Tuesday Weekly Weigh-In!!! 11/6/07

Hey hey everybody! Hope you had a good week! It is downright chilly here, I had to take the tags off my new winter coat last night.. wow. I am hoping next winter my cold intolerance goes away! Rather than a question of the week I thought we could swap and share tips that you feel are helping attribute to your success as a WLS patient.. I went to a support group meeting last night (back where I had surgery, 2 hours away) and they had a "getting back on track" meeting mainly for the longer out postops that are starting to struggle and gain the weight back. So I took some info back with me and thought I would share not only what they presented and also what helps me personally.. What I learned at the meeting: -First off, the book Mindless Eating was highly recommended as a good and easy read that this author makes reference to actual studies and data for why he believes we eat and what triggers it. He provides strategies for curbing and tailoring this behavior. My PA got most of her info from this book. I plan on purchasing it, its by Brian Wansink, PhD. -Eat off a small plate to give the illusion you are eating from a full plate of food. -Savor each bite, put your fork down between bites and really experience and taste your food. -Find healthy alternatives to the junk you crave. SF substitutes are better than ever these days, there really is no excuse to eat much sugar. -Figure out if you are hungry or thirsty, many times we mistake hunger for thirst. -Are you hungry below or above the waist? if you feel hungry below the waist, then eat, if its more in your head.. figure out why you are "craving" and go drink something. Many times a warm cup of tea with curb this feeling.. or believe it nor a breath mint or brushing your teeth. -Preplanning creates success in most everything in life. Gotta have a plan. Make foods ahead of time that are healthy and freeze them in individual portions so they are easy and accessible. Will prevent you from grabbing foods that aren't good for you in a pinch. Keep healthy options at your fingertips in the fridge always. Also preplan your day if you can to keep fro overindulging. -Keep track of your intake and do not graze. Grazing adds calories quicky and grazing never satisfies your pouch.. b/c with grazing you never really "fill" or slightly stretch it enough to get the full signal. This is why sticking to eating at meals is most important. -Make rules for yourself. I cannot and will not eat at my desk at work.. its non negotiable. This will prevent needless grazing. Or say.. If I am gonna snack, I have to sit at a table and get a clean plate. More than likely this requires too much effort and you will avoid doing it and not graze in response. -Keep your diet creative, get cookbooks and recipes and use healthy alternatives for ingredients that aren't good for us. Variety in your diet keeps you excited and curbs your need to eat foods that aren't good for us. -They reiterated staying away from white carbs and getting enough fiber and protein in your diet to help with satiety and reduce cravings. -Get your fluids in between meals.. get plenty in to keep hydrated and satisfy cravings. Don't ever drink with your meals, the easiest way to sabotage your success as a postop. -Exercise.. its not only beneficial to your weight loss, it promotes mental health and wellbeing and also has great cardiac rewards. Try yoga or Thai Chi if you don't like formal exercise or just walk.. any movement is good. -Surround yourself with a support system, WLS is life changing.. not only for you but for those around you and those *****act to you. Seek therapy if you need it, it isn't admitting failure, its admitting you want to be successful.. I intermixed what I believe with what I learned and I hope it helps someone out there. Share what you believe has helped you! On with the stats! HW: 328 SW: 280 LW: 144 CW: 142 (wahoo!) How did you do?

HW: 372 SW: 349 LW: 193 CW: 189* *May be attributed to a new scale purchase, however I am still claiming it as a loss!!! I do not feel I can contribute to the wonderful ideas Melissa has posted because for the last 2 weeks I am eating anything and everything and have non plan. I keep telling myself to stop, but I haven't yet. I am, however, planning a long road trip(1280 miles one way) in a couple weeks(lord help me with 2 toddlers and dh) and I am making plans to eat well in the car. I have string cheese, FF pre-made tuna salad kits, sf lollipops, RTD protein shakes, protein bars and lots of water. Hopefully, I will get myself under control before we leave. Anybody have any other travel friendly foods I would love to hear them.

Good Job on the weight loss! And good luck on your LONG road trip--sounds like you have everything under control! hugs--dawn

Love the new Avie Dawn! You are beautiful!

Shut up...but thank you.....

My best travel foods include everything you mentioned plus beef jerky and yogurt with granola/fruit (I pack a cooler. I also always have FF dressing and whole grain tortillas with me even I travel in case we stop somewhere that I can eat deli meat or mexican food or have a salad.. then I am not tempted to eat full fat dressings or white carbs. Sounds like you got some great ideas! Stay focused, you can do it Amy and you are doing great!

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to get all that typed out, I was hoping you would! HUGS! I am printing out that post and saving it in my wls binder. Will definitely get that book too. I nearly got down and kissed the scale this morning, it was so kind to me but...I know not to trust that fickle little devil! So I'll just accept the gift and enjoy it for now and then realize that next week it will be back to torturing me. (Well, since I weigh every day it won't take that long but you know what I mean!) So *insert drumroll* here's my stats today: HW: 268 SW: 230 LW: 134 CW: 132 (the first time on the scale it said 131 but I knew that couldn't be right so I hopped back on two more times and got 132 each time) Still thrilling!!! Answer to question...I adopted a small set of rules that I saw posted on the RNY boaard this past June. They are a good 'fit' for me personally: "...What I've resolved to keep myself in check: -I will get on the scale EVERY day -I'm committed to making physical activity an every day part of my life. I will not stop this now that I'm at goal. -I will continue to watch protein and waters. -I will continue to follow the pouch rules. -I will continue to avoid fatty foods, fried foods, and fast food." Even though you don't see me post about my fluid intake, I do monitor it along with my food numbers every day on Sparkpeople and try to always get in the minimum amount and hopefully exceed that plenty. Am SO enjoying my day off so far, now I think I'd better get up from the computer and get a few things done around here. I'll be back tho! You guys rock, you are always here for me when i need you!!! I love you all ! Molly

You are welcome Molly and thank you for sharing what helps you.. it helps all of us! You are such an inspiration to all of us and we like seeing what others are doing that are doing so well! Congrats on your low weight, that is incredible. I am thinking 135 is where I will end up and that is ok.. however I am now wearing 4's or less in Misses.. some 4's are too big (with the midrise waist) and then in juniors its a 5. Amazing.. sometimes I can't find jeans small enough.. never thought that would be a problem! Of course juniors waists are so low.. low rise. I have skin so its not that attractive but as long as my shirt covers me it isn't "muffing" over.. lol. Oh the problems, go from one extreme to the next.. kinda ironic. Thanks again for sharing and congrats!

Wow... what a wealth of information you are! THANKS SO MUCH... Never considered the "hungry below or above the waist" aspect before... I'm really gonna have to think about that for a while... you know how us GUYS are! Anyway, HW: 383 SW: 383 LW: 178 CW: 180.5 (DAMN!!!)

You are welcome. Don't worry about the gain, it happened to me and still does now that I am nearing goal.. sounds like you are in that zone also.. we bounce so much more near goal! Hang in there! You are doing great!