TIPS for the Busy WLS patient

First, hello BAF! ...I feel bad if I don't stop it at least once a month to say hello and contribute someting positive. Well, this year will mark my SEVENTH year post op from RNY. While some may see me as a success, I am NOT happy with my recent weight gain ~and YES it is my fault~.

However, regardless of what point you are on at ur journey, one thing holds true: Calories in versus calories out is the key to weight loss, weigh gain, and/or maintenance!

The tips I am about to post or more for WLSers with an inactive or low-active lifestyle, but can work for anyone. Life doesn't stop and wait for us, so we have to get on the train or catch the bus!

Being a wife, mother, who works, writes, and continues the education, I had to make several changes to my eating.

1. Fresh is always BEST! Eat on fresh fruits and veggies! ~no, I don't know how to peel a pineapple, but I  buy the fresh pineapples already peeled from Kroger's so I just cut them in chunks. Add some strawberry, canteloupe and honey dew melon and I have me an instant fruit salad. I do switch the fruits...grapes, tangerines, apples...any fresh fruit ~except banana~ and I will have a fruit salad.

I snack on fresh veggies....I buy carrot chips or peeled baby carrots, cucmbers, celery...sadly, that is all....I don't eat that other stuff raw!....and I will snack on them during the day or night (I try hard to obey the not after 6PM eating rule, but I ai't perfect).  I will steam fresh brocolli and cauliflower...squash and zuchhini...and eat those with supper....and I eat on salads...with baby spinach...verus iceburg lettuce.

2. Smack it up, flip, rub it down! Naw, just kidding....BOIL IT....eggs....now, I am a yolk person, so I boil 3 egss at night....take one yolk and trash 2...then cut the one yolk and 3 whites really cute....I use the tyson grilled chicken (it is not the best to use, but remember, I am rushing....and put me about 4 strips in a sandwich bag...place my eggs in a tupperware.....and this stops me from doing fast foods...and it is helathy.

3. Oatmeal and wheat bread: Sure, I get tired of eating the same thing over and over so I do switch up....however, my bkfast during the week is mainly 1/2 cup of oatmeal with skim milk and splenda and 1/2 slice of DRY wheat toast.

I alternate by doing 1/2 wheat cheese toast and turkey bacon...yada yada yada

4.  WATER: remember when we were little, you had a thermos bottle? Well, I bought me a thermos bottle...and I bought the matching lunch thingy too! Here is why...I'm a lazy *****so being able to keep a thermos full of water at work...Ihave no excuse...and I must drink the entire thermos before the EOD and the thermos keeps my water cool!....The lunch thermos thingy.....I use it for soups and broths!  and that thing keeps them warm too!!! I go them from a drug store called Drug Mart.....and I keep one thermos at home....I drink tha****er at night when I feel hungry, I sit up and pop a stick of big red gum ~I know, I know~ in my mouf and drink water from my thermos!

5. PROTEIN SHAKES: ~gag, gag, gag~ OH WELL...so be it, but an BAFer hipped me to Extreme Smoothie Protein shakes and I must say,though I don't like'em like that for real, they are RTD and tolerable! I am amazed at how fast I suck that baby down ~shuddup~...but they offer 35grams of protein and 6 grams of carbs...170 calories...but the 35g of protein tricks the body....I drink one of these babies before bed to kill my "can't go to sleep without eating" addiction! Yes, that damn thing have me full as all out!

Booyah, that's it....I still have my 2 FREE days to eat what I want....I have a trampoline (mini)....and a urban rebounding DVD.....and me and my girls have fun jumping on that damn thing!....doing our dance DVDs and stuff we can do together so I am not neglecting them!

Other things I have added:

colon therapy once a month
take colon cleanse program daily (AM and PM)
Dieter's tea (I don't know if it works...I just like hot tea and though I feel full most of the team, I cannot credit it to the tea bc I drink water....eat on my veggies and stuff)

Am I losing weight? YES, but most importantly, I feel better!

Great tips Dedee....I "try" to do these things too.  Definitely takes some planning when you have a busy schedule.  Like tonight, get off work at 4:30, rush home to grab the rugrat and head off to basksetball practice  till 9.  It's too late to cook so it's usually McDonald's for us on Monday and Thursday night. 

Thanks for this reminder....I'm gonna plan ahead and do better.

Yes, I am so glad BBall is almost over LOL...we have tournaments for two weeks and Kenn will be done, but Kerri soccer starts over this week and we are preparing for the pageant!  On practice nights, I was BAD about ordering PIZZA.....so now, I stick to something fast like TUNA....I get off work at 4:30....and I will make a tuna casserole or do chicken tacos on those nights!

It is very difficult! But we must press on!

Hi there, that's 2 for 2 thanks for both of the threads.
Kathleen T.

Thanks for posting this. As a newbie, it's always great to read anything from long-termers.

Thanks for the post ..I hear ya! Single mom,work full time, grad school, b-ball practice, cub scouts, yada, yada,yada...I have found that I have to PLAN ahead in order to do right.  I now have lots of veggies on hand to make veggie stir fys and lots of types of salads with zero cal dressing. Fruits too. Packing our lunches at night is a pain in the A, but if I dont plan then I fall victim to snacks and junk. And the 64 oz jug of water goes with me everywhere....gotta get it in where it  fit in. Exercise is a must. Im on an every other day  gym schedule, so it may be a different day each week. If it falls on a practice or class day....too bad! Get er done anyway!!

One day at a time 4 me!

Great tips!. 

I make use of frozen fruits and veggies too.  It's convenient and helps cut down on waste.  Sometimes when I buy fresh stuff I can't eat it all before it spoils.

I use boiled eggs a lot too.  I usually buy 2 dozen when I go shopping and boil a dozen on the weekend for me to eat throughout the week.