Thanks and Answers

Thank you to every one that answered my post from yesterday. As for me and what I do; I do not eat any junk food anymore such as chips. I do not eat bread other than flavored pretzel pieces. I eat mixed nuts with the pretzels as a snack in the evening. I eat 3 times a day, approximately 3/4 of a cup at each meal. I use custard bowls (6 oz) to measure my food-then I eat till I am full even if there is food left in the bowl. No seconds. I really like very hot & spicey foods. I drink coffee and Crystal Lite and water. Have not had any soda/pop since 10/03. I do not drink milk but add extra dry milk to instant sugar free puddings, hot cocoa mix, or anything else that has milk in it. As for encouragement, I am a Type II diabetic and no longer require any medications to treat the diabetes. When I had the surgery I was on 2 different insulins twice a day and glucophage. I also have sleep apnea that I no longer require a machine to sleep with at nite. Pre-surgery the Bipap machine was almost at the top pressure level for my sleep apnea. I can take of my own basic needs now such as putting on my socks & boots in the morning. Being able to walk through stores without looks & comments from other people. I now have the energy to do everything I want to do. But anyway, I hope this gives somebody encouragement that the surgery is worth the pain. It is a lifestyle change-more good than bad. If I can help anyone just ask and I will do my best to help. Lester

Lester, You are truly an inspiration to me! I'm also Type II diabetic. I'm off glucopage but still taking Actos & Glucoltrol. BUT the good news my sugars are really coming down now. I'm just 3 weeks out & my goal is to be off all meds with my weight loss. My surgeon sees me off my meds as well so that's big encouragement for me. Keep up the good work....Hugs...Carolyn

Lester, I have to agree with you on that this surgery is worth all the pain...i didnt thinks for a long time. but i do now...i have give up pop since my surgery...i have days when i miss it. i thought it would be really hard staying off pop but now i can have it in the house for my kids and friends and i dont touch it. i really cant eat bread that much. i just eat sloppy joes with no bread. i do kinda miss that tho. I wasnt on meds before surgery and i am still not on meds luckily....funny thing there are days i have lots of energy that i dont know what to do with.....but then i have days where i dont have much but those days are getting shorter and few..... I am sure your posts will help someone so please keep posting...........Lynda

Lester, Thanks for the info on what has helped you be so successful. How do you handle only snacking once in the evening? Do you ever crave foods? I still have cravings and my head thinks that I need to eat even though I am not hungry. Does that ever happen to you? I CAN eat chips, but keep them out of my house as well. What types of foods do you eat for meals? Is it foods that are dense proteins? Do you get in a lot of fruits and veggies? What about exercise? Sorry for all of the questions. I just like to find out how people are so successful and try to incorporate those things that they do into my new lifestyle as well. My biggest prob is the "need to feed" as some call it. My head really plays games with me when I am tired, bored, stressed, angry at hubby, etc. Am seeing a psychologist for those things to help me deal with them. Thanks again for your responses. God bless, Andrea P.S. Have you tried soy nuts? I love them!

Andrea, I thought the soy nuts were awful ~~ but love sunflower seeds. I find that just a few "pinches" of them in the afternoon at work are great. They also make me more thirsty because of the salt. If you have liquids at night does that help you? The other night I used my smoothie maker and s/f lemonade with frozen strawberries that had been sweetened with Splenda and some ice. For a big cup I figured about 50 calories based on what the container said and I had 20 oz of liquid. Good and filling both. Maybe something like that would work for you. Do you eat popcorn? How much? I'm actually trying not to snack much, but would like to know on occasion what is okay. I'm really sticking mostly to protein ~~ but you know how that goes. Janie 272/233/140?

Questions are not a problem. My only snack is around 8:30 pm every evening. I have programmed myself from the beginning that it is the only snack that I allow myself. Yes I have cravings for food but ignore them by getting up and doing something-just anything to occupy the mind so the craving goes away. I also do cooking sometimes when a craving hits. I seem to be able to stop the craving by working with food-no, I do not taste test! I will sometimes go out to work in my shed/shop when I am bored. I try to find something to do. I have all kinds of energy compare to pre-surgery. So I try to stay busy most of the day. I am currently unemployed-had my own business till the medical problems got to be too much pre-surgery. Everyone has to find a solution to the head cravings-what works for one person might not work for another person. I just refuse to give in to the cravings because I will not go back to being fat again. Yes I could eat chips if I chose to but I do not chose to eat any 'junk' food. I have had no 'junk' food since pre-surgery. For meals I generally have scrambled egg (shared with my wife) for breakfast. For lunch I will have chicken strips or leftovers or soup. For supper I have meat and a vegetable. I do treat myself once in a while to some homemade habanero beef jerky (I make myself) although I do have a hard time with over indulging with the jerky. I also drink a V8 every couple of days. I do not eat a lot of fruits-never have. I do believe that the spicey foods that I eat does help raise my metabolism. For exercise I am able to do more than pre-surgery. I walk more. Try to ride bike with my wife every nite for about 20 minutes. No structured exercise other than the bike. I do keep busy-not a lot of sitting. Tonite I was fixing the doors on the shed so that it shuts better. As far as the head problems, you just got to remember that you control your head not the other way around. It is up to each of us to find the way to gain that control. I keep in the front of my mind that I never want to go back to the way I was before the surgery. It might work for you to think that way too. I will help in anyway I can. Might not be worded quite right. You can also ask my wife questions too. I have faith that you will make it to your goal. Lester

Thanks, Jane for the response. I do like sunflower seeds also, but there are just so many calories in those and the soy nuts. I would probably eat a quarter cup of them. If I have liquids, that usually helps, as do sugar free popsicles. I will have to try a smoothie or protein shake in the evening. I do like popcorn, but don't have it often because it has made me sick. All those starchy things are really "red light foods"for me that I have to stay away from. If my kids are eating some, I may have a couple of small handfuls and call that a snack, but it still remains a challenge for me to stop and not to graze on it all night long. I am better off to not even touch it. (Light popcorn is one of the few snacks that my kids still have in the house. Like I said, I have to keep the chips and stuff out of the house because they are too tempting to me.) Lester, thank you again for answering my many questions. I guess that thinking about how I can screw this up and become fat again EVERY time that I go to snack would be a great incentive! I continue to work hard at making healthy lifestyle changes, such as walking 2 miles at least three times a week and being more active in general. Heck, I even climbed up on a playground the other day chasing after my 22 month old! Could have never fit up the ladder before! I just don't always feel that I have adequate control over my eating. Granted, I have totally changed what I eat and the amount that I eat, but still find myself grazing sometimes - and then I feel like I have no control. I am just going to have to keep working to cure myself of those bad habits that I have always had - even as a child. Thanks again for all of the advice and encouragement. God bless, Andrea

Hope it will help.Youll make it if i can. Anytime Lester