Questions for my Maysters

We share surgery days! I can eat a *whole* lot more than I used to and it scares me a bit. I can eat an entire Wendy's chili, plus a little bit of salad. Things like chicken or fish, though, and I can only eat about 3 oz. Anything rather hard. I get a lot hungrier now. Yesterday I treated myself to a tall non-fat latte (full caffeine). I was hungrier last night than I have been in nearly a year. I ate a small yogurt. I'm thinking it might have been the latte, that's all I can think of. I eat a South Beach or Kashi granola bar every afternoon for a snack. I just can't make it through the afternoon without a snack. This, I think, is my worst habit. Eileen

Aliya, I can easily tolerate 8 oz of soft food like cottage cheese. For meats, 3 oz and for everything else 4 to 6 oz. I'm not good about waiting to drink after eating. I do try to wait 30 minutes. My calorie intake is about 1500 cal a day. That seems high to me, but, since I work out so much I am hungry. I average 96 to 110 grams of protein a day. I eat 1/2 of a protein bar before I go to the gym each morning. All the rest of my protein comes from real food. The bad habit that creeps back in is that I am not so good at leaving alone treats that are brought into the office or at a meeting. I eat a whole lot less of them, but, don't just skip them like I know I should. I also probably drink too much coffee. But, I have been keeping my clear water intake up to about 100 oz a day... So, I'm a mixed bag of success and not so much. Lori 384/250.5/168

Ahhh...bad habits huh Well my average day consists of egg whites w/provolone and ham (sometimes) - usually just whites and cheese...lunch is some sort of wrap...well HALF of a wrap...lately I have been having tuna salad and cheese....dinner is something like chicken or turkey...a favorite is a boston market roasted turkey kids meal with greenbeans or corn...I usually can eat all of it ... and sometimes can get down a bit of the corn bread...but really not all of it. Well lets see... ...no protein shakes - I really ONLY eat protein as it is, but haven't had a shake in months - I usually eat 3 egg whites w cheese for breakfast - it seems I can easily get that down - its the "heavier" foods that I can only eat really small amounts of. ...exercise - basically none - I bought a treadmill but don't get on it enough - I mean I am CONTSTANTLY going - working 10-12 hours a day and doing the NYC commute for my Ranger games and all, but have NOT worked out as much as I could. ...beer - I totally gave up all soda, however recently TRIED to drink beer again and noticed that as long as I don't eat anytime close to when I drink it - it goes down ok. For a while I was drinking only hard alcohol but that really isn't/wasn't my style...I had been really missing the whole beer idea. I'm young...and well - need beer If it gave me any issues at all I obviously wouldn't drink it, but sofar I have been FINE! Good things... ..vitamins are a no-brainer for me...I just take em every day. I have a system where I leave a bottle of each at work, so I can get my morning ones in OK - and then at night whenever I finally get home I take them before bed - just a sort of ritual so I know I won't ever forget. ..water intake...is finally back up to par. I had been really slacking off - I just couldn't keep drinking non-stop water. I am not a fan of sweet stuff so things like Crystal Light just stopped being appealing to me. I finally found that if I make decaf iced tea...the suntea type with just boiled water and bags - I can drink like there is nothing else better in the world. I probably get about 64 oz in a day - some more - sometimes less...but really its either the iced tea or water/milk. (oh and the morning coffee from dunkin donuts...can't get away from that one!) I have got to say - this was the best thing I could have done for myself. I am down to a weight where people who just meet me don't even believe that I was ever overweight. Again I have the problem of seeing me still as that huge person...mostly because of the extra skin and all...so that is something I just have to get over. I just say my younger brother for the first time since before my surgery (hes a Marine stationed in Hawaii) and he basically fell to the floor when he saw me. Those little moments make it all worth while. I have come to the conclusion that I am not in a RUSH to lose weight. I don't want to be comparing myself to others - that is just not the way to do it. It is good to know what sort of things people are eating...and how much - but weight wise...I have the tool I need to get down finally - and its working...so who cares if it takes me a while...