Quick TO question

I am dealing with a 30 lb. re-gain and, so far, I have resisted the idea of the Time Out plan!  (I am not judgmental of it, by any means, but for me I've been afraid it would backfire and would cause me to just go nuts.)  Plus, I see a summer full of "events" and many short vacations and honestly haven't been able to see how or when I could realistically work in 1-2 wks. of TO.  (Like, for instance, I just got home after a week of vacationing, and this Sat. & Sun. my DH & I are going to St. Louis to visit our son & his family for a b.d./Father's Day.)  My whole summer is like this--I just retired from being a h.s. guidance counselor and have lots of outings planned w/ friends! With that said, I'm feeling really awful about my horrendous eating and the prospect of re-gaining even more.  Does it make any sense to just do 2-3 days every week--like, say, Thurs & Fri this week, then a couple days next week, & so on?  Just work it in here & there?  I know this sounds like a cop-out, but I'm trying to be realistic about it.  I know if I'm gone for a couple days or so w/ friends/family, I won't just drink shakes & CL.  Any thoughts on such a drastic modification of the timetable? Also, when you drink a protein shake, do you wait 30 min. (or whatever your surgeon/nut's protocol was for drinking liquids after eating) before drinking CL or flavored water? Thanks.  I don't want to sound dense or whiney about any of this--just wondering what makes sense when I have such a chopped up schedule.

Jo: I would think that doing a few days of T.O. a week would be better then not doing it, but you could still do it on the run too.  If you take a water jug with you, measure out your protein and package individually.  You can also get individually packaged crystal lite mix.  there are also pre mixed protein drinks.  If you did a modified diet, maybe a protein drink in the am and salad or vegies and protein for lunch and or dinner.  Any thing that will help you to cut down on the grazing and make better food choices will help!  Everyone needs to do what works for them.   It mostly takes committment and determination, and I'm sure you'll figure out how to work it into your schedule!!  Good luck!!!   DeeAnn R      Ps  I am doing a modified T.O.  and have lost about 5 of my regained 15 lbs.  It's a little slower loss since I'm eating some, but it's something I can see myself doing more long term. 

Thanks, DeeAnn-- I agree that when I'm gone on short trips, I could still do a protein drink part of the time.  I think my biggest hurdle is not entirely thinking of the little vacations as a "free-for-all" as far as food goes!  If I can get in some serious de-toxing at home and eat in a modified way (i.e., mostly protein & veggies) when it's just not feasible to drink shakes/liquids all day, I should be OK.  I'm trying to get myself to think back to my first summer post-op, when I was 10-12 mo. post-op.  I was eating normal food but without the junk.  So I know it's do-able; I just have to get the bad carbs out of my system and get back to snacks that consist of some protein & good carbs--and I was totally content when I was doing that! Thanks for your reply.

Hi Jo~ I am not doctor, so I don't know for sure.  But, to me, I say "why not give it a try?"  But, I am just a newbie and there are so many others with a LOT more wisdom.  I can tell you that this Time Out has been truly amazing and I am grateful for the results.  It has really got me thinking about my addiction and how I have a pretty mixed up relationship with food!  Praise God for the results so far!!

Thanks for the response, Becky.  I'm thinking that ANYTHING is better than nothing.  I do get hung up on all-or-nothing thinking (like if I can't do the TO just exactly the way it's "supposed" to be, then I can't do it at all), and really, that's ridiculous to get hung up on.  I just don't want to set myself up for just another variety of failure! Thanks again!

I like your philosophy of eating the way you did more like post op your first year, you are focusing on the protein and cutting out the big carbs. It really does make sense to do what you can WHEN you can, and even on a day you have an outing, that would not mean you have to go overboard the WHOLE day. If you did shakes for bfast and lunch, then out to dinner, your overall intake would still be better than what you might be doing currently. I am going on vaca next week and am planning to let up some (pasta, rice, corn, fruit), but maintain overall by doing what you are talking about. Our overall goal really is about balance, isnt it?

It sure does make sense on paper, doesn't it?! Guess it just helps me to have you guys tell me that any efforts, even partial ones, are steps in the right direction!  I really thought during my first 2 yrs. post-op that I learned about balance and had made giant strides away from the all-or-nothing thinking, but this past year has been a big struggle, with my eating and THINKING really in the tank.   Thanks for your reply!