There is no merit in undereating

I don’t know if it is important to anybody else to hear that, but lately there have been a lot of “what was it like for you when you were XMONTHS out" type questions. I was trying to remember and the one thing that popped up was that I thought ok – admirable even – to not eat for long stretches of time.

 

Let me be 100% clear (deposit 5 cents to Mr. Obama): your body needs food. It doesn’t need AS MUCH food as you were giving it pre-op, but you do need to eat. There is no reason, excuse or merit in not eating for 4, 5, 6 hours.

 

Further, lack of hunger is not an excuse to not eat. Nausea? That’s another monster. If you are nauseous, it’s hard to eat and sometimes you need to let that pass or sip hot liquids or call your surgeon if it’s prolonged. Simply not having an appetite? Not to be harsh but, get over it and go eat something. Your body needs to eat.

Fear of eating? Not an excuse to stop eating. That was my particular mind poison. I know how to go big or go home. I eat too much or I eat nothing. You have to start to learn how to find that middle ground. I am not the one to tell you what that middle ground is. I can say that for me it is accountability. I try to be brutally honest about what I eat. And since I have a fairly big ego, I don’t want to have to admit to going bonkers and “lose face." (Yes, I know you all will still like me anyway but this particular egomaniacal habit has a healthy outcome so I keep it around.)

 

So let me just repeat: Eat. You need to eat. Follow whatever protocols, schedules, guidelines you are given to plan your eating day. At first you may not be able to get in everything you are supposed to. Take it one day at a time. For a time it may seem like you are constantly eating. This does not equal overeating (necessarily), especially when you figure up the amount of calories you’re taking in.

 

Eat. Don’t overeat. Eat. Ok????

 

(If that helped even one person I consider this post worth it.)

Thanks for this post! I am so worried about this after surgery. Back in the day when I did WW and lost over 100 lbs. I know part of the reason I was so "successful" was that I didn't eat enough. I get that my eating habits and amounts will change after surgery, but I'm so worried that I'll go in the other direction. It's one reason I'm still seeing the psych--accountability!

Look you helped one person, lol!

I don't tend to skip eating intentionally - as in "I'm not having lunch because I had a big breakfast".... but I do seem to think "I need to put off lunch as long as I can so I can put off dinner as long as I can so I won't be tempted to have more than 1 snack tonight"

Mind games.... working through 'em

I do that too, but the opposite way. In the late afternoon I’m always hesitant to have a snack because I want to “save my calories" for when I have resigned myself to overeating.

 

Night eating is a big thing for me and I work hard to try to control it. The best way I’ve found is to eat an actual dinner. Hence, I am resistant to actual dinner. Instead I like to do a series of “snacks." Not good.

 

On nights I eat a meal for dinner, I eat maybe a small snack in the later evening and then that’s it. When I do the little snacky thing I can easily eat 3-4 more times before hitting the sheets.

Do you find you snack less at night if you eat more during the day?

Still inspired, still in awe. 

Thanks for this Nikki.

Thanks mom... I got up and got some food.  Happy?

Oh from you that made this WHOLE post worth it!!!

Love you dahling! And you know I only nag because I care, right?

I know   Kisses... ...And really thanks for a reminder... I really did not wanted to eat, not hungry ... but dinner is late today...and if I do not eat ... my sugar will crash... And there is no excuse ... even with broken fridge at work... no excuses... 
 

:D Every time I see the title in the thread list, I always read it as "There is no merit in understanding". LoL! Took me a second to read it correctly.

Fortunately, I don't think undereating will ever be a problem for me. That was sort of what got me here in the first place--going hours, sometimes an entire day, without eating. And then eating way too much convenience food once I got to sit down and relax.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my little meals. And I'm enjoying that tiny hungry-feeling I get first thing in the morning when my pouch begs for something to fill it. It's nice to take time for myself and do what my body needs. It's been too long since I made space for myself on my own agenda.