Food journaling

OK, I know you stayoffthescales-istas may cringe as I continue this post.  The situation is that I've been going through a two-week stall.  On Monday, I started journaling my food and realized how many "snacks", albeit relatively healthy high-protein snacks, and how some portion sizes were sabotaging my efforts.

I was downing a 32 oz G2 each day - but that added 100 calories to the count.  Mid afternoon snacks such as jerky or South Beach protein bars brought up the protein count but added as many as 200 calories.  These are the two primary snack offenders that come to mind; and I am more aware of portion sizes at meals, even though I am only eyeballing rather than weighing or measuring.

Whether water or whatever, weigh-in checks on Monday and again today show the loss of 4 pounds.  Weight checks before Monday had been pretty consistent, and the loss today is consistent with yesterday's weigh in, so I'm relatively comfortable with the results trend (although I'm going to wait another day or so to update my ticker - no sense tempting the fates).

I don't offer this as an endorsement of daily weigh-ins - but I do offer it as an endorsement of journaling, some other form of "back to the basics", and making sure we are staying with the program when these inevitable stall****

I agree with that, my Dr gave me a journal to post in every day.  I think I might try to come up with my own though.  Everyone on here seems to indicate that stalls are normal.  Don't know if I help any, my 2 cents worth.

Daily weigh ins - you are 6 months post, that is when I suggest you start to weigh yourself more often, maybe not daily though.  The people that should stay off the scale are post opps 0-6 months as that is when it will drive you crazy with the big swings of loss or gain.  The closer you get to goal the more often you need to monitor.  I weigh myself every morning and then when I lose or gain 5# I change my intake to compensate.  I am scared to death of gaining my weight back, but surprisingly, usually my problem is weight loss and I have to add food.

I started last week ........... I'm a pre-op.  I can't say it has been eye opening, but you do notice the "why did I do that?" days. My problem is a weight loss requirement prior to surgery .......... and being required to quit smoking. Like an idiot, I quit smoking early on thinking it should be my top priority. Didn't even consider the fact that most ex smokers gain 5-10. 

I do hope that I stick to it after sugery. A journal seems to help folks once the rapid loss ends.

You've been out 6 mos since your surgery and you have been careful with what you eat.  Stalls are a normal phase of losing weight--our bodies battle against a steady loss of weight.  So, you have a stall.  I've read that you shouldn't really be concerned unless your stall exceeds 4 weeks.  But, we're just not used to that and we panic.  It is hard letting go of trying to control our weight loss.  At 6 mos post-op, you will be able to eat a little more before feeling full.  However, you're stomach is probably as big as it will get.

I suggest weighing yourself once a week.  When you get closer to goal, you may want to cut that down to once a month.  The problem with getting weighed daily is simply fluid retention.  I'm not the scientific type, but I do know tha****er and other bodily fluids are heavy.  Your weight will probably fluctuate from day to day, but you should see a steady decline over time.  Just knowing that your weight loss slows at about 6 mos post-op is hard to experience.  But, phew, throw in a stall and we do tend to get discouraged.

I'd be curious to know how many calories you are eating per day.  If you are eating around 1,600 calories you should have no problems losing weight.  If you are more active, you can eat even more.  However, if you find yourself on an extended stall, you may want to decrease you intake by 200 calories.  Eating less than that may be hard to maintain and may lead to discouragement.

According to my journaling, I'm running between1200 and 1300 calories per day - again, though, that has only been for the past four days.  Protein, surprisingly, has been in the 100 grams per day range.  I wouldn't have thought it to be that high.

I am not concerned about the stall and am well aware how normal it is.  The surgeon said that the surgery itself would probably take me to 200ish in line with RNY's 75% of excess weight formula.  The stall gave me the opportunity to do an inventory of what I was eating through journaling, and it opened my eyes to some issues that were better to correct now than later.

No panic on this end!  I'm in it for the marathon, not the sprint.

I didn't journal during the first 4+ years post op.  But, since I was nowhere near goals, I wanted to lose more weight.  I got Dr Judith Beck's book, The Beck Diet Solution, on the advice of a behavioral therapist at OH.  The book examines the reasons people succeed and fail at diets.  We are on post-op diets, ie, food plans.  One of the foundations of success is keeping a food journal.  It needn't be detailed as far as calories, protein grams or other components are concerned ( I did keep track of them),  Rather, by writing down what we eat, we become aware of our eating habits and can change them.  She mentions that this is the #1 suggestion that most dieters do not want to follow.

Brian, you are doing a commendable job.  The habits you form now will enable you to continue with a healthy & balanced diet for the rest of your life.

I'm not even 6 weeks out from RNY.  The only time I haven't journaled since April was the week after surgery. I got to weigh 500 lbs by not being entirely honest with myself about what I ate, and how much I ate. I wouldn't be surprised if I journaled the rest of my life.

I second your endorsement of jounals and wanted to suggest one I have been using since my surgery on 6/15/09. I found it on Amazon.com and it's called The Gastric Bypass Companion Food and Exercise Journal. The second page says "The Ultimate Weight Loss Tool = A Pen". I believe that. I've lost 90 lbs. since June 1st with the Lap-Band and I owe much of the success to journaling. If it goes in my mouth it goes in the journal. I also wanted to introduce myself. I post on the Lap-Band forum but only have lurked on this one.
Regards to all,
Matt

I journaled for the first 1 1/2 years post op. I was determinted to 300 lbs and get to goal. The last few months (just before i hit goal) i just counted protein and carbs. Journaling is very important, esp when you are trying to lose weight.

Scott