Do you need variety?

Ok you guys...this is straight from my journal. I weigh every wed. and post my new weight and write something in my journal. Felt like sharing and asking for your thoughts, struggles, and experience again this week! I feel like I am going through bereavement, I am missing food. I think it is more acute right now simply because I have been eating the same things for at least the last 9 weeks. If I see tuna at this point I am just going to get ill, because of these taste aversions I seem to be developing, I am just making new, but bad choices. Not too bad, but not the choices to really keep up my level of loosing. Ok, today I have decided to revamp my food selection. Tuna has come off the menu. I have replaced tuna over lettuce for lunch with salmon, shrimp, and turkey. Had a turkey salad today, I did fine. Also, added Tilapia fish to my menu and shelved grill chicken. Gee I am tired of grilled chicken. The fish was sooooooo good tonight. The diet V-8 splash.... goodness, cannot drink another ounce.... replaced with lemonade Light and my soy milk (low carb), which I love. Oh and those dang protein shakes.... cannot drink another one right now. I replaced with tri-plex (sp?) protein bars. Ummm, they are good. I think they have a little more sugar than I am use to....causes me to sweat a little....but I do not feel funny or faint. I am going to see if I can find one without as much sugar or I may have to dip in my yogurt or something. Oh and my last taste aversion is to those dang chewable multivitamins. I just cannot chew them anymore; they make me want to barf. So I have switched to Centrum 1 a day, which I take twice a day. I am glad I have made the connection between needing healthy variety and my new (and hopefully short lived) behavior of making poor food choices out of desperation for that need of variety. Wow, this has really affected me too. Yesterday I felt abandoned and mournful. I wanted a break again from this diet and just wanted to eat without regard. But today was a good day with those modifications. I feel in control again. Please share where you are right now, what are you tired of...what have you changed? Tweedy

Well, this may be all wrong but I decided on two things--I stopped buying clothes just because they fit on my body (big enough) so I only buy what really fits and looks good. In the same way--I eat things I truly want as well as need. I splurge on fresh raspberries for my yogurt and blueberries. I buy shrimp and fresh fish. I guess I go for the healthiest, best cuts, etc. and splurge some on the price because I don't eat very much. It works out. That way I feel special and don't get bored. Oh, yes, sometimes I'm in the position of eating something only because I have no other choice but I try to balance it out. I try to be adventurous but above all else--keep from dumping (I hate nausea and vomiting!!!!!--so far so good). All I'm saying is....treat yourself like a queen or king..you are worth it!! Bunny -50

Tweedy: You need to keep the faith. You have been a model for alot of us. When I had my surgery, I was even telling Dr. Gibbs how much I looked up to you and how great I thought your attitude is. I have not had a problem with variety, it just that yesterday is the first day in about 4 weeks that I did not get sick. I can eat something one day and do fine and the next it comes back and hates me. I did find a protein bar that I can eat. It is the Atkins Advantage bar and you can get them at Krogers or Sams. They come in a lot of different flavors. I had one yesterday and today for breakfast. You keep up the good work. Libby Strawn Air Force Mom 315/249/140

Hey Libby, Please do not get me wrong. I am totally happy with my decision to have the surgery. Nonetheless, I think it is a part of the process/journey to get tired. This is a lifestyle change, and I have chosen to write about the easy but also that difficult parts of my transition. Hopefully people will get the message, "No matter how easy physically your transition has been (because mine has been a breeze...tolerate all of my food...no problems with being sick....or keeping anything down) BUT, this surgery is both physical and mental. You will have good and bad days, and will have to adjust in order to cope." Anyway, my way of coping is to discuss my entire experience, it is not ALL a bed of roses, and that is ok. I define my success by my ability to keep going, making good food choices, exercising, and seeing my personal trainer...and being resilient enough to bounce back from the days...I just do not feel like doing this and I do not make good food choices. I should hope that does not make me any less of a model, just human and at moments vulerable. Tweedy

I know what u mean on missing food,,,i want to eat some days i just wish i cld have 1 old meal the way it was,,, but when i think on it too long,, the food choice just isnt there....it seems that every thing i eat is no longer good to me,, the first bite is uuummmmm and the 2nd is just ok,, but by the 3rd i'm through.. cant take another.... and i still havent gotten down to take little bites ,,, i be so hungry and when i do take a bite i still take a normal size bite and have to remember thats gonna hurt going down. I copy some receipes off the net and need to get me a three ring binder and a hole puncher so i can try some of these to see if my stomach like it... isnt is funny what your stomach likes and dont like anymore. dana

I feel like a little mouse- all I eat is fat free or low fat string cheese!! That and Atkins Bars- cottage cheese, and yogurt, tuna, and chili. not very exciting. I tried adding hamburger and it went down ok- but didn't stay down. My pouch has been rather sensitive lately and I am not sure why. I got off Vioxx and started on Bextra so I don't know if that is effecting me either. I want variety, but I am too lazy to do anything about it. does this happen to any of you? I get all psyched to eat something- usually when we are out to dinner or something...and after 2 or 3 bites I am done physicially but my mouth and brain still want more, and it leaves me a bit frustrated. I'm dealing with it, but I find it all just a bit peculiar and at times humorous. Out of habit and conditioned responses to foods things initially look good to me- ( like all the Halloween candy) but there is no way I would try anything for fear of dumping or being nauseous and throwing up. All of these challenges aside, I wouldn't have changed having the surgery for anything. Today I am taking a break in between PERMANENTLY removing all of my size 4 and 5 X clothes out of my wardrobe!!! Yeah!!!! I have unearthed clothes I haven't seen in ages that I can finally wear again. What fun...shopping without having to pay!