Picking at everything!

Lately, I am grazing all the darn time. I've posted a bit about this before....but since I sell food, the food choices are often times not approved on our diet. 

But I couldn't stop munching the salami and pepperoni....and we had chicken salad.  Liverwurst is common too, I have some standards. But there is always food....at least one type of cheese, and then the cakes, and all the other stuff that goes with it.

While I buy fillet mignon from my place, I don't get to sample that.....

I try to pick at the healther things....we bought blueberries for the house, so I will grab those, but I am eating for no reason, other than wanting to eat...

Pouch test time???? I am 9 months post op now, and down 130 lbs.....I am terrified of returning to the old me.

I will begin to journal, and I will post it here, so I have the peer pressure thing keeping me going...who said Peer Pressure was so bad?!

Hi,

It is interesting that many of us blame the surgery when we get off track.  It isn't that, in most cases.  It's in the head.  It's that "thing" that put us in harms way to begin with, whether it's a past crises, trauma, or sometimes, it's a bit deeper.  So, that means searching your life and try to find the trigger that is causing you trouble and making you to eat like that.  It may not be obvious so finding someone to talk to about issues may be a good idea too.  Keep us posted.

Steve - now might be a good time for the pouch test. Better to realize the grazing before it gets out of hand. Also cut out the "bleached" carbs if you are having any - I find that they lead to more cravings. Watch the high fat meats (salami, pepperoni, liverwurst) I find that they make me dump - hard - but they are very high in fat and those calories add up quickly.

best of luck!

Liz

PS should have also mentioned - surround yourself with healthy snack options, celery with peanut butter, nuts, beef jerky, yogurt etc. that way when you need a snack there are healthy options available.

I don't have a lot of the food issues at work than you do other than our weekly pizza lunches, but most times I don't partake in those anyway. But I have been grazing more - crunchy carbs are my big downfall and I have to get away from them. I'm almost a year out and have lost a total of 156 lbs but am really struggling now to lose each and every pound.

I know my surgery worked - I know I have the tool - I know boredom is killing me right now!! Even as cold as it was yesterday morning it felt good to get out and take a long walk - in the afternoon I got outside and played with the dog for a while.

I'm blaming the weather - I don't know when I've ever been this cold this long and maybe I'm thinking food will keep me warm? Yeah, but not in a good way!!

Hey, we'll all fight this together - you stay away from the pepperoni and salami and I'll stay away from the crunchy carbs...

it is time to identfy why you are eating and what feelings emotions or behaviors are there,
this is all in your head, and unfortunately the surgery does not fix that. We have to fix that. Identify your triggers and patterns and try and nip them in the bud.

I always recommend the Beck Diet Solution book it really helps people start to identify why they are eating and come up with solutions to deal with it

I'm very happy that a lot of people responded to this post.  I'll be a year out in one month.  I haven't gained back any weight and am still losing - slowly - but I find that crunchy carbs (what's with those things anyway???) go down really well, and I crave them (along with chocolate but that's another story).  I'm still not tolerating those really dense pieces of meat (chicken and pork mostly).  I know what I have to do to keep in check, but sometimes it just helps to know that what I'm feeling is normal.

Best of luck with the cravings.  I swear it's the winter doldrums and agree with the boredom issue - I find that it actually helps to drink a lot of fluids.  Also helps to eat healthy food that you have to work at, for instance - edamame.  They're healthy and you actually have to pick them out of the pods to eat them - it kills time and allows you to eat something slower than normal and fills you up quicker.  I buy the frozen ones and just throw some pods into a covered bowl and microwave them for a couple of minutes.

Not sure what else to say.  We're with you.  Good luck with those cravings.  Find something to occupy your time (sudoku, crossword puzzles, etc) when you have time to kill and just think how good you look slimmer!

Donna, when you say not tolerating dense meat are you saying they get stuck regularly (not being chewed enough) or making you nauseous (might need a leaner piece of meat) or what?   You may only be able to eat 2-3oz at a time which is like half the size of your palm, cut up pretty tiny.   That is a good thing, not a bad thing; it means your pouch is working.  The stuff that goes does easily, like the carbs, is the bad thing and will lead to grazing and stretching the stoma as stuff just keeps going through it so the door is always open and then learns to stay that way (so to speak).   Don't give up on the dense meats.

Apparently they are getting stuck.  It's not so much nauseating as it is being uncomfortably full.  I chew until liquified - and it still makes me feel the same way.  I can only tolerate maybe two forkfuls at a meal.  It's the only thing that still gives me problems - meat.

Hey Jackie,
It's been a while sine I have been on OH.  Your post had some valuable info for me.  I am 15 mo. post op and i have been through a lot the past couple of months.  My LFTs are elevated and they found two liver hemangiomas, neither of which is related to the other.  Needless to say i have been worried sick since November and I couldn't get in to see a specialist until last week.  No rhyme or reason for my elevated LFTs, I am in optimum health otherwise.  If it wasn't for checking my bloodwork every few months for my WLS I would never have learned of the problems. I have been a wreck for two months waiting to see the specialist and have been grazing like a cow.  I have a mini-reeses peanutbutter addiction that I stopped today( I was literally eating them a few times a day every day).  My appetite has increased and I do not feel like I get full on the same smaller portions.  I broke out my journal and started loggoong in my intake once again.  I have not given up my exercise regimen.  What is the amount of food one who is 15 mo out should consume and feel full?  I am not really complaining about the 5 lb gain , I was really thin on top, it's the poor habbits and the puffy feeling I am not diggin.  I have found my transfer addiction..........Reeses miniatures!!

Pam, Norm, Mary, Dennis, anyone please feel free to jump i and give me a swift kick in the ass.

gina

Sounds like the FAT monster is getting to you....he's the brother of the CARB monster.   One begets the other and vice versa.   They both want our souls.   BTW, even the fruit, can get to be too much.   Sounds like you need to go back to measuring and only eating what you have measured out and stopping there.   I bet you'll find you've come a long way portionwise.  Unfortunately for some of us that really love food and are around it all the time, it's really hard. Journaling will help you a great deal.