What should I be eating?

Ok -- three years later I've gained 50 pounds back.What should I be eating?  What kind of maintenance -- I had an RNY.  Thanks for any help.  I need it.

Sheryl

Hello Sheryl!

I was asking myself the same question last month..what should I be eating? This month, I re-evaluated things and now the question is what shouldn't I be eating. I know the weight gain is frustrating and think what we need to do is take a good hard look at our nutrition and exercise habits. I started a 3 month weight loss challenge at work and this has given me the push to really start taking care of myself again. I've lost 4 lbs in 2 weeks so far...and I also joined WW last Saturday because I need the support of weight loss. At least for me this struggle with my weight and what not is going to be constant for the rest of my life and I just need to find a way to be consistant with everything. 
 

I don't know if this will help you or not but here's typically what I eat for meals/and my labs are also good.

Breakfast: Usually a slim fast low carb shake/ or a packet of sugar free oatmeal/ or skim milk with Biggest Loser designer whey protein/ or 1 scrambled egg and a slice of toast

****Do not drink with meals// use your waiting time between meals****
Snack:  Usually piece of fruit/ low fat cheese stick/ 2 celery sticks with peanut butter/ apple with 2 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch: Atkins protein bar with low fat cheese stick/ or atkins bar with yogurt and cottage cheese/ or hardboiled egg with cheese and sliced apples/grapes

Snack:  3 tbsp dried tropical fruit mix with nuts/ or granola bar

Dinner: anything reasonable...soup/sandwhich        / grilled chicken and veg with rice/ cheese/chicken quesadilla or chili/

Snack: sugar free jello pudding or 2 slices of wheat bread with parkay or peanut butter protein balls x2 or glass of skim milk

I'm making sure I get enough liquids in a day too.

Here's an example what I ate today and I wasn't hungry and felt satisfied


Right off the bat in the morning: 2 chewable vitamins/2 calcium citrates/Juice plus capsules x2 vegetables x2 fruits x2 vinyard blend

On the drive to work: 1  zipfizz letting the fizz run out (vitimin drink that's full of B vitamins)

Breakfast:   Sugar Free oatmeal

Snack:          Special K Bliss Bar

Lunch:       1 hardboiled egg/snack sized reduced fat cheese stick/baby carrots (prepackaged with a small thing of ranch dressing 45cals) and apple slices with grapes (prepackaged)

Snack:       zero   drank Special K protein drink on the drive home the iced tea one is delicious!

Dinner:   1 cup of diced chicken with tomatoes and shells/ white sauce

Snack:    2 slices of wheat toast with parkay


Oh and yes exercise. Exercise everyday if you can.

I don't know if this helps you in any way but I know I'm tired and I've just buckled down and am just doing it to get these 20lbs off...16 now. Just believe in yourself and you will do just fine!

Take care!
B

Hi there!  I had RNY also, 3 years ago in Oct.  I've gained almost 20 lbs from my lowest but I've been at the same weight now (162) for almost a year, so I feel like this is where my body "leveled off".  I didn't feel so strong or healthy at 145, and I feel real good here in the 160's. 

But as far as what to eat?  Well.  I noticed I started slowly gaining weight when 2 things changed in my life 1) I started drinking coffee (very sweet) and 2) started working a 2nd job.  When I started the 2nd job I found myself grabbing a hunk of cheese and a handful of crackers for "dinner" as I headed from one job to the next, I found myself eating fast food again, for the first time in 3 + years.  Though I must say it was not horrible, I can eat 1/2 of a hamburger or 1 taco - nothing like I used to eat.  But now, I am living with my family, eating 3 square meals a day, and about to go to work after not working at all for 2 months! 

Here's the interesting part - when I was working 2 jobs and seemed to be on the go constantly, I was not eating right and gained weight.  Within 2 weeks of getting here in November, I lost 6 lbs just by eating healthier, "normal" meals.  Even though at first I felt like I was eating too much, I really wasn't, I was eating "right". 

I eat homemade granola most days for breakfast.  Lunch is usually a small salad or half of a sandwich with some crackers or some type of chip or pretzels.  Dinner is whatever I cook for my parents (I came to live with them to help take care of them).  So now I'm cooking a healthy meal (my mom is diabetic) every night, and actually sitting down to eat!  I still can only eat a very small plate of food.  I still religiously drink water throughout the day and take my vitamins without fail.  I've added Biotin and Zinc to help (and it has tremendously) stop the hairloss I was starting to experience again.  I only drink one small cup of coffee a day, and sometimes don't even have any, and I've reduced the amount of sugar I put in it.  I still DO NOT drink with meals and don't think I ever will. I still DO NOT drink any type of soda.  Unfortunately I discovered I can tolerate tequila quite well......................................... one night playing cards with my boyfriend and my family, but I felt so bad the next day, I swore it off LOL.  It was a very short-lived drinking discovery!  I do occasionally have a glass of wine with my sister but that's it. 

So, at 3+ years out I feel like I'm a success at WLS.  I feel like I'm maintaining my weight, eating well, still "following the rules" and still thankful every single day that I was able to have this surgery.  I do still LOVE chocolate, and always will.  But I no longer eat an entire bag of Hershey's kisses, I eat 2 or 3 (not bags, pieces lol).  I no longer eat 5 slices of pizza, I eat maybe one slice, if it's thin crust.  I do still drink a protein shake once in a while, and an occasional AchievOne.  I still buy protein bars for "emergencies", if I'm out and hungry with no reasonable food choices before me.  I do still hope to have plastic surgery to deal with the extra skin, but if it never happens, I'm fine with it.  Anything is better than weighing 300+ lbs. 

That was a long answer to your question!  I'm trying to give you the benefit of  my experience, and the things I've learned about eating just in the 2 months since I've moved from Fla to Ga.  I feel like I can eat what I want, just in moderation.  I know I couldn't eat in moderation if I didn't have this tiny stomach, so I am grateful that I have it!  I no longer feel like I have to eat something different than what everyone else is eating.  I think at this point, we can eat the things we enjoy, even if they are "bad" as long as we remember where we've been and keep things in moderation.  I truly don't exercise as much as I should, but tomorrow's another day..........

Oh one more thing I'd like to add.  Last year I worked in an office with a lady who had RNY about 6 years ago.  She had regained almost all the weight and truly didn't know why.  She ate fast food sandwiches for breakfast, or cuban bread with butter or cuban pastries almost every day; she ate fast food or takeout chinese or pizza almost every day for lunch; and told me she has "issues" with food at night.  So, basically she went right back to the way she ate before RNY.  She understood that part, but didn't understand why it didn't all get "bypassed", thus she shouldn't have gained weight back!  I think that is not uncommon, some people can modify their eating habits and routines as long as the weight is coming off, but they go right back to the bad habits and ways and end up gaining it back.  So whether we have WLS or not, we still have to work at keeping the weight off. 

I think that "dieting" post RNY is easier.  So if you want to try and lose some of the refound pounds, you will find that you can.  I hear of people that have a 5 lb "range" that they give themselves.  So maybe you've met your "range" - certainly you don't want to go any higher.  This is where the post op support is SO very important!  So lets support each other!  Our October 2005 board should be as hopping as it was that first year!

What do you say guys? 

man do i feel like a pig i can actually eat 6 egg whites for breakfast maybe its time for me to do the 5 day pouch test to shrink my belly again....