what is normal eating

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/Nutrition_articles.asp?i d=600&page=2 after all the changes with having gastric bypass I still know that sometimes I am off track and wonder if I am eating too much, too little etc.  i know if i read others "what did you eat today?' posts I get neurotic . I have gone through my phases of being too obsessive, over exercising and generally using the all or nothing thinking that got me fat in the first place. I know that for me eliminating food groups or eating an unbalanced  or overly restrictive diet will get me back into trouble but have had to work very hard to find the right balance that is so far working for me. i got this article in my Sparkpeople  daily email and thought it might be as helpful to others as it was tome.

Thanks willow. I too go nuts reading peoples food intake because it either makes me feel like a glutenous pig cause I eat way more than they so or it makes me feel like most are lying and just typing what they think they should be eating. I really believe that most people dont tell it all or I will agree that maybe dont remember it all. I know for myslef that somedays I will be talking to my honey that I am soooo proud of myself for avoiding sugar or whatever for the day and he will say soemthing like what about that (fill int the blank) you ate and I really had forgotten all about eating it until he brought it up. OR MAYBE I really do eat way too much and am the only one who forgets to count every singel M&M...:-) anyways I like the article Diana RNY 9/17/03 360/200/still aiming hard for 180

i too agree...so I never read it. I am almost 6 yrs out and eat differently than most...also some dr's make the pouch with RNY smaller and larger...depends on the dr. I still drink one regular coke a day.........why because it is like some people and their smoking....I went from 12-24 cans a day to 1.  what have I had today??? breakfast a protein shake lunch a small chicken breast with some broccoli and cauliflower snack carrots and celery coffee, water and tea. thats it for me...do I measure no...do I eat all of everything....not really it depends on the food.. if you saw the chicken breast you would be amazed....it was small....it is lemon pepper from Schwans.  some days I never touch water.others I drink nothing at all. Some days I dont eat. I am a stress eater...and it sucks. yes this could be why I am at 155 instead of 133, but hey I am not 233 like I was the day of surgery. I do wonder if some people do forget what they ate or maybe are not telling all, and yes there are \those that have greater will power than me and stick to their dr's orders 100%. Congrats to those people I am proud of you. I wish I could have. I am not shifting the blame....but I went through hell right after surgery divorce....sept 11 living in Boston, and now I am in an area where no doctors will see me because I had my surgery in Boston and the dr's here only see their patients. I have never had follow up care or a support group. I guess I am just human....not perfect. I am glad to see that I am not the only one who feels like a pig or that I ruined my results by not eating like some people. Thank you to those who have admitted that they too feel this way and are experiencing life just like me.  I will admit....I have a problem.....the surgery only restricted did not cure.

Nice article, thanks for sharing!   I always love to read what you have to say and the matter of fact advice you give.   I am currently at one of those "oh no" phases..I have gained about 40 pounds, so over 200 again....I know I need to cut down on food, so what am I doing ??!!  obsessing! and eating everything in site - I have just got to find a happy medium, and think I still can...Just got to do it, and really get back to exercising... So, reading things about not having to just stop eating, or be hungry all the time, is refreshing to me....SO, my new goal (which should always be my goal) is moderation, healthy food choices, and exercise... DeAnna

SO, my new goal (which should always be my goal) is moderation, healthy food choices, and exercise... you have the key to success right here!!!!! check out the www.sparkpeople.com website! It is excellent,

Hey Willow, As we go and grow it's normal for GOALS to adjust/change.  How awesome that you've come to the place to strive for MODERATION. For me the "addict" mentality is "all or nothing".  With overcoming this FOOD addiction I've "embraced" for a couple of decades - it's been so hard - because MODERATION is MORE DIFFICULT than complete avoidance. Moderation takes practice, for sure.  But I'm convinced that "moderation as a lifestyle" can be achieved one choice at a time.  Learning to "let go" of the bad choices - learn from them and proceed -  now that's the challenge and THAT's the tough thing! I don't know about you, but for me, FAILURE (re: dieting) was a self-fulfilled prophecy  (AND a place I was MOST familiar with)-  I'd BEAT MYSELF UP for failing - then I'd eat more to soothe myself - which made me gain weight, which made me beat myself up even more for failing, which, which, which... STOP THE MADNESS! Just want you to know I'm joining you in the LONG TERM "moderation" goal. By the way, "moderation" gives room for a bad choice or two - without beating ourselves up.  How cool is that! Hmmm... could that be "normal"?

Thanks SO much again for the info !  I set up the free account with sparkpeople, and I am really excited about it.  The "diet" (food) plan is working for me today.  I do not think I will be hungry with this set up, and will not be searching for food to much on ....I wrote out all the food I will have today, and it is more than enough, and the calories worked out well for me at my body weight. I put you as my referring source - just had "willow" to go by though.... DeAnna

Willow, when you find the answer to "What is normal eating?" please broadcast it everywhere.. I struggle with this everyday... I knew my eating habits were bad and they had to change, but once I lost controll I went so far off I am having trouble finding my way back.. but back to what... I sometimes think it is not normal to drink a meal, is it normal to have a cup of yogurt or the dreaded cottage cheese and call that a meal. Where are the food groups? Is it normal to eat 3-4oz of tuna or chicken and be done. Nothing has ever felt normal to me and those who post here and sound so happy with what they are eating sometimes next to nothing I sometime belief have been brainwashed... I wish I was one of the them.. are they fibbing about what they eat... never snacking and not grazing... how.... how.... I ask... If you know the answer to this you are a god.  If not you are just one of us struggling for the answer....  I know this sounds harsh but this is what I am feeling and I hope you take it in the spirit it is offered.

Donna --- NORMAL for YOU.  Period. As post ops we are a "new creature" and have to learn to listen to our bodies and our own sensibilities. (and YES even us pre-obese "failures" have sensibilities!) Even living in ObeseLand for 25+ years I was probably one of the most EDUCATED DIET freaks there was.   I KNEW what healthy eating was supposed to be. Whether I chose to do it was another story, but ultimately it was my CHOICE. How easy it is to get tied up into "what's fair" thinking.  You may not realize it - but , to me, it seems like that's what you're really saying when you state:   "I sometimes think it is not normal to drink a meal, is it normal to have a cup of yogurt or the dreaded cottage cheese and call that a meal. Where are the food groups? Is it normal to eat 3-4oz of tuna or chicken and be done." Now the reality is - sometimes it sucks.  For you. For me.  For everyone.  BUT the reality ALSO is: "it is what it is"   -- we can CHOOSE "bitter"  or we can choose "BETTER".  Some days it's  incredibly easy for me to choose "better" -- my thinking's all in alignment with my eating goals, I walk, my house is clean and my kid and my dogs are all living in PLEASANTVILLE. la la la Other days I wake up ticked and start snacking on a raisin bagel at 6:15 a.m. and I look in the mirror and see a tired old broad who at 51 looks 61 'cuz of the extra wrinkles in her face and under her chin. Dang. I cannot live in that place emotionally - even though it's EASY.  This life is too great a gift to be the "victim".  That's when I fight to  remind myself   "I did NOT get my guts cut opened and rearranged to fail!".  Period. So I regroup, I work at taking captive the "stinking thinking" that kept me enslaved within a MOAT of obesity for over 25 years, and I proceed.  And no - I don't do sugar. (I was an ADDICT before - I KNOW if I try it I will FAIL and I will DIE) And no - when I take over my crappy thoughts then I DON'T snack (except for  eating 6 meals per day! I do love that!) And for me, that is NORMAL.  That is very normal. So here it is.   You can either continue beating yourself up about some bad choices OR you can kick yourself in your 140 pounds lighter butt and start  CELEBRATING what an amazing SUCCESS you are!!!   A STRONG , COURAGEOUS WARRIOR - who made one of THE MOST difficult decisions of her life (to have WLS)  AND who has SUCCESSFULLY lost an entire person! You're awesome!

did you read the article from Sparkpeople?  I thought it had some very good stuff in it as far as wha tis normal. Do Ihave an exact drefinition of normal, well, no we are all unique and inidividual humans. But, I do know what is not normal. living on protein shakes and artifiacially flavored and sweetened foods  or things that are processed, preserved and are no longer identifiable as any product that ever grew fresh is not normal.  Beating our selves up for eating some thing we think we shouldnt is not normal. eliminating entore food groups is not normal.  seeing food as bad or evil or thinking we can never be a normal person is not  normal.  I read the book " how much does your soul weigh?"  by Dorie Mccubbrey and it was very enlightening and gives me hope  that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the feeling that yes, i do have the power to be normal.