature
Of some of it!
(Now you feel compelled to read.)
I saw a post and some replies about
Grazing or Snacking,
And just how hard it is to fight off these urges
To slip in "Just One Little Taste"
Of this or that throughout the day.
I'm Below Goal and Holding now for about 4 months.
And it Is hard to keep my head "On Course" when that
Little Voice in the back of my Pea-Brain keeps saying-
"You can Afford to gain 2 lbs., You're "Under-Goal!"
So-
Here are some Tips / Tricks that have worked for me-
1.).....Foods High in Soluble Fiber,
Like Oatmeal, All Bran, Blueberries, etc...
I throw a little Bran (just a spoonful) into any food it can "hide in."
Soluble fiber tends to break down very slowly
After it has passed the stoma
And it sustains your blood sugar levels longer than many other foods.
This keeps insulin levels stable
And keeps you from being "hungry" for hours longer.
Oatmeal is the Ace of Spades when it comes to this.
But what if you are still on full liquids,
Or relying on Protein Shakes that pass on through so quickly?
Cook up a little instant Oatmeal,
In fact, overcook it into a real mush!
Keep it in a little dish in the fridge.
When making a "smoothie" drop a dab of it
In the blender with the rest of the mix.
You'll never notice it, except you'll feel satisfied Longer!
Parents out there?
Remember when you could first add that little pinch of cereal
To the baby's formula/milk,
And suddenly they would sleep through the night?
Same thing, Different Baby!
2.).....Chewing Sugar Free Gum with a strong Flavor.
I keep some "wintergreen mix" going nearly all the time.
It fought off the "Ketosis Breath" early on,
But later helped prevent me from snacking.
A nibble on "just one" Bar-B-Que Flavored Potato Chip
Is less appealing with a mouth full of Wintergreen. Yes?
(Clearly it doesn't have to be Wintergreen,
Just what ever you like!)
3.).....More Fat in my Diet!
(Is this man Nuts?
Yes, But This one works even for the sane.)
I don't mean slather on the butter,
But don't avoid nuts because of the fat content.
A Purdue University study showed that people,
Who ate Nuts high in Monounsaturated Fat,
Felt "full" an hour and a half longer
Than those who ate fat-free foods.
Almonds are particularly good at this,
Followed by- other sources such as-
Avocados, Sunflower Seeds, Flaxseed meal, etc...
Even by adding Monounsaturated Fats
In cooking or as salad dressings-
Olive Oil! Sesame Oil! Canola!
These go into "nearly" everything I cook,
And they all are excellent Bad Cholesterol "scrubbers."
As are the Omega's such as the oils
Found in Salmon, Tuna, and "Darker" Fish.
These not only clear out the arteries,
But play a role in speeding up the metabolism.
A study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that
People who took omega-3's,
Burned more calories throughout the day than those who didn't.
And, they claimed to feel "satiated" as well.
4.).....Water, Water, Water!! In any flavor you like.
I still keep a bottle or glass within arms reach at all times.
This is particularly effective for RNY'ers.
By constantly sipping on No-Calorie Liquid, (WATER)
The Jejunum limb is kept "plump" and stimulated.
Now, follow me....... (an Uneasy Analogy)
The Stomach has, prior to surgery,
Been our major supplier of satisfaction from Eating.
The Nerve endings there were stimulated
And gave us Pleasure.
If The surgery we had was to reduce
The Craving and Pleasure Reward systems of Sex,
The "primary" Sexual Nerve Centers
Would have been "By-Passed"
No Access to the Clitoris for Women, penis for men.
In order to feel that "Sexual Satisfaction,"
Other nerve systems would need to be stimulated
And one would have to become "attuned"
To "Feeling" that stimulation.
(Beyond the Naughty Bits Now)
By bypassing our Stomach, and only leaving the pouch,
Which doesn't send the same "Pleasure Signals"
That the full stomach did,
Only Pain if one stimulates it beyond its limits,
The Jejunum becomes our Metaphoric G-Spot!
Deep and full sensations of Satisfaction and Fullness
Emanate from the Nerves there when it is "Full"
And Plumped up from excess Water.
(Sorry I went around the cup to get to this handle,
But who knew we Men had our own G-Spot Now?)
Do you follow?
By keeping the Jejunum stimulated,
A feeling of Satiation is produced that is sent to the Brain
Very similar to the Signal that was once sent by the Stomach.
It's a "Different Full"
But once one learns to "feel it" It is just as powerful!
(Sorry for the graphic analogy, but do you get it?)
I worry that people will get all "tingly"
When looking at their Crystal-Lite Now!
5.).....Habits, Habits, Habits!!!!!!
"We Are what we repeatedly Do.
Excellence, then, is not an Act,
But a Habit." - Aristotle
That Old Greek was Pretty Smart.
Keep using every opportunity to establish habitual routines.
That's how so many of us got to be Obese to start with.
Eat at roughly the same times.
Once again, Parents?
Remember how much less "fussy" the baby was when
He/She was on "schedule?"
Same thing with us!
In order to prevent snacking,
When I come across something I have a "Craving" for,
I'll take it, and set it out in preparation for my next meal.
Lie to your Brain-
"That does sound good, I'll have that for Lunch, 2 hours from Now."
Usually, by the time Lunch rolls around,
The impulse to snack on "whatever it was"
Has diminished, and your need for "real food" will prevail.
Keep to a schedule as best you can.
But what if you're 8 months Post-Op
And the habit you have created is to
"Blow off Breakfast, Have a shake for lunch,
And snack the rest of the day away?"
A member of my support group said she found herself
In exactly that same predicament.
The Dr.'s Recommendation?
"Start Over!"
He had her go back to a week of Liquids,
Followed by Pureed, the Mechanical Soft, etc...
The plan was to Learn to use the Pouch.
She had skipped the "Learning" part her first time out.
She now is at goal and said that-
"Putting the Hard part of re-Learning how to eat
At the beginning, made the later part much easier."
Once Again, Back to the Babies!
While becoming Obese we started Learning -
What Satisfied Felt Like,
How to Keep that Good Feeling Going,
How to Stimulate our Pleasure Centers with Food,
Etc.....
By Viewing this Surgery as a "Re-Birth" and
Acknowledging that even at 2 years Post-Op,
We are "Two Year Olds, "
Just Learning the most elemental of Habits,
We can establish Habits Different
From those that helped us get to be Obese.
Yes?
OK, Enough Babble from me-
What Tips or Tricks Work for you?
Surely there must be Lots and Lots!
Drop your Favorites Here!---------------------------------
____________________________________________
From Connie n TX-
6.).....Activity!
I would like to add this point---when we were pre-ops,
We spent a great deal of time selecting,
Buying, preparing, picking up food,
And of course, eating it. As post-ops,
We must find other things to do with our time.
I have found that a lot of my problems
With grazing come from boredom or unstructured time.
Keeping the hands busy is also helpful,
Especially in the evening when I have free time.
(Nighttime has always been the worst time for me for grazing.)
For example, I have taken up knitting again---
It is very difficult to knit and eat at the same time.
But many other hobbies serve the same purpose.
Got some more?
Best Wishes-
Dx
Oh boy do I related. I remember much younger in life going into the kitchen easily 10 times in an evening. I would open the fridge, open the cabinets, etc. I was searching. For what, I haven't a clue. I think I was trying to fill some empty void and it certainly wasn't hunger.
I'm glad that habit went buh-bye years ago. I wish I could tell you how I got rid of that issue. I somehow suspect that for me it was related to depression which I've dealt with a number of times in my life.
Kathy
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