introduction

hello to everyone...I have been a poster on the main board for about 4 months now, and tonite stumbled across this board.  so i would like to introduce myself, my name is Amy and I had RNY on May 26th, 09...I will be 4 months post op this saturday!  wow the time sure has flown by...I started at 355 pounds, and as of last week I am 243 (I will be weighing in this sat. for my 4 mo surgiversary).. so that makes total pounds lost post op 112lbs.  to tell you a little more, i still find myself struggling w food.. not about the type of food that i choose to eat (95 percent of the time its healthy)  but eating when i am not physically hungry.. and then i try to justify it by saying that i need the extra calories.. i really just dont know anymore. like for example, take tonite.. i had finished eating for the day.. my menu consisted of lean cuizine stuffed cabbage w/out the potatoes, small light frap. from starbucks, 1/2 cup spinach, 5 slices deli ham, 1 lf cheese stick... and then i had to go and eat popcorn.. it was the lowfat kind, but why did i have to eat when i wasnt hungry?  oh .. i dont know if i will ever be normal again!!  on another note i do exercise daily...today was 30 mins elliptical and one hour zumba class.   usually i will do about 45 mins of cardio or an hour zumba class.. well anyways just rambling on and on.. to get this off my chest.  as i really dont know what the right thing to do is.  i dont know how many calories i should be eating... my nut just recommends three meals, no****ching calories.  well thanks to all for listening.  : )

I'm so where you are. I've caught myself justifying having a protein bar because "I need the extra calories," when it's really "I want something sweet and candybar like."

The only thing that works for me is making myself drink 16 oz of water or a protein shake before I can touch the protein bar. That usually fills me up and my easily distracted mind forgets I wanted the protein bar.

My nut has the same policy about no****ching calories, but eating only three meals. I can't do that. When I do, I totally stall. So, I try to eat a snack in between meals that is loaded with protein. But there are still good choices and bad choices for snacks. Small chunk o'cheese -- good. Evil Snickers-like protein bar -- bad as a snack.

You do need to eat more calories if you exercise more. You don't want to exercise yourself down to 600 calories net for the day. Look at Jupiter6's blog. She has some info on this kind of stuff.

Hang in there!!

Welcome!

Sounds like you have done amazing! THat is a lot of weight in 4 months! I only hope I can be as successful!

You will def. be successful!  No doubt!! I try really hard, and I do sometimes fail.  but I keep picking myself up again, and try to make the right choices.  hope to chat soon : )  when did you have your surgery?

Wow you have lost alot of weight! i'm 9 months out and have lost 160. i guess i need to exercise more, but i'm still thrilled.

about the extra food, do you have an appetite? I haven't been hungry since the day i woke up from surgery. my appetite has not returned at all, so i'm always eating when i'm not hungry, i just eat on a time schedule because if i forget i feel sick.

don't be too hard on yourself, just make sure the snacks you're having are healthy.

in the past week or so it has definetly been head hunger...which I hate!!! so i cant say that i feel physically hungry when i go and eat, its more of a mental thing in the past week.  i feel like im stuck in a rut. im not really happy with myself right now, and thats my issue.  i am grateful to have lost the weight, and to have had the surgery...but im not satisfied.  i just have to learn that it takes time, i didnt put this weight on overnite and it wont come off overnite! 

congrats on your success!!  160 pounds is awesome : )  you should be very proud of yourself